Introduction to YouView
Some of you might remember YouView as Project Canvas. It has
been in the works for a very long time and got a new name only in
September 2010. An array of industry insiders have referred to
YouView as "the new Freeview".
It is a joint venture between three telecoms providers, Arqiva, BT
and TalkTalk as well as four of the biggest broadcasters in the UK
- the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and finally ITV. After much delay,
it launched on the 4th of July, 2012 and customers can already
preregister for the services.
Services
It is essentially an IPTV product which means that in order to
get the service, customers will need to have a broadband connection
installed of 3Mbps and above.
With YouView customers will be able to access catch-up TV
libraries and watch last week's programmes across various platforms
including the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD as well as Demand
5.
Another perk is that users will be able to watch up to 74 Freeview
channels with the possibility to record their favourite shows,
pause, forward and rewind.
HD fans should also be on standby - there is a large variety of
High Definition content to watch and record!
TalkTalk has become the first provider to rollout YouView. Its
Plus customers will have the ability to get a free YouView box
(which is actually worth £299) as a part of the provider's freshest
triple play package (phone, broadband and TV). TalkTalk's customers
will also be able to enjoy TalkTalk Player (the ISP's answer to
iPlayer).
Why it may not be right for you
Existing TalkTalk customers will need to sign a new 24 month
contract if they want YouView, while new users will be subject to
an 18 month agreement. This is ideal for some but overly lengthy
for others.
It's also worth noting that other firms are to start offering
YouView soon.