A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (December 2010)

TVCatchup is an internet television service for viewing certain UK channels from free-to-air digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasters live without the use of a television receiver. The service re-broadcasts BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel Five and free to air Sky channels. Initially the legality of the service was questioned causing it to be suspended. The service was relaunched minus the network PVR functionality offering a roster of TV channels upon free registration. As the service permits the viewing of live television channels a TV licence is required.^[1] The service is only accessible in the United Kingdom and according to TVCatchup's own forums, the website has stringent IP monitoring facilities that they use to detect and block multiple accesses from the same IP as well as all proxy and VPN access.^[2] The service is funded by advertising, with a pre-roll advertisement preceding the live channel stream.

History[link]

2007-2008[link]

Launched in late 2007, the site was initially conceived as an online PVR service, where users could select shows from one of 30 free-to-air channels to record up to one week in advance of their broadcast.^[3] These online recordings could not be legally downloaded by the user, merely viewed online. They could however be temporarily lent to other users who had not recorded the show, for a period of up to 60 days after their broadcast, when they were then removed from the site. The site differed from broadcaster services such as the BBC iPlayer, 4oD and Demand Five in that content was not instantly available to users, but had to be recorded in advance or requested. Just like a physical PVR, users were also able to create a series-link so that all future broadcasts of, for example, their favourite soap or documentary, would automatically be recorded.

Following concerns from broadcasters about the functionality of the site itself, TVCatchup went offline. Visitors to the site were presented with the following message:

“On 15th February, our hosting was terminated without warning and we presume this was at the request of such Broadcasters. Given that this will no doubt happen again, TVCatchup has therefore voluntarily suspended its services whilst the concerns of the Broadcasters are addressed.”^[4][5][6]

2008-present[link]

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2010)

The site remained offline until 10 October 2008 when it relaunched in beta status. The site currently offers users the ability to watch some Freeview channels live but has disabled earlier PVR functionality. It also operates a policy to encourage development of third party applications for uses such as recording shows, transcoding to allow storage/viewing on mobile applications and PVR like functions on the user's PC.

Opinion that the website is lawful has been given by prominent copyright experts Hamlins LLP of London and Robert Engleheart QC of Blackstone Chambers. Broadcasters have further participated in assessing the website prior to launch, and have been reported as having identified no legal cause to oppose the service.

The service makes it abundantly clear that users should be in possession of a UK TV licence to watch television as it is being broadcast and has tried to introduce strict geographical blocking and encryption measures to prevent direct access by those not entitled to use the service. It is known that there are many ways to circumvent these measures by use of a VPN and thus bypass the security of the website by making the user appear to be situated within the UK; however, the website has stringent IP monitoring facilities that they use to detect and block multiple accesses from the same IP as well as all proxy and VPN access.

Since late April 2009, the site has been blocking access from many proxy servers, rendering it impossible to view without meeting the original criteria, that users should be UK based. TVCatchup does not verify if users have a TV licence; however, users are advised on registration to TVCatchup that one is needed.

On 30 May 2009 the site launched a redesigned look and several new channels. However, they temporarily withdrew access to some new channels and their desktop application pending network improvements. They also removed their new FLEX web player and use the old player temporarily. After a complete re-write of their new system and a quadrupling of network capacity, at the beginning of August, the FLEX player was re-introduced along with numerous additional channels, including those from satellite sources. The desktop application is still disabled pending release of a new PVR application.

Following on the heels of their successful launch of their iTVC web application for iPhone users, allowing an alternative to BBC iPlayer for viewing live streamed broadcast TV for free, TVCatchup have announced that they are preparing to launch a full PVR application for download by users that will allow them to enjoy full Sky+ functionality on their PCs. This is scheduled for launch in 2010, along with an official iPhone application. While other smartphones (symbian, android) are able to download programmes from the BBC iPlayer for later viewing, the Apple iPhone cannot do this at present. TVCatchup have also released their radio streams, however only some work as it is in beta. They have also released an iPad version including all 48 of their channels.

