Once PVRJunction broke with the news of a new Freesat+ PVR on the block last July, from French manufacturer Sagem, it went a bit quiet on that front. However, while everyones talking about the all new Humax software update over the last few days, What Satellite and Digital TV have today announced the news on their website of the first Sagem recorder release taking place next week. We’ve since spoken to Sagem who confirmed there will be a 250GB model release first and then a 500GB model will go on sale soon after.

This is good news for Freesat recorder customers, who at this time of the year are looking for a choice of PVRs to compare and buy. Before the feast of seasonal TV on the platform gets underway. Stay tuned as we’ll be getting our hands on the PVR and will give you all the details, together with our usual photos, screenshots and video of the unit in action.

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We managed to get hold of the latest Freesat+ recorder from the Harvard Group Plc. This a Goodmans branded machine with model number GFSDTR320HD  (watch out for Grundig variants) which we’ve taken home to see how the whole family gets on.

Our first impressions are pleasant from an ease of use point of view. It is a straightforward and easy to operate HD Freesat+ recorder. Alas our first unit suffered from one or two problems; and whilst we are sure this is down to bad luck, we are currently awaiting a properly working replacement. In the mean time here are our first photos and screen shots:

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On Wednesday 30 September improvements are being made to the Freeview service to pave the way for the digital TV switchover. You will need to re-tune your Freeview TV or box (including BT Vision and Top Up TV) from lunchtime onwards to ensure you continue to receive your available channels, including Channel Five and a number of other Freeview channels. Satellite, cable and analogue viewers will not be affected.

The re-tune will allow Channel Five to become as widely available on Freeview as the other terrestrial channels at digital television switchover. Technical preparations for future improvements to the Freeview service (such as Freeview HD) are being made. Freeview are set to confirm further details about the new Freeview HD service soon.

tvretune.co.uk have created a video (seee below) to illustrate how a retune is carried out on most freeview recorders and set top boxes. The pricess is very easy, however if you would prefer more specific help, there are also retune guides for popular makes of Freeview PVRs and other freeview equipment held centrally at www.tvretune.co.uk/productmanuals/. You can also contact the manufacturer for guidance on your specific model.

The IBC 2009 show in Amsterdam this year has seen a dramatic increase in DVB-T2 related news, and it’s great to see announcements from manufacturers keen to let everyone know they will be providing FreeviewHD ready set top boxes in the first quarter of next year.

The Humax Freeview HD single tuner (receiver only) version wil allow recording direct to USB

Joining Pace in early 2010, Humax will also be providing FreeviewHD set top boxes, and by the summer a flagship Humax Freeview+HD PVRwill be upon us. Technical details are still thin on the ground however the Humax Freeview+HD recorder will most likely feature the new and acclaimed high definition user interface and Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) which was successfully implemented into the Freesat HD PVR, the Humax FOXSAT-HDR. We’d like to mention there will be a USB port on the single tuner Freeview HD set top box receiver which will allow recording direct to a USB key or USB hard drive.

Other highlights being introduced into the new Humax Freeview+ HD PVR include a Network connection in order to support catch up TV services from BBC iplayer. The network connection will provide customers with a DLNA box that will allow it to connect, stream and transfer recordings to other devices and PCs in the home. For example, recordings on the Humax Freeview+ HD PVR can be streamed to – and controlled via – a Humax Freeview HD set top box that you may have in the bedroom for example (Humax Freeview HD STBs will also include a network port at the back).

Humax were on the verge of providing a high definition capable Freeview PVR in the UK two years ago, but then the industry veered in the direction of DVB-T2, which would require different hardware in order to receive HD broadcasts. The HD PVR project had to be shelved while DVB-T2 developed and so instead this lead to the face-lifting of the older PVR-9200t (see PVR-9300T/PVR-9150T).

The new Humax Freeview+ HD PVR will be built on a high performance platform using the very latest hardware, and this will enable high end features which haven’t been provided on Freeview PVRs before. Humax had earlier attempts at DLNA-type features for its UK Freesat+ PVR, like streaming between PVR/STB/PC, but in proof of concept work the first generation machine suffered from performance issues which couldn’t be brought “up to scratch”, as a spokesman put it. Bob Hannent, Chief Technologist at Humax believes Freeview HD will be an exciting platform: “We have greater ambitions for next generation products because the next generation hardware will sustain more features and from day one we can plan”. Humax also said the next generation tech will be made available to customers on the Freesat platform.

