TVPlayer

TVPlayer
Launched	19 December 2013
Owned by	Simplestream Ltd
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Slogan	"Watch Live TV Online For Free"
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Broadcast area	United Kingdom
Headquarters	London
Website	www.tvplayer.com

TVPlayer is a live TV streaming service for users to watch free-to-air channels through their desktops, smartphones and tablets. The live TV service allows television licence holders in the United Kingdom to stream 63 free live television channels, including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Heart TV, Capital TV and The Box. TVPlayer also offers a "TVPlayer Plus" branded 'no contract, cancel anytime' monthly-basis subscription service which allows consumers access to an additional 30 live streaming television channels, including Gold, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2. TVPlayer Plus also allows users to catch up on programmes from the Plus channel line-up.^[1]

TVPlayer was launched as an iOS, Android and Amazon app in December 2013. TVPlayer launched its tablet version in January 2014. Company representatives reported that TVPlayer had received 250,000 app downloads within 28 days of launching.^[2][3]

Access

All TVPlayer apps can be used via 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi connections, but some channels are only available on Wi-Fi due to rights or legal restrictions. TVPlayer is a United Kingdom-only service and can only be watched in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.^[4]

The service can be accessed in the following ways:

• Within a flash player-enabled web browser.
• Via an app for Android 4.0.3 or later (From the Google Play^[5] or Amazon Appstore^[6]).
• Via an app for iOS 7.1 or later (from the Apple App Store^[7]). The iOS app includes a seven-day electronic programme guide and offers the ability to set reminders. The iOS app is compatible with Airplay, which allows for channels to be streamed to televisions via Apple TV.
• In October 2014, TVPlayer was made available for Amazon Fire TV and then later updated to support the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
• In November 2015, TVPlayer partnered with EE to make all of the TVPlayer Plus channels available on EE TV.^[8]

Channels

Category	The following channels are available to all United Kingdom television licence holders (65 channels)[9]
Entertainment (26 channels)	BBC Alba, BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, Channel 4, Channel 5, Dave, Dave Ja Vu, Drama, FashionTV, Food Network, Food Network +1, Home, ITV, Quest, Quest +1, Really, S4C, Sino TV, Travel Channel, Travel Channel +1, TruTV, True Entertainment, True Crime, Yesterday, Yesterday +1
Music (18 channels)	Capital TV, Box Upfront, Heart TV, Kerrang!, Magic, Box Hits, Kiss TV, The Box, 4Music, NOW Music, Clubland TV, Channel AKA, Chilled TV, Chart Show TV, Chart Show Hits, Scuzz, The Vault, Flava,
News (10 channels)	Al Jazeera English, BBC News, Channels24, CNN International, Euronews, Forces TV, France 24, CNN-News18, NHK World, RT
General (7 channels)	Bloomberg Television, Community Channel, Revelation TV, BBC Red Button, BBC Parliament, UCB TV, Wellbeing Network
Shopping (5 channels)	QVC, QVC Plus, QVC Beauty, QVC Style, QVC Extra
Kids (5 channels)	CBBC, CBeebies, CITV, Pop, Tiny Pop, Kix
Desi (4 channels)	Colors, Rishtey, Aaj Tak, Zing
Movies (1 channel)	SAB TV

• In August 2015, Desi channel &TV was removed from the TVPlayer service due to a change in the channels strategy.
• On February 16, 2016, television channel BBC Three was removed due to the BBC relaunching it as an Internet television service only accessible through BBC iPlayer.

Category	The following channels are only available when subscribed to TVPlayer Plus (30 channels)[9]
Entertainment (20 channels)	Alibi, Animal Planet, Comedy Central, Comedy Central Extra, CI, Discovery Channel, Discovery Turbo, Eden, Gold, Good Food, History, H2, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, MTV, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Movie Channel, W
General (1 channels)	TLC
Kids (7 channels)	BabyTV, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick Jr. Too
Sport (2 channels)	Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2

• Brazilian channel Globo is available via a separate subscription.

Company information

TVPlayer is privately owned and operated by Simplestream Ltd, a leading provider of live streaming and catch-up TV services to broadcast and media companies. Adam Smith, who is the founder and CEO of Simplestream Ltd and TVPlayer, was also a co-founder of the similar but legally challenged online television streaming service TVCatchup.^[10]

The TVPlayer website has a forum community where users are able to give feedback and suggestions, get news/announcements, and discuss the service with other users and staff.^[11]

References

1. "TVPlayer: Watch Live TV Online For Free - Catchup". tvplayer.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
2. "DTG :: News :: TVPlayer app received 250,000 downloads". dtg.org.uk.
3. "TVPlayer app received 250,000 downloads". DTG. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
4. "Official TV Licensing website - Check". www.tvlicensing.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
5. "TVPlayer – Android Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
6. "TVPlayer on Amazon Appstore". Amazon. TVPlayer.
7. "TVPlayer on the App Store". App Store. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
8. "TVPlayer Plus has launched on EE TV today! - TVPlayer Community". community.tvplayer.com. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
9. "TVPlayer: Channels List". tvplayer.com. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
10. "TVCatchup: Behind the scenes at the video-streaming service". CNET. CBS Interactive.
11. "Forums - TVPlayer Community". community.tvplayer.com. Retrieved 2015-11-26.

External links

• "TVPlayer streams Freeview channels on your phone and tablet". Recombu. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
• "TVPlayer tablet version comes to iOS, Android". Digital Spy. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
• "40 of the best Android apps and games from January 2014". The Guardian. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
• "TVPlayer Review". Eye on Demand. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.