Past Work – Aggregator
Initially, I consulted for the founders of Aggregator to build a prototype IPTV settop box combining Freeview with on-demand content (in 8 weeks I hasten to add – see video below). We built this using a Kreatel STB, designing a fully working EPG and VoD front end. Aggregator sourced, packaged and delivered television programming over broadband platforms internationally, delivering discrete, individually branded niche enhanced TV services to communities currently under served by traditional TV.
For a taster of the settop box service, click on the flash player below:
Sample settop box screengrabs
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Having researched third-party options, we decided to develop our own video publishing platform. This was optimized to:
- Organize for and publish to multiple niche audiences
- Unique metadata and UI presentation for each portal, driven from a single backend
- Sell
- Support was given for a variety of packaging and pricing schemes (series, special offers etc)
- Distribute
- Progressive downloads were schedule-able and authenticated
The platform supported four Ajax portals, each launched within 6 weeks:
- www.moe.tv (Russian TV and movies – bilingual site in English and Cyrillic)
- www.joiningthedots.tv (independent documentaries on numerous subjects)
- www.joesbox.tv (Lads – war, horror, erotica, martial arts, etc)
- www.railtv.tv (Trains, trains and more trains)
Sample portal screengrabs (click on each for larger image)
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For an overview of the service, see the introductory video below:
The design goals were:
- To adopt standards-based technologies and methodologies
- Sites to be template-driven but extremely flexible within this framework
- No vendor lock-in for any components – anything could be swapped out
- Back end was to be client agnostic, supporting PC, STB, Mobile etc
Business goals (all met):
- Create a new niche video portal in 4-6 weeks from scratch – try it sometime
- Allow portal updates to be completed by editors – no additional engineering work
- One back end shared across multiple portals
