After two years of planning HTV will launch on February 2 offering viewers a range of channel options, including education and training videos, product information, global news and events plus peer videos submitted by Hasselblad photographers worldwide.

Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad’s Global Sales and Marketing Director said: “This is a very exciting project for us, our customers and trade partners like broncolor, Epson and SanDisk”.

“We are working with award-winning digital specialists Skylab to produce a comprehensive standalone platform – primarily an education and research tool of ‘all things Hasselblad’. It will be easy to use but with all the appropriate functionality, including options to download PDF information photographers may find useful after browsing a particular video.”

He added: “We all know there are countless thousands of videos available on YouTube but we wanted to create one single place where Hasselblad enthusiasts can go to access fundamental training on our camera systems; how to attach a back, for example, or tips and tricks on software techniques. We have emulated the excellent BBC iPlayer model but we also wanted to provide our service across a number of languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. So an Italian architec- tural photographer will be able to simply access our Italian channel and watch a playlist of videos in that genre, in his or her native language.”

Hasselblad is now looking for photographers to submit videos of interesting shoots, stories and events. Of course Hasselblad will retain the right to edit material but there will be no overarching censorship criteria – other than the obvious and universal constraints of common decency. These videos are fre- quently between three and seven minutes long but if photographers submit material that is of particu- lar interest but longer, then Hasselblad would still provide the space.

Added Russell-Fish: “This initiative is very much a work in progress and it’s a ‘call to action’ to photo- graphers worldwide. We want everyone, from students to leading professionals – from those who rent Hasselblad cameras and those who own them – to submit their videos.”

Launch channels will include Hasselblad: products, company history, news and events; education and training – cameras, software, and innovation. Hasselblad Masters’ videos encompassing vari- ous photo-genres including architectural, editorial, fashion/beauty; fine art, landscape/nature; portrait/ social and wildlife. Hasselblad is setting up initial bespoke channels for France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, USA & Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe – with more global channels to follow.

There will also be a Hasselblad Studio and a VICTOR Magazine/Bulletin channel.

Hasselblad tv is easily accessible on PC or Mac computers and on iPhones and iPads. Please check out htv.hasselblad.com