TVTonight is today reporting details of a leaked internal video revealing more information of Foxtel’s next generation set-top box the IQ3. Highlights of the video include.
- A high level of personalisation, driven by a dynamic Recommendations engine. This approach is also set to become available on other Foxtel products.
- The ability to flick content from screen to screen -i.e. Start watching a show on your TV and then resume watching on your tablet or phone.
- A For You section will recommend titles covering both Live TV and Video on Demand, which adapts to either an individual’s or families viewing habits. Other Menu tabs include TV Guide, On Demand, Planner and Search plus Buzz, Coming Up, Kids, and Sport sub sections.
- The EPG has undergone a facelift with Recommendations and programming information. Moving between Live, On Demand and recorded shows will be seamless. If you miss the start of a live show you will now be able to scroll back to the beginning for up to 26 hours.
- Picture-in-picture thumbnails will detail Guide titles, including vision of what’s running on other channels.
- The Planner has been improved to provide quick access to the shows you are most likely to watch. Driven by viewer Recommendations.
Previously Nelbie.com has reported that the IQ3 will include Foxtel’s new ‘LookBack’ feature allowing viewers to scroll back up to 26 hours in the TV Guide and watch selected programs you may have missed – via the internet.
As well as including extensive catchup of Foxtel programming, its believed iQ3 will include catchup apps for ABC IView, SBS On Demand, TenPlay, 7Plus, and the Nine Networks JumpIn.
The Foxtel iQ3 will have ten times the processing power and eight times more memory than the current box.
The Box will include eight satellite or cable TV tuners built in, allowing customers to watch one show while they record up to four others.
Foxtel’s iQ3 will have a one-terabyte hard drive.
The Foxtel iQ3 will be rolled out nationally; there are two versions of the box, Cable and Satellite. The Satellite version is designed to replace the Austar MyStar box and will include two terrestrial FTA tuners.
The new iQ3 will use the “latest generation Wi-Fi” technology to enable easy connectivity to the customer’s gateway router.
The inclusion of Bluetooth technology will also allow us to support the latest remote control devices.
Speaking about the new iQ3, Foxtel Chief Executive Richard Freudenstein said.
“The revolutionary iQ3 will be a quantum leap forward from our previous set top boxes. Using Wi-Fi technology it will offer significantly more opportunities for internet delivery and a vastly improved TV Guide that has been streamlined to help customers discover the best programming for them,”
“With combined live, recorded and On Demand programs, this box will customise the TV experience and take it to the next level.”
The Foxtel iQ3 will launch in mid 2014
