CCTV streaming on the Web free of charge

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It’s one thing to work in the web media industry, but it’s another to actually embrace the web as your *only* source of domestic televisual news… I was at first going to look into Kylin TV, but realized that some of the channels that I was eyeing, namely China’s Central Television, or CCTV, was in … Continue reading “CCTV streaming on the Web free of charge”

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It’s one thing to work in the web media industry, but it’s another to actually embrace the web as your *only* source of domestic televisual news…

I was at first going to look into Kylin TV, but realized that some of the channels that I was eyeing, namely China’s Central Television, or CCTV, was in fact available on the web.

Direct media link: mms://live.cctv.com/cctv_live9

There’s even a P2P version, made by Haier, usually the world’s fourth-largest white goods manufacturer.

The links here previously were for CCTV-9, the English version of CCTV, but you can in fact watch CCTV-4, the international channel in Chinese as well, live streaming. However, it’s choppy compared with CCTV-9.

Wu Jianmin on CCTV-9 (web streaming)

Frankly, CCTV-9 feels kind of amateurish at times (most of the time), but is a very interesting view of China and the world from China. For instance, right now, they are showing an interview (entirely in heavily-accented, but accurate, English) with Wu Jianmin, a former China ambassador to France between 1998 and 2003. To speak of Deng Xiaoping’s forward attitude with foreign powers, “In Rome, you do things like Romans”, says the former ambassador. It has the feel of an infomercial, but I think at least you can get the official Chinese govt perspective first-hand.

Don’t expect much criticism – maybe that’s what it lacks in quality compared with Hong Kong or Taiwan-based channels.

PS: The current host James Chau‘s (周建成) portfolio website is… alarming. Another host, Jennifer Hsiung, a Toronto native, recently did a collab around the Beijing Olympics with Radio-Canada International.

8 thoughts on “CCTV streaming on the Web free of charge”

  1. Hi Cedric,

    I just discovered your blog today and have been reading for the past few hours. Great stuff. Thank you for your contribution and hours of entertainment. I’m now one of your avid fan.

    I’m also Chinese but grew up in Europe (French speaking part of Belgium.) I currently work in San Francisco.

    ISH

    Reply

  2. Hey ISH,

    Thanks for the encouragement! It’s fantastic to get messages like yours. Keep reading!

    -Cedric

    PS: How did you find this site?

    Reply

  4. Salut Cédric,

    Connais-tu des chaînes de TV Taiwanaises que l’on peut regarder en anglais et en direct sur le web?

    Bravo encore pour ton blog que je lis régulièrement. Toujours intéressant !

    Reply

    1. Salut Julien,

      Merci! Non, je n’ai pas cherché s’il y avait des chaînes de Taiwan qu’on pouvait regarder gratuitement… Kylin offre un service payant pour visionner des postes de Taiwan pour visionner par Internet (sur sa télé, par IPTV), comme Star, V, et la chaîne numérique de PTS.

      Reply

  5. Merci pour la réponse.

    Pour le moment je me contente de Radio Taiwan International, vu que mon Mandarin est inexistant…

    Je vais aller regarder du côté de Kylin pour voir leur offre.

    Reply

  6. J’ai KylinTV depuis plus d’un, en autant que tu a une connection tres haute vitesse, l’image est tres bonne. Ils offrent des forfaits Mainland-HongKong-Taiwan

    Reply

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