Lightbox launches Samsung Smart TV app

A Samsung Smart TV app launched today for Spark's video streaming service, Lightbox.

Lightbox offers all the TV shows you can watch for $15 a month. The content is delivered via your broadband connection to watch on an iPad, a laptop or (with the help of a wi-fi gadget like Apple's TV or some HDMI cable) a regular television.

Owners of any Samsung Smart TV bought in the past couple of years will be able to watch Lightbox content directly, without messing around with middle-man gadgets. Support for Samsung Android phones is also on the way.

Rival Quickflix offers apps for multiple brands of smart TV, plus Xbox and PlayStation.

When will Lightbox push beyond Samsung TVs, or into game consoles? Today, a rep offered, "The Lightbox team is working on bringing the service to as many devices as possible and we’ll have more news on this before the end of the year."

At Spark's full-year result, CEO Simon Moutter said the company was targetting 70,000 Lightbox users by June 2015. No progress report has been offered.

Sky TV says it will offer its own video streaming service, Neon, in December and feature movies as well as TV shows (which will include HBO content — though likely not first-run seasons in most instances, as is the case with most pure-play streaming services).

US streaming giant Netflix — already popular with tens of thousands of geoblock-busting Kiwis — is rumoured to be launching in Australia and NZ next year. It has made encouraging comments about both markets and reportedly hired agencies across the ditch, but has yet to detail any firm plans.

Last week, Lightbox added the first local shows to its line up, including bro’Town, Nothing Trivial, The Jaquie Brown Diaries and Top of the Lake — matching earlier moves by Quickflix.

RAW DATA: Spark press release

Lightbox goes large with Samsung Smart TV app

Popular online TV service, Lightbox, has expanded onto further devices, making it even easier to watch your favourite TV shows.

A new app – which goes live today – enables users to access the full line-up of Lightbox shows on Samsung Smart TVs[1] and selected Samsung Smart AV devices.  Lightbox CEO Kym Niblock says the new Samsung app will be a game-changer for people with Samsung Smart TVs, New Zealand’s best-selling Smart TV.

“Now it’s even easier for Kiwis to kick back, relax and enjoy Lightbox’s incredible line-up of TV shows on the big screen, all from the comfort of the couch,” Niblock says.

The Lightbox app is available on all Samsung Smart TVs made from 2012 onwards. Users need to sign up for Lightbox on their desktop or laptop before they log in to the app on their Samsung Smart TV’s Smart Hub.

Lightbox will also be coming to a selection of Samsung Android devices before the end of November.

“Since we launched, thousands of New Zealanders have had a taste of what Lightbox is all about: a fantastic range of really good shows, all sitting there ready to watch, ad-free. Lightbox customers love being in control of their TV viewing, and we aim to keep giving them more and more options,” adds Niblock.

“Today’s announcement is just the start – Lightbox will be available on even more devices before the end of the year, so watch this space.”

To celebrate the partnership, all those who purchase a Samsung Smart TV before 31 January 2015 will get a bonus 90-day subscription to Lightbox.

For a free 30-day trial of Lightbox register at www.lightbox.co.nz