UPC HAS ANNOUNCED that its TV viewers will be able to access programming from RTÉ and TV3 through their TV set-top boxes from this weekend.

The On Demand TV service will be rolled out to homes across the country from this Friday, initially to homes in Dublin, with other viewers nationwide being given access to the service through the summer.

The service will allow users to view the last seven days’ material from the RTÉ Player and 3player on demand, for free, as well as 1,300 hours of ‘box set’ TV series from the BBC, ITV and other channels.

UPC said series like Blue Bloods, The Good Wife and Dexter would be among those available on demand, for UPC Select and Max customers. Programming from TG4 will be added to the On Demand feature in the coming weeks.

A new Movies On Demand service will also allow customers to rent movies to watch through their TVs, with films becoming available at the same time they are available on DVD.

New releases available through that service will be priced at €4.99 (or €5.99 in high definition), with other films in the movie library priced at €1.99 (or €2.49 in HD).

UPC said it was able to offer the services, which rival similar On Demand and Box Office services available to Sky customers, after a €500m investment in its network.