Melita’s announcement that its subscribers now can watch some TV channels both on their TV sets and on their smartphones and tablets effectively means that the so-called ‘second screen’ is now officially available in Malta, albeit still as a beta.
TV on internet is nothing new as we have been enjoying it since fast broadband internet became available a decade or so ago. However, the rise of mobile devices with significant computing power, their ability to connect to fast broadband internet and the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi internet access has ushered in a new trend, where users match online information on their mobile devices to what they are watching on the traditional TV set. Melita, through its app for mobile devices and its new TV Everywhere service, makes it possible now to watch local and some foreign TV stations on mobile devices connected to Melita’s Wi-Fi.
“Entertainment is becoming more personal. Sometimes at home I can be watching TV while one of my kids watches something else on a tablet, sometimes with their headphones on. A sight I still have to get used to,” Ludolf Rasterhoff, Melita’s chief operating officer, explained to i-Tech.
“It also eliminates something you’re probably familiar with – fighting for the remote control – as everybody can now choose what to watch at home. Melita’s TV Everywhere service addresses these new realities and trends: people now have TV in their hands.”
During the test period, which is expected to run throughout the beginning of 2014, all Melita customers with fibre-powered internet service and any TV subscription get to use the service for free on up two different phones or tablets at the same time for the duration of their contract, though they can install it on as many devices as they like.
Some 30 channels are available and these include TVM, TVM 2, Net TV and One TV along with Italian channels, news channels such as Sky News and CNN, as well as popular entertainment channels such as BBC Entertainment and Melita More. More channels will be added soon, including Cartoon Network and Boomerang for kids.
“The app has the capability to grow in scope and enable Melita to offer more interactive services to customers on their personal device – such as video-on-demand. Ultimately Melita is the only operator in Malta to offer video-on-demand services with a fully-fledged library of free content and recent blockbuster movies such as Hangover Part III, Epic, The Great Gatsby and soon World War Z,” added Mr Rasterhoff.
Downloading the app is free and to log in customers simply need to type in their MyMelita username and password. The beta version of the Melita TV app is compatible with all Apple iPhone or iPad devices and with Android smartphones and tablets running software version 4.0 or later. Customers can download the Melita TV app for free from the Apple App store and Google Play Store.
Melita’s TV Everywhere service is currently designed to work wherever there is a Melita Wi-Fi service. Although all research and consumer insights show that most people actually use the service at home, customers don’t need to be at home. They could be at their office, a coffee shop or restaurant as long as the internet service they connect to is provided by Melita. More importantly customers will also be able to use their TV Everywhere product over Melita’s outdoor Wi-Fi which is expected to be rolled out in the coming months.
“There is an unstoppable reality that more and more content will become available online – be it legal or pirated. Melita has been preparing for this scenario and the investments we made in our internet network and our international connectivity are part of our strategy to ensure that our clients get the best experience when consuming their internet-based entertainment,” stressed Mr Rasterhoff.
In the meantime, Melita has also launched the Global Connector, a VPN product, to enable its customers to take full advantage of video content available online. The service is designed to easily enable customers to connect to another country and their local TV programmes and shows. Thus Melita customers can enjoy sports and entertainment from UK, the US, Germany and many more countries.
“This Global Connector service complements very well the TV Everywhere offering as the app for this service is also available for smartphones, tablets and computers. Connecting is very simple too. Once the Melita Global Connector app is installed just select the country you want to connect to and customers are up and running within seconds,” concluded Melita’s chief operating officer.