What is dTV? dTV (formerly d-VIDEO/BeeTV) is a video content distribution service owned and operated by Avex Broadcasting and Communications. The platform offers about 120,000 titles on 13 channels, geo-blocked for Japan and accessible via internet-connected devices, including smartphones, computers and television sets.
Why did you call it ‘dTV’? “The ‘d’ in dTV is an abbreviation of ‘doki-doki’, which is an onomatopoeia commonly used to express excitement or in this context, heart beats. Users can encounter content that gives them the ‘doki-doki’ experience while using dTV.”
Launched on 11 November 2011 as d-VIDEO/BeeTV and renamed dTV in April this year, when the service was upgraded with, among other features, a new user interface.
Head count 24 people in the Tokyo-based Avex Broadcasting and Communications
Who’s in charge Rieko Muramoto, member of the board/head of programming; Yoshio Yanagisaki, corporate executive, visual product creative; Tomomasa Yamashita, General Manager, Business Operations, Avex Broadcasting and Communications.
The offering 120,000 titles, including original content, international movies, Japanese dramas/movies, animation, foreign drama series, Korean dramas, Chinese dramas, kids, culture, variety, music programmes from 13 channels
Rates/Packages Yen500/US$4 a month. Some content is offered as “rental” (TVOD) and charged by title and format. One SD title is typically Yen400/US$3.30.
What are your original content plans? “The plan is to add on more original content.” On the cards are projects with Italian film director Giuseppe Tornatore and local director Kazuaki Kiriya. The current production is live-action drama series Attack on Titan (starring Satomi Ishihara) based on the manga titles, which is slated for an August 2015 premiere via streaming on dTV.
How many hours of content do you plan to acquire annually? “We do not have a strict monthly target on acquiring content. What and how much we acquire is based on what is needed by our users.”
What kind of windows are you working with? “We have both library and exclusive content.”
How many titles/new will you offer at one time? “This varies on what we have at the time, and what our users are looking for.”
Three key titles Attack on Titan, The Walking Dead season five, Shinjuku Swan
Major content partners Japanese (local) TV networks, film companies, local publishers, music record labels
Is there anything on th...
What is dTV? dTV (formerly d-VIDEO/BeeTV) is a video content distribution service owned and operated by Avex Broadcasting and Communications. The platform offers about 120,000 titles on 13 channels, geo-blocked for Japan and accessible via internet-connected devices, including smartphones, computers and television sets.
Why did you call it ‘dTV’? “The ‘d’ in dTV is an abbreviation of ‘doki-doki’, which is an onomatopoeia commonly used to express excitement or in this context, heart beats. Users can encounter content that gives them the ‘doki-doki’ experience while using dTV.”
Launched on 11 November 2011 as d-VIDEO/BeeTV and renamed dTV in April this year, when the service was upgraded with, among other features, a new user interface.
Head count 24 people in the Tokyo-based Avex Broadcasting and Communications
Who’s in charge Rieko Muramoto, member of the board/head of programming; Yoshio Yanagisaki, corporate executive, visual product creative; Tomomasa Yamashita, General Manager, Business Operations, Avex Broadcasting and Communications.
The offering 120,000 titles, including original content, international movies, Japanese dramas/movies, animation, foreign drama series, Korean dramas, Chinese dramas, kids, culture, variety, music programmes from 13 channels
Rates/Packages Yen500/US$4 a month. Some content is offered as “rental” (TVOD) and charged by title and format. One SD title is typically Yen400/US$3.30.
What are your original content plans? “The plan is to add on more original content.” On the cards are projects with Italian film director Giuseppe Tornatore and local director Kazuaki Kiriya. The current production is live-action drama series Attack on Titan (starring Satomi Ishihara) based on the manga titles, which is slated for an August 2015 premiere via streaming on dTV.
How many hours of content do you plan to acquire annually? “We do not have a strict monthly target on acquiring content. What and how much we acquire is based on what is needed by our users.”
What kind of windows are you working with? “We have both library and exclusive content.”
How many titles/new will you offer at one time? “This varies on what we have at the time, and what our users are looking for.”
Three key titles Attack on Titan, The Walking Dead season five, Shinjuku Swan
Major content partners Japanese (local) TV networks, film companies, local publishers, music record labels
Is there anything on the current offering you think is missing and would like to add? “Theatre productions, novel adaptations that we plan to distribute”
No. of subscribers/registered users
4.51 million (as of 31 May 2015)
Take-up expectation Not disclosed
How are you using social media to expand your online presence? “We provide content and service information via Facebook and Twitter.”
Average viewing time for each user on a daily basis? Not disclosed
Tech partners include IBM, Neos Corporation, Nextscape
Greatest challenge/s Developing Zapping UI (a feature that auto starts trailer videos while flipping through different channels) and the set top-box terminal, which are critical in providing a new video streaming experience for our users.
The best thing that has happened to the online/over-the-top (OTT) industry in Japan this year is... “Japan is still at a developing phase in terms of OTT. However, we believe that growth and development in this field will be quite rapid as it was in the U.S. and other countries.”
What do you think is the biggest impact on the OTT industry in Asia (and Japan) in the next 12 months… “Asia will also see a rapid growth and development in this area. There is yet to be a dominant player (service) in Asia, and we are very excited to see who that will be.”