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UK Promoting PVRs Via Freeview Playback

Informitv reports that the consortium that promotes Freeview digital terrestrial television in the UK plans to launch a 'Freeview Playback' brand to promote consumer awareness and sales of personal video recorders.

The success of Freeview has so far been based on offering viewers a simple way to receive digital television. Freeview now wants to increase consumer awareness of the benefits of digital video recorders (DVR). The Freeview Playback initiative aims to provide an industry standard label for Freeview digital recorders to reduce consumer confusion. "The launch of Freeview Playback is crucial to driving consumer understanding and uptake and will help to define the category," said Freeview general manager Cary Wakefield.

The adoption of personal video recorders (PVR) for free-to-air digital television has been comparatively limited, with the focus on the promotion of low cost set top boxes. Freeview is the fastest growing digital television platform in the UK and is forecast to overtake satellite, in terms of market penetration.

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