After more than a year of delays, the U.K.’s long-awaited...

the service’s technical specification is now finalized, 2,500 home trial participants have enthused about it on Twitter, and YouView twin-tuner DVRs are in production at Humax. The first batches of boxes will go on wide retail sale at the end of July at just under $500. “It is a great moment in British television,” said Lord Sugar, the former Amstrad founder. “This is British technology. It was invented and designed here in the U.K., not California. YouView is not Internet on TV, it’s a whole new way of experiencing TV.” The core of YouView is an electronic program guide that seamlessly combines live over-the-air “Freeview” DTV content with live IPTV. The EPG scrolls forward though 100 Freeview channels and radio programming for the next seven days, or backwards over the last seven days using online “catch up” TV services, such as the BBC’s iPlayer. “YouView seamlessly combines the worlds of catch up and live TV on the living room TV,” said Halton. “There will 15,000 programs on back offer at any time, with 3,000 new per week.” A search option finds on-demand content by keying in a program or even an actor’s name. YouView is backed by the BBC, commercial channels ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, transmitter network operator Arqiva and telcos BT and TalkTalk. Combined, the seven partners have invested nearly $110 million in YouView, the venture said. YouView will be available either from retailers, with no TV subscription needed, or from an ISP as part of a phone and broadband package. Retail partners already signed up include John Lewis, Currys, Comet, Argos, Amazon, Richer Sounds and the Euronics group. BT and TalkTalk will offer additional content and services to customers. But a YouView box can be used with any ISP’s broadband connection. YouView will control the EPG and let any reputable content provider appear on it -- for a fee set by an as-yet unpublished menu of prices. More than 300 content partners have already expressed interest, said Halton. Sky’s Now TV and Scottish STV will be first to go live, he said. Of the expensive set-top box, Lord Sugar said “it’s normal to start with a top-end model. But I see this as a template, or carcass, of what’s to come. But it will take a little time.” YouView estimates there are already about 20 million Freeview set-tops installed in U.K. homes, but only a relatively few Freeview DVRs. “YouView becomes a replacement for a Freeview box,” Lord Sugar said. “Our target market for YouView is the 15 million people who are not subscribing to satellite or cable.”