[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by jimbo

I'm not sure how many details have been publicly released on the ntl PVR, but from what I've seen, it could be awesome, and leave the current Sky+ standing - although I'm sure Sky have got something new in development!

There's a mix of content currently available via ntl on demand - including the pick of the last week's BBC programmes (chosen by the BBC), which is free. There's a wide selection of movies, from classics for £1.95 to the latest releases (often before they're on Sky Box Office) mostly priced at £3.50. There's also a wide range of Adult content, at £5.00 each, music videos at 20-50p each and kids shows at 25-75p each. Also recently launched is 'TV Hits', which has a number of series of programmes like Red Dwarf, Two Pints..., Cracker, Cutting It, Blue Planet and Walking With Dinosaurs - with episodes generally priced at 50p, or two or three episodes for 75p. Most series have one free episode (usually the first in the series). There's also weekly special offers, where programmes/files/music videos are offered free or at a discount.

I have just had my second Sky+ box installed at a cost of £49 with free installation. That means that I can now record up to four programmes simultaneously and watch them at leisure at a time to suit myself. I can select what I want to record from all the channel in the Sky Family pack, Sky Movies and Sky Sports, not from just a very restricted list such as is available on NTL VOD. All of this content that I can record is FREE if it is part of the very extensive package that I subscribe to. I can record a dozen movies from Sky Box Office and have them available to view at a time suitable for me and don't have to pay a penny for them unless I actually go in and watch them. I can select what programmes go in my On Demand list, not have to accept a very limited selection of programmes that I may not have any interest in at all. Today I can go into the Sky EPG and set up recordings for all of the coming weekends sports programmes that I wish to watch and not even be bothered by the fact that four of these may be broadcast at the same time. With NTL I couldn't go into their EPG and select even a single programme to record for this coming weekend. Let's face it, the NTL VOD system is a joke at the side of Sky+. The sooner that NTL get a PVR system off the ground the better the chance that they will win new customers and retain existing customers. NTL VOD in itself is not a customer winning/retaining feature.