Pricing hasn’t been confirmed by retailers, however the Freesat High definition PVR was released at £300 last year, and this should serve as a good indication that Freeview+HD recorders will command higher prices than what we are seeing in the Freeview market today.

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TV personality Keith Chegwin will host the Freeview VCR Swap Shop this Saturday, 5 September at Comet in Manchester Fort Shopping Park on Cheetham Hill Road. He’ll be swapping 50 old VCRs for 50 brand new Freeview+ digital TV recorders.

You may already be sorted with a digital TV or Freeview box, but do you still own a VCR? After the digital switchover, VCRs internal tuners will not pick up TV channels to record, although it will record the channel you are watching if it is connected to a digital TV. As this defeats the object of a VCR, you might want to swap it for a Freeview+ box instead. This will allow you to watch and record digital TV after the switchover.

In two months’ time Manchester and other parts of the country will be switching over. It’s been a long time coming (and at points it seemed like it was never coming) but the date of Wednesday 4 November for the BBC2 analogue switch-off in the Granada region is fast approaching. The remaining channels will follow suit on Wednesday 2 December.

Starting at 10am, customers can bring their old VCRs into the store and be entered into the Freeview Swap Shop prize draw. Cheggers will then select 50 winners at 2pm, who will each receive a stylish Humax Freeview+ digital TV recorder worth over £125.

The Humax PVR-9150T Freeview+ box can record over 100 hours of TV onto its 160Gb hard drive. It also allows viewers to pause and rewind live TV, and record their favourite telly series. General information about Freeview and the digital switchover will also be available on the day.

The Humax Foxsat-HDR, the first Freesat+ PVR, was released late last year to high acclaim both from the AV press and customers alike. That’s not to say the digital TV recorder is totally free from a few bugs or in need of one or two usability tweaks here and there. However we do recognise its stability when compared to pretty much every other PVR launch we can remember.

We spoke to Humax yesterday to find out the purpose of the next software update for the FOXSAT-HDR and when it might be distributed other the air (OTA) across the whole customer base.

We are told the new software will include any of those bug fixes that are ready to release, though Humax note there will be some improvements that are being worked on which will not make it to customers until another software release altogether. Its no secret that Humax have been making extensive changes to the system in order to provide IPTV facilities. This will enable to FOXSAT-HDR to provide BBC iPlayer, thought to go live on Freesat this autumn. In terms of new features, this is the one Humax are committed to delivering.

Following feedback received at their service desk from customers, engineers still do work on improvements and changes and we discussed one or two particular items -however Humax advise it is often the case some or none of them make it into new software releases for one reason or another. Therefore, there are no particular public plans to add further new features in the forthcoming software release, but if there will be these will be communicated publically nearer the respective release date.

Humax have advised PVRJunction that the current plan is to distribute the current .03 software version over the air later this month to enable all machines to get up to date before the next all new software release. The new software is planned for September/October, however a firm date will be released nearer absolute completion of the work which may come sooner or later than planned.

PVRJunction hope to release details about the software update very soon so do stay tuned!

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Speaking to PVRJunction, Director of Communications at Harvard International PLC, John Edwards took the opportunity to discuss their plans for Freesat+ and FreeviewHD PVRs.

Last month PVRJunction broke the news of a new Goodmans branded 320GB Freesat+ PVR, the GFSDTR320HD and the 500GB Goodmans GFSDTR500HD. Argos followed soon after with live product listings, but as the new Freesat+ PVRs haven’t even been launched as yet we’re interested to know how development was progressing. John says

Yes this was a little premature, but what it did do is announce our intention to have a PVR. We do have a PVR; it’s in final testing with industry bodies at this time. So we are close to manufacture and close to release in the UK.

With the Humax exclusivity deal on the sale of Freesat+ PVRs effectively over since around the end of last year, one might have expected more PVR manufacturers unleashing a stockpile of Freesat+ recorders in the new year. But it’s been strangely quiet on PVR scene until recently. We asked Harvard if there is much longer to wait for affordable competition in the Freesat PVR market. John says

We will release ASAP. These particular hardware items are nothing if not complex. Then the testing is extremely laborious. This is done not only by ourselves but also by the DTG (Digital Television Group). When that testing is going to be finally complete I really couldn’t say but if I were to give PVRJunction some sort of steer on it, I would expect the product to be in the market by next month.

