4oD homepage |
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| Original author(s) | Channel 4 |
| Developer(s) | Channel 4 |
| Initial release | November 2006 |
| Operating system | Windows (XP, Vista, 7) Mac OS X Linux |
| Platform | Channel4.com (30 days + archive) Virgin Media (7 days + archive) TalkTalk TV (7 days) BT Vision (7 days) PlayStation 3 (14 days) iOS (30 days) |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Television catch-up |
| Website | http://www.channel4.com/programmes/4od |
4oD is a video on demand service from Channel 4.[1] Launched in November 2006,[2] 4oD stands for "4 on Demand". The service offers a variety of programmes recently shown on Channel 4, E4, More4 or from their archives.[3] However some programmes and movies are not available due to rights issues.
The cable and IPTV versions are operated through an appropriate set-top box whilst the internet variant can be accessed via websites such as Channel4.com or SeeSaw. 4oD generated around 215 million long-form video views on all platforms where it is available in the first half of 2011, making Channel 4 the biggest UK broadcaster in the video on-demand market during the period.[4]
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4oD is the main source of on demand programmes from Channel 4, E4 and More4, the catch up service currently lasts 30 days and the archive has thousands of hours of programming.[3]
As of April 2009, the internet version is fully available to Windows, Mac and Linux users with Adobe Flash Player installed.[5]
The "catch-up" service offers content free of charge a programme for thirty days after its broadcast on Channel 4. At this time, not all content is available to Irish users, due to licensing restrictions, however the majority of the programming is available.[6]
Channel 4 is all set to relaunch 4oD on 31 August 2011.[7] At the heart of these changes is 'My 4oD', allowing registered users to build playlists, schedule shows, maintain a record of what they have watched, save their favourites in a single place and receive in-page reminders from Channel 4 whenever a new episode is available for them to watch.[8] Other features include better full-page viewing and optimised site navigation during viewing.
Blinkbox has acquired licenses for a number of programmes to be access on its website, although 4oD itself is not available. Some TV series are for free such as Shameless, Skins, Embarrassing Bodies and Balls of Steel while others, for example The Big Bang Theory, Shameless US and ER have to be bought to be able to watch.
4oD on SeeSaw had access to 4oD archive of shows such as the The IT Crowd, Skins, The Inbetweeners, Bo' Selecta! and many more.[9] In August 2011, all 4oD content was removed from SeeSaw, following SeeSaw's failure to renegotiate its deal with Channel 4.[10]
4oD is also partly available on YouTube, launching in the United Kingdom in late 2009 with seven genre dedicated channels for 4oD, additional to separate channels Channel 4 and E4.
4oD is available on BT Vision, offering programmes for 7 days after broadcast without access to the 4oD archive.[11]
4oD is available on TalkTalk TV, which offers programmes up to 7 days after broadcast. TalkTalk TV does not offer the back catalogue of programmes.
4oD is available on Virgin Media's cable television service. This platform offers programmes for 7 days after broadcast and Virgin has exclusive use of most of Channel 4 archive which is free on XL package. In 2007, Virgin Media announced plans to offer high definition programming through 4oD but as of 2012[update] no further information has been released.[12]
4oD will be available on YouView, which is a upcoming internet-connected television platform set for release in February 2012.[13]
4oD was released on 14 December 2010 on PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network.[14] 4oD on PS3 is free and ad-funded with pre-, mid- and post- roll video ads being sold and served by Channel 4. This service is a 14 day catch-up version of 4oD it is accessible through ps3.channel4.com.[15]
On 5 October 2011, it was announced that 4oD would be made available to all Xbox Live members.[16][17] The service also integrates with the Xbox 360’s Kinect controller. 4oD was added to the Xbox Live on 21 December 2011.[18]
A 4oD iPad app launched on 3 May 2011, the app offers a 30-day catch-up service.[19] The current requirements to run this app is a compatible with iPad with iOS 3.2 or later.[20]
A 4oD app for the iPhone and iPod Touch allowing a 30-day catch-up was released on 2 September 2011, along with an update to the iPad app.[21] Both apps now feature improved search functionality to enable users to more easily navigate the catch-up and archive content. They can both be browsed in 3G, but video playback is still only available with a Wi-Fi signal to "ensure the quality of the viewing experience isn't affected". The apps also feature a link to Channel 4's content on iTunes, offering the chance to purchase shows.
The service was originally available as a Windows-only desktop program for downloading shows similar to iPlayer Desktop.[2] Following the launch of the web version of 4oD in April 2009, the desktop client continued to allow content from outside the catch-up window to be downloaded.[22] The Kontiki based program which offered Windows Media Video downloads was closed in July 2009.[23][24]
The desktop client offered programming from other broadcasters such as FX[25] and National Geographic[26] as well as movies from 20th Century Fox.[27] A Download To Own (DTO) or "Buy" feature was also available on selected content, allowing users to purchase a programme and keep it for as long as they wish.