WhereverTV

WhereverTV
Public
Traded as OTC Pink: TVTV
Industry Digital television
Founded July 16, 2006
(as WhereverTV, Inc.)
Founder Mark Cavicchia
Headquarters Fort Myers, Florida, USA
Area served
 The world
Key people
 Edward D. Ciofani (Chairman & CEO)
Products Internet television, Pay television, Pay-per-view
Subsidiaries WhereverTV, Inc.
Website www.wherever.tv

WhereverTV is an Over the Top (OTT) internet television platform provider located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania focused on delivering linear television programming to SmartTVs and digital media receivers, including AppleTV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Boxee, GoogleTV,[1] iPads, iPhones, iPod Touches, Roku, and tablets via the public Internet.

The company has been providing access to free live streaming TV channels on the internet since 2007 through its Global Interactive Program Guide (officially trademarked as Global IPG) internet TV software, allowing registered users to watch TV online. In 2011, the company began selling subscription services for live television from Morocco and Greece. In 2013, WhereverTV began selling Arabic TV subscriptions.[2] WhereverTV announced plans to launch two additional services for 2013: a low-cost software application aimed at managing over 350 free, US and international channels to portable and stationary internet connected devices, and a traditional US based subscription service as an economical alternative to traditional cable and satellite offerings.

WhereverTV has since evolved into an alternative to fixed location subscription services such as those offered by cable companies and satellite television providers. Subscribers are able to personalize their viewing choices, subscription services and watch from any location that has Internet access. WhereverTV provides both wireless television and hard wired accessibility to TV on internet.[3]

Services

WhereverTV's core business is subscription-based, internet television services. The Company's content packages are similar to traditional cable and satellite companies. Viewers can choose from a series of service bundles, paying more money for more channels. A la carte programming is available for in-language programming, including Greek and Arabic television channels.

Subscription Services

The following OTT TV packages are available for viewing on several device platforms described below.

ArabicTV

WhereverTV offers 21 Arab TV channels in its ArabicTV package. Current channels include: The Arabic Channel (USA), Canal Algerie (Algeria), Al-Iraqiya (Iraq), Alalam News (Iran), iFilm Arabic (Iran), Jordan TV (Jordan), Al Mayadeen TV (Lebanon), 2M Maroc (Morocco), Al Maghribia (Morocco), Oman TV (Oman), Al Jazeera English (Qatar), Qatar TV (Qatar), Al Quraan Al Kareem TV (Saudi Arabia), Al Sunnah Al Nabawiyah TV (Saudi Arabia), Saudi Arabia TV 1 (Saudi Arabia), Sudan TV (Sudan), Southern Sudan TV (Sudan), Syria Drama (Syria), Syria Satellite Channel (Syria), TV Tunisia 1 (Tunisia), and Yemen TV. The ArabicTV package is available for $19.99 per month.[4]

GreekTV

WhereverTV offers 6 channels in its GreekTV package. Current lineup of Greek television channels providing live Greek TV include: Mega Cosmos, Star International, ERT World, RIK Sat, GO TelecomTV and Skai TV. A la carte subscription packages range from $14.99 to $35.99 per month.[5]

Moroccan TV

WhereverTV offers 2M Maroc live television service from Morocco. Based upon an a la carte subscription, subscribers can watch MoroccoTV live on the internet for $4.99 per month. Free to air channels from France and the Middle East are included in the MoroccanTV subscription at no additional cost.

Free internet television

WhereverTV provides access to free streaming live internet TV channels from more than 1,500 independent content sources, including broadcasts of television channels from 95 countries. Registered users of the Company's GlobalTV service can watch online television for free.[6]

History

The concept for what was to become WhereverTV was created by Mark Cavicchia while he was living in Shanghai, China after becoming frustrated with the complexities of trying to stream the 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament live on AOL by connecting his laptop to a big-screen television. He vowed to create an easy to use, portable channel guide that would work across devices and geographies and allow users to organize and watch TV online anywhere in the world.[7] Upon returning to the United States in 2006, he wrote the patent application for WhereverTV's core technology - the Global Interactive Program Guide.

