TVCatchup
Screenshot Internet television | |
Area served | United Kingdom |
---|---|
URL | tvcatchup |
Current status | Offline |
TVCatchup was an
The service was originally launched in 2007 as a
On 4 June 2014 TVCatchup Ltd went into administration by order of London's High Court of Justice.[3] The service remained online, despite winding up and liquidation orders made in May 2015. In August 2017, Bruce Pilley, a former director of the company, was banned from being a company director for nine years for failing to disclose that the company had a winding-up order against it when drawing down a loan.[4]
Features
TVCatchup retransmitted free-to-air channels appearing on Freeview and Freesat within the UK. Users were able to view up to 17 channels live via the Internet.[5]
As of 17 September 2013[update], the website also offered a catchup service, providing listings for recently aired programmes from the UK's four largest broadcasters, and redirects viewers to their on-demand services.[6][7]
It was possible to record TV in 2007, but that functionality was removed in 2008. The company said in 2010 that the facility would be returning to the site.[5]
Channels
The following channels were available to all United Kingdom television licence holders:
Category | Channels[8] |
---|---|
Entertainment | Quest
|
Music | VIVA
|
News | CCTV News
|
Kids | CBBC, CBeebies
|
Sport | Sail TV |
General | BBC Red Button |
Shopping | QVC Style
|
Infrastructure
TVCatchup owned its entire infrastructure. In 2010 it was reported that the network had a capacity for 50 GBps.[5]
Platforms
The service was accessed through desktop browsers with
TVCatchup was accessible on mobile devices through a range of free apps. An
There is a plug-in available for
There was also an
TVCatchup released an Adobe AIR cross-platform desktop PVR into Beta mode on 8 May 2014, with features including a full TV guide, pop out player and PVR .[18]
Dispute with G Zero
In December 2015, TVCatchup announced on their site that they had commenced legal action against G Zero Ltd, an app developer it had originally contracted to provide mobile apps for its service. It is claimed that GZero used TVCatchup's IP to create and launch their own app, ToView Live TV which offers a similar service using both an advertising and subscription model. ToView is, according to the complaint, a re-brand of the original TVCatchup app.[19] As of February 2016, this legal action is still pending and the GZero app is still available in app stores.[20][21] TVCatchup relaunched their app in December 2015.[22]
Legality
TVCatchup retransmits free-to-air channels over the Internet on the basis of section 73 of the
On 26 March, the Court of Appeal dismissed TVCatchup's appeal, meaning the PSB channels may only be streamed by WifI. On the same day, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport published an open consultation on the balance of payments between television platforms and public service broadcasters within which the department stated the government's intention to repeal section 73.[27]
Although the Welsh public service broadcaster S4C is covered under the provisions of the CDPA 1988, the channel entered into a formal carriage agreement with TVCatchup in August 2013.[28]
The site was initially conceived as an online PVR service, where users could select shows from one of 30 free-to-air channels to record up to one week in advance of their broadcast.[29] However, following concerns from broadcasters about the functionality of the site, TVCatchup voluntarily suspended its services while their concerns were addressed.[30][31][32]
Discontinuation
iOS app
According to the Apple App Store listing for the iOS TVCatchup.com app, the company who published the app was Toyon Investments Limited.[33]
Companies House, in the UK, report that company as being "dissolved" on 26 February 2019,[34] which will likely be the reason behind the discontinuation of the TVCatchup.com streaming service.
Android app
The Android app is published by a company called Spaceshifting, LLC., and as-of March 2021 is still available to download in the Google Play Store,[35] despite the listing stating the last update published for the app was made on 16 October 2017, and most recent user comments reporting the app as being non-functional.[35]
According to OpenCorporates.com, this was a company registered in Nevada, USA, and it declared "dissolution" on 8 February 2018.[36]
Social media
As of March 2021, a Twitter account still exists for TVCatchup.com, but has not posted since 14 March 2019.[37]
See also
- Internet Television
- IPTV
References
- ^ "TVCatchup claim to be in a great position after ruling". BBC Newsbeat. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ Merriman, Chris (17 October 2013). "TV Catchup shows up ITV with two million football views". The Inquirer. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Appointment of Administrators". The London Gazette. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ "Transmission interrupted: director of TV streaming app disqualified for 9 years". The Insolvency Service. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Gilson, David (2 March 2010). "TVCatchup: Behind the scenes at the video-streaming service". CNET UK. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ Gibbs, Samuel (18 September 2013). "TVCatchup expands service – with actual catchup TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "TVCatchup adds catch-up TV for UK's major broadcasters". Engadget. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^ "TVCatchup – Watch TV Online for Free & Never Miss A Show Again". TVCatchup. Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ^ "Vista Media Center Beta Testers Wanted". studly_steve007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- ^ "Media Center 2005 beta testers wanted". studly_steve007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- ^ "TVCatchup for iOS review". Macworld UK. 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "TV Catchup lands on Google Play". Digital Spy. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "TVCatchup reaches Windows Phone 8 in the UK". Engadget. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ Schofield, Jack (24 August 2012). "Choosing parts for a £1,000 games PC". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://forums.tvcatchup.com/showthread.php?10384-Anyone-managed-to-get-TVC-working-on-PS3-yet[dead link]
- ^ "TVCatchup's desktop Application Guide". TV Catchup team. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
- ^ "Record". TVCatchup. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "TVCatchup - Watch TV Online for Free & Never Miss A Show Again". TVCatchup. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ^ "ToView Live TV on the App Store". itunes.apple.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016.
- ^ "TVCatchup - Aplikacije za Android v storitvi Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
- ^ "TVCatchup - Watch Free Live TV". App Store.
- ^ Bradshaw, Tim (10 June 2010). "TVCatchup website faces legal challenge". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ ITV Broadcasting Ltd & Ors v TV Catchup Ltd, [2011 EWHC 1874 (Pat)] (18 July 2011) ("The section 73 defence applies to the qualifying services, but not in respect of re-transmission to mobile phones or of out of area services.").
- ^ "High Court Sealed Order" (PDF). 7 October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ Farber, Alex (11 October 2013). "TVCatchUp ordered to remove PSB digital channels". Broadcast. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ "The balance of payments between television platforms and public service broadcasters: Consultation Paper". 26 March 2015.
- ^ Clover, Julian (6 August 2013). "S4C plans new catch-up services". Broadband TV News. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- ^ Sweeney, Mark (17 December 2007). "TVCatchup faces legal battle". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
- ^ Clover, Julian (19 February 2008). "Copyright catches up with TVCatchup". Broadband TV News. London. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ Kiss, Jemima (18 February 2008). "TVCatchup suspended after complaints". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
- ^ Kiss, Jemima (19 February 2008). "TVCatchup – filling the gaps left by broadcasters?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
- ^ "TVCatchup - Watch Free Live TV on the App Store". itunes.apple.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016.
- ^ "TOYON INVESTMENTS LIMITED - Overview (Free company information from Companies House)".
- ^ a b "TVCatchup - Watch Free Live TV - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Spaceshifting LLC :: Wyoming (US) :: OpenCorporates". opencorporates.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "TVCatchup (@TVCatchup)".