....but that's the point I'm making. All stuff on here is just speculation. It may be right, it may be wrong. What's fact, according to the press release last year (copied below) is that ntl are going to release a mpeg4 pvr at some time....
Possibly, speculating (disclaimer over) I think that ntl might release the Telewest tv drive to hard core nutters like ourselves in time for the World Cup in hd. But as said elsewhere on this forum, the Telewest boxes were made for Telewest's network, not ntl's, so is probably unlikely. Plus there probably wouldn't be enough to go around.
As for pricing, I think, guessing (disclaimer over...) that there will be two options. Monthly rental or an up-front fee of about £300 (which seems reasonable to me) payable to ntl directly or the "friendly" folks at Dixons. What would make me walk away from the ntl pvr is if they said pay £300 for the pvr. Then pay a monthly rental to access the pvr features of the pvr, like Sky's done. Yes, I know Sky's pvr features are free if you take premium channels, but they're not if you don't.
Add to the mix, BT are launching their IPTV service this autumn. Giving customers the freeview channels, pvr and access to vod - for a price. Pretty powerful mix, if you ask me. It will be interesting to see what the new ntl does in the coming months to respond to this, or not...
MPEG4 Press Release issued last year by SA, not ntl, which was interesting in itself...!:
Release date: October 20, 2005
Scientific Atlanta’s First European MPEG-4 PVR Selected by ntl for Personal Video Recorder Service
KORTRIJK, BELGIUM/ATLANTA, GA, USA – Scientific Atlanta’s first MPEG-4 personal video recorder (PVR) for European cable operators has been selected by ntl for the launch of its PVR service in the United Kingdom.
The new HD PVR, introduced at IBC 2005, will enable ntl to take advantage of the bandwidth maximization and video storage benefits of MPEG-4 part 10/H.264 compression as it launches high-definition (HD) television and personal video recorder services. Additionally, three video tuners in the set-top will allow customers to record three shows simultaneously.
“We look forward to offering cable customers the combination of MPEG-4 PVR and high quality Video on Demand services in 2006,” said Shai Weiss, managing director of ntl’s Consumer Products division. “We wanted to leverage both this new technology and Scientific Atlanta’s extensive PVR experience to enable us to deploy a first-of-its-kind MPEG-4 PVR platform for the UK cable customers.”
The innovative video services featured in the Scientific Atlanta PVR, along with its Euro-DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem capabilities, will make this set-top a significant addition to ntl’s triple play of digital TV, broadband Internet and telephone services offered to cable customers. ntl, with more than 3.3 million residential customers, is the United Kingdom's largest cable operator. Its 10,857kilometer broadband network passes one-third of all homes in the United Kingdom.
The Explorer ® 8450DVB™ HD PVR helps service providers maximize bandwidth by supporting MPEG-4 advanced video compression decoding to enable them to launch HD services over existing networks.
The new European set-top platform will deliver the most compact PVR Scientific Atlanta has created, and will have three video tuners, be Multi-Room capable, and have USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity. With a substantial 160Gb hard drive, the device will be able to store up to 80 hours of content.
“In every market where we have helped operators launch PVR service, consumers have quickly embraced the choice, convenience and control delivered by this exciting technology,” said George Stromeyer, vice president and managing director at Scientific Atlanta Europe NV.
“Incorporating three video tuners into the Explorer 8450DVB HD PVR will further differentiate ntl’s PVR offering in the market and enhance the experience of PVR service for ntl’s customers.”
Notes for Editors:
About ntl
ntl Incorporated offers a wide range of communications and content distribution services to residential and business customers throughout the UK.
ntl is the UK’s largest cable company with 3.3 million residential customers, and the UK’s leading supplier of broadband services to consumers with 1.6 million customers. Information on ntl and its products can be obtained at
www.ntl.com.
About Scientific Atlanta
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (NYSE: SFA) is a leading supplier of digital content contribution and distribution systems, video backbones, transmission networks for broadband access to the home, digital interactive set-tops, modems and subscriber systems designed for video, high-speed Internet and voice over IP (VoIP) networks, and worldwide customer service and support.
Scientific Atlanta Europe NV
http://www.saeurope.com
Scientific Atlanta Corporate
http://www.scientificatlanta.com
---------- Post added at 21:52 ---------- Previous post was at 21:51 ----------
Most pertinent point from the p/r:
“We look forward to offering cable customers the combination of MPEG-4 PVR and high quality Video on Demand services in 2006,” said Shai Weiss, managing director of ntl’s Consumer Products division. “We wanted to leverage both this new technology and Scientific Atlanta’s extensive PVR experience to enable us to deploy a first-of-its-kind MPEG-4 PVR platform for the UK cable customers.”
When is VOD being rolled out to ex-cwc areas? You join the dots....