Tiscali adds a triple-tuner PVR

Broadband TV provider Tiscali has unveiled its long-awaited PVR in a new push to become a major pay-TV service.

Tiscali+ may not have the most imaginative name but it's probably one of the most advanced PVRs on the market, packing a 160GB hard disc, combining Freeview reception with broadband-delivered on-demand, and using both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compression.

The PVR service is similar to BT Vision, receiving Freeview channels over the air, while the broadband input adds more live channels and a library of on-demand TV, including seven-day catch-up from the BBC and Channel 4, TV shows and movies.

Additional channels on the basic £15.99/month Variety pack include Sky One, Paramount Comedy, FX and Sky Arts. On-demand suppliers include FX, 4oD and HBO.

It's a break with the current Tiscali TV service, which supplies both live and on-demand TV via broadband, using MPEG-4 compression.

The PVR will cost £50 up front, or £5 a month as a rental option, and is available to all Tiscali broadband customers from today (aside from a few ex-Homechoice locations, which will get a connection upgrade in the next two months).

The three tuners allow you to record up to three channels at once, while watching a recording (but not an on-demand service).

Outputs include HDMI, optical digital audio, two Scarts and two USB ports - it's HD Ready, but Tiscali said it won't be adding any HD programming in the immediate future.

Tiscali said it's currently available to around 50 per cent of UK homes, with a typical speed of up to 8Mbit (taken with the usual pinch of salt). A spokesman said ADSL2+ is currently being trialled to offer higher speeds.