Motive Television, a software development house in Soho specialising in TV and video, has had its patent for place changing mobile TV technology approved in the US.

TV Anywhere is integrated into internet-connected set-top boxes and linked with a users tablet so they can watch live programming or shows that they have recorded wherever they are via their web browser. The tech is part of Motives Television Anytime Anywhere platform already used by Mediaset in Italy and being rolled out with Digiturk in Turkey and CME in the Czech Republic during the course of the year. “Now that we have the patent, we can make it available for third parties – anywhere,” said Leonard Fertig, CEO.

It cost more than £13m and six years to develop the TV Anytime Anywhere technology, Fertig explained, and the CEO is convinced that it is still unique at this stage. Others with similar offerings require a new piece of hardware, while TV Anywhere is installed in the set-top box or delivered as software over the platforms network.

Tablet TV

The company is working with a regional broadcaster in the US, Granite, to debut another one of its services, Tablet TV, a Freeview equivalent for mobile, in eight cities in the US starting with San Francisco.

Tablet TV turns your device into a TV using a dongle and an app. The dongle comes at a one-off cost and the service is delivered over the existing TV frequency rather than the internet so is less costly for the consumer and provider. The company is already in talks with UK and other European broadcasters, and hopes to have the whole of the US covered by 2014 after making deals with a number of other TV networks.

So how will they monetise? Motive is B2B so it’s up to individual clients, which range from broadcasters, satellite and cable networks, along with telcos, to decide how they use the platform. Granite has chosen to stick with the advertising already provided on its traditional TV channels, but they could offer targeted ads based on what people are watching and where. “Somebody else may choose to do something different,” he said. Depending on the broadcaster, consumers could be offered movie or other entertainment packages direct to the tablet.

The company is in talks with entertainment providers in the EU, Africa and Asia about rolling out the tech here.

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