TVNOW

TVNOW
Video-on-demand provider from Cologne , Germany ( films , series , sports , documentaries , comedy )
operator	RTL interactive GmbH
editorial staff	Jan Wachtel (Managing Director)
On-line	January 2007
http://www.tvnow.de/

former logo

TVNOW is a video-on-demand offer from Mediengruppe RTL , which is operated by RTL interactive . It was founded in January 2007 as RTLnow and was then known under the name nowtv.de . The renaming to the current name took place on March 1, 2016. There are still individual areas on the platform for the various channels of the Mediengruppe RTL. On April 7, 2020 TVNOW was redesigned and given a new logo and a new interface.

history

The RTLnow portal was founded in January 2007, and from then on it was possible to watch series and films that were broadcast on the RTL television station even after they had been broadcast. The portals of the other channels of the Mediengruppe RTL followed successively. In 2010 Mediengruppe RTL published an app for RTLnow for mobile devices and tablets, followed by apps for RTL2now and VOXnow in 2013. Since 2012, the content has also been available via the paid HD + replay of HD + via Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV).

Since 2019, the RTL media group has been producing and publishing exclusive content similar to Netflix or Prime Video , including series such as M - Eine Stadt sucht ein Mörder and Temptation Island .

According to the RTL Group, sales increased by 21% in the first half of 2019. The turnover was 513 million euros in the first half of 2019.

TVNOW describes itself as Germany's "Local Hero", as it recorded over 6 million unique users in March and thus manages one of the most frequently used streaming services in Germany.

functionality

Many films and series, including Germany is looking for the superstar , Everything that counts , Alarm for Cobra 11 - The Autobahn Police or suspected cases , can be viewed free of charge for seven days after being broadcast, some selected content also for a longer period or permanently. After the time has expired, individual episodes or films can be purchased for a fee and viewed as often as required for 24 hours. In order to be able to watch such episodes, a free registration and the deposit of payment data is necessary. Free offers can be viewed without registration.

Similar to other video-on-demand platforms such as Joyn , it is also possible with TVNOW to book a so-called package for all series and feature films (TVNOW PREMIUM). Some subscriptions or packages as well as individual requests are available. TVNOW currently offers 4 packages: Free , TV Only (Live TV and Pay TV are activated), Premium and Premium + . The free offers are financed by video advertising that is shown before, during and after the actual content. Advertisements are also placed in the paid premium version, but only a maximum of one spot. Since April 7, 2020, the new Premium + 2 offers parallel streams and no advertising.

Technical

The videos are offered via video streaming . In order to use the offer via set-top boxes , smart TVs or on mobile devices, the chargeable offer from TVNOW is required. This is where TVNOW differs from its competition, Joyn , as it does not allow many users to use the offer free of charge. This is why the mobile app is also called TVNOW PREMIUM in the app stores (formerly TVNOW PLUS).

The general technical requirement for reception is an Internet connection with a data transmission rate of at least 768 kbit / s download. At least 1.6 GHz processor performance, 512 MB RAM and 128 MB graphics memory are specified for reception via a computer . As browsers are Internet Explorer , version 11, Mozilla Firefox from version 40, Google Chrome , Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari support. By Geo-IP blocking the access is limited to some content for users in Germany. The server used , on which the page is provided online, is hosted on CloudFront , a network provided by Amazon for the provision of content.

For legal reasons, the programs are equipped with a Digital Rights Management System ( DRM ). Supported browsers are Microsoft Edge 14, Mozilla Firefox 53, Google Chrome 35, Opera , Safari 9 in combination with MacOS version 10.11 and Internet Explorer 11.0 in combination with Windows 8.1.

Program television on NOW!

Under the name NOW! one is watching TV on the program offered through the Internet, by registering in a browser can be received.

Web links

• TVNOW website

Individual evidence

1. ↑ rtl-interactive.de: "Since March 2016, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland has been bundling the NOW offers under the new TV NOW brand." In: www.mediengruppe-rtl.de, accessed on March 1, 2016.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Evolution of the NOW offers: additional features, new design . May 20, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
3. ↑ DWDL de GmbH: TVNow with a new brand identity and a second premium tariff. Retrieved April 7, 2020 . 
4. ↑ TV Now streams its own series as well as the big ones . In: wuv.de . October 24, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
5. ↑ RTL Group: More sales and profits in the first half of 2019. In: orange.handelsblatt.com. August 28, 2019, accessed December 26, 2019 . 
6. ↑ DWDL de GmbH: TVNow with a new brand identity and a second premium tariff. Retrieved April 7, 2020 . 
7. ↑ Uwe Mantel: 7TV and TVNow: How are private individuals currently doing online? In: dwdl.de , August 22, 2018, accessed on December 27, 2019.
8. ↑ Alexander Krei: For 4.99 euros a month: New TV Now officially launched In: dwdl.de , December 12, 2018, accessed on December 27, 2019.
9. ↑ DWDL de GmbH: TVNow with a new brand identity and a second premium tariff. Retrieved April 7, 2020 . 
10. ↑ How do I use TVNOW on the TV set? - TVNOW. Retrieved April 7, 2020 . 
11. ↑ System requirements . In: tvnow.de . Retrieved February 13, 2018.
12. ↑ 13.225.78.86 | server-13-225-78-86.fra2.r.cloudfront.net - Amazon.com, Inc., United States. In: dnslytics.com. Retrieved August 7, 2019 . 
13. ↑ Video does not start / stops. In: tvnow.de. Retrieved December 27, 2019 . 
14. ↑ https://www.tvnow.de/live-tv/nowus