BT's broadband TV box to sell at £70 with PVR

TELECOMS giant BT intends to put a £70 price ticket on a set-top box with on-board personal video recorder for its internet protocol television (IPTV) service next year.

BT Entertainment chief executive officer Andrew Burke is said to have told the advanced-television.com website that BT will subsidise manufacturers of the 80Gb PVR to make sure the £70 price point is hit.

BT's IPTV service - dubbed "BT Freeview Plus" but as yet unnamed - will be ready for a late summer retail launch next year "in plenty of time for Christmas", following a full-scale trial next March.

Source: ERTWeekly

Update: Here's the article from Advanced Television...

BT has confirmed it is aiming for a full-scale trial of its IPTV proposition  next March followed by a late summer retail launch “in plenty of time  for Christmas.”

Andrew Burke, CEO BT Entertainment, told advanced-television the service –  its brand is still under wraps – will feature all the freeview channels,  a 14 day forward and seven day back EPG and a comprehensive VOD service. A basic service will be available via a standard freeview box with the addition of an Ethernet connection, with the fully-loaded STB including a PVR available for around £70 (E103). BT will subsidise manufacturers to make sure this price point is hit. The hard disc PVR – expected to be about 80Gb, and the network PVR will interact “seamlessly” with the viewer unaware which is providing the chosen service or archiving.

Burke revealed the service has already tested well with consumers, particularly  “the killer app” of the seven-day back full VOD capability. He said license deals to cover all previous programmes for seven days were in place with the BBC and in hand with the other freeview channels. He said he had complete confidence in their IPTV partner Microsoft and that all functionality had proved out well in tests.