Internet TV comes to New Zealand

It was only a matter of time. I remember visiting ihug when it was run by a bunch of cigarette smoking geeks and there were shelves of shrieking 14.4 and 28.8 modems. They were demonstrating audio over the internet. As a person who had spent hours adjusting tape machines to +- 1/2 a dB from 20Hz to 20KHz I was less than impressed.

Tuesday will be the launch of Ziln, an internet television service that will try and squeeze pictures as well as audio over the internet.  Admittedly we now have broadband.

Users will be able to watch 13 foreign business and news channels and seven lifestyle channels for free on their computers

Among the channels that will be streamed online are business channel Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, EuroNews, Russia Today, Spain’s TVE and Zee News from India as well as locally made programmes relating to travel, shopping, interior design, outdoor activities and aviation.

The advertising-funded service has been developed by Auckland firm E-Cast, which provides an educational TV channel for universities and schools, and partner Netside TV, at a cost of more than $1 million.