Jump to content

EE TV: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Reverting edits
→BT Vision Sport: rework + sources.
Line 72: Line 72:
Between August [[2007]] and June 2009, [[Setanta Sports]] was available through BT Vision, via DTT and a smart card, offering Live Barclays Premiership and Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, as well as other sporting events such as US PGA Tour Golf and Magners League Rugby. BT Vision has now made a deal with American sports giant ESPN<ref>http://www.btvision.com/sport/setanta</ref> for carriage of its new channel which replaced Setanta on DTT.
Between August [[2007]] and June 2009, [[Setanta Sports]] was available through BT Vision, via DTT and a smart card, offering Live Barclays Premiership and Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, as well as other sporting events such as US PGA Tour Golf and Magners League Rugby. BT Vision has now made a deal with American sports giant ESPN<ref>http://www.btvision.com/sport/setanta</ref> for carriage of its new channel which replaced Setanta on DTT.


The company announced the pricing of their Sky Sports packages in July 2010, following the outcome of [[Ofcom]]'s review into pay-TV pricing in March, which directed Sky to reduce the wholesale price it charges for the [[Sky Sports]] channels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/31/ofcom-sky-sports-price-cut|title=Ofcom orders Sky Sports price cut|publisher=The Guardian|date=31 March 2010|accessdate=8 July 2010}}</ref> The price charged to customers signing up for broadband, calls and TV with BT for a two-year contract results in the organisation making a "significant loss on the service",<ref name=war>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/01/bt-vision-sky-sports|title=War breaks out between BT and Sky over pricing of Sky Sports channels|publisher=The Guardian|date=1 July 2010|accessdate=8 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2010/07/02/bt-vision-to-offer-cut-price-deal-on-sky-sports-channels-86908-22376813/|title=BT Vision to offer ut price deal on Sky Sports channels|publisher=[[Daily Record]]|date=2 July 2010|accessdate=8 July 2010}}</ref> allowing them to undercut the price charged by Sky to its own customers.<ref name=war/>
On the 31st of July BT Vision intends to launch a new look Vision Sport pack with the inclusion of [[Sky Sports|Sky Sports]] 1 and 2 along with the current line up.<ref>http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/news/a219710/bt-vision-to-offer-sky-sports-1-and-2.html</ref>

On July 1st 2010 BT announced extremely competitive pricing for its Sky Sports pack, if bundled with broadband and calls packages the service could be subscribed to for just £11.99 per month. This massively undercuts the price that Sky charges its own customers.

BT Vision Sport intends to encourage the inscription of customers who do not wish to pay a high monthly subscription for sports.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2776196.ece | work=The Independent | location=London | title=BT Vision to challenge Sky's grip on live football | first1=David | last1=Prosser | date=17 July 2007 | accessdate=27 April 2010}}</ref>


===BT Vision TV & BT Vision Kids===
===BT Vision TV & BT Vision Kids===

Revision as of 20:06, 8 July 2010

BT Vision
Company typePay TV and Download Service
IndustryMedia & Telecoms
FoundedDecember 2006
HeadquartersUnited Kingdom London
ProductsPay TV services
Programming
OwnerBT Group
Websitewww.btvision.com

BT Vision is an IPTV television service provided in the United Kingdom, launched in December 2006, and owned by the BT Group. It requires access to a BT Broadband internet connection with BT's official router (BT Home Hub) to watch programs including on demand.

Launch

BT Vision was launched on 5 December 2006, and entered the market to compete with Sky Digital, Virgin Media and TalkTalk TV (then known as Tiscali TV).[1] Initial reaction by the industry was positive although there was some criticism that set up costs were expensive and it was noted that BT Group were entering a competitive market.[2] In May 2007, BT Group launched a national advertising campaign for this service.[3] The aim was to attract "hundreds of thousands" of customers by the end of 2007 and 2-3 million in the medium term.[4]

Overview

BT Vision provides digital terrestrial television channels using a Freeview decoder and on demand film, TV, sport, kids and music programming delivered via broadband through a hybrid DTT/IP/PVR set top box, known as the Vision+ (see below).[5]

Vision+ set-top box

The Vision+ is an set-top box, similar to Sky+ and V+, that enables 80 hours television programmes to be recorded while watching other live programs. The service is described as providing a range of on demand content without compulsory subscriptions. However, a BT broadband connection with a guaranteed line speed is required. A self-install version and a technician install version of BT Vision are available.[6]

The Silver Vision+, was Philips DIT9719 operating Microsoft Mediaroom software, with the new Black Vision+ box being made by Pace. The operating system of the Vision+ is Windows CE, from Microsoft. Only one Vision+ can be used at a time to connect to the BT Vision service using a single Home Hub / Broadband Line.

Content

BT Vision Music

BT has agreed deals with:

who provide a range of music videos, concerts and music documentaries on demand. The concert programming covers a wide variety of genres including rock, pop, urban and ‘alternative', jazz and opera.

