TalkTalk to launch YouView trial in early 2012

The Internet has become more than just something that people use for research or for communicating with their friends and family. Aside from being a useful tool in expanding businesses, it is also widely used for entertainment purposes. In fact, a lot of users are now making use of their broadband connections to stream media such as movies, television shoes, music videos, and music.

It was reported earlier this year that DVD sales experienced a drop as users began using their connections to stream such content instead of purchasing discs. On the matter, BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield, stated: “Content is so easy to access on-demand, why buy it, especially given the dramatic price differential between buying and renting?”

Aside from online streaming, there have also been gaming services that have been launched like OnLive that allow users to play games that otherwise run on PCs, Macs, iPads, Android devices, and HDTVs. Subscription-based digital media distributor Netflix is also set on finally launching in the UK market by next year.

To add to the list of options that users can tap into for their entertainment needs on the web, TalkTalk will be launching the trial for their own video-on-demand service called YouView early next year. YouView is actually a collaboration between TalkTalk, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and BT. For the “friends and family” trial, TalkTalk will be distributing 3,000 units of its YouView set-top boxes, with 10,000 users set to be able to access the service.

TalkTalk stated: “The launch of YouView next year will be a major development for TalkTalk and we are on track to offer a value for money product of phone, broadband and TV in Spring 2012.” The full launch of YouView to FreeView’s 8 million-strong user base will then follow. FreeView is the name given to the free-to-air services on the UK’s Digital Terrestrial Television platform.

TalkTalk is hoping that YouView will be able to lure in more customers from the more pricey broadband media streaming services being offered by BSkyB and Virgin Media, as well as from FreeView subscribers who are looking for something more than what they’re currently getting from the service. The provider has revealed that it has spent around £2 million in the year until the end of March, with £2 million more spent in the six months until the end of September.

Source – The Guardian