Motive Television will be developing its tablet television technology to enable Freeview users in Britain to watch and record television programmes directly onto tablets without the need to connect to the internet. This represents a strategic entry for the Company into the UK market.
With Motive’s app and an antenna-tuner containing Motive’s technology, tablet users will be able to watch all the programming currently available on the Freeview platform. Motive plans to license its technology to third party consumer electronics companies who will make the antenna-tuners widely available.
Tablet TV lets the user watch any broadcast TV channel anywhere, without needing a hotspot or fast Internet signal. Like Freeview to the home, there are no subscriptions needed and no interruptions due to buffering or network congestion. With Motive’s built in Tablet PVR, viewers can record any programme.
Video viewing on tablets is rapidly increasing, with recent figures from the BBC showing that tablets have moved ahead of smartphones for its catch-up iPlayer service with 41 million requests in March 2013. According to recent predictions from CCS Insight, 1 billion tablets will be in use worldwide by 2017, and according to research firm Gartner sales of tablets are expected to grow 70% to about 200 million this year.
Based on discussions underway with Freeview, Motive expects that its Freeview-compatible Tablet TV will receive all the Freeview channels available in the broadcast area; offer a full 7-day 24 hour EPG with the Freeview look and feel; have the ability to record directly onto the tablet (PVR); enable features such as series recording and optionally have social media integration (with an internet connection)
Leonard M Fertig, CEO of Motive commented, “Motive’s experience in developing Tablet TV for the United States makes the extension to the highly successful Freeview platform to tablets in the UK a natural next step. We look forward to working with Freeview and its partners to complete the development of Tablet TV for the UK so tablet owners can enjoy Freeview whenever and wherever they want.” Motive expects to demonstrate Tablet TV for Freeview later this year.
