SyncTV from electronics maker Pioneer will launch in private beta Monday with a service that promises to deliver ala carte television viewing by allows users to download content from channels and subscribe only to channels they are interested in.
The service will charge between $2 to $4 per month per channel with individual shows (we presume from unsubscribed channels) offered at $2 per episode.
The service will be initially computer only, with support for Windows and Macs, with the Marlin digital rights management system in place to stop programs being copied and played elsewhere. SyncTV is currently in talks with set-top box manufacturers and may even be offered with television sets themselves at a later date. Sync TV downloads will not be compatible with iPods, but will be “available on as-yet-unavailable portable devices.” Programs will be offered in “home-theater quality” (DVD quality) with some programming in HD.
The service will be available to the public from January 2008.
(via Reuters)