TV boxes face collective "rectification", and Internet TV's free lunch is gone

Source: Beijing Daily Original title: TV boxes are collectively "rectified", illegal applications are blocked, and the free lunch of Internet TV is gone. Reporter: Fan Xiao Sun Yu

"I didn't move anything and turned on the TV box as usual, but apart from the games, all the apps I installed later and the box's built-in video function disappeared." Starting from November 15, TV box users were furious and took to the Internet to complain that their boxes had turned into a "plastic box that doesn't move" overnight.

As mobile Internet has almost reshaped people's living habits, the "screen battle" between smartphones, tablets and PCs has once made the living room at home deserted. However, the emergence of Internet TV boxes has enabled ordinary TVs to watch massive videos and live TV via Wi-Fi. This breakthrough in traditional viewing methods has quickly brought users back to the living room.

However, the TV boxes that are considered by the industry to be "the next hot spot" have been undergoing constant "rectification" recently, from stopping the TV program playback function, to the blocking of many application software, and then to the recent requirement to use the TVOS operating system. The once popular TV boxes have suddenly faced a "Nirvana-style" test.

TV boxes are becoming "empty shells"

Chen Xue, an office worker who has always been a trend follower, bought a TV box last year. Not only can she watch live TV, but she can also watch American and Korean dramas on demand. This made her very excited. "Even if I miss my favorite TV shows, I don't have to worry. I can watch them again at any time. It's so cool!"

However, once when she came back from a business trip, she found that several live broadcasting software were no longer usable. The screen showed: "According to the relevant management regulations of Internet TV of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, the system will be upgraded to provide users with green and healthy services."

Like Chen Xue, users who used TV boxes last year encountered similar situations. As long as the box was turned on and connected to the Internet, the background would automatically update and upgrade, and then delete a large amount of live broadcast software, and the playback records would also be gone.

These changes have directly led to a reduction in the content of TV boxes and a compromise in their functionality.

However, the rectification of Internet TV boxes is far from over. Starting from the 11th of this month, many Tmall box users began to report that the live broadcast software installed on their boxes could not be found, and it was still difficult to find after the second installation and restart.

On the 15th, Tmall Magic Box released an official announcement saying that in order to strictly abide by the laws and regulations of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and other relevant departments, it has decided to upgrade the system before November 15, 2015. After the upgrade, the first batch of 81 illegal and infringing third-party applications announced by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will be blocked.

"If this is really the case, won't the TV box become an empty shell?" Many users who are accustomed to Internet TV are worried about this.

Most brand boxes were affected

As early as mid-October, a source revealed on Weibo that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television was carrying out a special campaign to crack down on overseas TV network reception equipment across the country. Among the 81 illegal softwares circulating online, Fengyun Live, Xigua Video, Keke TV, Himalaya, Panda Audiobook, 360 Video Collection, and Taijie Video were on the list.

In addition to Tmall Magic Box, a large number of brand boxes have also issued "service suspension and upgrade announcements". The content of the announcements is basically the same, stating that possible illegal content and illegal applications will be inspected and taken offline, and illegal third-party applications and content will be blocked.

In the past two days, the discussion on this topic on Weibo has not diminished. Reporters learned that this round of rectification is unprecedented in intensity and most brands of boxes on the market will be affected.

A box manufacturer stated that all brands and third-party applications need to cooperate with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television for pure certification. Currently, iQiyi and Youku on-demand platform have passed the certification, and other third-party applications are being certified and opened one after another. It is expected to take up to 1 week.

In addition, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television stated: "The phenomenon of a large number of foreign film and television dramas, micro-films, and online dramas that have not obtained broadcasting qualifications entering television sets must be resolutely investigated and dealt with. All major licensed broadcasters must be taken offline within a week and await inspection by the Administration." The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television also required licensees to immediately stop their disguised live broadcast businesses.

It is understood that the TV boxes on the market are divided into three grades: high, medium and low, with prices ranging from 100 yuan to 1,000 yuan, among which the low- and medium-end boxes are the most popular. Usually after a one-time purchase, there is no need to pay for the subscription, which is very competitive compared to the Gehua set-top box. However, with the development of intelligent television, the sales volume of online boxes is declining. According to recent online monitoring data from Aowei, the retail volume of online boxes in September this year was 498,000 units, a month-on-month decrease of 16.7%. The retail sales were 120 million yuan, a month-on-month decrease of 18.3%. In the near future, the strong rectification of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will undoubtedly accelerate this trend.

Next stop: the era of universal payment?

"A series of rectifications by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television are gradually clarifying the relationship and order of the content broadcasting and control platforms, operators and terminal industry chains, which may be a great boon to cable TV and TV stations. In the future, this market may be a blue ocean. For example, LeTV has the copyright to the audio and video resources played on its TVs, mobile phones and other terminals. But currently, not every company has such copyright resources," Chen Yusen, co-founder of Changting Technology, told reporters.

The rectification of the "wildly growing" TV box market is difficult for many consumers to accept, but it does objectively regulate copyright protection. "Most of the video sources on Internet TV boxes are not authorized by the copyright holders, and users who are used to enjoying the free lunch on the Internet may not be aware of this." Chang Yachun, an intellectual property lawyer at Beijing Kangda Law Firm, said that TV box manufacturers are basically responsible for producing hardware, but most of the video links on the software installed by users are not authorized. He believes that with the strengthening of intellectual property protection, paid viewing will be a trend in the future, regardless of whether users are willing to accept it.

"In the past, all content broadcast on TV was reviewed, and parents would feel at ease handing the remote control to their children. With the advent of TV boxes, more and more inappropriate content, such as pirated, pornographic, violent and other video content, is eroding living room culture, and the sense of security in viewing is decreasing." Ms. Ge is quite worried about the massive content on TV boxes.

Facing the impact of the Internet, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is also gradually adjusting and laying out its own intelligent road. After the release of the three-network integration plan in September this year, the implementation of the "TV + Internet" model will be a natural outcome. At present, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has tried the "TV + Internet" model in Beijing, Shanghai, Nan, Henan, Guizhou, Xinjiang, Gansu, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Shandong and other places.

The process of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television tightening its supervision of Internet boxes:

In June 2014, a notice was issued to Internet TV licensees to immediately shut down the download channels for illegal video software in Internet TV terminal products.

In July 2014, all Internet TV boxes were required to stop providing time-shifting and playback functions for TV programs; unapproved terminal products were not allowed to be put on the market.

In July 2015, an emergency notice was issued to the seven major licensees (CNTV, Wasu, Shanghai Media Group, Southern Media, Hunan Television, China Radio International and China National Radio), requiring them to rectify the existing violations in Internet TV, otherwise their broadcasting and control rights would be revoked.

In August 2015, the pilot scope of the TVOS smart TV operating system was expanded. In the future, OTT set-top boxes and other terminals launched by cable operators can only install and use TVOS1.0, and no other operating systems may be installed.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.