In an increasingly busy world it is easy to miss your favourite TV programme, so TVNZ is doing something about it.
In March the broadcaster will launch TVNZ ondemand, a new online service that will offer viewers a smorgasbord of visual content, from catch ups of Shortland Street to favourites from the archives, to sneak previews of new shows.
Chief Executive Rick Ellis says coming off the back of the TVNZ digital channels announcement the launch of TVNZ ondemand is a further demonstration of TVNZ's determination to provide all New Zealanders with the benefits of the digital age.
"With New Zealand's broadband penetration and capability now growing, this is the time for TVNZ to demonstrate leadership in the video content online space," Ellis says.
"We intend to make our programmes available to New Zealanders on every screen, and we have the quality of content to make that highly attractive to online viewers."
A huge range of top programming will be available.
Last year, 39 of the top 40 television series in the country were TVNZ shows and the network has 26 years of the nation's most popular programmes in its archives.
Ellis says the local independent production community has been extremely enthusiastic and supportive in building content for the new service.
"The availability last week of the new TVNZ family drama Karaoke High for online streaming a week before broadcast has evidenced New Zealanders' growing consumption of TV programmes online. In one week alone, over 13,000 unique visitors viewed the show. This is clearly a growth area," says Ellis.
TVNZ ondemand will go live with a combination of streamed and downloadable shows. Some will be free, others will be paid for using a purchasing system called Play Points, which is similar to that used by Trade Me.
Registered users will have a PlayPoints balance, from which points will be deducted when a downloaded programme is played.
The content available will also grow over time as there will be continuing negotiations around rights to programmes, and the unlocking of TVNZ's own archive.
N.B. Below is a list of questions and answers around TVNZ ondemand. If you have any questions that are not covered please feel free to contact us HERE.
About TVNZ ondemand
Is TVNZ ondemand part of tvnz.co.nz?
The two sites will be separate but linked. TVNZ ondemand will be a
one stop shop where viewers can access content currently not
available on tvnz.co.nz, such as classic New Zealand series and
episodes which have previously been on television. It's a chance to
view a missed programme or watch it again at a time that suits the
viewer.
Are you charging for all content?
No, some content will be offered free of charge where TVNZ has the
ability to do so-for example, News, weekly recaps and sneak
previews will be some of the free content available.
How much will it cost to view a show on TVNZ
ondemand?
At present the costs for each content offering are being evaluated
against TVNZ's costs and international norms. The costs
currently being considered are $2 for a commercial 30 minute
episode to $4 for a commercial one hour episode.
What payment method does the viewer use to watch the
content?
They can pay using Visa, Mastercard, American Express and
Diners Card to purchase TVNZ PlayPoints. The concept of
payment is that the viewer will purchase a balance of PlayPoints
for $10, $20, $50 or $100. When they wish to play a
downloaded file, the cost of the show will be deducted from the
viewers balance. (This system is similar to that used by
Trade Me.)
Will there be advertisement breaks?
Yes. We will edit most advertisements out of the shows. We
will however have brief advertisements placed before shows and on
the website.
How long does downloading take?
The speeds of downloads vary depending on:
*Viewers internet capabilities
*Choice of internet service providers
*The time of day viewers are attempting to download
*The size of the file being downloaded
TVNZ has no control over these variables, however we will be
offering estimates for how long a show will take to download.
Can I access TVNZ ondemand through dial
up?
Our website can be browsed using dialup, but downloading a show
over dialup could take some time.
What are the minimum system requirements needed to
browse TVNZ ondemand, watch streamed files and to download
files?
No special equipment is required for a good viewer experience
however, we recommend the following:
*Your browser should be Internet explorer. Other browsers
will be OK, but some features will not work.
*Your operating system should be Windows XP preferably service pack
2.
*You should have WMP Version 9 or greater installed
*Flash player version 9 which you can download from our
website
*Broadband internet connection
What can I do on the TVNZ ondemand website?
We have our shows displayed within 5 categories on the
homepage. Those categories are:
*Catch up - this is where you can find shows you missed on TV and
download them
*Classics - this category will house New Zealanders favourite shows
from TVNZ's archive
*Weekly Recaps - this is where you can watch recaps from the last
week
*Sneak previews - find out what's coming up on TVNZ ondemand
*What's hot - View our favourites
If you are looking for a specific show, you can search for it using our search facility, or browse for all shows on our 'shows A-Z' page.
If you have found a show you would love to watch you can
download it to your PC. You simply select the show and if it's
available for download, select the download button.
If you are concerned about how long the show will take to download,
you can run our speed test. This will test your connection
speed and calculate approximately how long the download will
take.
When your download is completed, the file will be stored on your PC in a directory of your choice. The show is then available to play when the download is complete
When you are ready to watch your downloaded file, click on the file and it will automatically launch windows media player. All shows have to be viewed in windows media player.
If you are watching this show for the first time, you
will need to acquire a licence for it. This is where the
payment comes in.
You will be presented with a series of screens where you register
(if this is your first viewing of a downloaded file). You will be
asked for the following:
*Name
*Email address
*Password
*Credit card details (details will be stored on a secure server
)
Then we ask you to purchase some PlayPoints.
Once you have the licence you can watch the show for an unlimited number of times for 7 days from when you acquired the licence. After 7 days, you will need to buy the licence again if you want to watch the same show. You will not need to register again. Just logon, the Playpoints will be deducted from your PlayPoints balance and the licence will be provided.
Do I get access to all TVNZ archives?
Eventually yes, but there is a lot of work involved in getting
shows from the archives onto TVNZ ondemand. We will have a
selection of shows to begin with and this will increase over time
where we have rights to show the programme.
How soon after on-air do we get to view them
online?
This can vary depending on the type of content but
usually it will be available 12-24 hrs after being on-air.
Can I watch the episodes if I live outside of New
Zealand?
No, only people in New Zealand can obtain a licence to view a
show.
Can I view the content full screen and/or through my
TV?
Yes, viewers can enlarge the windows media player to full
screen and play through their TVs if they have the correct hardware
to do so.
