BT announced on Wednesday that Philips has won the contract to build the set-top boxes for its forthcoming TV-over-broadband service.
The box will allow a user to receive television programmes and films from their high-speed Internet connection. It will also store up to 80 hours of TV, and support interactive services such as instant messaging and online gaming.
It’s not yet clear exactly what services customers will be able to access over the service. BT said on Wednesday that an "extensive library" of movies, TV and music will be available for immediate access, but precise details haven’t yet been announced. BT has also said that over 30 terrestrial digital channels – the likes of BBC 3, 4 and Sky News – will be available, as will the opportunity to download anything broadcast within the last seven days.
As reported earlier this year, BT has also chosen to use IPTV software from Microsoft for its broadband TV project.
The launch date may be slipping, however. Previously, BT had said it was aiming to launch in the summer of 2006, but in Wednesday’s announcement it said it hope to offer the service “from late summer/autumn 2006".
Talkback
Our Philips Freeview box has an Ethernet socket on the back, the manual just says "for future use".
Was wondering if this could be related, I've always been tempted to plug it into my router. Got broadband from BT too.
This would be good as our Freeview reception isn't the greatest. Obviously to be able to store recordings and get all the on demand features would require the new box, just wondering if it would be possible to get the basic features using our existing box - maybe after a firmware update?
Stop you're jivin' BT, we don need a set-top-box these days just to get bideo. Pump it trou the 'tintanet pipe inta de only box I got!
The article might be slightly misleading to some. BT do not plan to broadcast content (multicasting) over the internet, their network is not multicast enabled. The box is intended to offer a ‘free-view’ package with the ability to download a select amount of content (programmes or films etc) over the broadband connection. At other times the box will act much the same way as a modem or router.
BT will not be offering IPTV, their plan is to offer a download service. Apple has already started to do this, to a limited extent, with their iTunes store.
Jason
As a Sky customer at this time I look forward to your New Dervice but what will be the costs