YouView will launch this Spring, says TalkTalk
Consumer trials coming
ISP TalkTalk has reiterated its expectation that YouView, the would-be UK standard IPTV platform, will launch this coming Spring.
The company's CEO, Dido Harding, told investors today that initial work getting customers to understand what YouView is all about has begun, laying the groundwork for consumer trials of the service.
YouView was to have gone live in the Summer of 2011, but arguments over the service's technical specs and the location of content providers within its electronic programme guide forced the launch to be put back to 2012.
YouView is backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five and BT, in addition to TalkTalk. Terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure company Arqiva was also one of the original supporters but late last year closed down SeeSaw, its own, web-based IPTV service, expected to be part of the YouView portfolio.
In May 2011, Technicolor dropped out of YouView. ®
COMMENTS
@Joseph Lord do you work for SKY or VM by any chance? you seem to know a lot about YouView's history but f'all about what YouView is all about
YouView is Freeview with catch-up and PVR with no monthly subscription (Blu Ray and media streaming too hopefully)
unlike SKY or VM where most pay a fortune to watch 90% freeview and catch-up (Why do you think SKY and VM were against it?)
The only program I will miss when I cancel my SKY subscription is A Game of Thrones, but I'll only have to wait a year to buy or rent the Blu Ray (or maybe download it via an app on YouView)
Means a lot of stuff not able to be currently broadcast because of lack of spectrum can now be available. Plus its an open platform that anyone can join.
What HD content are they expecting?
Freeview HD already has BBC1 HD, ITV HD, Channel4 HD, BBC HD. IPlayer already has HD, and Youtube has HD for free.
Five and Channel4 both declined the fourth HD slot on Freeview HD having accepted the Sky exclusivity money. I don't think that you will get much if any extra on Youview at least for free. And things that do become available will probably also be available on other platforms like Sony and Samsung.
Netflix has good HD content but is cheap rather than free.
I know of a lot of people
who are waiting for this to get hold of free HD content.
Hopefully Sky will show the F1 channel soon as its up an running, but more likely next year. Either way, it would make it a must have purchase for me. That and some lesser known IPTV offerings would be very welcome.
