Telewest promises tv on demand by Q1 2006

Watch what you want when you want

12 May 2005 14:15 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Telewest has outlined its telly vision for tv on demand services. The main point is that it is promising to complete its TVOD by early 2006.

Telewest Broadband is also widening the range of on-demand programming available, boosting the existing movie service, which now shows over 200 current and library titles. The extended TVOD service will include the best of the previous week's programmes, including 60 hours of BBC content.

There will also be a mix of free and subscription services including popular TV series, music videos and niche content. Additional agreements are confirmed with Flextech, Nickelodeon and adult programming (including Playboy and TVX Fantasy channels), while negotiations with other programmers continue apace.

Following the initial launch of TVOD in Bristol, Telewest Broadband will make the service available region by region throughout the second half of this year, starting with 26,000 customers in Cheltenham who are set to receive the service in early July.

Telewest Broadband also announced a phased analogue switchover programme, aiming to migrate its remaining 171,000 analogue TV customers to digital by the end of 2006, supporting government plans to switch off the national analogue TV signal by 2012. Telewest Broadband has the highest percentage of TV customers taking digital, currently 87%, of any cable company in Europe and North America.

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Home Cinema, PVRs, Telewest