Freesat and the BBC will be testing a ?beta? version of the iPlayer catch-up TV service from early next month.

To watch the iPlayer on Freesat, viewers will need a Freesat HD digital box or Freesat HD TV, which is connected to their home broadband.

It has also been confirmed that ITV?s catch-up service, the ITV Player, will launch on to Freesat in the first half of next year.

Both the ITV Player and the iPlayer are already available to Virgin Media subscribers.

Catch-up TV services ? together with the advent of digital video recorders ? have given viewers far greater choice of how and when they watch TV.

Ofcom research found that nearly a quarter of households were watching catch-up TV online in 2008, compared to 17% in 2007.

Ofcom has put together a video guide to give a better idea about how this technology works.

It also looks at some of the digital video recorders and online TV services available today.

Story provided by Business Financial Newswire