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BBC trials Push-VoD technology in the UK
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has started a small closed technical trial to test some of the technologies around Push-VoD to digital video recorders in the UK. Working in partnership with Cabot Communications Ltd, the BBC has developed an advanced interactive application that allows viewers to catch up from 50 hours of automatically-recorded content each week. The trial will comprise 300 participants from in and around the London area and run for approximately three months. The objective of the trial is to test the technologies around off-air capture and navigation in order to deliver broadcaster selected content onto a PVR, record, store and replay rich interactive applications and create a video rich navigation. |
During the trial, the digital video recorder (DVR) will store up to 100 hours of TV programmes each week: 50 hours of BBC programmes will be automatically recorded and stored onto the DVR hard drive after broadcast on a seven-day rolling basis, and up to 50 hours can be personally recorded by the triallist. Recorded programmes will be accessible through a bespoke navigation. The future aspiration of the BBCi Push-VoD application is to enable consumers to create their own personal packages of content, for example an entertainment or sports specific package. BBCi controller Rahul Chakkara said, “As we move further into an on-demand world, where viewers are looking for more opportunities to take control of their viewing schedules, it is imperative that the BBC is at the forefront of exploring new technologies to meet their needs. |
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Cabot Communications on Push-VoD initially via DTT, and to explore the ways in which MHEG and DVR technology can be used to meet audiences‘ changing needs.” |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
