China and BesTV were asked for rectification

Policy regulation has long been the sword of Damocles in the Internet television industry. Yesterday, some media reported that the State Administration of Press, Publication, Administration of Radio, Film and Television Division has sent a letter prohibiting television boxes in Zhejiang and Shanghai pre-installed unlicensed video APP, and requires two Internet TV licensees - China and BesTV Rectification. Yesterday, China Media confirmed this information to reporters and said that it has begun to rectify as requested.

Beijing Times reporter Gu Menglin Liao Feng

■ Glossary · TV box

The so-called Internet TV box is a kind of hardware product that can play Internet content on a television. It was previously called Internet HD player in the Internet field and was later defined by the SARFT as an Internet TV set-top box. By connecting a TV box to an ordinary television, many functions of the Internet smart TV can be realized, network video including movies can be watched, and video contents on mobile phones, iPDs and the like can be projected on the television large screen to enjoy or even You can also play games, listen to music.At present, LeTV, millet, wah and many other manufacturers have introduced the box products.

□ incident

BesTV and China have been named criticism

It is reported that the State Administration of Press, Publication, Administration of Radio, Film and Television in mid-June of Zhejiang Province Press and Publication Bureau issued a notice on the immediate closure of Internet TV terminal products illegal video software download channel letter. Close letter pointed out that the number of media companies launched Internet TV set-top boxes, "Lynx Magic Box" contains Ikki, Sohu video, Youku and other video software and video cats, Thai video, video and other video rabbit software and Internet browser Software that is heavily involved in television and provides technical support and access to television sets and channels for politically harmful, obscene and vulgar malpractices and infringing pirate programs, in serious violation of relevant policies.

In a closing letter issued by the Administration of Press, Publishing, Publications and Broadcasting to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Television, the General Administration commented on the internet box "Little Red Internet TV set-top box" of BesTV, which included the commercial video APP such as Youku, Approved foreign movies and television and pornographic content such as micro-movies, TV shows and other programs into the TV to provide technical support channels, a serious violation of relevant policies.

The letter also called for the number of Chinese and BesTV to be rectified, and immediately close all of its Internet TV terminal products, all kinds of video APP and video aggregation software, Internet browser software download channel, and the software has been downloaded immediately technical processing. Before the completion of rectification, may not issue a new Internet TV terminal products.

□ Response

Box manufacturers have requested self-examination

Yesterday, the number of media responded to reporters that the company did receive higher-level competent department of Internet TV set-top boxes for verification requirements, the number that the requirements of the competent authorities to purify the market environment and guide the healthy development of the industry has a very positive significance. In the Internet TV set-top box jointly launched by China Media and Ali, it contains client software such as Aiqi Art and Sohu, as well as individual video aggregation software. The verification is mainly due to the fact that the smart operating system currently used has open technical features, Users can install their own stand-alone application store and download third-party application client. For the existing problems, the number will be forced to notify the offline and terminal upgrades to restrict users to download third-party application store, to ensure the safety of Internet TV content.

The Chinese side stressed to reporters that the cooperation between the company and Youku mainly focuses on the content copyright and the cooperation between the company and the video party will continue normally.

Alibaba also responded that Lynx box has been actively conducting self-examination in accordance with SARFT requirements, and timely closure of the relevant client download channel. To protect the audio-visual environment, healthy and orderly.

Video site actively cooperate to comply with the regulations

As a matter of parties, yesterday, Youku Tudou also responded to reporters for this matter, Youku Tudou Group has learned from the partners side of the letter. In the OTT business, the Group has been using a wide range of cooperation and cooperation with the national regular licensee side, strictly abide by national policies and regulations to provide genuine and healthy content and superior user experience.

IQIYI also said that it will actively cooperate with the government regulations, scrutinize the content of video terminals, take the initiative to communicate with hardware terminal manufacturers such as set-top boxes and content licensees to ensure that the content of video terminals conforms to the policies and regulations.

Yesterday, the reporter also contacted another regular square military license - Hunan Radio and Television's "mango pie", Mango TV responsible person to respond to the reporter said, have not yet received the relevant letters issued by the General Administration.

