YouView to be launched next week

YouView, the much delayed internet TV service is finally being launched in the UK next week, Broadband TV News reports.

In addition to the 70 digital channels available from the Freeview service, YouView is offering the last 7 day’s catch up, plus series recording and thousands of programmes on demand. BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 will all be available on the platform.

While the launch is scheduled ahead of the Olympic games, set-top boxes will not be widely available for some time, while YouView continues to undergo market testing.

The YouView box is expected to usurp the role of the traditional Freeview digital box by providing a similar service while also adding easy access to internet TV services.

The project, driven by broadcasters BBC, ITV and Arqiva, together with the ISPs BT and TalkTalk, this week put a cap on the number of participants in the second stage of its trials after an “overwhelming response”.