New streaming platform ORF ON from May 22nd as a full version on the web and as an app
Vienna (OTS) – ATTENTION: NOTE THE EMBARGOED PERIOD FOR ALL MEDIA UNTIL TUESDAY, MAY 21, 5:00 PM (FREE FOR EVENING EDITIONS)
The new streaming platform ORF ON is now available on the web at on.ORF.at and for the first time also as an app – for smartphones, tablets and SmartTVs! As ORF’s digital flagship store, ORF ON makes the country’s most popular TV content a new experience – live and on demand. Whether current ORF originals or cult favorites from the archive – ORF ON combines program quality and content diversity with contemporary user-friendliness: films, series, documentaries, magazine programs, talks, shows and comedy as well as sports and cultural highlights are often online for six months or longer available. With long viewing periods, modern design and attractive new features, ORF ON is creating a new streaming experience for everyone! After the offer was initially launched in a test version in January 2024, ORF ON is now replacing TVthek as ORF’s central video platform, which will also end the previous parallel operation on the web. TVthek apps that have already been installed are automatically converted into the ORF-ON app (if automatic updates are activated on the respective devices).
DG Weißmann: “Public value platform for everyone”
ORF General Director Mag. Roland Weißmann is pleased with the successful start and points to the strategic importance of the new digital offering: “With ORF ON we are starting a new streaming era: based on the new legal possibilities, we have an innovative public value Platform created that combines quality and content diversity – an important step in the transformation of ORF from a classic broadcaster to a modern public service platform. This means we have come a big step closer to our goal of being an ‘ORF for everyone’ and of informing, educating and entertaining our audience in the best possible way in the digital sector. My thanks go to all colleagues who have contributed to the successful development of ORF ON, as well as to our audience, who trust us every day in all media!”
TD Kräuter: “Innovative web and app world created”
On the occasion of the launch of ORF ON, Dr. Harald Kräuter, Director of Technology and Digitalization, describes the various technical achievements as part of the ORF streaming offensive: “With ORF ON, we have created a technically sophisticated, user-friendly streaming platform for our audience that Austrians can access easily and can be quickly accessed from all your devices. From strategy development to conception and design to technical development, ORF-Technik has created an innovative, promising web and app world. Whether live or on demand – thanks to the new digital possibilities and numerous attractive features, ORF ON offers a new experience for our viewers.”
Online boss Pollach: “Milestone in our digital strategy”
Mag. Stefan Pollach, who was largely responsible for the complex project as ORF’s online department head, emphasizes the good collaboration across departmental boundaries, which made the establishment of ORF ON on all relevant platforms possible: “Developing a digital offering is a team effort -Work. My thanks therefore go to all colleagues at ORF and all the companies involved who contributed with great commitment to the successful launch of ORF ON on all platforms! Together we managed to realize ORF ON for the audience within a very ambitious schedule, without having to accept any compromises in terms of quality and functionality. This marks another milestone in our digital strategy, which serves as an incentive for us to continually improve ORF ON for streaming users!”
ORF-ON director Reiter-Kluger: “What you have to see in Austria – ORF ON has it”
Mag. Eva Reiter-Kluger, long-time head of the ORF-TVthek and now head of the new streaming platform ORF ON, adds: “For me, ORF ON is the future of television: the digital flagship store of the unique, exciting and relevant ORF- Contents. What you have to see in Austria, ORF ON has it! Thanks to the new live module, which for the first time makes all four ORF TV channels available almost continuously in live streams, and the new 24-hour timeshift function, using the ORF programs is now even easier. ORF ON is also an invitation to the audience to discover new things and be surprised by the editorial team’s curated highlights and recommendations. With a diverse mix of programs from all genres and a visually appealing design, we want to offer a varied streaming experience that will delight Austria!”
