Zattoo, the first IPTV online video player for TV stations, is now for more than three years on the market and available. In fact, my first blog post about Zattoo “Zattoo – News from the field” is from January 2007. Since that time a lot has changed. The installable software has lost its Linux client and has moved from a proprietary MPEG-4 video codec to Adobe Flash. Both, the online interface as well as the installable client now uses Flash. The main reason for this is costs. In licensing and in keeping an updated client software.
Teletext
Just a link to the website just does not do it for me. Sorry!
But for the time being, Zattoo is just a player. I really wish Zattoo would start to offer some new feature and maybe gain some attention once more.
Feature Requests
Video Recorder
This is a no-brainer. Why not negotiate contracts with TV stations, that allow the end users to record? There are other Swiss services that allow recordings. Their are basically just online tv recorders without the Zattoo user base. And Beat Knecht and the Zattoo team sure has the contacts to get stations to the table.
HTML 5 / MPEG-4 or OGG Streaming
I really do not like flash, at all. It sucks up energy for nothing. And especially videos are very CPU intense. Why? Can you not go back to MPEG or better OGG streaming? OGG is an open and free audio and video codec. Somehow you already must have created some sort of MPEG-4 streaming. Or how does it work on an iPhone? For sure not with Flash.
Maybe you can even start to offer “direct” links to streams, much like Cablecom on hispeed.ch does. That way I can fire up my regular video player (VLC) and watch TV over it. Yes, you have to show advertisements to make money and pay your infrastructure. Okay, than just offer this for premium customers.
These are all feature requests that come to mind. But I am sure, you have more ideas that could help make Zattoo a better service and experience. Please leave a comment with your idea or requests.
Hello, here are some comments on your article:
1) Zattoo recently re-introduced the Linux player. You can download it from the Zattoo website at http://www.zattoo.com
2) Zattoo is working on a video recorder product.
3) There are many reasons why Zattoo is not using HTML5 (yet). One of them is that Internet Explorer for example does not support HTML. Another reason is stream security. With HTML5 it is rather easy to circumvent security.
Thank you for your comment.
to the security fears: of course this can be a problem. but there sure must and are ways to protect this.
and what is your source about a zattoo recorder product?