In cooperation with VideoWeb and their new 600S satellite/IP receiver consumers can now enjoy at home on their TV screen many recent Blockbusters in high quality. The pioneering service is called “HD°Kino”.
MUNICH AND LONDON (July 16, 2010) – On Demand Deutschland (ODD), the joint venture between On Demand Group (ODG) and Tele München Gruppe (TMG) specialising in German-language video-on-demand (VoD) and pay-per-view (PPV) services for television operators, has announced the launch of “HD°Kino,” a premium VoD service integrated in VideoWeb’s 600S satellite/IP receiver. This concept brings the latest blockbuster films to consumers’ screens via Internet in standard and high definition. The “HD°Kino” service is delivered under a service agreement between VideoWeb and On Demand Deutschland.
Consumers can access these movies on demand just months after their theatrical release and often day-and-date (simultaneously) with the DVD/BD launch. By selecting the “HD°Kino”-Application button On VideoWeb’s integrated TV portal viewers instantly enjoy blockbusters such as “Avatar – Aufbruch nach Pandora,” “Alvin und die Chipmunks 2,” “Männerherzen” and/or “Sherlock Holmes”.
VideoWeb consumers can choose from well known productions by Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Tele München and Warner Bros.
Boris Benefeld, CEO of On Demand Deutschland, says: “We are delighted to have won with VideoWeb already our fifth partner for the German-speaking market. VideoWeb´s strategy of incorporating our first class video-on-demand content into a hybrid satellite/IP receiver is an innovative idea. It clearly demonstrates our ability to very quickly bring premium content services to market. It is easy to install and consumers have instant access to a full range of entertainment – from all-time classics to the latest blockbusters.”
Thanks to StartNow technology at “HD°Kino,” viewers can for the first time start viewing a movie immediately. State-of-the-art compression technology also means that “HD°Kino” can be delivered over limited DSL lines.
Unlike Pay TV, “HD°Kino” does not tie the consumer into a subscription contract. With this transactional video-on-demand model, the consumer pays each film individually (usually between EUR 1.99 and 5.99).
“For VideoWeb, our partnership with ODD and the resulting ‘HD°Kino’ service is more than a massive milestone in our TV portal strategy. It also puts the content, that we can deliver to our consumers today, in a league of its own,” explains Matthias Greve, CEO of VideoWeb. “By flanking the market launch of VideoWeb 600S with a video-on-demand HDTV blockbuster service, VideoWeb has redefined the traditional receiver.”
About On Demand Deutschland
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, On Demand Deutschland (ODD) specialises in on-demand and pay-per-view (PPV) services for TV operators using various platforms in German-speaking European countries including Kabel Deutschland, Unitymedia, Kabel BW and Telekom Austria. On Demand Deutschland is a joint venture between the On Demand Group (ODG), market-leading on-demand and PPV player, and Tele München Gruppe (TMG), a fully integrated media player based in Munich. The founding partners have an unmatched depth of experience in the acquisition and marketing of films and TV content. The cinema packages on offer include Hollywood and German movies. TMG’s TV offering also includes both German and international productions.
About VideoWeb
VideoWeb is a key player in this innovative market segment. Headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, the company develops products, applications and services that dramatically extend current TV functionality. The VideoWeb TV portal is constantly being enhanced to close the gap between TV, interactive TV applications and Web applications and content.
The company’s HD+ capable hybrid satellite receiver VideoWeb 600S already offers around 25 million households with flatscreen TVs the option of embracing the latest functionality and standards.
