Broadband Content Bits: Orange TV Ads, Zattoo Hi-Res

Orange: The telco has trialled interactive ads for the first time over its ADSL TV service in France. It just finished a pilot campaign for Citroen, consisting of interactive banners on its Orange Sport Info IPTV channel. Selecting the banner with a remote control took viewers to a product minisite. The trial will now be adopted across all Orange TV services in H109. No fear of that including the UK, where IPTV has been put on ice. Release.

Zattoo: The desktop PC TV app, which is broadcasting UK free-to-air channels under what it says is a legal loophole, will stream five of those channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and BBC News) in “full TV resolution” over Christmas. The “HiQ” channels will come in 576×528 pixels, in response to user demands for higher quality. It’s pitched as a Christmas offer and ends January 14. The holiday period is likely to mean reduced strain on Zattoo servers. Rival Livestation points out it already streams at 512×288 (16×9), as well as 448×288 (14×9) and 384×288 (4×3 )