BT Vision Launches On-Demand Television Content Service

BT has launched its "next generation" television service, BT Vision that combines Freeview, a hard disk recorder, and broadband downloads.
BT Retail Chief Executive Ian Livingston said: "BT Vision is all about giving control to the viewer – control over what they watch, when they watch it and how they pay for it. We believe that broadband can transform television and take it into a new era. BT Vision is ideal for people who want more choice than Freeview delivers but who want that extra choice without being tied to a pricey, long-term subscription."
Delivered through an HD-ready set-top box, the V-box contains a personal video recorder (PVR) able to store up to 80 hours of content. BT Vision also features a 'Replay TV' service, allowing customers to catch up with some of the broadcast television programmes they may have missed during the previous week.
BT is giving away the V-box free to existing and new customers who sign up to a new contract with BT Total Broadband. The box will be installed by a BT engineer for an installation fee of £60 and a connection charge of £30.
A self-install version of BT Vision is anticipated next year.
BT Vision's library of 'on-demand' content is delivered over broadband.
In the summer of 2007, BT Vision will launch its new sports service. Following a deal with Setanta, BT Vision Sport customers will have access to the Setanta Sport channel and its 46 live FA Premiership games, 60 live games from the Scottish Premier League and a great deal of other sport. They will also have access to the 242 'near live' on-demand FA Premiership games secured by BT earlier this year. That means three quarters of all FA Premiership games will be available in full to BT Vision Sport customers.
BT Vision requires no subscription or minimum monthly payment, customers can subscribe to genres of content should they wish or pay as they go. Movies will be available on a pay per view basis and subscriptions for other types of content can be for as little as one month.
From 2007, BT Vision will use broadband to deliver more special interest programming and there will be new interactive services introduced.
Existing BT Total Broadband customers will be the first to experience BT Vision and BT aim to have two to three million customers for the service in the medium term.
Additionally, BT will provide the Vodafone at Home service by offering a version of BT Vision for Vodafone UK customers.
(SP)