Hisense, Skyworth and other TV makers said that their Internet TV products access to the video content providers are regular license side, there is no non-compliance issues.

□ Interpretation

"Circular 181" to implement again

In the opinion of Ai-media consulting CEO Zhang Yi, the SAIC requests to close all kinds of video and software download channel is to take the opportunity to implement the "No. 181 document." This view is also confirmed in the video business. Popular network and Mango TV responsible person told reporters that the "closed letter" issued this is not a new policy, but on the SARFT issued in October 2011, "holds the Internet TV license agency operating management requirements" ( "No. 181") the implementation and strengthening.

According to reports, according to the "Circular 181" provisions, Internet TV terminal products, including OTT set-top boxes and one machine (that is, Internet TV), can only be connected to SARFT approved the establishment of the integrated platform can not be connected with other Internet business database; and content services Business can only access the integrated platform, can not be connected with the public network. Integrated platform for the control and management of end products is unique.

According to the regulation, manufacturers that produce or sell Internet TV set-top boxes can only be integrated with 7 licensed CNV stations, Blockbuster, Huaxu, Hunan Broadcasting and TV, Southern Media, China Radio International, and the Central People's Broadcasting Station Platform for business cooperation.

Zhang Yi said that in the actual environment, the implementation of this provision is not in place. In addition to the contents of the license plate party, many box manufacturers basically have Internet content, some are built-in, and some can install other video applications by installing third-party plug-ins and bypassing supervision. In Zhang Yi's opinion, most of these Internet content bypass the SARFT supervision, SARFT will not let it go, the future will have sub-regulatory policies introduced.

Named criticism intended "knocking mountain tiger"

Zhang Yi said that SARFT and China issued the largest number of text may be due to the monitoring of inappropriate content between the two. Zhang Yi said recently the regulatory agencies have stepped up their supervision in the area of ​​the Internet. The net operations of the joint anti-pornographic work group office, the State Internet Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other joint organizations have been very extensive. The area also strengthened the content of the video review. As the box opened up to the home as an entrance to the living room and was previously loosely regulated, the name criticized the two licensees as a "knock-off" for the existing Internet market.

However, China Unicom CEO explained that last year the entire Chinese market OTT set-top boxes, sales of about 10 million or so, without licensing and docking, may account for more than 80%, the so-called "cottage box." The document issued by the SARFT is actually still for some of the licensee party does not meet the "181" provisions of the act, but one of the bigger problems in these cottage box.

□ influence

The licensee is actually good

It is noteworthy that the radio and television bureau issued a document supervision box object directly. In Zhang Yi's opinion, this close letter will not have much impact on BesTV and China. "The original number and BesTV is the license provider, its own content, access to a variety of third-party content side, but also hope to provide more content to seize the market, rectification, the content will be reduced, the business does not affect the above Will be too big. "

The person in charge of mango TV also said that "Circular 181" requires that all content services must be under the management and control of integrated broadcast control, which is good news for content licensees because there is no third-party APP content Join, the licensee's own content advantages even more prominent. Future set-top box products will be carried out under the standard management of the country, the licensee side will have a steady development in the future, the formation of digital TV, IPTV function similar products, by the user to choose.

Box products will be accelerated out

Hu Yanping, founder of the DCCI Internet Data Center, said that in the short run, video websites without license resources have a hard time trying to enter the living room. The channel resources are all on the hands of the seven license holders and form a certain monopoly on the channel. Currently, there is no license issue Signs of further relaxation. The "181" itself on TV box regulation is too tight, the TV box is the transition from the traditional television to the Internet intelligent terminal display development process, the letter sent to a certain extent limited the richness of the contents of the TV box, Accelerated the mainstream media content distribution channels narrow, enabling users to speed up the elimination of the box, which hindered the development of the box industry itself. Originally, regulators could better develop the rules of the game in the Internet video industry over the longer life of the box. He said that the real-time video will be the future of the basic connection, and the future shows that in quite a number of cases the screen will cease to exist, at this time, regulators whether the timely introduction of a better regulatory approach, it will be a challenge.