Foxtel Launches Legal TV Downloads

Foxtel has responded to intensified competition on the digital television landscape by unveiling a raft of new products, including a legal TV downloading platform.

The service, Foxtel Download, will be available at no cost to pay TV subscribers and will take 400 hours of content at launch from 38 channels. That will be expanded to 600 hours within a month.

It is intended to pave the way for a live streaming service. One channel - the sports channel ESPN360 - will be live streamed immediately. Others, including Foxtel's multi-channel coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic winter games, are expected to follow next year.

Foxtel chief executive officer Kim Williams also announced 12 new channels, LifestyleYou, a mystery channel 13th Street, Discovery Turbo Max, the Style Network, National Geographic Wild, an ad-free children's channel KidsCo, Eurosport and five new movie channels, Showtime Action, Showtime Drama, Showtime Comedy, Starpics and the Family Movie Channel.

Mr Williams said Foxtel would also expand its high-definition (HD) service to 15 channels, including three HD Fox Sports channels and ESPN HD.

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The major announcement, held in a soundstage at Sydney's Fox Studios and illustrated by an IMAX-sized movie screen, includes two new "active" red button-powered applications, a local news service, Sky News Local, and Weather Active.

Williams described Foxtel as "a revolutionary force in the television landscape". He said the company's mantra was "liberating choice to consumers" underpinned by the values of "control, choice and convenience".

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