The WhereverTV Portal

WhereverTV's website is a portal for consumers to browse, select, and view live television channels from around the world. Users can also update personal account information, as well as synchronize user subscriptions across devices. It launched in September 2007.[8]

The WhereverTV Receiver

To promote its Global Interactive Program Guide concept, the Company wrote its own firmware to run on the popular, open-source Neuros OSD hardware that was white-labeled and renamed The WhereverTV Receiver.[9] The first public demonstration of the WherverTV Receiver was made on 9 July 2008 at the Consumer Electronics Association's 2008 SINOCES trade show[10][11] in Qingdao, China. Subsequently, the WhereverTV Receiver debuted at the 2009 International CES trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it was covered by media outlets around the world, including the USA,[12] Poland,[13] Israel,[14] Brazil[15] and the Middle East.[16]

WhereverTV on SmartTV platforms & digital media receivers

AppleTv, iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch

WhereverTV subscriptions are available for viewing on Apple, Inc. devices via a downloadable free App. The WhereverTV iOS application became available in the iTunes store in March 2013.[17] Users can watch WhereverTV subscription services (ArabicTV, GreekTV or MoroccanTV) on AppleTVs, iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches (via Airplay). All Apple devices must use iOS 4.3 or later.

Boxee

WhereverTV subscriptions are available for viewing on Boxee devices. The first WhereverTV branded app for the Boxee Box became available in July 2011.

Android smartphone and tablets

WhereverTV subscriptions are available for viewing on Android smartphones and tablet computers. The WhereverTV Android application became available on the Google Play Store in December 2012. Currently, only ArabicTV, GreekTV, and MoroccanTV subscription services can be played on WhereverTV's Android application.

GoogleTV

WhereverTV subscriptions are available for viewing on GoogleTV devices. The WhereverTV for GoogleTV application became available in the Google Play store in December 2012. Currently, only ArabicTV, GreekTV, and MoroccanTV subscription services can be viewed from the WhereverTV for GoogleTV app.

Roku

WhereverTV subscriptions are available for viewing on Roku devices. Roku was the first third-party over the top platform WhereverTV developed applications for. Its 2M Maroc subscription service became available on Roku in June 2011, and its GreekTV service launched in August 2011.

Recognition

WhereverTV was named to 2010 Always-on's On-Media 100,[18] the Top 100 Private Companies that are pioneering the next generation advertising and marketing Internet services. The WhereverTV Receiver was named one of the 30 Most Innovative Products at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.[19] WhereverTV's CEO was also invited to testify at a Federal Communications Commission hearing on Broadband and the Digital Future.[20]

Management

See also

[21]

References

  1. ↑ Mandira Srivastava (12 March 2013). "WhereverTV Plans to Add Miracast Support". TMC.net.
  2. ↑ Rebecca Hawkes (15 May 2013). "WhereverTV launches OTT Arabic TV for Europe, Americas". RapidTV News.
  3. ↑ Malia Spencer (23 April 2013). "WhereverTV now on Apple". Pittsburgh Business Times.
  4. ↑ Chris Newbould (14 May 2013). "Wherever TV launches OTT Arabic channels". Digital Production Magazine.
  5. ↑ Marissa Costidis (12 June 2012). "GO Telecom TV Launches on WhereverTV". Greek Orthodox Observer.
  6. ↑ Beth Murtaugh (19 January 2009). "Startup WhereverTV captures buzz at Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show". Pittsburgh Business Times.
  7. ↑ Debra Smit (7 May 2008). "WhereverTV offers international programs wherever you go". Pop City Media. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Chris Ziegler (7 September 2007). "WhereverTV Wants 1,200 Channel Piece of the Mobile TV Pie". Engadget. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Liane Cassovoy (31 October 2008). "The World Is Enough with WhereverTV". GigaOM. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Sohu Digital (9 July 2008). "看遍天下电视 WhereverTV机顶盒国内前途未卜". sohu.com. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Dena Li (9 July 2008). "SINOCES第一款新品亮相：Wherever TV". HC360.com. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  12. ↑ Jonathan B. Spira (July 2011). "Internet TV Almost Ready for Prime Time". IEEE Spectrum Magazine. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  13. ↑ Agnieszka Serafinowicz (6 January 2009). "CES 2009 - WhereverTV, ulubione kanały gdziekolwiek jesteś". pcformat.pl. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  14. ↑ Didi Chanoch (8 August 2008). "גאדג'ט היום: Wherever TV". walla.co.il. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  15. ↑ Ethevaldo Siqueira (9 January 2009). "A incrível diversidade da eletrônica digital". observatoriodaimprensa.com.br. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  16. ↑ Arab News (20 January 2010). "Cool Tools". arabnews.com. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  17. ↑ Ken Berman (22 April 2013). "WhereverTV streaming service still exists, is now available on iOS". Engadget. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "The OnMedia Top 100 Companies". aonetwork.com. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "30 Days of Innovation". cesweb.org. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  20. ↑ Declan McCullaugh (22 July 2008). "At FCC broadband hearing, speeches but no consensus". C-NET. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  21. ↑ Freeman, Deon. "Reporter / Writer". wTVPC. Retrieved May 1, 2015.

External links

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