The world of Japanese television just opened up in a major way with the debut of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) television’s new iPhone application. The app allows anyone around the world to watch NHK television live via 3G or WiFi.
Upon launch, the signal is rather choppy and you may be tempted to close the app, but give it a about a 90 seconds or so while the signal locks in. Once the signal is locked in the video quality is actually quite nice, and the audio quality is even better. For non-Japanese speakers, most Japanese speech is accompanied by helpful, easy to read subtitles, or English voice-over narration. Unavailable on standard Japanese digital television domestically (unless you have a special package) this could serve as a viable TV alternative for foreign residents in Japan looking for local English-language TV content, as well as a welcome window into the country for those based outside of Japan.
*Special note to Japan-based English speaking foreigners: For those accustomed to the normal, sometimes boring Japanese television fare, the programming on this channel is very well produced, informative and rather engaging. NHK deserves kudos for this effort.
Considering some of the strict positions taken by Japanese television regarding programs being rebroadcast on video sharing sites like Google’s YouTube, the NHK television app is a rather surprising development and may signal a slight opening up of Japanese media to the Internet and non-Japanese consumers in general. The iPhone app is free of charge and can be downloaded immediately from Apple’s app store here.
via Asiajin
