Amstrad has been working with Sky for a while now to deliver Sky+ set top boxes so it comes as little surprise that the two companies are beavering away on an exciting new toy.

Basically the new set top box will eradicate the necessity for multiple boxes for multiple TV’s. The new set top box will be able to connect to at least two TV’s (maybe more) to a single box and will be able to record two different programs on different stations simultaneously.

Sounds like a great idea and certainly cuts down on having various set top boxes scattered about your home. What is a worry is that according to the Telegraph the boxes will be connected via cables which, unless you are extremely patient and are willing to tack them all to the neatly to the walls, are going to be pretty unsightly in themselves.

We are crossing our fingers that some sort of wireless solution will be offered when the box hits retail. The new device will form an integral part of Sky’s plans to deliver television in future.

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In a statement which has chilled the blood of many U.S. IPTV operators, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has just asked the state’s Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) to require that AT&T obtain a cable TV license for its IPTV offering.

Connecticut AG Blumenthal stated “this (AT&T U-Verse IPTV) service must be licensed as cable, regulated as cable.”

In light of a July 27 ruling by Federal Judge Janet Bond Arterton that AT&T’s U-Verse IPTV service is a cable television service, the DPUC has the ability to stop AT&T’s infrastructure improvements and construction, as well as its marketing activities for enrolling new customers until it complies with the onerous licensing requirement.

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AT&T has announced that a further 38,000 new subscribers signed up to its U-verse service in the second quarter of 2007, bringing the total to 51,000.

U-verse offers IPTV, Internet access and will eventually offer VoIP to consumers across America, although the service is currently limited to just 23 metropolitan areas of the US including San Francisco, California and Dallas, Texas.

“AT&T has a strong foundation for growth in wireless and IP-based services, and in the second quarter we improved our trajectory in key areas,” said Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO of AT&T. “Our U-verse video service has begun to ramp aggressively.”

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Cablevision Systems has today launched its partnership with CNET.com, bringing the site’s CNET TV offering to iO’s 2.5 million digital cable television customers.

The new Cablevision channel is being dubbed CNET TV - Powered by Optimum and will provide hours of on-demand television from tech news to how-to advice, as well as popular shows such as Top 5, Insider Secrets and Prize Fight.

The channel’s programming is divided into more than 100 distinct titles or choices, all of which are updated daily and can be accessed free of charge.

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In an attempt to boost demand for its high definition service, TiVo has today debuted a trimmed-down , less pricey version of its digital video recorder, 10 months after the original went on sale.

The firm announced that its newest TiVo High Definition DVR model, capable of recording up to 20 hours of high-resolution television, would retail for around $300 USD, and hit store shelves this September.

In contrast, the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder, which is capable of holding about 30 hours of HD programming and has greater high-end audio and video features, already retails at $800 USD.

That said, both aforementioned models are more expensive than the average cable set-top box, a device that many millions of viewers receive from their TV provider for a miniscule monthly fee.

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After a successful pilot scheme, a service that allows patients in the United Kingdom to book an appointment with their GP via their television or mobile phone is set to rollout across the country.

In all, over 1,100 surgeries could offer individuals the chance to book, amend and cancel appointments via their remote control or WAP-enabled handsets. In future, patients will also be able to order repeat prescriptions.

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Internet TV and web based video streaming is gaining popularity daily, and you know it’s closer to mainstream take-off when big business jumps on the bandwagon.

IPTV is increasingly making it’s way into more and more different facets of the consumer market.

The latest news to push that point further along is an Amazon-TiVo joint announcement stating movies available in Amazon’s Unbox department will be accessible to all Series 2 and Series 3 TiVo set top box owners/users – directly through interaction with said TiVo boxes - starting today.

Okay, so it’s not technically IPTV if we’re talking “Internet Protocol Television”. Same diff, though, folks. It all kind of fits under the same roof.

Anyhow, this is definitely good news, even for those uninterested in what TiVo and/or Amazon have to offer. 

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