CA
Just sell it to Sky. They are simply the only company who could make it work.
The marketing campaigns by ITV Digital have been frankly pathetic.
'We've got more men in shorts than Sky'
They really have to learn that this is no longer 1994, when people only bought Sky to watch the football. The only sports channel I sometimes watch is Sky Sports News and that isn't available on ITV Digital.
We're getting to the stage whereby people are buying digital because they have to. Surveys have shown that 50% of households are prepared to pay for extra television channels. People say ITV Digital will come into its own when analogue is switched off. Perhaps it will, but that's quite a way off and holding out hope that in about 7 years time you'll actually make some money is a rather hopeless business plan.
When analogue is turned off there will be a rush from all sides to say that their product is better. Let's take a situation where Sky and ITVD are the main suppliers of multi-channel. ITVD are saying how you can just plug in a box etc and get so many channels without paying a fee. But at the same time I'd rather stick a dish to the side of my house and get a hell of a lot more channels - again without paying a subscription fee.
Perhaps if the ITC had used its brain a few years ago and decided to keep Sky in the DTT consortium then ITV Digital wouldn't be in the mess it's in today, indeed it wouldn't be called ITV Digital. I know the government don't want to give Sky the main control over how we get our TV, but if they actually want their plans for digital television to suceed then they've actually got no choice.
Tough luck, Tony. You just happen to live in a country with the world's most successful satellite TV company, don't expect it to change.
(Edited by c@t at 5:14 pm on Oct. 13, 2001)
The marketing campaigns by ITV Digital have been frankly pathetic.
'We've got more men in shorts than Sky'
They really have to learn that this is no longer 1994, when people only bought Sky to watch the football. The only sports channel I sometimes watch is Sky Sports News and that isn't available on ITV Digital.
We're getting to the stage whereby people are buying digital because they have to. Surveys have shown that 50% of households are prepared to pay for extra television channels. People say ITV Digital will come into its own when analogue is switched off. Perhaps it will, but that's quite a way off and holding out hope that in about 7 years time you'll actually make some money is a rather hopeless business plan.
When analogue is turned off there will be a rush from all sides to say that their product is better. Let's take a situation where Sky and ITVD are the main suppliers of multi-channel. ITVD are saying how you can just plug in a box etc and get so many channels without paying a fee. But at the same time I'd rather stick a dish to the side of my house and get a hell of a lot more channels - again without paying a subscription fee.
Perhaps if the ITC had used its brain a few years ago and decided to keep Sky in the DTT consortium then ITV Digital wouldn't be in the mess it's in today, indeed it wouldn't be called ITV Digital. I know the government don't want to give Sky the main control over how we get our TV, but if they actually want their plans for digital television to suceed then they've actually got no choice.
Tough luck, Tony. You just happen to live in a country with the world's most successful satellite TV company, don't expect it to change.
(Edited by c@t at 5:14 pm on Oct. 13, 2001)
MM
MillyMaster
Quote:
'We've got more men in shorts than Sky'
Agreed, no one cares weather ITV Digital has more live football, they dont have things like interactive football etc. And if ITV start being more ignorant towards Sky, then they could find the Sky Sports channels being withdrawn from ITV Digital.
SE
Square Eyes
Founding member
Hmph, the ITV Digital advertising campaign has been fantastic, especially with Al & Monkey, which you chose to ignore. I blame the government for this, let's face it people aren't exactly flocking to Sky really either are they, with over two thirds of the population still to upgrade to digital TV. There hasn't been nearly enough publicity about this at all. I think that the government should subsidise this and offer a one off reduction in the licence fee for homes that subscribe to Digital TV.
You say that if it comes down to choice between ITV Digital vs Sky that people would rather go for more channels. If this is the case then, ITV needs to look at more closely at it's product and pricing structure and get some more exclusive channels and programming to it's service. The football & Champions League is a start, but more needs to follow. It's not good enough to have the best 50 channels if those are also available on Sky with 300 others.
Well anyway, I like the service and I hope that the governments Christmas campaign get's lot's more subscribers to ITV Digital. Yeeeha.
You say that if it comes down to choice between ITV Digital vs Sky that people would rather go for more channels. If this is the case then, ITV needs to look at more closely at it's product and pricing structure and get some more exclusive channels and programming to it's service. The football & Champions League is a start, but more needs to follow. It's not good enough to have the best 50 channels if those are also available on Sky with 300 others.
Well anyway, I like the service and I hope that the governments Christmas campaign get's lot's more subscribers to ITV Digital. Yeeeha.
DA
As a modern society, it's vital that Digital TV and radio succeed. With digital TV, it's possible for the ITC etc to award more licenses for more free to air channels, and the government likewise with BBC channels as well. Under the old analogue system, it's impossible for more free to air TV channels to be provided.
Let's hope that ITV digital don't collapse, because as Digital Terrestrial, it's the only platform that the government can provide free to air channels without households necessarily having to fork out an extortionate subscription for channels they cannot afford as they do on Sky. And with cable digital, residents are tied down to having a phone line installed.
And also, if digital terrestrial and cable collapse, Sky would have a total monopoly on digital TV so they can charge what the hell they like for subscriptions. That would be completely outrageous.
Much maligned though ITV Digital are at the moment, they must survive in the long term interests of British Television.
If Britain was to be a 5 channel analogue TV and an AM/FM/LW radio analogue society in the 21st century, we would be a laughing stock around the world.
