With the most developed digital and pay TV market in Europe, it is hardly surprising that the UK also ranks as the most diverse and developed market for on-demand services. According to Screen Digest, the UK is home to examples of every form of on-demand delivery, from standard cable near-video-ondemand services, through satellite Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), to full-blown IP-enabled DSL television platforms offering true video-on-demand over the telephone line.
If reported plans by British Telecom go ahead on schedule, the UK will soon also add a hybrid digital terrestrial plus DSL system to the list in the form of BT Freeview Plus. Europe?s earliest cable true VoD services are also set to launch in the UK, with both the country?s cable operators gearing up to launch VoD services in partnership with On Demand management during 2005.
Furious activity in the broadband Internet space will almost certainly see the major ISPs coming on-line with some form of full length streaming on-demand content within the next year to 18 months. The UK ondemand market is nothing if not crowded?and competitive.
