STV Player
Encyclopedia
The STV Player is a website
based video on demand service accessible though the main STV website and separately in the distinct domain name stvplayer.tv. Current programmes are available for 30 days after transmission on the main STV channel, with archive programming available longer-term. The service was established to hold full programming and "long-form" content, separate from the existing STV Video site, which would then be rebuilt to hold "short-form" content, news, weather and clips.
Most STV primetime, and some daytime, shows are available on the website; however, some sports, movies, imported programming and network programmes with copyright issues do not.
STV launched the STV Player channel on YouTube
on 20 August 2010, with six categories: Documentaries, Drama, Entertainment and Comedy, News, People and Scotland.
, Coronation Street
and The Jeremy Kyle Show
, plus regional programming, such as Made in Scotland
, Scotland Tonight
and STV Rugby
, and archive STV programming, like The Steamie
and High Times
, in a separate site from other, "short-form" videos.
In general, programmes are available in their entirety, but in some cases (such as segments of wknd@stv
), STV does not have the right to broadcast all the content online; in these instances, the segments of the show which are not subject to these rights issues are loaded onto STV Player, with the un-cleared segments excluded.
Since its launch in July 2009, the STV Player has been heavily marketed on STV.
The research measured the usability of six VoD websites provided by the major UK broadcasting companies: STV Player, BBC iPlayer
, Demand 5, 4oD
, ITV Player
and Sky Player
.
Based on 10 different usability criteria, STV scored 76% in usability stakes, making it the highest scoring commercial player. STV Player was second only to BBC iPlayer, which scored 88%.
The research was conducted by user experience consultancy Webcredible, who evaluated each website against 10 best practice guidelines across four categories; site & homepage priorities; site support key user tasks; engagement; and help & support. The 10 criteria included ease to search for a specific programme; ease to play a selected programme; flexible viewing options provided; and ease to find information and parental control options.
STV Player scored full marks for having a clear section on its homepage which explains to site visitors what STV Player is and how to use it. STV Player also achieved top marks for acknowledging the importance of a "help" section by providing a prominent link to it within its main navigation.
Flash technology, similar to those used by the services provided by the BBC
and Channel 4
. It is available on various operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux, and multiple internet browsers, such as Internet Explorer
, Firefox, AOL
and Safari
.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
based video on demand service accessible though the main STV website and separately in the distinct domain name stvplayer.tv. Current programmes are available for 30 days after transmission on the main STV channel, with archive programming available longer-term. The service was established to hold full programming and "long-form" content, separate from the existing STV Video site, which would then be rebuilt to hold "short-form" content, news, weather and clips.
Most STV primetime, and some daytime, shows are available on the website; however, some sports, movies, imported programming and network programmes with copyright issues do not.
STV launched the STV Player channel on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on 20 August 2010, with six categories: Documentaries, Drama, Entertainment and Comedy, News, People and Scotland.
Programming
The STV Player is intended to combine network programming shown by STV, such as EmmerdaleEmmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and The Jeremy Kyle Show
The Jeremy Kyle Show
The Jeremy Kyle Show is an award-winning British daytime television tabloid talk show presented by Jeremy Kyle that has been broadcast on ITV since 4 July 2005. The show is recorded and produced by Granada Television at the Granada Studios on Quay Street in Manchester city centre and broadcast each...
, plus regional programming, such as Made in Scotland
Made in Scotland
Made in Scotland was a 3-part documentary series produced by STV Productions and broadcast on STV in Northern and Central Scotland in 2009, presented by Taggart actor John Michie...
, Scotland Tonight
Scotland Tonight
Scotland Tonight is a Scottish news and current affairs programme, covering the two STV franchise areas of Northern and Central Scotland, produced by STV News...
and STV Rugby
STV Rugby
STV Rugby is a Scottish regional television programme featuring highlights of RaboDirect Pro12 rugby matches involving Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors...
, and archive STV programming, like The Steamie
The Steamie
The Steamie is a comedy-drama stage play, written by Rab C. Nesbitt actor Tony Roper. It followed the lives of a group of 1950s Glasgow women washing their clothes in a public washhouse . It was first performed at the Crawford Theatre, Glasgow in 1987.A television version was made by Scottish...
and High Times
High Times (TV series)
High Times is a Scottish comedy drama on STV, based around the lives of two flatmates and their neighbours in a high-rise tower block in Glasgow, in the last weeks before its closure for renovation...
, in a separate site from other, "short-form" videos.
In general, programmes are available in their entirety, but in some cases (such as segments of wknd@stv
Wknd@stv
wknd@stv is a short-lived children's programming strand on Scottish television channel, STV. The block aired on Saturdays and Sundays, usually starting at 9.25am . It began on Saturday 17 January 2009 with a three-hour edition...
), STV does not have the right to broadcast all the content online; in these instances, the segments of the show which are not subject to these rights issues are loaded onto STV Player, with the un-cleared segments excluded.
Since its launch in July 2009, the STV Player has been heavily marketed on STV.
Success
In 2010, an independent usability study of Video on Demand websites described STV's online catch-up service, STV Player, as the best in the UK, outside the heavily resourced BBC iPlayer.The research measured the usability of six VoD websites provided by the major UK broadcasting companies: STV Player, BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
, Demand 5, 4oD
4oD
4oD is a video on demand service from Channel 4. Launched in November 2006, 4oD stands for "4 on Demand". The service offers a variety of programmes recently shown on Channel 4, E4, More4 or from their archives...
, ITV Player
ITV Player
ITV Player is an online video on demand service accessible though the main ITV website. The service offers a variety of programmes from homegrown programming to imports across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Some sports programming is available to watch again via the service, the 2010 FIFA World...
and Sky Player
Sky Player
Sky Go is an online television service from Sky which launched in January 2006. The service allows users to watch live and on demand video content from their Mac, Windows PC, mobile phone or Xbox 360 via a broadband or Wi-Fi internet connection...
.
Based on 10 different usability criteria, STV scored 76% in usability stakes, making it the highest scoring commercial player. STV Player was second only to BBC iPlayer, which scored 88%.
The research was conducted by user experience consultancy Webcredible, who evaluated each website against 10 best practice guidelines across four categories; site & homepage priorities; site support key user tasks; engagement; and help & support. The 10 criteria included ease to search for a specific programme; ease to play a selected programme; flexible viewing options provided; and ease to find information and parental control options.
STV Player scored full marks for having a clear section on its homepage which explains to site visitors what STV Player is and how to use it. STV Player also achieved top marks for acknowledging the importance of a "help" section by providing a prominent link to it within its main navigation.
Supported platforms
The website uses BrightcoveBrightcove
Brightcove is a Cambridge, MA based company that produces an Online Video Platform .- History :Brightcove was founded in 2004 by Jeremy Allaire, who now serves as CEO. In March 2006, Brightcove acquired Seattle-based Metastories, makers of StoryMaker, a publishing tool for video, audio, images, and...
Flash technology, similar to those used by the services provided by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. It is available on various operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux, and multiple internet browsers, such as Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
, Firefox, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
and Safari
Safari (web browser)
Safari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. and included with the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems. First released as a public beta on January 7, 2003 on the company's Mac OS X operating system, it became Apple's default browser beginning with Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther". Safari is also the...
.