Firstly...what is 'YouView'?
Well, The self confessed 'Future of television' boasts a very impressive package indeed. It is a web-connected TV service combining Freeview, HD and on-demand content such as iPlayer and 4oD all without a subscription fee.
How does it work?
You will be able to watch programmes and listen to digital radio via a special set-top box that will connect to an existing broadband connection and your HD television. This box will also allow access to popular on-demand services such as iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and the rest. Seen as it is using a broadband connection, it will also give you access to popular internet services such as YouTube, Facebook and Flickr - All through your existing television set!
To rub salt in the wounds of existing digital TV providers, the set-top box will also include a personal video recorder, so you will be able to pause, rewind and record all your favourite programs.
The Catch?
There is none. Its is very much Freeview v2.0. As you can imagine it has been upsetting the likes of Sky & Virgin. They recently complained to Ofcom, along with ten other parties about the service arguing that the consortium of partners involved are anti-competitive. The likes of Sky and Virgin argue that even though standardising the internet-television platform is a good idea for us consumers, The platform is not open enough and will privilege the current partners. Ofcom decided that the benefits on offer to us lovely consumers is greater than any potential harm to the competition but insists that it will continue to monitor the initiative as it develops.
Due in 2011 we can expect YouView to be launched with a bang. What can we expect to see from the likes of Sky & Virgin to compete with this? One thing can be sure, 2011 should see some fantastic television packages on offer.
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