Tiscali launch digital TV platform
Thursday, April 12th, 2007Tiscali’s iPTV service has arrived
The ISP Tiscali joined the ranks of digital TV providers when the Tiscali TV launched on March 1, following the company’s takeover of the Homechoice service in August last year. The service offers viewers access to free-to-air digital channels, as well as range of free and pay VoD content, all delivered over an ADSL phoneline connection that connects to the Homechoice set-top box.
Tiscali’s iPTV service is available to Tiscali broadband subscribers, but at the moment it is available only in London and Stevenage. There are plans to roll out services all across Tiscali’s network over the next couple of years, with potential customers in Birmingham, Newcastle and Edinburgh able to sign up for the service in May, and Sheffield, Leeds and Liverpool to be connected later in the year. There are also plans to release a programmable DVR capable of recording in HD for the service in July.
A TV and 2Mb broadband bundle costs £14.99 a month and includes TV-on-demand and pay-per-view films as well as more than 30 channels; Tiscali’s top TV package costs £54.99 a month and includes broadband, and more than 80 digital channels including Paramount Comedy, UKTV Gold, MTV, and Sky Sports 1 to 3.
Tiscali TV offers the lowest-cost TV, broadband and home phone bundle (all three for £19.99 a month), but does not offer as many channels as Sky or Virgin Media.
However Tiscali believe that customers will be unconcerned; Mary Turner, chief executive of Tiscali UK said that the “success of Freeview has shown that customers want more than five channels but don’t necessarily want to pay a high monthly subscription.”
Customers may be attracted by the lower monthly cost, and by the fact that no aerial, cable connection or dishes – and therefore no lengthy and expensive installation processes – are required to receive the channels.