In June 2010, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five issued legal proceedings against TVCatchup.^[7] An attempt by TVCatchup to have the case thrown out of court was denied by Mr Justice Kitchin, who said that "the claim has a real prospect of success".^[8][9] In the hearings held in June 2011, Mr Justice Floyd in the High Court of Justice deemed that some operations of TVCatchup may be unlawful.^[10] He ruled that TVCatchup's defence relying on section 73 of the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988 was valid, allowing the service to retransmit 'qualifying services', namely all BBC services, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, over the Internet. The judgment expressly excludes retransmission of any other channels under these provisions as well as retransmission to 3G mobile devices, home WiFi Mobile reception remains unaffected. ^[11] However, the judge has referred to the European Court of Justice for guidance on certain aspects of the case.^[12]

Ways to watch the service[link]

As of November 2010, the service can be viewed on any average computer with a web browser with Adobe Flash installed. As it is in Flash 10 format, it can also be viewed on a PS3.^[13] The service can also be viewed on the Windows Media Center Functions of Windows Vista^[14] (Home Premium and Ultimate) and Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.^[2] There was also an Adobe AIR desktop application released in Beta mode on 28 April 2009 for the Ubuntu 8.10 operating system, which was to be gradually updated to include features such as a full TV guide and PVR^[15] with a feature to enable iPhone owners to use the service also in Beta. iPhone users can access the service by navigating to http://iphone.tvcatchup.com in their Safari mobile browser. It is also possible to view on the iPad by using the iPad version which released Version 1.6 on 28 October 2010, at http://ipad.tvcatchup.com via Safari on the device. Android users on version 2.2 (Froyo) or above, and Palm Pre users can use http://m.tvcatchup.com via the browser to access the website and have full access to all the streams. There is a plugin available for XBMC.

Television channels[link]

TVCatchup allows users to watch from a choice of sixty-two free-to-air channels, all of which are preceded by streamed commercials.

See also[link]

• Internet Television
• IPTV

References[link]

External links[link]

