Club Internet, in alliance with Microsoft Corp., announced details of its exclusive digital television service due to launch this month. This new triple-play offering will be the first in France to be based on the Microsoft® TV software platform. The announcement signifies the continuing development of Club Internet, a historically important provider of Internet services in France, which will now also lead the delivery of next-generation digital television services.

Part of the Deutsche Telekom Group, Club Internet, which created TV on the Web in 2002, will be the first of the Group and among the first in the world to launch a triple-play offering that will be powered by the Microsoft TV Edition software platform and will revolutionize the way people watch TV.

Club Internet’s triple-play service will provide a complete digital television service together with voice and data services that soon will be supported by a set-top box with integrated hard disk from Linksys. The offering is high-definition (HD)-ready and digital terrestrial television (DTT)-ready and will include a vast range of on-demand programming, broadcast channels and advanced digital video recording (DVR) functionality, enabling consumers to control when and how they watch live and recorded TV. The unique Microsoft TV-based solution can be tailored to suit the viewers’ preferences, turning television into a more personalized entertainment experience for each individual.

This new Internet Protocol television (IPTV) solution is designed to be intuitive and flexible, offering a simple and user-friendly interface. Further benefits of the service are these: • Changing channels is instantaneous compared with one to two seconds for other digital TV and IPTV solutions.

• The picture-in-picture feature enables viewers to follow two programs simultaneously.
• The digital recorder will provide 50 hours of recording time and will be integrated into HD- and DTT-ready set-top boxes.
• The TV and video-on-demand (VOD) content is wide-ranging and proprietary to Club Internet: 1,000 VOD and subscription VOD programs and 150 TV programs will be available for the back-to-school season.

In addition to these unique features, Club Internet’s triple-play offering uses a simple and intuitive guide for programming up to two weeks ahead, and the entire library of content can be searched by program or even actor name while viewers continue to watch a current program.

"We are delighted with our alliance with Microsoft TV. Equipped with 1,000 VOD and SVOD programs and 150 TV programs, Club Internet television service will provide the consumer with real added value thanks to its user-friendly interface. With this new generation of digital television, Club Internet is revolutionizing IPTV and inventing television on demand," said Marie-Christine Levet, president of Club Internet/T-Online France.

"Working together, Microsoft and Club Internet are helping to create a revolution in TV entertainment for consumers across France. Club Internet can combine its experience in pioneering innovative Internet services with the power of next-generation IPTV technologies to deliver unique TV and communications services that are truly integrated," said Christine Heckart, general manager of Marketing for Microsoft TV.