VoD and IPTV news links - 30 May

A quick roundup of a few things from the world of VoD & IPTV for last couple of weeks:

• Arguagbly the biggest splash was made by Google when it announced Google TV at its IO developer conference. Find different views all around the web, but the prevalent view seems to be a positive one. Here’s one article from BusinesssInsider, including a link to some pics.
• Also big news was the beta release of the new version of BBC iPlayer. This is the version that has Facebook & Twitter connective functionality, recommendation functionality, and will also shortly direct users out to VoD sites of other providers including C4, Five, ITV & SeeSaw when they search for non-BBC programs on the iPlayer site. Press release here & a Guardian guide here.
• Predictably, Sky doesn’t like how iPlayer will direct users, and fears it is becoming a portal without any approval or oversight. Guardian article here. Has anyone heard what other players think of the feature?
• Measurement: The Broadband Measurement Working Group says its now happy with a methodology it’s developed to measure audiences for online TV simulcast. MAD article.
• BBC iPlayer stats for April are out - record figures once again. All the detail is available from the link found here.
• More stats: ITV has a good deck up on SlideShare - a state of the VoD nation.
• And one final, bleedingly obvious, one: YouGov research has shown that online TV viewing is up year on year, by 54%. NMA article here.
• TunerFish is another new service that aims to capitalise on second screen viewing. This one goes down the Foursquare-esque route of awarding points & badges for viewing declaration, and is from within Comcast.  NewTeeVee article here.
• Mini-mini-landmark: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has for the first time banned an ad shown on VoD. BrandRepublic article.
• SeeSaw has now introduced its paid service, giving access to back catalogue TV content. Guardian article.