The headline combines two separate Pace stories. In the late 1990s, several hundred BT customers were due to try Microsoft WebTV through Pace- and Sony-made set-top boxes, but the report did not give a consumer release date. A different Pace product—a low-cost digital terrestrial adapter for free-to-view television—did reach shops on 30 March 2002 for £99.99.
Why the headline refers to two different Pace digibox stories
“UK trial but no release date” describes the WebTV trial, not the £99.99 adapter. The trial involved internet access through a television; the later adapter received digital terrestrial television. The products had different purposes, delivery methods and availability.
| Detail | Microsoft WebTV UK trial | Pace free-to-air digital adapter |
|---|---|---|
| When | Late 1990s; the report gives no retail release date. | Announced 18 January 2002; shop launch reported for 30 March 2002. |
| What it did | Provided internet access through a television. | Received free-to-view digital terrestrial TV. |
| Who it was for | Several hundred BT customers selected for a trial. | People seeking digital TV without a monthly subscription. |
| Price and availability | Not stated in The Independent’s trial report. | £99.99 announced by Pace, as reported by EE Times; The Guardian reported the retail launch. |
| Subscription | The report describes internet access but does not specify a consumer subscription arrangement. | No Sky Digital or ITV Digital subscription was required for the non-pay services. |
What happened in the WebTV trial?
The Independent reported that Microsoft selected BT Internet for a UK trial. Several hundred BT customers were to receive set-top boxes made by Pace Micro Technology and Sony, allowing them to access the internet through their televisions. The report establishes a trial, not a public retail launch: it does not say when or whether a consumer WebTV product would go on sale in the UK.
Did Pace’s £99.99 digital adapter launch?
Yes. EE Times reported on 18 January 2002 that Pace had announced a 30 March launch at £99.99. The Guardian subsequently reported that the adapter went into shops on Saturday 30 March 2002. It was intended to let viewers receive free-to-view digital terrestrial television without taking a Sky Digital or ITV Digital subscription.
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The product was a digital TV adapter, not an internet-connected WebTV device. Buyers could install it and watch non-pay digital services without a recurring subscription, according to Pace’s launch description. The £99.99 figure is the announced 2002 retail price, not a current price or a statement of present-day availability.
Which channels did the adapter receive?
The Guardian described the box as providing nine channels unavailable on analogue television, as part of a wider national free-to-air line-up of 14 channels plus regional services. Its reported channel list was:
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The Guardian’s report also noted additional regional services. These figures and channel names describe the UK line-up reported at the 2002 launch; they should not be read as a present-day channel list.
Could the Pace adapter receive ITV Digital or pay-TV?
Not as sold at launch: Pace marketed the simpler adapter for free-to-air viewing after negotiations with ITV Digital over an upgrade arrangement failed. The dispute centred on features ITV Digital wanted. The Guardian reported ITV Digital’s view that the box lacked interactive capability and piracy protection; an ITV Digital spokeswoman said, “We refused to support the Pace box at this stage because it didn’t have several key things that we were looking for.”
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Pace argued that interactivity and a pay-TV upgrade could be added through downloaded software. The Independent reported that Pace made last-minute technical modifications after the talks fell through. The two sides therefore disagreed not just about commercial support but about whether the adapter, as delivered, had the capabilities and protections required for ITV Digital services. The available reports do not establish that the proposed upgrade was subsequently delivered.
Why did Pace sell a simpler box?
Pace positioned the adapter for viewers who wanted digital channels without a monthly subscription. Marketing director Andrew Wallis told The Independent: “We have now taken a simpler approach. Our research shows that there is a real demand out there for this box, from people who don’t want to take out a monthly subscription.”
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At the time, Pace chief executive Malcolm Miller also argued that inexpensive hardware alone would not complete the transition to digital television. In remarks reported by EE Times on 18 January 2002, he pointed to useful, compelling programming and clear public information as necessary parts of wider take-up. Those comments reflect the digital-TV transition debate of 2002, rather than a current assessment of television services.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the WebTV release date?
No public release date is given in the available report of Microsoft’s UK WebTV trial. That absence should not be confused with the Pace terrestrial adapter’s definite 2002 shop launch: they were separate products, and the adapter’s date does not supply a release date for WebTV.
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