Deutsche Telekom to launch TV via PC & broadband

According to the BBC Deutsche Telekom is teaming up with Microsoft to offer an interactive TV service through high-speed, broadband connections in Germany. The service will be launched later this year and one of the first cities to be covered will be Munich. Apparently the new tie-up will use fast-emerging technology known as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). This means nothing to me but I'm sure there are lots of TTers who understand what this is all about.

Microsoft leads German TV venture - BBC News

Deutsche Telekom have a master plan to move away from telecomms into "IP-based multi-media delivery", partly based on their proposals for 50MBit VDSL due to launch in some cities in the summer. This is partly the reason they are staying away from the hype pushed around by other providers such as 1&1 for 16Mbit ADSL-2 and is also the reason why many Internet access charges are dropping like stones, but new contracts lock you in for 2 years or more...

I somehow doubt that they will launch this year, as other major players (telcos) with similar plans are still testing their implementations and probably won't launch till next year.

And how many homes in Germany will be able to get VDSL? Unless they start moving the DSLAMS out of the CO and into the Dorfs
they are gonna have a problem as they won't be reaching alot of people..

Many, many more than have it now. VDSL is based on fibre transmission. ADSL cannot use fibre, so they rely on nasty old copper wires from the exchange to the house and regularly hit the 6Km limit. Fibre backbones are already in place to street level (especially in ex-east Germany), and where not already present are relatively easy to pull into place. Many of the junction boxes you see on street corners are already fed with fibre for telephone and control circuits, but up to now have been no use for ADSL/Internet. All you need is a VDSL transceiver in your home and a VDSL gateway in the junction box, the distance issues are overcome and hey presto 50Mbit Internet.

Heard that the BBC and BT are also supposed to be doing a similar thing. Does that mean we could potentially watch UK channels using this method? If it runs via some kind of internet process would we just have to point the box to the correct web address? Or is it more complicated than that?

In tandem with the DT announcement earlier there is also a similar BBC announcement here. In principal you are right - fast internet line and point the browser, but in practice it's likely to be more complicated, involving software which only permits authorized users to view the material, and IP-checking to make sure you are who you say you are, or more importantly are located where they will allow access. Sky already do this for their boradband movie access. Not that any of this can't be got around in time...

Well, BT are still testing their set-up and it might take a little while till they launch.