Qtv demonstrated its media player for the television, mobile phone and computer at the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Qtv is an all-in-one integrated media player that enables people to access online content and their personal music, videos and digital pictures.
Qtv is unique in using the Sony PlayStation 2 console already connected to the television in over 40 million households in the U.S. as a HD TV set-top box. For no extra cost, customers can also load the Qtv player on their mobile phone and computer. The Qtv player currently supports over 1,100 models of mobile phone and computers running Windows, Mac and Linux. The Qtv player is not tied to a single hardware platform or operating system and will support future mobile phones, networked TVs, set-top boxes and other networked devices.
Qtv is also the only media player to integrate the content and services from third party providers into a simple, intuitive interface that is consistent on each device. Users can:
- Enjoy YouTube and TV programming, streaming video, Internet radio, music, games, shopping, local and interactive services from hundreds of Internet content and service providers;
- Browse for content and services across all providers by title, genre, subject, keyword, provider and more;
- Create user accounts for each member of the family and set parental controls on what online content and personal content can be accessed;
- Personalize their user interface by opting in/out of providers, creating favorites and keywords, set preferences and localize for weather, movies and events;
- Access their personal photos, music and videos stored on their computer or other networked storage device from their television, computer and mobile phone; and
- Play all their music, video and photos with the largest selection of codecs/file formats of any media player.
Content providers can take advantage of the Qtv technology as a new distribution channel to deliver their programming directly to the consumer. The provider maintains control over its programming and business model, creating new and flexible options for the provider to monetize its entire content library. In addition to providing a distribution channel to the television, mobile phone and computer of millions of consumers, Qtv can further increase revenues by enabling the provider to include relevant advertising within its programming.
The Qtv media player will be available later this year and is priced at less than $50 dollars. Customers can sign-up to receive a 30-day FREE trial and a discounted price of $29.95 when the software is released. The 30-day trial version of the Qtv media player will also be available through select retailers.