Sixteen million UK households will have access to Freeview HD by Christmas 2010, according to Freeview managing director Ilse Howling.

Speaking at London's Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference, Howling said the new service, featuring BBC HD, ITV HD, Channel 4 HD and (at some point) Five HD will be available to half of all UK homes in time for the 2010 World Cup. This will rise to 60 per cent by the following Christmas.

Howling also revealed that there are now one million Freeview+ PVRs in use, a figure achieved in just 12 months. '40 per cent of all current Freeview box sales are PVRs. And with 12 million analogue videos, DVD, and other recorders in UK homes we know there is an even bigger market out there,' she declared.

The Freeview chief also confirmed that work was progressing on a next-generation Freeview box, able to offer BBC iPlayer and other VOD services. 'These Freeview services will stand alongside the very best in the market today, and side-by-side with new products as they emerge, such as the proposed Canvas service.'

Speaking at the same event, Sony UK's managing director chief Steve Dowdle urged the UK CE industry to work together to develop and promote new IPTV services. 'Let us as an industry work together, without lots of consultations and investigations,' he said. 'Get the right people in the room. It may be a bit contentious, but that way we can get on and we can drive business.'

Sony's proprietary Internet TV service, Applicast, featured on a small range of its LCD TVs, currently lags behind competing products from Samsung, which uses the Yahoo TV Widgets platform, and Panasonic's Viera Cast content portal.

Via Home Cinema Choice