Blinkx Launches Yet Another Online TV Service
April 2, 2008
After Joost, Babelgum, iPlayer, Livestation, Vuze et al comes yet another online TV platform. Web video search index Blinkx is branching farther out in to distribution by launching its own version - hybrid P2P player Blinkx Broadband TV (BBTV). Its only content partners at launch are said to be film distributor Dogwoof and ubiquitous news provider ITN, though the repertoire this morning consisted of short cartoons, all on-demand. Blinkx says BBTV (which, incidentally, also stands for BoingBoing TV) harnesses Blinkx’s core speech recognition video transcription technology to offer searchability and clickable subtitles that point to web pages in a manner tightly integrated with the 1.8Mb Windows-only TV app. If the world really needs another P2P TV app, then it may be because of this snazzy-sounding feature - but it’s something that didn’t seem to work during my test.
Source: paidcontent.org
10 Livestation Beta invitations available
March 15, 2008
I have 10 LiveStation invitations left. If you are interested in one simple leave a comment here (don’t type your email address since I already have it via your blog user registration) and I will send one to you.
What is live station you ask:
Livestation delivers a range of live radio and television channels to your computer over a broadband network.
There is no need to install a tuner, aerial, or any additional hardware. Livestation works anywhere with a basic broadband network connection. Simply download the free Livestation player to watch television wherever you are, whenever you want.
You can watch television on your desktop, or on your laptop, at home, at work, on the move, or in a hotel room, provided you have a broadband internet connection or wireless access.
Unlike video-on-demand or download services, Livestation delivers live broadcast channels, so you can watch news, sports or live events as they happen.
Livestation offers an integrated player that allows you to choose from a number of channels and continue listening and viewing while using other applications. You can watch in a window while you work or play, or view full screen.
While you are listening or watching, Livestation shares some of the stream with other users. This allows Livestation to serve a very large number of simultaneous users.
Livestation is designed to be able to serve millions of users without many of the limitations associated with traditional online streaming services.
A number of new features will be added to Livestation over the coming months. Right now we are testing the technology and proving the platform. We want your feedback to help us to evaluate the network and improve the product.
LiveStation goes multi-channel
February 12, 2008
As you might be aware LiveStation is offering streaming TV content over the internet. It uses P2P technology to scale in a way similar to Joost. Where it is different from Jost is that the content is from live TV station instead of archived content.
This new beta initially offer access to a limited number of international news broadcasters. It is anticipate that additional channels
will be available in the future.
So far the software has proven quite solid. It even allow me to change channels using my Microsoft MCE remote control. Nice touch… but it still lack the “DVR” basic functions of pausing live stream in case you need to go, you know, to the bathroom or something.
The video quality is OK but not mind blowing. I have lost track of how much kbps each individual stream use but If I remember well it is in the range of 384kbps. I must say that Joost has the edge here.
LiveStation is still bound to Windows XP and Vista only… but it will run fine in an XP Parallels VM on a Mac. I am looking forward for a native Mac version 
I will keep testing the new client and I be looking forward for future updates.
For those interested to look at the actual program you can watch the screencast after the break:
LiveStation starting multi-channels beta
November 9, 2007
I got this email earlier today:
Many thanks for your interest in Livestation and for your continued patience.
We have had an extraordinary level of interest in Livestation and we have
been working hard to develop the product further. We are now in the process
of rolling out the next phase of the trial with a number of leading
broadcasters to a selected group of users.As one of those who expressed an early interest in Livestation, we hope that
you will be among of the first to see the new service. We will be extending
this trial over the coming weeks so look out for an invitation soon.In the mean time we would like to thank you for your continued patience and
interest in Livestation.We will be in touch again soon, but expect to see more information on our
website at livestation.com
So if you have been testing LiveStation in the past expect an invitation in the next few eeks!
Skinkers get $16 million boost
October 29, 2007
Skinkers, the UK company that is building a P2P live TV platform with Microsoft, has taken $16 million Series B in a round led by Acacia Capital Partners that included original investors Spark Ventures and the Skinkers Management team.
