Sky to launch progressive downloads - PDL

[NewsreadeR]

We have seen evidence this evening to suggest that Sky, in the not too distant future will be offering PDL or to you and me - progressive downloads.

In layman's terms PDL is the ability to deliver digital audio or video over the broadband connection. This is completely different to streaming media, as PDL will deliver the whole content and not a reduced quality (as in streaming) by progressively downloading the whole file, and allowing playback as soon as it has physically downloaded enough content to play uninterrupted.

This method of downloading would allow for data rates that would normally be too high for the available bandwidth, or to put it in other words, more people could use, without suffering a drop in quality.

This would now make more sense as to why Sky are currently trialling DLM which is a project to improve the quality of service that Sky delivers to its broadband customers.

• Broadband customers should get a more reliable connection
  
• Sky can introduce PDL

Once this is rolled out, effectively Sky's network is set up for PDL and I would assume that this would then become a reality, after the second phase of DLM has been rolled out. We believe that Phase 2 is due to be rolled out in October of this year.

[Casperuk]

so does this tie into the deal that Sky has done with Sony to offer on-demand content via their PS3? also does this mean the sky stb's ethernet card becomes enabled fir the same purpose?