The industry is currently hard at work on the Freeview platform too; busy working towards the provision of high definition channels on DTT (digital terrestrial television). The working title is T2 (DVB-T2), and together with most other key hardware suppliers Harvard are watching developments extremely closely on T2. According to John Edwards there will be no significant announcement yet because this has got to come through Freeview, as its going to become FreeviewHD. The industry is looking to have some sort of start to HD broadcasting by the end of the year, with broadcasts happening both in the Granada region, and also in the metropolitan London region. The scope of those broadcasts hasn’t yet been defined and most of the industry is awaiting a fuller announcement by Freeview themselves. Hardware-wise John says

As far as hardware goes I think it’s probably unlikely in that timescale. Whilst you may have one or two token pieces of hardware by the end of the year, in terms of anything like a significant volume I think you’ve really got to have a look at Q1/ Q2 next year.

It seems too early to talk about the hardware and obtain some sort of scope but talking to manufacturers over the last few weeks its clear many of them are yet to get their hands on the silicon needed for DVB-T2, and probably will not do until the latter part of the year. Launch products will likely be thin on the ground – perhaps set top boxes rather than PVRs. We asked John if Harvard will be releasing a FreeviewHD PVR for early next year

Yes. I wouldn’t claim that we’re going to be right in the lead. I would claim that we are going to be close followers. I expect there is going to be hardware around by Easter; there should be broadcast coverage in HD up to 48% of the current DTT coverage before the world cup which is June next year.

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The sixth annual Communications Market Report has just been released by Ofcom, and reveals just how much the  appetite among consumers is growing for recording broadcast programmes for playback later. Nearly 9 million PVRs have been sold since 2000, helped in large part by the move to digital broadcasting. Here we set out key metrics on the take-up and use of PVR products and identify trends in consumer attitudes towards PVR use.

Key findings:

• More than a quarter of consumers (27%) claimed to use a PVR at the end of March 2009, equivalent to 7 million homes, according to Ofcom research. This rose to nearly a third of consumers (31%) in multichannel television homes.
• These figures are a little lower than those for operator and sales data, which suggest that nearly 9 million PVRs had been sold in the UK at the end of March 2009. The five million Sky+ boxes (launched in September 2001) made up the majority of the UK PVR universe at the end of Q1 2009, followed by Freeview+ and Freesat+ and Top Up TV devices, which together accounted for around 2.6 million devices.
• 15% of viewing across the five main PSB channels in 2008 was of programmes recorded using a PVR, according to data from BARB, the television industry’s audience measurement organisation. In Sky+ homes this rose to 19%.
• Adults aged 16-34 are the group most likely to watch programmes recorded on a PVR; 19% of viewing among this age group was on a recorded basis in 2008 according to BARB, compared to 11% for viewers aged 55 and over.
• High-definition programmes are among those most viewed after their initial broadcast in Sky+ homes, according to viewing data from the SkyView panel. A third of viewing of Drama serials and series in Sky+ homes is recorded.
• 42% of consumers said that they watched a greater variety of programmes since owning a PVR, although a third (33%) disagreed with this. Eighty per cent of consumers believe that they watch more programmes that they enjoy because they have a PVR.
• PVRs are becoming increasingly advanced, offering viewers search functionality and ‘push’ video-on-demand, where programmes are downloaded to the hard disk drive, for example. Hard drives are also increasing in size; some PVRs offer up to 250 hours of recording, up markedly from the 40 hours available on early generations of devices.
• The average retail price of PVRs for the Freeview market had fallen to £106 at the end of March 2009, down from £172 in March 2005, according to GfK sales data. Similarly, the costs of DVRs from the main pay-TV operators have fallen.
• Consumers are using a range of services to ‘catch up’ on television programmes including online catch-up TV and TV-based video-on-demand.

The report shows around a fifth (19 per cent) of viewing in Sky+ homes is timeshifted, more than for subscribers to Virgin Media’s V+ service who timeshifted 12 per cent of viewing; and some 9 per cent of viewing in Freeview PVR homes was time-shifted programmes. Ofcoms research also suggests that PVR owners enjoy a better TV experience, where 8 out of 10 TV viewers with a PVR say that they watched more programmes that they enjoy, and over 40 per cent said that they watched a greater variety of programmes since getting a PVR.