Skinkers will use the funding to further develop and enhance their Live Notification Platform technology and bring to market LiveStation, their live P2P television platform.
Skinkers LiveStation product is built on Microsoft’s Silverlight platform and offers a multi-channel live TV platform that will provide existing TV channels both for free and on a paid basis; think cable TV, but on a computer. Competitors include Zattoo, that already offers an existing P2P live platform that provides limited access within Europe.
Via TechCrunch
LiveStation multi-channel demo
September 25, 2007
Here is a small YouTube video recorded at IBC 2007 about LiveStation. The video show the multi channel version of the client in action.
The multi-channel version will be released to beta testers within the next 3 months.
Via techcrunch
LiveStation beta client 1.0.63.3 just got released
September 7, 2007
There is a patch release out for the single channel trial – version 1.0.63.3. This release fixes a few nasty timing and start up related bugs that were causing some people problems. It’s probably the last single channel release.
LiveStation are testing the multi-channel player now, and looking to bring it out of testing soon. It apparently looks and works great but we will have to wait a little while longer to see for ourselves.
LiveStation are at IBC hanging around the Microsoft stand giving demo’s of the new work, so if you’re in Amsterdam this weekend go and look!
[Source LiveStation blog]
LiveStation now open for general public trial
September 6, 2007
LiveStation just updated their website. You can now signup and trial the new streaming P2P application. A new version of the client (1.0.63.2) is also available for download. LiveStation has not published yet a list of changes for this release.
LiveStation will offer a wide range of radio and television channels. The emphasis will be on quality as much as quantity. That means national networks, not just special interest services.
Skinkers (LiveStation) appoints former CEO & Chairman of AOL Europe
September 6, 2007
Skinkers, the leaders in information broadcast technology over IP networks, today announced that Philip Rowley has joined their board as a non-executive director. Philip Rowley ((54)) was Chairman and CEO of AOL Europe, the interactive services, web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce provider until February 2007. He is a qualified chartered accountant and was Group Finance Director of Kingfisher plc from 1998 to 2001. Prior to that his roles included Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of EMI Music Worldwide, and Chief Operating Officer and CFO at Golden Books Family Entertainment, the largest children’s book publisher in the U.S. He was also the co-founder and Managing Director of Tribeca Technologies, a New York-based technology company specialising in ISDN connectivity and sound compression technologies. He is currently a Non Executive Director of ARM Holdings Plc and OXL Ricardo plc., and will shortly join the Board of HMV group PLC.
LiveStation will make some anouncement at IBC 2007
August 31, 2007
LiveStation is expected to make some announcement next week at IBC 2007.
LiveStation has been in private beta for the past few months. So far only one channel is present in the current beta release (Version 1.00.62).
I was curious about some news reporting that LiveStation was about to open it’s beta to a wider audience in October 2007. So I asked the nice team at LiveStation about it.
The answer I got was the following:
- we’re working towards the major dates in the calendar
- our next major date is IBC in September
- we’re adding multiple channels at this time
- we’re aiming for an open beta as soon as we can with more than one channel
The IBC exhibition showcases all the latest technology and foremost business ideas in broadcasting and media. The exhibition is internationally renowned for being run by the industry for the industry and offers unparalleled expertise and opportunities in the fields of content creation, management and delivery.
LiveStation is the next generation of peer-to-peer technology co-developed by Skinkers and Microsoft Research to address the market demand for a secure, robust and scalable solution to the growing problem of offering live TV over the Internet to large numbers of viewers in a cost-effective and viable way.
LiveStation offer great video quality at very low bit rate (like Joost). What differentiate LiveStation from Joost it the fact that it offer streaming “Live” TV… Joost currently offer streaming of “Pre Recorded” content.
Joost is apparently working on offering streaming of “Live” TV as well, but it remain to be seen.
Also worth noting is that LiveStation is currently a Windows Only application, where Joost is both Windows and Mac.
