Vodafone Portugal has launched a new IPTV service called 'Casa TV', offering over 100 linear channels - including eight high-definition channels - as well as a VOD library, PVR features, timeshifting and ability to access music and photos stored on a PC connected to the home network.

The new service's channel lineup offers all the main Portuguese national channels, including all the channels from national broadcaster RTP as well as the channels SIC, TVI and Porto Canal; children's channels such as Panda, Disney Channel, Cinemagic, BabyTV, TiJi. Boomerang and Cartoon Network; various music channels including MTV, VH1, MCM and Mezzo; film and TV series channels such as TV Cine, Hollywood, MGM, AXN, Fox, Fox Crime and Sony TV; a range of sports channels, including all the channels from Eurosport and Sport TV; news channels such as BBC World, CNN and TVE24; and documentary channels such as National Geographic, Travel, Odisseia and História.  

High-definition channels available on the platform include Sport TV HD, Eurosport HD, National Geographic HD and Disney Cinemagic HD.  In addition, in the coming weeks, Vodafone Portugal will enable users to have complete access to their set-top box from their mobile phone or computer, giving the ability to remotely consult the electronic programme guide, schedule PVR recordings and purchase films from the VOD library 'Videoclube'.

As part of its launch promotion, the telco is offering free access to Casa TV to all broadband customers until the end of this year.  Vodafone Portugal is going head to head against some pretty stiff competition in the Portuguese IPTV market however - incumbent telco Portugal Telecom had already reached 312,000 subscribers for its IPTV service 'Meo' by the end of 2008, while Sonaecom has not divulged subscriber figures for its own service, 'Clix SmarTV', launched in April 2007.