BBC launches trial of push Video on Demand service

No plans to launch a Sky+ -like service yet

13 December 2006 15:33 GMT / By Amber Maitland

The BBC is running a small closed technical trial to test “Push Video on Demand”, or VoD to digital video recorders.

Only 300 participants in and around London are testing the technology at the moment. It involves what the BBC calls an “advanced interactive applications” that lets viewers catch up from up to 50 hours of automatically-recorded content every week.

The testers will be able to try out the equipment for around three months. They'll be able to store an additional 50 hours of recording of their choosing on the PVR, as it stores 100 hours total.

The BBC says that the objective of the trial is to test the technologies around off-air capture and navigation in order to deliver broadcaster-selected content on to a PVR. However, a spokesperson has told Pocket-lint, “There is no intention to launch this as a BBC push VoD service”.

Of great importance is the efficacy of the “video rich” navigation, which is designed especially for the system.

The idea is that users will be able to create their own personal packages of content, for example, an entertainment or sports package.

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Home Cinema, Video on demand, BBC, YouTube, MySpace