Go on, stick it right up there.

Telewest confirms video-on-demand HDTV plans

Telewest Broadband has unveiled its TV on demand plans as well and dropping a few hints about its upcoming HDTV service. It hopes to offer TV on demand, where the user choose a programme from a menu and then can watch it whenever they want, to all its one million digital TV customers by early 2006. It is also widening the range of on-demand programming available, boosting the existing movie service, which now shows over 200 current and library titles.

The extended service will include the best of the previous week's programmes, including 60 hours of BBC content, at no extra cost to customers. The TVOD service gives customers instant access to a vast library of films and TV programmes, available via the remote control and existing set top box. It provides the same controls as watching a DVD or video - once a programme is selected, customers can watch it when they want, pause, fast forward and rewind. Telewest customers can also look forward to a 160 Gigabyte sky+ style digital video recorder in the summer. The device, which includes three tuners, will apparently be HDTV compatible.

Telewest Broadband announced plans to transform its TV service, giving consumers greater access to, and control over additional digital programmes.

Key elements of the transformation include: * Completed rollout of TVOD by early 2006 * Significant expansion of on-demand programming; and * Phased analogue switchover

The cable company outlined the expansion of its television-on-demand (TVOD) service, following its initial launch in January, confirming that it intends to complete the national rollout of TVOD to over one million digital TV customers by early 2006. Telewest Broadband is also widening the range of on-demand programming available, boosting the existing movie service, which now shows over 200 current and library titles. The extended TVOD service will include the best of the previous week's programmes, including 60 hours of BBC content, at no extra cost to customers.

There will also be a mix of free and subscription services including popular TV series, music videos and niche content. Additional agreements are confirmed with Flextech, Nickelodeon and adult programming (including Playboy and TVX Fantasy channels), while negotiations with other programmers continue apace. Following the initial launch of TVOD in Bristol, Telewest Broadband will make the service available region by region throughout the second half of this year, starting with 26,000 customers in Cheltenham who are set to receive the service in early July.

Telewest Broadband also announced a phased analogue switchover programme, aiming to migrate its remaining 171,000 analogue TV customers to digital by the end of 2006, supporting government plans to switch off the national analogue TV signal by 2012. Telewest Broadband has the highest percentage of TV customers taking digital, currently 87%, of any cable company in Europe and North America. Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer at Telewest said: "We are transforming TV as we know it by giving consumers both a superb choice of programmes and the flexibility to watch them whenever they want. We don't ever want to hear our customers say there's nothing on the box or that they have missed their favourite programme. "And while digital TV goes from strength to strength, analogue has finally had its day."

Out of those customers who already have access to the TVOD service, over half have already watched a movie. Saturday evening is the most popular time to choose a movie and the top selling films to date are The Stepford Wives, 50 First Dates and King Arthur. The highest selling evening to date was Valentine's night, when our romantics in Bristol chose The Ladykillers as their number one movie choice! The TVOD service gives customers instant access to a vast library of films and TV programmes, available via the remote control and existing set top box. It provides the same controls as watching a DVD or video - once a programme is selected, customers can watch it when they want, pause, fast forward and rewind. Telewest Broadband is investing around £20 million in the development of TV-on-demand and personal video recorder (PVR) services in 2005.

Telewest Broadband's 160Gb PVR service, which includes three tuners and is HDTV compatible, will be available in the second half of 2005. Consumers can find out more about Telewest Broadband's bundle of digital TV, broadband internet and telephone services at www.telewest.co.uk. Ends Notes to Editors: Telewest, the broadband communications and media group, currently passes and markets to 4.7 million homes and provides multi-channel television, telephone and internet services to 1.8 million residential customers.

 

1. Dodgy Software...
2. Financially strugling company.
3. Had to merge with NTL to continue. Microsoft recently removed all it's support.
4. Net is littered with complaints about cable.
5. You don't own the PVR - Telewest do.
6. They'll never beat Sky and you know it.
7. What is so new about the above statement? Sky+ has been out for years.
8. Sky are at the cutting edge of HDTV in this country, and will offer a service second to none.
9. Remember On Digital and ITV digital....
10. AT least half of the people I know to have Telewest have now gone back to Sky? Why is that?

 

"The extended service will include the best of the previous week's programmes"

So who will be the arbiter of what are the "best" programmes?

I suspect it will be the ones with the highest ratings - so expect to see Eastenders rather than The West Wing for example.

Not denying it sounds good, but they've not delivered yet, Sky have. The PVR they "promise" for next Summer - they promised it 2 years ago.

 

I've had Sky since 1991, Sky digital since 1998 and Sky+ this year. A couple of years ago I got Telewest for broadband, they tried selling me TV to replace Sky but as soon as I gave the salesman a couple of reasons why I prefered to stick with Sky he knew they coupldn't compete with it. They did though offer me the basic channels to put in another room (presumably thinking that I'd then think it so great to want to ditch sky), had it in the bedroom and on the few occasions we wanted to use it found the software slow, the box kept freezing on last channel viewed, so you might have watched one thing and then find to switch to another channel you had to reset the box (unplug./plug in), had 3 replacement boxes and everytime was the same - they were clearly reconditioned boxes even when I said I wanted a new box it was "this is all I have on the van", when I phoned to report I still had a problem my previous incident had been closed.
I just got fed up and told them to take it - rather not have anything than have that.

 

Does it matter in the comparison.............

......when it's all extra to what sky offer for more money?

Telewest have a history of improving their services for free. It'll start limited and grow. What about the 300 films?

LOL! Come on Rich, look at the company you're in here!

 

RE: Does it matter in the comparison.............

If it's like NTL (likely) then the films will be the ones they already offer eg a year or so old plus loads of old ones. For example, NTL were offering Rocky for 50p

 

You haven't imroved have you?

1. "Dodgy Software" How could you possibly know that about something that isn't even out yet?
2. "Financially strugling company." They've just expanded, of course they'll show losses.
3. "Had to merge with NTL to continue. Microsoft recently removed all it's support." Had to? Are you some kind of business expert Milky?
4. "Net is littered with complaints about cable." Net is littered with complaints about everything including Sky.
5. "You don't own the PVR - Telewest do." What difference does it make when both Sky and Telewest charge an ongoing subscription to use it?
6. "They'll never beat Sky and you know it." They already are doing, muppet.
7. "What is so new about the above statement? Sky+ has been out for years." It's not new, it's better.
8. "Sky are at the cutting edge of HDTV in this country, and will offer a service second to none." There are far better PVRs out there including ones that record straight to DVD. Get your facts right.
9. "Remember On Digital and ITV digital" You're struggling to think of ten aren't you?
10. "AT least half of the people I know to have Telewest have now gone back to Sky? Why is that?" Here we go, what do they think of Andy Richie?

 

I already have it...

and it's crap. Still, doesn't cost any extra so I'm not complaining. As for Telewest they have always been efficient and helpful in my experience. Would never switch to Sky.

 

You have the pilot service.

 

Really?

He has his own helicopter?

Baked beans.
HP or Heinz?

 

RE: Really?

Sounds ok, trouble with the cable companies is they'll do anything except put anymore cable in the ground, thats because they are brassic, bust, skint, except they are owned by the banks now, but they're still not investing in their infrastructure.

Other than that they're grrreatff

 

RE: You have the pilot service.

It didn't say that in the literature they sent.