Interactive TV and advanced advertising technology provider, OpenTV (note: Kudelski is currently finalizing the process of acquiring full control of the company--see the article published on itvt.com, November 16th), said Monday that Australian pay-TV operator, Foxtel, which is a longtime OpenTV customer, has launched its next-generation platform in collaboration with the company. According to the company, the new platform--which is powered by OpenTV middleware and which OpenTV says uses its latest interactive TV technology--offers an array of new channels and applications that were co-developed by Foxtel and OpenTV. "Foxtel Next Generation is all about providing our customers greater control and choice so they can watch what they want, when they want, over a device of their choice," Foxtel CEO, Kim Williams, said in a prepared statement. "Foxtel Next Generation will offer the choice of over 200 channels, 15 HD channels, a rich array of interactive services as well as superb new navigation features which are intuitive and simple to use for the customers. We're delighted once again to have OpenTV as a partner on this launch; the team has been central in ensuring that we deliver compelling new features to our iQ service and we're very excited to share these initiatives with our customers."

Key features of Foxtel Next Generation, according to OpenTV, include:

• A new "iSuggest" interactive TV guide that was developed by OpenTV and that provides TV program recommendations to Foxtel iQ and HD+ subscribers. With iSuggest, OpenTV says, Foxtel's programming can now be browsed using a "friendly gallery" of posters with access to detailed program synopses. The app is also billed as allowing users to record programs from its "gallery" via a single button push--which, OpenTV claims, means that it will "change the way Foxtel iQ and HD+ viewers watch their Foxtel service" (note: iQ and HD+ are an SD and an HD PVR service respectively).
• A new "Record Me" feature for iQ and HD+ subscribers that sends shows or movies straight to the iQ planner via a single button push during on-air promotions.
• New Sky News Active and Weather Active applications that offer such new features as local news feeds and daily weather forecasts. According to OpenTV, these two "flagship" applications boast improved performance and a completely fresh look.

Foxtel's upgrade of its service also sees it launching 30 new channels, including 10 new HD channels, eight time-shifted channels, and a new box office channel called "Movies on Demand," as well as Foxtel Download, an online TV service.

In other news from Australia: Telco Telstra will this Thursday begin a trial of a new DVR-enabled set-top box, called the "T-box," which is scheduled to launch commercially next year. The box is designed to enable lean-back viewing of content from Telstra's broadband video sites, including BigPond. More information is available here.