TORONTO – As of today, Bell TV customers can get The Movie Network everywhere they have broadband with TMN OnLine.
Bell TV’s TMN customers will now be able to access programming on any computer, via any broadband connection, as the authentication system and interface, developed by Toronto’s ExtendMedia, depends on the subscriber and not their home IP address. However, the Silverlight-based player doesn’t yet support handheld displays. (A screen cap showing the portal is below.)
A North American first, "Astral Media is proud to bring this unique and innovative service to its customers," said Ian Greenberg, president and CEO, in a press release. "By expanding our outstanding pay TV programming experience to the online environment, we are delivering value and enabling subscribers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want and now, where they want."
“By working with Astral Media to deliver TMN Online, customers can get movies and shows on demand with the convenience of watching on their computer or laptop wherever they can access the Internet," added Kevin Crull, president of Bell Residential Services.
TMN OnLine reflects how audiences are consuming content and provides a legal and secure option for viewing premium theatrical and series-based entertainment from the convenience of a computer, say the companies. The service is unique within North America given that authentication and access are linked to the subscriber, rather than to the home Internet connection, thus enabling users to stream content to their laptop, or any other computer, anywhere in Canada wherever a high-speed connection is available.
Offering approximately 130 hours per week with 25% of the content refreshed weekly, TMN OnLine will leverage its studio deals and draw from its original Canadian productions to create the programming line-up each month. The service reflects the weekly content offering of The Movie Network’s current Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service available on cable and will offer similar functionality enabling subscribers to rewind, play, pause and review title descriptions.
Available at www.bell.ca/tmnonline, the service will launch with such movie titles as Milk, Twilight, The Reader, Changeling, Iron Man and such series as Nurse Jackie, Durham County, The Line and Sanctuary, with new titles being added each week.
