The ABC’s catch-up TV platform iView has just received a major overhaul, including a revamped interface, improved search functionality, an integrated TV guide and a new Watchlist feature that lets you aggregate favourite shows into a single list. The Android, iOS and web version of the app have all received the update.
iView is a catch-up TV service that provides access to the ABC’s previous week of programming, along with thousands of shows from the ABC archives. To coincide with the new update, the ABC is also primping a catalogue of online content created especially for iView, including Fresh Blood and Wastelander Panda.
The new Watchlist feature allows iView users to plan their own schedule by saving favourite programs in one place for quick and easy access. This essentially saves you from searching about for a specific show or episode in your recordings list — instead, different shows are grouped together. To make things extra easier, recommended programs are now grouped according to theme and genre.
In addition, the ABC has also optimised iView’s search functionality so that shows appear in the main search box. There are also dedicated channel homepages for ABC 1, ABC 2, ABC 3 and ABC 4. For those of you with Apple TV, you can now stream iView onto your iPhone or iPad and then beam it to your AirPlay compatible TV or audio device for some big-screen goodness.
Previously only available on iOS and via the web, the app was released on Google Play for Android devices late last year. All versions have received the new update. Hurrah!
See also: How iview Is Costing The ABC A Fortune | The Lifehacker Guide To Streaming Blocked Overseas Content | What iView’s Success As An App Teaches Us | Why Is “iOS Only” Still A Thing?
Comments
9 responses to “ABC iView Receives Major Update: Here’s What’s Different”
Looks like their move away from flash was mostly successful. The videos are still streaming via flash, but the web interface is finally in much more accessible HTML.
Leaving flash in there at all is seriously limiting the type of device that can view the site, but these changes are a step in the right direction.
SInce HTML5 video sucks for streaming, there is no real alternative at the moment (it can only do progressive download via http (and continues to download even when paused), can easily be saved, makes it quite hard to to provide content if the content is easily stolen (content producers will not sell to you) or wastes bandwidth, not to mention you still have to provide the same video in multiple formats.
The people behind the HTML5 video spec did a pretty bad job if you ask me, its almost like adobe had a hand in it to keep flash alive.
I wonder if this will break downloaders like Python iView.
Thats what i thought but iViewNapper still seems to work.
It seems they’re still serving the old interface to PlayStation 3s, so presumably any obsolete data feeds will stick around until they get that sorted.
Video quality still shit?
Tried to log in and watch The Checkout this evening about one hour after tonight’s episode was posted on iView but it just shows “oops…no video loaded #10203” Still need to iron out some issues?
Any way to access iView/Plus Seven outside Australia?
You’d need a VPN that has servers in Australia such as vyprcpn (aparently an swicth what location you want to appear to be in)
http://www.goldenfrog.com/vyprvpn/features/vpn-server-locations
They way Australia is trying to head with respect to the internet (blocking content etc) we all may need a VPN one day.
… and also a 56k dialup modem :|. I can’t really understand what’s going on Down Under: you have Internet like Europe used to have 15 years ago, you have a very weird PM, you have the Australia Tax on every imported goods…
Something must change in there.