Key features of ORF ON at a glance:
More program, available longer
Seven days were yesterday: On ORF ON, many programs can be accessed on demand for six months, documentaries and children’s programs can even be accessed for an unlimited time. This means a significantly larger selection of quality public service content and finally more time to watch exciting films, series, documentaries and magazines. With ORF ON, the wait is also over: from “Welcome Austria” to “Universum” to “Bergdoktor”, many current TV productions can be streamed in advance on ORF ON up to 24 hours before their regular broadcast on television. This means you are always one step ahead!
Live-Streaming ohne Limit
The ORF is significantly expanding its live stream offering on ORF ON: The new ORF LIVE feature makes the linear program of ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III and ORF SPORT + almost completely available live for the first time – around the clock! Viewers no longer have to wait for the next available live stream to start. A 24-hour timeshift function enables delayed streaming of the ORF television program and with the practical restart option, which is now used for all productions, programs that are already running can be played from the beginning at any time, so that you don’t miss a second . While previously only around 70 percent of the ORF TV program was available live for licensing reasons, ORF ON offers almost 30 hours of additional live program per day with the almost complete stream of all four ORF TV channels.
Content diversity from Austria
In addition to high-quality signature series such as “School of Champions”, “Vorstadtweiber”, “Biester”, “Janus”, “Freud” and “Kafka”, the new ORF-ON app offers lots of film highlights from Austria such as “Große Freiheit “, “What did we do to deserve this?” or “Jeanny – The 5th Girl”. Popular film series from “Tatort” to “Country Crimes” to “City Comedies” and cult classics from the ORF archive such as “Everyday Stories”, “Sendung ohneName” or a best-of of “Wir sind Kaiser” enrich the offering. An integral part of ORF ON is also the new streaming offer ORF KIDS, which offers entertaining, exciting and educational videos with educational standards for children and young people – guaranteed to be free of violence and advertising!
Unlimited streaming pleasure
As a public streaming platform, ORF ON is free and accessible to everyone in Austria with a low threshold. However, some content is subject to age restrictions. These can now be viewed during the day for the first time using a voluntary login and corresponding proof of age. This not only improves the quality of service for adult audiences, but also strengthens the protection of minors from potentially problematic content. At the same time, accessibility is being expanded: In the new ORF-ON video player, subtitles, an acoustic image description or Austrian sign language can be added, and the video playback speed can also be individually adjusted.
Streaming content with a new look
A contemporary platform design was developed for ORF ON that meets changing usage needs: Like an ORF digital flagship store, the dynamic homepage makes the variety of public content and current program highlights visible on a large scale. ORF ON offers film, series and documentary recommendations from the editorial team with attractive cover aesthetics, clear content categories and intuitive navigation ensure easy user-friendliness. New, specially designed icons ensure user-centered functionality when selecting ORF content and the specially developed ORF Universal font underlines the unmistakable ORF identity of the new platform.
Successful teamwork
ORF ON was realized in collaboration with numerous renowned companies in the industry. The software company Endava is responsible for the content management system, the new live website and the backend. The team at Vienna-based company NOUS Digital, which specializes in app development, was responsible for the production of all Apple and Android apps for mobile devices and televisions, as well as for the Amazon Fire TV app from ORF ON, the technology consulting company BearingPoint for the development of the TV apps from SmartTV manufacturers LG and Samsung. The web server infrastructure and the technical basis for VoD streaming on ORF ON is provided by APA-Tech, the live streaming and the streaming backend for the new LIVE component by the ORF broadcasting subsidiary ORS. The video player from the Austrian tech company Bitmovin is used on ORF ON. The company PROTAS is active for ORF in the areas of technical planning, quality assurance and deployment management. The Vienna digital agency bitsfabrik, the technology company intive and many others have also made a valuable contribution to the development of ORF ON.
ATTENTION: NOTE THE EMBARGOED PERIOD FOR ALL MEDIA UNTIL TUESDAY, MAY 21, 5:00 PM (FREE FOR EVENING EDITIONS)