TVNZ – New Zealand Launched HbbTV

New Zealand state broadcaster, TVNZ has partnered with Brightcove Inc., a global provider of cloud services for video to enable the delivery of a cutting edge Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) service.

Two other leading free-to-air television broadcasters, Mediaworks and Māori TV joined the project and they can now reach more than 3.6 million viewers around the country.

“HbbTV is the future of free-to-air broadcast television not only in New Zealand but worldwide, because of the amazing viewing experience that combines over-the-air TV with on-demand. Today, we see more than 22 countries that have adopted the standard,” said Mark Blair, Vice President Asia Pacific at Brightcove. “Brightcove is recognised for its expertise in HbbTV deployment, so whether it’s TVNZ, Māori TV, Mediaworks, or others, broadcasters turn to Brightcove for technical solutions, global capability, and a proven track record. This latest deployment in New Zealand follows on previous successes that include powering the HbbTV experience for every commercial free-to-air broadcaster in Australia.”

As of December 2014, approximately 20 million television devices were compatible with HbbTV technology worldwide. HbbTV technology enables broadcasters to seamlessly stream on–demand content with a consistent user experience. Broadcasters are able to gain valuable insights into audience viewing analytics and monetise video content.

Viewers with FreeviewPlus-compatible TV sets or set top boxes will be able to access more than 600 on-demand shows and movies, view a TV guide across multiple channels both eight days forward and backward for catch up on demand content, and have the ability to search content by genre and title.