Source: Ofcom August 2009

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A growing number of digital media devices for home entertainment are receiving DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certification. According to a new study from ABI Research, nearly 200 million such products shipped in 2008; that number will rise to more than 300 million in 2012, and the growth curve accelerates even faster in the years that follow. Digital home practice director Jason Blackwell says:

Consumers increasingly desire ways to connect their various home entertainment devices and distribute digital media content around their homes. Without standardization, that is a nightmare. Fortunately, specifications developed by the DLNA, which are based on the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) standard, enable easy, seamless connections in a wide and growing range of consumer electronics devices.

As of today, more than 5,500 devices, including products bearing many famous brand names, have received the DLNA seal of approval. Digital TV is a huge part of this growth, with more than 170 TV related products certified in the first six months of 2009 alone.

Blackwell expects the inclusion of DLNA support in the upcoming Windows 7 operating system to give DLNA a further push into the living room and beyond.

You could, for example, use a computer running Windows 7 to push a sequence of stored photos out to a digital picture frame,” he says. “Much of this new Windows functionality will be implemented through the new version of Windows Media Player, which will have a ‘Play to’ command, allowing the user to choose among several DLNA-networked playback devices to display a particular video or other media file.

 Windows 7 is scheduled to make its public debut in October.

The next phase of this developing market will see increased participation by broadband service providers, with set-top box, PVR/ DVR models and gateways becoming an important part of the home network. Whilst we are on the subject of the networked home, PVR and set top box manufacturer Humax, will be demonstrating it’s developments in networking/sharing between multiple boxes at this years IBC in Amsterdam.

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 Harvard PLC are set to launch the Goodmans GFSDTR320HD and GFSDTR500HD Freesat+ Digital TV Recorders. The machines will feature high definition twin tuners, which will enable the recording of up to two programmes at the same time, and a 320GB hard drive for the GFSDTR320HD PVR and a 500GB hard drive in the GFSDTR500HD PVR. The PVR chassis is very similar to the Zoran based Freeview+ version (see below), which we at PVR junction are very familiar with, therefore it wouldn’t suprise us to learn the the new Goodmans Freesat+ machine is based on the same platform.

Unfortunately there isn’t a confirmed release date or official press release as this information was obtained by PVR Junction unofficially with Harvard PLC. However we have been told release is expected during August 2009 with prices around the £300 mark for the GFSDTR320HD and £350 for the GFSDTR500HD. This should interest those in the market for a freesat+ PVR and our advice would be to wait another few weeks for these PVRs before deciding.

Sagem have confirmed the launch of a new PVR for the Freesat service, due for release around October 2009. The Sagem Freesat+ digital TV recorder will be released in two versions: the DTR94250S has a 250GB hard drive and the DTR94500S will ship with a 500GB hard drive.

The new Sagem Freesat+ PVRs will feature a USB port for transferring media and  an ethernet port to support forthcoming iplayer on demand services arriving on Freesat this autumn. With its twin tuners it is possible to record two different channels at the same time.

Prices will start at £250 for the 250GB version and £300 for the 500GB version.

Sagem have also released a Freesat HD set top box with model number DSI86HD, which should be available in shops during the week. In the photo received yesterday from Sagem, the DSI86HD Freesat box design is in keeping with current Sagem STBs and features a USB port on the front. Prices will be around £130.

Freesat+ owners can now record and watch The Bill in all its high definition glory from ITVHD.

Starting from tomorrow 1st July, The Bill will kick off a brand new 6 part storyline on in its usual slot of Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8PM.

Freesat+ PVR owners will now be given the option to choose the high definition version of  The Bill when selecting the programme to record in the EPG.

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Latest research from Ofcom reveals that more viewers are taking greater control over the way they watch television as the total number of digital video recorders sold reaches almost nine million (8.9 million).

Its Digital Progress Report for the first quarter of 2009 showed that the number of digital recording devices which allow viewers the ability to pause, store and rewind live programmes had increased by nearly one million on the quarter. This includes:

• Some five million Sky customers with a Sky+ service;
• More than 2.6 million Freeview digital video recorders, such as Freeview +;
• Around 600,000 Virgin Media subscribers with a V+ service; and
• A further 600,000 homes with BT Vision and Top Up TV.

Viewers are also choosing more sophisticated ways of enjoying television, with nearly two million (1.9 million) households in the UK with access to high definition (HD) channels.