The music line-up includes names such as Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, Duran Duran, Fatboy Slim, Oasis, Queen, Phil Collins.

BT Vision Film

BT Vision has signed deals with the following studios to provide classic movies and the latest blockbuster films:

All films are available on a pay-per-view basis.

BT Vision Sport

BT won the rights to carry 242 same-day (but not live) FA Premier League football matches per season. The three year deal covers the 2007-8, 2008-9 and 2009-10 seasons. BT has acquired the rights in a joint bid with BSkyB. BT Vision also have the right to offer on demand coverage of 125 matches each season from the Football League and Carling Cup. These matches are available from 10pm on the evening that the game is played.

In addition to the football above, BT Vision is building an archive of classic matches from a variety of sports.

All of this on demand sports content is available on a pay per view basis, without the need for an upfront television subscription. Alternatively, customers can take a monthly viewing package allowing them to watch as much content as they like.

Between August 2007 and June 2009, Setanta Sports was available through BT Vision, via DTT and a smart card, offering Live Barclays Premiership and Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, as well as other sporting events such as US PGA Tour Golf and Magners League Rugby. BT Vision has now made a deal with American sports giant ESPN[7] for carriage of its new channel which replaced Setanta on DTT.

The company announced the pricing of their Sky Sports packages in July 2010, following the outcome of Ofcom's review into pay-TV pricing in March, which directed Sky to reduce the wholesale price it charges for the Sky Sports channels.[8] The price charged to customers signing up for broadband, calls and TV with BT for a two-year contract results in the organisation making a "significant loss on the service",[9][10] allowing them to undercut the price charged by Sky to its own customers.[9]

BT Vision TV & BT Vision Kids

TV:

Kids:

On Demand

  • Channel 4 on Demand (4oD)
  • BBC on Demand. From late May 2008, BT discontinued free access to BBC TV replay, instead requiring Vision users to take out a £2.93 a month subscription.
  • Demand Five. From early October 2008, BT have added Five to their £3 Replay package.
  • ITV Catch Up, available from December 2008.

Background

When British Telecom (BT) was privatised in 1984 it was barred from providing television broadcasts over its telecommunication network, which meant that it was not possible for BT to provide a cable television service. The ban was designed to protect the new smaller telecommunications companies and the small cable television networks in the United Kingdom as it was felt that BT had an unfair advantage because its pre-privatisation monopoly meant that its equipment was already installed in virtually every home and business in the United Kingdom. In January 2001, the ban was lifted.[11]

Powerline adaptors

The set-top box is connected to the hub via an Ethernet cable either connected directly to the BT Home Hub, or to one of a pair of Comtrend Ethernet adapters. The Comtrend UPA adaptors use the mains wiring in a house to create an Ethernet network. A second adaptor is plugged into the mains and connected to the BT Home Hub via an Ethernet cable. These plugs are provided as part of the BT Vision package.

Radio Amateurs have claimed that these powerline adaptors cause disruption and interference. Following their introduction by BT in 2007[12] an estimated 500,000 units were in use by January 2009, resulting in around 40 complaints from radio amateurs in that time[13] to the communications regulator Ofcom. Following internet publicity the figure rose to 143 complaints in the year to September 2009, of which 121 were resolved.[14] Ofcom concludes that "there does not at present appear to be significant public harm arising from this situation."

Nonetheless The Radio Society of Great Britain continues to maintain that PLT is causing disruption to Shortwave radio services. Ofcom has commissioned an independent study into the likelihood and extent of interference caused by PLT apparatus.[15]

References

  1. ^ BT Vision - passing you the control, BT Group news release, 4 December 2006, retrieved on 2 June 2007
  2. ^ Hi-tech world assesses BT Vision, BBC new report, 6 December 2006, retrieved on 2 June 2007.
  3. ^ BT Vision unveils national advertising campaign, BT Group news release, 10 May 2007, retrieved on 2 June 2007.
  4. ^ Multi-million pound campaign to promote Britain's most flexible digital TV Service, BT Group new release, 10 May 2007, retrieved 2 June 2007.
  5. ^ http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=24693
  6. ^ Pay Per View TV | BT Vision
  7. ^ http://www.btvision.com/sport/setanta
  8. ^ "Ofcom orders Sky Sports price cut". The Guardian. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  9. ^ a b "War breaks out between BT and Sky over pricing of Sky Sports channels". The Guardian. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  10. ^ "BT Vision to offer ut price deal on Sky Sports channels". Daily Record. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  11. ^ BT to begin broadcasting, BBC news report, 27/5/2001, retrieved on 2 June 2007.
  12. ^ http://www.powerlinenetworking.co.uk/content/view/138/75/
  13. ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/15/bt_vision_interference/
  14. ^ http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/enforcement/plt/
  15. ^ http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/enforcement/plt/
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=EE_TV&oldid=372452521"