It wasn't just 24 channels - Westminster Cable had a UK-first video on demand service where you could choose a movie and it would start playing immediately - all done using Laserdisc
Did this ever actually launch? I was reading an article from 1986 where Westminster Cable were running in-house experiments with a view of launching it in 1987, but I can't see that this ever happened. Then there's another article from 1995 saying they were planning a video on-demand system, but again it goes quiet after this. Interested to see anything which proves otherwise.
Nope. I remember Westminster Cable getting very excited when we showed them around a Hall of Residence with 400 rooms - and becoming less excited when we told them we only wanted it for the three common room TVs.
Now this is a Proustian rush if ever there was. We got it circa '88-89, don't recall all the channels mentioned but I was a kid and focused on Sky One (WWF wrestling!) and Sky Movies. Recall their office on Baker St which i often went past on the bus and the multiscreen advertising channel/wait screen, including for some furniture store on Finchley Rd called Roche Bobois which has stuck in the memory bank for some odd reason without ever going there!! Fantastic stuff, thanks for the post and memory prod
My Uncle had cable TV around that time if I remember correctly. It was British Relay. I don't know what channels he had, but I'm sure he had it for the horse racing.
It wasn't just 24 channels - Westminster Cable had a UK-first video on demand service where you could choose a movie and it would start playing immediately - all done using Laserdisc
Did this ever actually launch? I was reading an article from 1986 where Westminster Cable were running in-house experiments with a view of launching it in 1987, but I can't see that this ever happened. Then there's another article from 1995 saying they were planning a video on-demand system, but again it goes quiet after this. Interested to see anything which proves otherwise.
I remember using it at college around 1987, but there were woefully few movies on offer - maybe we were on the pilot
Interesting to hear - can you remember which movies were on there?
Nope. I remember Westminster Cable getting very excited when we showed them around a Hall of Residence with 400 rooms - and becoming less excited when we told them we only wanted it for the three common room TVs.
What a time to be alive! I can't remember the last exciting development in TV I saw. Freeview perhaps? And that was far from revolutionary.
I've their publicity pack from around 1987, it makes for fascinating reading.
Sounds like a treat, I think the video I found was from round about then or a little bit earlier.
Hopefully just emailed you some examples I have to hand on my phone.
Now this is a Proustian rush if ever there was. We got it circa '88-89, don't recall all the channels mentioned but I was a kid and focused on Sky One (WWF wrestling!) and Sky Movies. Recall their office on Baker St which i often went past on the bus and the multiscreen advertising channel/wait screen, including for some furniture store on Finchley Rd called Roche Bobois which has stuck in the memory bank for some odd reason without ever going there!! Fantastic stuff, thanks for the post and memory prod
My Uncle had cable TV around that time if I remember correctly. It was British Relay. I don't know what channels he had, but I'm sure he had it for the horse racing.