The report also shows that the total number of digital households reached 89.2 per cent with digital switchover now underway in the West Country, Border and Isle of Man.

DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION (DTT)

• The total number of households with a DTT device on any set reached 18.0 million, up from 17.7 million during the quarter

• Since Freeview launched in 2002, the total sales of DTT devices reached over 43 million units, with over 23 million set-top boxes and nearly 20 million Integrated Digital TVs (IDTV)

DIGITAL SATELLITE SERVICES (Pay TV services)

• BSkyB reported that its customer base grew by 80,000 to over 9.3 million households in the UK and Ireland during the quarter. This is up by 430,000 subscribers year-on-year.

• Some 19 per cent of its customers (1.77 million) have at least one extra set connected to Sky through its Multiroom service, an increase of 46,000 on the quarter

DIGITAL SATELLITE SERVICES (Free services)

• By March 2009 the BBC/ITV Freesat service reported that sales had reached 350,000 up from 230,000 sales in the previous quarter. Of these almost three-quarters of sales were HD ready receivers (263,000)

• According to the latest consumer research there were around 500,000 households with free satellite services down around 100,000 on the previous quarter

CABLE (Virgin Media subscribers)

• The total number of cable TV customers reached its highest ever figure with 3.65 million subscribers, up by almost 137,000 in twelve months
• Over half (53 per cent) of its customers were using its video on demand (VoD) service

The full report can be found here http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/tv/reports/dtv/dtu_2009_01/

This is the new Freeview+ PVR from Pace which is currently being branded here by Philips, called the DTR7510. It’s an attractive unit which looks better in the flesh than the squarer looking pictures found online. It’s also smaller than we were expecting, with a width of just 240mm and a depth of 145mm. The front flap feels a tad flimsy and the plastic buttons are a little clicky/clunky in a cheap way – but hey not many people will be using those in any case. The money is much better saved for the addition of a card slot for Pay TV which saves the expense of needing a CAM as well.
Please note ESPN has taken over the encrypted channel 34 from Setanta and is broadcasting without subscription for the time being. Contact TUTV to arrange viewing or for further details.

Click for larger picture

The package includes 2x AA batteries for the hefty remote control. OK it’s not the largest remote control we own but its still quite long and heavy, and I fear one handed operation may be out of the window. But it does carry controls for operating not only the PVR but our TV, VCR, DVD and amplifier. The buttons are also laid out such that learning the location of the most used buttons, without having to look down at the remote, or in a darkened room will be easier.

At the back of the unit there are connectors for both SCART (SCART cable provided) and HDMI (HDMI cable not provided), and under the front flap is a USB socket where you can connect a USB drive. USB drives containing your pictures and music can be loaded on and viewed from the PVR to you TV screen. Rumour has it that this unit will store and play Divx movies, although the use of moving video to or from the DTR7510 has been removed from the user manual. We’ll certainly have a play and let you know what it can do in due course.

The installation and set up procedure is quite quick and straight forward. The PVR contains a 160GB hard drive which is good enough for about 90 hours of TV recording. The machine can buffer up 3 hours of TV which you can use to rewind live TV (this is configurable). You can even choose via the menus to disable the hard drive completely, which when we tried had the effect of reducing noise levels from the rather clicky hard drive. 

A quick look at the menus shows options for manually controlling channel search operations; the ability to switch off MHEG interactivity (in case there is an interactive stream being broadcast that is freezing the box); and a chapter skip button that can be configured from 1 minute jumps (useful for skipping through an ad break) to 5 or 10 minute forward skips. The EPG button takes you to ‘Now and Next programme information, but from there you can go into the 7 day EPG view. We would have preferred the guide button to go straight to the 7 day EPG.

A more comprehensive list of features will be added to the Freeview PVR comparison tables at PVR Junction; however our first impressions on the feature set are positive although not in the same league as a Topfield for example. A good mix of features with ‘ease of use’ can be a tricky balance and we’ll be looking for your comments about the DTR7510.

Both Pace and Philips trademarks are on the packaging and the PVR itself, however the two companies are transitioning set-top-box and PVR operations solely back into Pace. We are told the branding of these particular PVRs will revert back to Pace from around September 2009. Support for these machine will continue to be provided by Philips, which has been extended at least to September or until Pace take over.

The Philips DTR7510 is currently available from Argos and Tesco stores for under £150.

Panasonic allow pricing information for its forthcoming freesat+ recorders to be released today.