• TVCatchup.com
• TVCatchup Forums

v t e Media in the United Kingdom   Newspapers, magazines and other periodicals Newspapers National Berliner: The Guardian · The Observer · Broadsheet: Financial Times · The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph · The Sunday Times · Compact: i · The Independent, The Independent on Sunday · The Times · Middle-market: Daily Express, Sunday Express · Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday · Tabloid: Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror · Morning Star · The People · Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday · The Sun · Sunday Sport Regional and local Local newspapers in England · Regional newspapers in England · Newspapers in Northern Ireland · Newspapers in Scotland · Newspapers in Wales Other resources Defunct newspapers · Editors · Fleet Street · History · Journalists · Specialist newspapers · List by circulation Magazines and other periodicals Arts magazines · Business magazines · Comics · Defunct magazines · Fashion magazines · Literary magazines · Political magazines · Satirical magazines · Science and technology magazines · Women's magazines · List of magazines by circulation   Radio National stations BBC Analogue/digital: Radio 1 · Radio 2 · Radio 3 · Radio 4 · Radio 5 Live · Digital: Radio 1Xtra · Radio 4 Extra · Radio 5 Live Sports Extra · 6 Music · Asian Network · BBC National DAB (multiplex) Commercial Analogue/digital: Absolute Radio · Classic FM · Talksport · Digital: Absolute 80s · Absolute Radio 90s · Absolute Radio Extra · Amazing Radio · BFBS Radio · Digital One (multiplex) · Jazz FM · Planet Rock · Premier Christian Radio · Smooth Radio UK · UCB UK Regional and local stations BBC List of BBC Local Radio stations · List of BBC Regional Radio stations Commercial List of community radio stations · List of local commercial radio stations · List of semi-national analogue and digital stations Other stations List of hospital radio stations · Pirate radio · Restricted Service Licence (List of RSL stations) · List of satellite radio stations · List of student and schools radio Other Broadcasting companies · Broadcasting House · FM broadcasting · MediaCityUK · People · Programmes · Radio Academy · Radio Independents Group · RAJAR · Sony Radio Academy Awards · Most-listened-to programs   Television Principal channels BBC Analogue/digital: BBC One · BBC Two · Digital: BBC Three · BBC Four · BBC News · BBC Parliament · CBBC · CBeebies · BBC Alba · HD: BBC HD BSkyB Digital: Challenge · Pick TV · Sky1 · Sky2 · Sky 3D · Sky Arts · Sky Atlantic · Sky Betting and Gaming · Sky Living · Sky Livingit · Sky Movies · Sky Movies Box Office · Sky News · Sky Sports · Sky Sports F1 · Sky Sports News Channel Four Analogue/digital: Channel 4 · Digital: E4 · Film4 · More4 · 4seven · S4C Channel 5 Analogue/digital: Channel 5 · Digital: 5* · 5USA ITV Network Analogue/digital: ITV · Digital: ITV2 · ITV3 · ITV4 · CITV UKTV Digital: Alibi · Blighty · Dave · Eden · Gold · Good Food · Home · Really · Watch · Yesterday Services and platforms 4oD (Film4oD) · Analogue (Analogue terrestrial) · BBC iPlayer · blinkbox · BT Vision · Cable · Demand 5 · Digital (Digital terrestrial · List of channels) · Freesat (Freesat+ · List of channels) · Freeview (Freeview+) · Freewire (List of channels) · High-definition (List of channels) · ITV (ITV Player · STV Player) · Real Digital · Restricted Service Licence · Satellite (List of channels) · Sky (Freesat from Sky · Sky Anytime · Sky Anytime+ · Sky+ · Sky+ HD · List of channels) · Smallworld Cable (List of channels) · TalkTalk TV (List of channels) · Top Up TV · TVCatchup (List of channels) · Virgin Media (FilmFlex · TiVo · V+ · List of channels) · WightCable · YouView · Zattoo (List of channels) Studios BBC Pacific Quay · BBC Television Centre · Broadcasting House · Broadcasting House (Cardiff) · The Fountain Studios · The Leeds Studios · MediaCityUK · Granada Studios · Roath Lock · Teddington Studios Other Awards · Defunct channels · Edinburgh International Television Festival · History (List of years) · List of channels · Production companies · Programmes · Student television · Viewing statistics (Most-watched broadcasts)   Companies and organisations Companies Major companies Aegis Group · Archant · BBC · Bloomsbury Publishing · British Sky Broadcasting · BT Group · Channel Four · Chrysalis Group · Daily Mail and General Trust · Economist Group · EMAP · EMI Group · Endemol UK · Global Radio · Guardian Media Group · Haymarket Group · Informa · IPC Media · ITN · ITV · Johnston Press · Mecom Group · News International · Newsquest · Northern & Shell · Pearson · Press Holdings · Reed Elsevier · Reuters · STV Group · Syco · TalkTalk Group · Trinity Mirror · UBM · UTV Media · Virgin Media Other resources Broadcasting companies · Defunct media companies · Publishing companies (List of largest UK book publishers) · Record labels Government and regulatory bodies Advertising Standards Authority · BBC Trust · British Board of Film Classification · British Film Institute · Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee · Department for Culture, Media and Sport · Ofcom · Press Complaints Commission · UK Film Council · Welsh Fourth Channel Authority Industry and trades bodies British Academy of Film and Television Arts · British Phonographic Industry · Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union · Clearcast · Digital TV Group · Digital UK · Equity · Federation Against Copyright Theft · National Union of Journalists · The Publishers Association · Royal Television Society · United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting Other BBC Academy · National Film and Television School · National Media Museum   Regional and student media Regional media Media in England (Media in Birmingham · Media in London · Media in Manchester) · Media in Northern Ireland · Media in Scotland (Media in Aberdeen · Media in Dundee · Media in Glasgow) · Media in Wales (Media in Cardiff) Student media Student television Category ·  Commons