Fast Forward - IPTV

Ofcom allows BT to discount bundled services

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:39:00 --0100

Ofcom has lifted restrictions placed on BT in the mid-1980s, paving the way for more competition between telecoms companies. BT will be able to introduce new bundled packages this autumn, and its 14 million landline customers could see their telephone, broadband and pay-TV bills reduced. BT's competitors, such as Virgin Media and BSkyB, have been able to package together two or more services and sell the bundle for less than the services would cost individually. Previously, BT was only able to sell such packages for a price equal to the sum of all parts.

Carphone Warehouse considers becoming TV provider

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:06:00 --0100

Carphone Warehouse, which acquired the UK assets of Italian telecoms operator Tiscali last week, is considering whether its Talk Talk phone and broadband business should expand Tiscali's TV service. Tiscali TV provides customers with Freeview channels and video-on-demand content. Charles Dunstone, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse, said that Talk Talk had no immediate plans to 'switch off' Tiscali TV, which has just 50,000 customers, and that it is also considering participating in the BBC-led project Canvas.

Tiscali signs deal with Setanta Sports

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:36:00 --0100

Internet provider Tiscali has signed a deal with Setanta Sports to broadcast three of its channels on the Tiscali internet-based TV platform. The channels, which show live Premier League football games, will cost subscribers £9.99 a month.

Watching the web on TV

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:54:00 --0100

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at new gadgets that allow users to watch internet video on their television sets. At the moment they are mainly used by expats and fans of unusual sports, but as the quality of internet video continues to improve they may soon become of interest to mainstream consumers.

BT adds football to its new IPTV service

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:30:00 --0100

BT has made an attractive addition to its new IPTV service BT Vision: premium football. The new BT Vision Sport package will offer viewers the 46 live matches being shown by Setanta Sports, 60 matches from the Scottish Premier League, 242 'near live' Premiership matches, and 125 Coca-Cola League and Carling Cup matches. It will cost £12 a month. BT Vision uses broadband internet to deliver video signals to a set-top box, which shows the signals on the viewer's television set. It launched in December 2006, and says it is currently installing about 2,500 customers a week.

Ofcom releases latest digital television figures for the UK

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:23:00 --0100

Ofcom (the UK's media regulator) has published its latest report on the uptake of digital TV in the UK. It finds that 80.5% of households now have digital TV, and the Freeview has become the single largest platform for viewing television, having overtaken BSkyB. As the Financial Times comments, 'UK consumers are proving very slow to take up new internet television offering'. Only 62,000 households received television over broadband at the end of March, or just 0.25% of all UK households. BT points out that - although it launched its BT Vision internet television service in December - it has only been promoting its since mid-May. BT Vision had attracted 7,500 customers at that point, but BT expects it to have 'a six figure number' of customers by the end of the year and 'hundreds of thousands' by March 2008. The full report is available for download here.

IPTV service to launch in the Czech Republic

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:15:00 --0100

Broadband TV News reports that a company called ProZETA Broadcasters plans to launch an IPTV service called Quick Media in the Czech Republic on 1 May. ProZETA will operate the service in partnership with some Czech ISPs, which have a total of 600,000 subscribers between them. About 100,000-150,000 of these will be able to receive Quick Media at launch. Quick Media will offer a basic package of 35 channels for Kc 260 (about US$11) a month, on top of which subscribers will be able to add various à la carte options.