HD462: Re your contract point, exactly. Once its signed and sealed, that's it. Unless its a Wembley Stadium contract that is..
Re how long do we wait for the pvr, with ntl its always "coming soon". I think this time ntl really do need to get their skates on with BT Vision launching in the autumn....Most people have a BT telephone line, those that have not converted to digital tv will need to in the next few years. A lot of people don't want pay tv. All this puts BT in a very competitive position when they launch their IPTV PVR this autumn. I'm keeping my options open.
Re your second from last paragraph, have a look at my comments on the traffic shaping thread. What would the higher broadband speeds going to be used for....? email
On the diffrences between mpeg2 and mpeg4. MPEG4 is just a more efficient compression technology. Things are still compressed. On my 32" tv, mpeg4 is fine. But I've seen MPEG4 HD in the states and its like great and poor at the same time... Imagine pictures that are 3D like, with greater colour and depth to them coupled with seeing noticeable compression artifacts on 60" screen. Apples and oranges really...And MPEG4 is not just for tv. Hi-Def DVD are going to use it, if it ever gets launched. Although why people would want to buy hd-dvd films when they'll be able to get them by other methods, is beyond me.