TV catchup app ITV Player has been released for Android. Yay! But you can only use it on Samsung devices until 31st August. Booo!
It’s been a while coming, but the new ITV Player app has finally hit the Google Play store. It seems pretty good too. All you need is a compatible Samsung device running Gingerbread (Android 2.3) or above and the developers say you can:
The user interface looks pretty swish too.
Whilst the millions of Samsung owners won’t be too worried about their exclusivity deal, I’m sure there will be non-Samsung owners who’ll be pretty darn miffed when they try to install it. So why?
James Micklethwait, Online Product Director of ITV says it’s because of the fragmentation of Android across different manufacturers’ devices:
The other worry is that this sort of exclusivity deal will become more common, making your choice of phone a choice of apps at the same time.
Are you a non-Samsung owner who was looking forward to the new ITV Player app? Does this grind your gears or couldn’t you give a monkeys?
SAMSUNG ENTERS EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH ITV TO MAKE ITV PLAYER APP AVAILABLE ON DEVICES
Android app available exclusively to Samsung customers until 31 August 2013
9 May 2013, London, UK – Samsung Mobile today announced it has entered an exclusive fixed term partnership with ITV to offer the new ITV Player app on its Android devices. Available now and exclusive to Samsung customers until 31 August, the ITV Player app will provide access to the last thirty days of ITV’s catch-up content across ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV while you’re out and about, including all the network’s favourites from popular soaps such as Coronation Street to factual documentaries, dramas and films.
The new user interface dynamically scales to a range of screen sizes, has an improved playback experience with simpler video profiles, and is supported over 3G/4G as well as Gingerbread (2.3+), Honeycomb, Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich operating systems. Using the app it will be possible to browse recommended programmes, search for your favourite shows by TV channel or alphabetically on your mobile device, meaning you can enjoy ITV content On Demand and from any location*.
Free to download now via Samsung Apps and Google Play and offering unlimited usage, ITV Player will be available on a range of Samsung Android tablet and smartphone devices, including the new Galaxy S4, the Galaxy Note 8.0 and the Galaxy Mega, whilst it has also been optimised for the Galaxy S III, Galaxy SII, Galaxy Note II, Note and Galaxy Note 10.1. The app is also available to view over 3G, 4G and WiFi networks.
James Micklethwait, Online Product Director, ITV said: “We are very excited to have launched the new ITV Player app on Samsung devices. The fragmentation of the Android ecosystem is well known therefore, as a commercial broadcaster, it makes sense for us to partner with the leading manufacturer of Android devices to further increase our technical knowledge of the operating system. We plan to launch the app onto other Android devices in the future.”
Simon Stanford, Vice President of IM Division, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “At Samsung, we are committed to providing our customers with the latest range of content and apps. People are increasingly watching programmes on their way to work, between meetings or on holiday, and this partnership means they can now catch up on their favourite ITV programmes on our devices wherever and whenever they choose.”
HAHAHAHA, ok, so whilst I laugh, I can see a small percenatge of truth in the fradmentation point, but come on, surely it should be on the Nexus 4 since that is pure Android?
ITV = fail, good job I watch nothing on ITV apart from football, and then I have to put up with the muppet Chiles
Well I suppose they will get there in the end. But another example of how Android users are generally seen as low priority by most app developers. Sky, ebay, twitter….the list goes on.