YouView - Freeview: the Next Generation - launches
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Lord Sugar, who once stood on the platform at the announcement of Sky Television back in the 1989, is once again pronouncing the future direction of television. This time he is at the London Film Museum with the BBC, ITV Channel 4, Channel 5, BT, Arqiva, and Talktalk to show the internet-connected Freeview boxes off. Sky will also be adding their Sky Now service shortly, and STV programmes will be added soon.
"It’s with great pleasure that we announce that YouView will be available from major retailers later this month. Our intention with this simple–to-use box is to provide extraordinary TV for everyone, with on-demand services combined with TV channels with an opportunity to search back an entire week to catch what they’ve missed. It’s a whole new way of experiencing TV." said Sugar.
The boxes will start at £300. This is quite a lot more than other similar boxes, such as those from Apple (Apple TV, £99) and Google (Google TV, £199). It will also be possible to get a subsidized YouView box as part of a BT or TalkTalk broadband deal.
However, YouView will, uniquely, show the traditional EPG grid, but with the ability to set future programmes to record, and past programmes to stream.
Richard Halton, the chief executive of YouView adds, "In many ways we’ve only just begun, YouView is set to evolve quickly and we look forward to working with new content partners and developing more functionality as boxes roll out into UK homes.â€
See also:
- YouView digital supplier launched - ITV News
- BBC News - YouView internet TV service launches in UK
- YouView finally unveiled two years behind schedule - Telegraph
- DTG :: News :: YouView launches
8:03 PM
Scarborough
I read elsewhere that the first box being offered is a Humax PVR for £299. Apparently the box doesn't even have built in wifi. Seems like madness to me to offer a box for an internet connected service such as Youview and then make it difficult to connect the box to the internet?
Until we start seeing boxes with built in wifi it seems like a bit of a non-starter to me.
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Phil's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
10:13 AM
Will this service still require a TV aerial for the Freeview channels?
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12:55 PM
Too much money for a device which hasn't even got a unified front end for catch up TV AND no wireless adaptor. Few people have their TV close enuf to their router to use ethernet, so it means spending more money for Homeplugs.
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Will viewers in Freeview Light areas be able to get all the Freeview channels?
EG ITV 3, ITV 4, Film 4 etc.
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Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
8:25 PM
Halifax
Mark Agius:No,only PSB multiplexes !
No ITV3,ITV4,Film4,4Seven,ITV2+1,etc,as they're all on COM multiplexes not available on freeview lite relay masts !
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Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Mark Fletcher:
As the repeated programs are sent down the phone line and not thru the Freeview Light relay,
hoped that YouView would also send some of the non Freeview Light channels down the broadband phone line.
It would help to sell YouView to people in flats where they can't use satellite and only have Freeview Light.
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Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
8:58 AM
Hi
Will there be any way to record from the new Box, for programmes streamed, ie services such as iPlayer, which output is somewhat difficult to archive (the DRM protection limits the time the recordings on a computer can be watched)?
If you cannot actually record to the Humax HDD, then would it be at least possible to record via the (assumed) HDMI output, or even SCART/Composite output?
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10:32 AM
I have read about this, as it will soon be on offer from current ISP, TalkTalk. In response to some of your comments here, it requires both a standard TV ariel AND a phoneline connection. Perhaps ISPs will offer the box free or cheaper to their customers when it comes out?
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I am sure that in the future something like tvcatchup will be available on youview, give it time the box is not even on the market yet
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Dave's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage