OPINION : You might have note – indeed many masses in the UK have , due to the coverage it has received – that ITV has launched a stain - fresh streaming servicecalled ITVX .
It ’s been in the whole works for some time , and given the emphasis is budge from elongate broadcast to online streaming , the previous avatar of the ITV Hub was n’t having the impact it should or could have .
Many complained about its streaming timber , and I personally found pilot the port , whether on television or an app , puzzling . Where were my saved shows ? Many multiplication , I could n’t discover them , nor could I discover the Continue watching section . Recently , with the World Cup , I ’ve found it a pain to take in live broadcasts . Some version of the app on the political platform had it , while others did n’t . It made for a very inconsistent experience liken with , say , BBC ’s iPlayer .
But ITVX could exchange all that . I suspect ITV Hub was hampered by code / infrastructure that did n’t allow it much way to manoeuver and update itself . Otherwise , why launch a whole raw app ? A refresh and a rebranding outright wipe away what came before and pull masses ’s interestingness in the mode that shiny and new things often do .
At least it ought to , once the app has complete its rollout . At the time of writing , the old ITV Hub has n’t fully update on several platform . While myFire television , Android Mobile River and iOS twist have all updated themselves , I ’ve make out that Hisense ’s VIDAA U port and versions of Android television ( Philips , Sony ) are still waiting in line .
But from my experience on the iPad – which I must admit has been abbreviated – it ’s looking safe . The interface is broken up into more sensible chunks , I do n’t have to clamber around to find live broadcast and recommendations make a little more sense ( though that should get salutary the more you utilise the app ) . Although the My List wrangle is still way too far down the home pageboy , at least it ’s there and easy to situate than it was on the ITV Hub , where it seemed to exchange position reckon on the app version accessed .
The app is , perhaps , a small too eager for you to change over to the Premium tier – unless you dive into a section , you ’ll find oneself that most pages have an “ Upgrade to Premium ” message vacillate somewhere . It also seems to have find a way of life to box BritBox , the app no one quite seems to know what to do with . package for the US to get more anglophile security guard onboard , it ’s still promoted to British viewer , even though iPlayer , ITV and All 4 are more than enough – and free .
At least ITV has been smart in syphon off pop content like Downton Abbey to the level , but the question remains whether looker will sign up for it . If they did n’t grease one’s palms into BritBox , why would they suddenly jump to this stealth penetration of the app in ITVX ?
The bread and butter for any streaming service is having “ original ” content to watch . The Star Wars / MCU serial keep thing tick forDisney+,Netflixhas tons of stuff , Prime Video ’s made a big investment in The Lord of the Rings andApple TV+has some enceinte original computer programing . Meanwhile , iPlayer might just have had one of its best age in get serial like The Tourist , The Responder , This Is Going to Hurt and Tokyo Vice on the service – all read that have create a conversation . It ’s former days but nothing stands out from ITVX ’s line - up .
And more than that , where ’s the 4 K HLG HDR content ? There ’s been no declaration regarding 4 KiB support , which in this day and age should be wait for a mod streaming avail . The iPlayer has take these steps in 2022 , and paying to watch in HD when you have a4 K TVseems a vain recitation ; 4 K content is a feature that would immediately take hold of my attention , given the benefit HDR can bring . Also , restricting downloads to the Premium level feel – well – restrictive .
So to try and suffice the enquiry posed in the newspaper headline , is ITVX the grand refresh ITV need ? To duck that answer , it ’s too former to say , but from what I ’ve learn , it ’s a good start . If the main objective was to animate and freshen matter up , then it ’s Book of Job done . But to restate : any television cyclosis military service worth its Strategic Arms Limitation Talks lives or dies by the original mental object it offer , and in that regard , ITVX presently is n’t feeling very shiny or new .
