UK - IP Vision Announces Retail Deal with The Carphone Warehouse

FetchTV SmartBoxes available in CPW’s wireless flagship stores; FetchTV SmartBoxes allow viewers to watch on-demand movies and web video including BBC iPlayer content on TV without any monthly subscription charges

IP Vision have signed a retail deal with The Carphone Warehouse (CPW) meaning that the FetchTV SmartBox will be available in its wireless flagship stores. This is IP Vision’s second high street retail channel to go live following a deal with The John Lewis Partnership in July of this year.

IP Vision’s FetchTV is the first Freeview+ IPTV service to offer its users access to video-on-demand (VOD) and catch up content direct to their TV screen with no charges or tied-in subscription model.

The SmartBox provides free access to a growing range of web video services. Users are able to watch BBC iPlayer catch-up content directly on the TV as well as selected video from Channel 4, Sky Sports News, Discovery Channel and CNN.

IP Vision recently announced a deal with BSkyB that will also bring the SkyPlayer – BskyB’s online content offering featuring Sky Sports channels, Sky Movies and a wealth of on-demand programming – to the FetchTV service and so TV screens, in early 2010

The FetchTV SmartBox can be connected to any UK broadband service allowing the user to access over 1500 hours of VOD content direct to their TV screen, including content from Paramount Pictures, National Geographic, Disney, Cartoon Network and many more. Once consumers have bought their FetchTV Freeview+ accredited SmartBox they pay for films and premium TV content on a pay per view basis.

IP Vision is also providing access to a selection of catch up and online TV giving its customers great web content free via its SmartBox direct to their TV screen.

Eddie Abrams CEO of IP Vision said: “This deal means that our FetchTV SmartBox is now available at another retail outlet in the UK. Carphone Warehouse’s Digital Lifestyle stores are a great fit for FetchTV. The box is at the cutting edge of entertainment and its TV viewing capabilities coupled with all of its other functionality fits directly into the Digital Lifestyle’s store proposition.

With the development of services like Canvas we know that content delivered via broadband will become more commonplace over the next few years. I am proud that we are able to lead the way and be the first to market with this technology.”

FetchTV’s SmartBox is an ‘over the counter’ plug and play solution with no need for an engineer installation visit. The VOD service works with any broadband supplier – unlike other VOD-enabled TV services available in the UK. Customers who don’t have broadband can shop around for the best broadband deal to suit them.

The box is Freeview+ accredited allowing users to pause and rewind live TV and has twin Freeview tuners and a 160Gb hard drive.

FetchTV’s SmartBox has a USB port that allows any programmes recorded from Freeview channels to be exported on to a USB stick or drive, meaning the box’s hard drive need never get full. The SmartBox acts as a media centre allowing users to view their own digital pictures and movies on the TV.

FetchTV’s SmartBox will retail for £199 in CPW’s wireless flagship stores and will be available later this month.