Motive and icube to develop Tablet TV dongle for UK Freeview

Thursday, December 12th, 2013
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Motive Television Signs Memorandum of Understanding with icube Corporation

  • Development of Freeview-compatible devices for reception of Tablet TV in the UK

LONDON — Motive Television PLC (AIM: MTV.LN) (“Motive” or “the Company”), the London-based provider of revenue enhancing solutions to the television industry, announces it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with icube Corporation of Seoul, South Korea. Motive and icube will work together to develop retail products that will enable Freeview broadcast TV to be received on mobile devices in the United Kingdom.

This agreement with icube is the latest step in the process of making Tablet TV available in the United Kingdom, with a launch planned for mid-2014.

On 14 May 2013 Motive announced its intention to develop Tablet TV for the UK, allowing the reception and recording of Freeview live television on tablet devices. The Company joined the Digital Television Group (DTG), which publishes and maintains the technical specifications for Freeview in the UK, and is in the process of meeting the DTG requirements to license the Freeview brand for Motive’s Tablet TV in the UK.

On 6 June 2013 the Company announced its intention to license its Tablet TV solution to consumer electronics companies to make it possible for viewers to receive all the Freeview channels available in their broadcast area, offer a full 7-day 24 hour EPG with the Freeview look and feel, and have the ability to record directly onto a tablet, as well as on-demand content.

Under the contemplated Final Agreement, icube will develop and manufacture a Freeview dongle, which will be certified as Freeview-compatible after Motive achieves DTG Testing approval for the Freeview Dongle and Motive App. Motive will receive a licence fee for each Freeview compatible Dongle sold.

icube Corporation is a Digital Media Adapter (DMA) vendor and broadcasting solution provider headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, offering an array of products and solutions, including DMAs for personal multimedia entertainment and various solutions for broadcasters to automate analogue/digital program transmission.

Leonard M Fertig, Chief Executive Officer of Motive, commented: “Recently it was reported that by the end of the year there will be 20 million tablets in use in the United Kingdom(1). Bringing the Tablet TV features of watching and recording Freeview, using the Freeview program guides and interactive features, and getting additional on-demand content will be a very attractive viewing option for this large and rapidly growing audience. We hope to have Tablet TV available in the United Kingdom in time for the World Cup in June.”

Hyo Seon Kim, Vice President of Product Sales for icube Corporation added, “We look forward to working with Motive Television to provide the first, Freeview-to-Tablet endorsed solution for the growing number of UK customers wishing to watch television on their Tablets”.

1 YouGov’s Tablet Track Study, 1 November