WhereverTV Bows Web-Based International TV Receiver

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 7/14/2008

Qingdao, China — WhereverTV, based in Pittsburgh, introduced a receiver that takes international TV programming available on the Web and delivers it directly to TVs.

The debut of the WhereverTV receiver and service occurred at last week’s SinoCES, held here.

The receiver retails for $199 with basic service requiring no activation or recurring charges. It has been available on the company’s Web site and will be available on Amazon.com tomorrow when initial orders ship.

The WhereverTV receiver enables users to watch hundreds of live international TV channels in more than 40 languages from almost 100 countries around the world, the company said. Much of this content is unavailable for TV viewing in the United State “at any price” (as the company put it) on any TV with no service fees.

In a prepared statement issued at the show, Mark Cavicchia, founder/CEO of the company, said, “We believe WhereverTV will become a great source of entertainment and comfort for millions of immigrants living away from home, businesspeople traveling abroad or anybody wishing to enjoy a wide range of television programming from around the world.”

The receiver is 5 inches by 5 inches by 1 inch and weighs 6 ounces, and it is remote-controllable and requires a router with broadband Web access and a TV. The WhereverTV program guide application, the Global IPG (global interactive program guide) manages an unlimited number of Internet vide sources for what the firm calls “a traditional television viewing experience.”

The WhereverTV receiver uses Neuros Technology’s Neuros OSD which includes a digital signal processor from Texas Instruments and Trolltech’s Qt cross-platform application framework, the manufacturer said.

Wherever TV’s Mark Cavicchia and his Web-enabled international TV receiver