As reported earlier on PVR Junction (LINK) there will be three variants of this twin tuner, dual recording, Freesat PVR. One with a DVD recorder complimenting the 250GB hard drive – its called the DMR-XS350. The flagship model, the DMR-BS850, has a 500GB hard drive and includes DVD and blu-ray (recordable) disk drive.

For our last report we thought it fair to prepare potential customers of the likely asking price, but today Panasonic have outlined the following price points: DMR-BS850 £999. There will be a 250B version available for £100 less, called the DMR-BS750. The DMR-XS350 will cost £699.

Release is currently estimated at June 2009, subject to satisfactory finalising of the firmware and final Freesat Approval.

Freeview today announced that sales of Freeview+ boxes have reached over 900,000, up 118% compared to December last year.

26% of all sales were achieved in a record final quarter. Throughout December, more than two Freeview+ boxes were bought every minute!

Take-up of Freeview, the UK’s most popular digital TV service, continues to grow indicating that the ability to deliver quality, subscription-free TV is of huge value to consumers particularly in the current economic downturn. More than 17.2 million homes are enjoying the benefits of viewing 13 of the 15 most-watched channels without having to pay more and Freeview+ saves viewers more than £200 in the first year alone compared to the subscription alternatives.

This growth is expected to continue as consumers rein in their expenditure in 2009 – recent research highlighted one in five plans to curtail spending on pay TV channels – and as another five million homes go through digital switchover in the next twelve months, with Freeview+ providing the most cost-effective recording solution for a digital age.

Freeview+ was given a boost with a national TV ad campaign that launched in November 2008. Throughout the campaign period, sales increased by an average of 150% year-on-year and Freeview’s website traffic increased by 80% during the first month alone. The ads celebrated the functionality of Freeview+ and featured a host of British TV talent including Coronation Street’s Antony Cotton, Jennie McAlpine and Tupele Dorgu, comedian Alan Carr and Chef Gordon Ramsay. Ilse Howling, Managing Director of Freeview, said:

The popularity of Freeview+ isn’t surprising given that it offers outstanding value – giving the same experience as ‘+’ recorders from other providers, the only difference is it’s free from subscription.

During a downturn, TV viewing naturally increases as people choose to stay in and watch TV as a form of free entertainment. We know that Freeview is an extremely compelling proposition of high quality, subscription free, digital TV, but Freeview+ is adding a new dimension to people’s viewing experience, allowing them to take control of what they watch and when they watch it. More than half of Freeview+ users tell us they can’t live without it.

According to Freeview there are over 60 models to choose from, including boxes with integrated DVD recorders/players and Freeview+ built into digital TVs. We know that Freeview+ offers the biggest range of digital TV recorders available today. Viewers can pause, record and rewind their favourite TV shows without having to pay a monthly subscription.

In the first of Freeview’s new channel launches in 2009, CNN International is now available on channel 84 bringing viewers world news, every night from 9pm to 1am. Discovery Networks UK also plans to launch a new channel in the coming months.  Howling concludes,

These new additions to the Freeview channel portfolio, coupled with the roll out of Freeview HD across the UK from the end of 2009 is an exciting prospect for Freeview viewers and gives them even more value in the tough climate.

If Americans are wedded to their TVs, Europeans are just dating

He pointed out that while U.K. adoption rates are strong by European standards, they still fall behind the U.S., where over 40% of broadband households now own a DVR.

Europeans have traditionally been less enthusiastic about in-home entertainment than Americans. Pay TV, DVRs, and VoD have been harder sells as a result. These findings show how, at least in the case of the United Kingdom, we’re seeing some traction.

A number of factors explain this gap between the U.S. and Europe. For example, strong public broadcasting has left less room in Europe for private, pay-TV services. In the U.S., poor free-to-air reception and a weaker public broadcaster have created a market for premium services.

For information about Entertainment 2.0 in Europe, visit www.parksassociates.com

A lorry driver asleep in his cab in a Northampton lay-by was tied up by raiders who stole thousands of pounds worth of Humax digital TV recorders.

Early on Monday the lorry was parked on the A45 at Collingtree. The Polish lorry driver was woken by the offenders who smashed their way into the cab and tied him up.

A spokesman from Northamptonshire Police said the lorry and its contents were then taken to the railway works access in Roade before being abandoned, although we are uncertain as to whether the entire contents of the vehicle were taken. He said:

We are appealing for information about a high-value robbery from a lorry which was transporting Humax digital video recorders.

