I don’t live in the London area, so homechoice isn’t an option. But I’m interested how it works. Obviously, the format is ideal for video-on-demand and basically, downloadable content but since it seems to have close links with BskyB I’m wondering if it’s a basic Sky package just though a phone line (I seem to recall it being labeled ‘Skybywire’ on a recent visit to London).

Surely, it must be more than just Sky! Downloading Eastenders to watch at anytime, or that late night film downloadable anytime. The possibilities are endless…

How exactly is it similar to other digital formats and what advantages are there to Homechoice.

Homechoice doesn't actually have close links with Sky at all.

They've managed to negotiate carrying some Sky channels - but just the premium Sports and Movies channels. The rumour was that Sky were waiting to see how successful those were before giving them their primary channels (Sky One, Mix etc.).

Homechoice itself has kinda taken a backward step from what you're talking about. Originally it was just a VOD service - so you could get episodes of The X Files, or Eastenders, or whatever else they managed to lay their hands on whenever you wanted. But not really that many people understood that concept. What they wanted were 'proper' channels that they knew and loved and could look at the TV listings for.

So, it didn't do very well.

When it relaunched earlier this year, they introduced a lot more broadcast channels - like all the BBC ones and some UK TV ones, Discovery, E4 etc. And now it's doing better. The original VOD channels are still available though. They've also got a, admittedly not very good, 'Replay' service running on BBC 1 and Channel 4. This, in their own words, allows you to watch the best of the last weeks TV on these channels whenever you want to. However, in reality the 'best' seems to be subject to contractual issues - so you generally only get programmes specifically made for that channel and nothing like the US dramas on Channel 4.

Probably, if they can carry on with the funding for it, by this time next year there will be very little difference between Homechoice and NTL/Telewest (esp. if the cable companies do manage to launch their own VOD service on schedule).