Sky in Talks with Microsoft for New DTT Service

LONDON, July 3: According to the Guardian, BSkyB is in discussions with Microsoft to make its
proposed digital terrestrial television pay-TV service available on PCs.

Sky is looking to launch a pay service on Freeview early
next year; the proposal is currently being examined by Ofcom.

"Most of the external focus on our plans so far has
been on the plans to offer this service via a traditional set-top box, but this
is not the whole story," BSkyB COO Mike Darcey is quoted as saying at the
Institute of Economic Affairs’ conference on the future of broadcasting.
"Working with Microsoft and other technology partners, we are also working
to make our DTT service available on future generations of the Media Centre PC,
catering for the segments of the population for whom it is the PC, and not the
TV, that is the natural epicentre of their entertainment world. The delivery of
premium services to Media Centre PCs in this way will place the UK's DTT
platform at the forefront of innovation and at the centre of the convergence of
the TV and PC industries."