Rovi Mediaguide
All of Toshiba’s Freeview HD TVs are also now delivered with the Rovi Mediaguide, starting with the RL9 series at £529, up through the TL9 and VL9 3D TVs and the ZL2 glasses-free 3D TV with 2,000-line screen.
You can choose between Mediaguide and the standard Freeview EPG. Mediaguide gives you more information (downloaded over your broadband connection) and lets you set up recordings to a USB hard disc attached to your TV – but it’s advertising-funded.
Toshiba Places portal
Toshiba Places is the name of Toshiba’s smart TV service, also available on PCs and mobile devices.
The side-scrolling entry portal gives you shortcuts to your favourite apps and social media services.
iConcerts
iConcerts has a huge variety of live music on pay-per-view and subscription, paid for through a PayPal account.
Prices range from £1.99 for a single concert to £5.99/month for complete access.
BBC iPlayer on Toshiba Places
Toshiba has worked with the BBC to develop a dedicated iPlayer interface for Places.
It uses the familiar scrolling thumbnails but can pack in more programmes on a screen.
Livesport.TV on Toshiba Places
As you’d imagine, Livesport.tv has both on-screen news stories and live and recorded footage from various sports leagues.
Unfortunately, video from Premier League football and several other sports are tied up by Sky Sports and won’t appear.
MediaGuide in Toshiba Places
Even if you don’t select it as your main programme guide, Rovi MediaGuide is always accessible through Toshiba Places.
It only covers Freeview HD channels, however, not those on Sky, Virgin Media or BT Vision.
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