IPTV - TV over the Internet

Summary: TV via Cable
Availability: NOW (cable areas)

If you're served by cable TV operator Virgin Media (formerly Telewest), take a look their On Demand service. This offers you a huge library of movies and programme's that you can access whenever you like in addition to your normal channels.
With this on demand service, you are no longer tied to specific start times as the library of programme's and movies are always available. You can also rewind, fast forward, pause and control your movies and programmes just like a DVD.
For more details, go to www.virginmedia.com

Summary: On-demand TV content on your telly over Broadband
Availability: Now

BT has entered the TV-over-Internet market, and they launched BT Vision in December 2006. The service offers a Freeview service, plus offering on-demand TV shows and movies on a pay-per-view or subscription basis.

For more details of this service, which combines Freeview and Internet TV for BT Total Broadband customers, see our BT Vision page. The BT Vision box, is FREE.

Summary: Films over broadband on your PC
Availability: NOW

CinemaNow is a US-based legal movie download service. Launched in 1999, it is completely authorised by the major movie studios such as Disney, Fox, MGM, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. With CinemaNow, you can download movies via Broadband, legally.

Forget going to Blockbusters for your video rental, this online service lets you access movie on demand over broadband. Search and select a movie from their large database, pay the rental fee, download the movie. You're allowed to watch the movie for a 24 hour period from the moment you open the movie file. You don't need to be connected to the 'Net while you watch. For more details, go to www.cinemanow.com.

Summary: Watch live TV from another location on a PC
Availability: Now

A slightly different solution, that hit the UK in June 2006... if you have Broadband at home, with a Slingbox, you can access your home TV setup and watch TV or recordings over the Net. Great for if you're away from home and want to watch TV shows or recordings from your own home setup, or perhaps if you want to set your Sky+ box remotely. For more, see our Slingbox page.

Summary: Live TV channels on your telly over the Internet
Availability: NOW (London, plus parts of UK)

If you live in one of the areas served by Tiscali TV, you may be able to connect to Tiscali TV, formerly Homechoice. As of October 2007 - the service covers the following UK towns: London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leicester, Stevenage, Milton Keynes, Wolverhampton, Salford and Warrington

This service uses your existing phone line to deliver around 80 TV channels to your home. You're supplied with a special decoder box, and then have access to digital TV, plus a range of other services.
Tiscali TV offers over 80 channels of digital TV, 1000 on-demand movies, over 5000 music videos, hundreds of TV series, and a TV rewind service.

More on Tiscali TV at www.tiscali.co.uk/tv or on our Tiscali TV page

Summary: Worldwide TV on your PC
Availability: Now

We've found a service called JumpTV that has partnered with more than 180 television broadcasters from over 60 countries to provide live broadcasting of TV stations from around the world. If you're outside of your native country and are looking to keep in touch with TV from back home, it may well be worth looking at JumpTV. Their site claims to offer rates of 30 frames a second over Broadband. See their site for details at www.jumptv.com.

Summary: Selected content on your PC over Broadband
Availability: Now

A number of TV companies offer their TV shows for viewing or download online. Here's a summary.

• BBC - The BBC's iPlayer allows you to watch 7 days of BBC content for free on your PC - www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
• ITV - Streaming service over the Internet, offering 30 days of "catch-up TV" www.itv.com/Watchnow
• Channel 4 - On demand service from a PC. Some content is pay-per-view. www.channel4.com/4od
• Five - Repeats of some of their shows on a PC download.five.tv
• Sky - Some Sky TV shows, plus movies. Service free to Sky customers. www.sky.com/anytime
  

Take a listen to Show 19 of FrequencyCast, our downloadable radio show, for more on the service available in the UK

iTunes, the software from Apple, has now got some deals in place to allow TV shows to be bought and downloaded on demand. BBC shows are available now, as well as US TV shows like Lost, South Park, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives.

Go to www.apple.com/itunes to see what's on offer.

Summary: Selected content on your PC over Broadband
Availability: Now

In December 2006, voice-over-Internet firm Skype announced that they're planning to enter the IPTV market, offering "near HD TV" video using peer-to-peer technology - due in 2007. This will also allow for personalised channels, and show discussion areas. Known as "The Venice Project", this is apparently trialling now with 6000 users, and could be one to watch.
Update Feb 2007 - This service is now to be known as Joost. Apparently it will be much more than other online services that offer a bunch of short video clips to download – programming is to be supplied by TV networks and large content providers. One to watch, and you can sign up to a limited-user beta trial now, if you so wish, at www.joost.com.