The Polish lorry driver was asleep in his cab and was woken by the offenders, possibly three in total, who smashed their way into the cab, tied up the driver, and then drove the lorry towards Roade on the A508.

The lorry then turned right into Courteenhall Road before reaching Roade village and at the railway works access, in between Roade and Blisworth, the driver was off loaded from the lorry. Uninjured, he made his way back on foot to the Grange Park estate and raised the alarm.

It is believed the offenders moved the load, worth thousands of pounds, from the lorry to another vehicle. The lorry was found abandoned at the railway works.

During November, the Northamptonshire Police force had been issuing warning leaflets to lorry drivers which where distributed around lay-bys and other black spots where thefts, including this latest one, have been taking place this year.

This is a blow to some retailers, and customers alike, who have been struggling with high demand coupled with short supply. This week was supposed to see the start of significant increases in stock availability across retail outlets around the UK. We have been advised that many more shipments are planned including more later this week, however it is most unfortunate that after last weeks shortages, the product is likely to be just as scarce for a further week in many areas.

BSkyB (Sky) has chosen Global Invacom to supply its new four-channel satellite channel router (SCR) incorporating Entropic’s Channel Stacking Switch (CSS) technology. This new solution will help Sky address demand from residents in multi-dwelling units (MDUs) for their Sky+ and Sky+HD set-top boxes and multi-room services.

Expanding Satellite Services for Multi-Dwelling Units

Many residential buildings, especially older ones, have limited cable access making it very difficult to cost-effectively address the growing consumer demand from those in such buildings for Sky+ and Sky+ HD, the UK’s most popular digital video recorder (DVR) and high-definition (HD) services respectively. Sky’s new four-channel SCR is designed specifically to address multi-dwelling units with limited cable access by leveraging the multi-tuner support enabled by Entropic’s CSS chipsets. CSS technology is able to support multiple tuners over a single cable. Sky’s new multi-switch can support up to two PVRs and a number of future Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes will have SCR technology built in to take advantage of this new multi-tuner support.

We are very pleased that Global Invacom has successfully incorporated Entropic’s CSS technology in our new SCR,

said Pascal Wharton, head of Sky Homes at BSkyB.

This technology will help us to cost-effectively expand our coverage for the MDU market and meet the entertainment demands of our customers without costly retrofitting or rewiring.

With the new multi-switch, Sky can more easily upgrade existing customers to its popular Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes. This capability, supported by CSS technology, will help satisfy the additional demand from MDUs for DVR functionality and increase customer satisfaction.

Flexibility and Scalability

Global Invacom was selected as the OEM of choice to deliver the Sky SCR. The four-channel SCR multi-switch was designed to be flexible and scalable. The SCR can be deployed in dwellings with single cable topographies as well as in dwelling with twin “shotgun” cable infrastructures. Further, since the SCR was designed to be cascade-able, allowing multiple switches to be deployed in a series, it can provide programming to any size MDU.

Entropic’s CSS technology has been a key part of the solution that enabled Global Invacom to develop the SCR meeting Sky’s requirements in the MDU market,

said David Fugeman, sales and marketing director at Global Invacom.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Entropic and delivering innovative cost-effective products that meet the needs of the PayTV provider community.

Benefits of Channel Stacking Switch Technology

Entropic’s CSS technology significantly reduces both the cost and the cabling complexity of single-family and multi-resident home satellite installations. Unlike traditional satellite installations, which require a unique cable for each tuner from the satellite dish to the set-top box, Entropic’s CSS chipsets enable multiple video streams from individual or multiple satellites into the home over a single cable. This simplified cabling architecture allows for the deployment of set-top boxes with multiple tuner capabilities, in multiple rooms without expensive installation or retrofitting. Additionally, CSS technology enables plug and play for set-top box upgrades and lets installers reuse existing cabling to quickly set up a DBS system.

We are delighted to work with respected leaders like Global Invacom and Sky to enable the delivery of advanced video services to customers,

said John Graham, vice president of marketing at Entropic…

As a company, we are focused on delivering solutions for connected home entertainment and our CSS technology creates new markets for operators by bringing satellite television into residential homes and multi-dwelling units with ease.

Availability

The Sky SCR multi-switch product is available now through its MDU specialist installer network.