What is iView?

More and more people are using iView every week, so it is likely you will come across the term at some point. If you want to know what it means, or if you have just missed an episode of your favourite ABC television show, read on.

Well? What is it?
iView is a free internet-based service offered by the ABC. It allows you to watch ABC television programs online for fourteen days after they have aired. This means that if you miss an episode of your favourite TV show, you can still go back and watch it.

How does it work?
There are three ways to use iView.

1. Go to the ABC iView website. Choose a program from the ‘All Programs’ list, (we like going through the A-Z index), click on the name of the show, click on the episode you want to watch, then click on the picture of the show that says ‘watch program’. The episode will open in full-screen mode and begin to play automatically. If you want to exit the show, just hit the ‘Esc’ key on your keyboard.
2. iView is available as an app on the iPad, but they are still working on making it available for the iPhone. To download it you can either search ‘ABC iView’ in the iPad app store, or go to the iView app website.
3. If you are considering buying a digital television and you watch a lot of ABC, you might want to look at the new range of smart televisions which many manufacturers are releasing. Smart televisions require you to have a wireless internet connection at home, which allows you to stream television and movies from the internet.

 
What do I need?
There are some system requirements for using iView. As the shows are high-definition, you will need a fast internet connection – at least 1.1 Megabytes per second. An ADSL2 or similar connection will give you these kinds of download speeds. You will also need a reasonably fast processor in your computer. For PCs you will need a Pentium 4 or equivalent (this is often written on a sticker near your keyboard for laptop users). Macs should be Intel based, and both should have 2Gb ofRAMor more. If your hardware meets these requirements but iView is still slow, you should make sure your internet browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Firefox) is up to date, and that you have the latest version of Adobe Flash, which can be downloaded from the Flash website.

Can I watch other channels?
Other free-to-air channels do offer some of their programs online, but none have a system as comprehensive or fast as the ABC’s iView. All of the commercial stations are currently working towards iView-type systems, and some are expected to be out by October 2011.

How will it affect my download limit?
ABC’s iView has an agreement with a number of internet service providers(ISPs). If you get your internet through:

• AARNet
• Adam Internet
• Apex Internet
• Cinenet
• SpinTel
• Comcen
• iiNet
• Internode
• iPriums
• Westnet
• Spectrum Networks
• IIG

then you can watch iView without it using up any of your download limit. If you use another ISP, you should probably start monitoring your downloads so you don’t get a shock when your next bill arrives.