BT Overhauling Vision As It Maintains Summer YouView Launch Forecast

BT (NYSE: BT) signed up 39,000 customers to its Vision hybrid Freeview/IPTV service between September and December, taking it to 679,000.

Now, with its relaunch on YouView still delayed, BT is taking it upon itself to relaunch the service’s platform.

BT will replace Vision boxes’ underlying architecture, based on Microsoft’s Mediaroom IPTV platform, over the internet with a lighter, Linux-based alternative, Faultline reports. The new system will include a new recommendation engine from Peter Gabriel-backed The Filter.

Overhauling BT Vision in its current format does not mean BT is out of YouView, the UK IPTV JV of which it is a stakeholder, but which has been poorly delayed. BT CEO Ian Livingstone told City analysts on Friday “middle of the year” remains the current anticipated launch date for YouView.

The service gained a license for Miramax movies this week.

September-to-December 2011 BT profits jumped 48 percent from the previous year after cost cuts despite revenue slipping five percent on fewer telephone calls.

BT’s Infinity fibre-to-the-cabinet customer base grew 95,000 to 400,000.

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