Let's hope that ITV digital don't collapse, because as Digital Terrestrial, it's the only platform that the government can provide free to air channels without households necessarily having to fork out an extortionate subscription for channels they cannot afford as they do on Sky. And with cable digital, residents are tied down to having a phone line installed.
And also, if digital terrestrial and cable collapse, Sky would have a total monopoly on digital TV so they can charge what the hell they like for subscriptions. That would be completely outrageous.
Much maligned though ITV Digital are at the moment, they must survive in the long term interests of British Television.
If Britain was to be a 5 channel analogue TV and an AM/FM/LW radio analogue society in the 21st century, we would be a laughing stock around the world.
IN
indigoBen
We do need more FTA stations - but the government doesn't want to let us have them. I want shot of ITV Digital so we can use the space for Free Television
DA
Just say that the unthinkable happens, and ITV Digital collapes soon, the governent should take over the running of the service, so that households can upgrade from analogue to the digital service with their licence fee paid in advance. Effectively residents would receive a free digi-box.
Residents would receive all the extra free to air channels presently on Sky, Telewest, NTL and the present ITV Digital, without having to wait to 2006 to 2010 before the government switches off the analogue signal.
There would also be free digital radio as well.
Residents would receive all the extra free to air channels presently on Sky, Telewest, NTL and the present ITV Digital, without having to wait to 2006 to 2010 before the government switches off the analogue signal.
There would also be free digital radio as well.
BB
BBCnewsemployee
In my opinion, ITV Digital is proper, brand new technology, whereas Sky could probabally have lauched digital technology 10 years ago, but knew that if it launched digital satellite in 1998 then they could nick even more people's hard earned cash.
AE
Ashley Elford
It should be remember the is more to DTT than ITV Digital. Even if it did colapse, it should be remembered that ITV Digital only control 50% of available channel space - the BBC, SDN and Digital 3&4 control the rest, therefor DTT will keep going regardless wether ITV Digital are here or not. I suppose this is one bonus over satellite, in the respect that if ASTRA ever colapsed, there would be no DTH DST for UK viewing. Sky and ITV Digital wont subsidise boxes for ever, and certainly in a few years I doubt Sky will be able to afford their £100 dish+box offer.
People will simply be opting for either an iDTV or and iDSTV. Certainly in the subscription stakes, ITV Digital need only attract just over 500,000 out of these future set owners to break-even, the problem is, do Carlton and Granada have the time to wait, considering their losses in advertising revenue from ITV1 ?
Its interesting how ITV Digital is represented by the press too, obviously the News Coperation press paint a gloomy picture of any tv service other than Sky's, the Daily Express take government action in a good light, whilst the Indepenant just babble on over various flawed arguments both ways!
(Edited by Ashley Elford at 7:54 pm on Oct. 13, 2001)
People will simply be opting for either an iDTV or and iDSTV. Certainly in the subscription stakes, ITV Digital need only attract just over 500,000 out of these future set owners to break-even, the problem is, do Carlton and Granada have the time to wait, considering their losses in advertising revenue from ITV1 ?
Its interesting how ITV Digital is represented by the press too, obviously the News Coperation press paint a gloomy picture of any tv service other than Sky's, the Daily Express take government action in a good light, whilst the Indepenant just babble on over various flawed arguments both ways!
(Edited by Ashley Elford at 7:54 pm on Oct. 13, 2001)
BB
BringBackThames
This really has been ballsed up! Sky
shouldn't
IMHO have the rights to ITV Digital because it would be wrong for one profit making company to have a virtual monopoly or at least a huge stranglehold on broadcasting.
If I'd been in charge of this I would have set up a proper committee to deal with this and had representatives from Sky, BBC, ITV, Channels 4 & 5 and the cable companies to set up an integrated campaign for digital. We do not need so many channels! I believe in the dilution theory of broadcasting, the more channels you set up the more cheap tat you have on air because you have more air time to fill and it costs more to produce programmes.
Anyway, the government should have produced an integrated digital box with the cable companies providing the interactive service through broadband, ITV Digital providing a regional channels and the FTA channels and Sky providing the pay per view channels. I would have limited it to 30 channels and provided a more high definition service. When digital was first proposed it was supposed to provide perfect picture quality and CD quality sound.
It would've been a good idea to introduce HDTV in parallel with digital on the forty-three channels which would be divided into multiplexes (Pay-per-View channels in italics - 24 hour channels in bold) :
1: BBC
11. BBC One
12. BBC Two
13. BBC Choice
14. BBC Knowledge
15. BBC News 24
2: ITV
21. ITV
22. ITV2 (subject to a huge revamp)
23. CITV
24. ITV Plus (Granada Plus & Carlton Select)
25. ITV Lifestyle (Granada Breeze & Men and Motors after 2200)
3: Channel 4 & 5
31. Channel 4 / S4C
32. Film Four
33. E4
34. ITN News Channel
35. Channel 5
4: The Sports Network
41. Sports One (Sky Sports 1)
42. Sports Two (Sky Sports 2)
43. Sports Three (Sky Sports 3)
44. Sports Four (ITV Sport Channel)
45. Sports Five (Eurosport)
5: The Entertainment Network
51. Sky One
52. Paramount Comedy Channel
53. UK Gold
54. UK Play
55. Movie Screen One
56. Movie Screen Two
57. Movie Screen Three
58. MTV
59. VH1
6: Children's TV
61. Nickelodeon
62. Disney Channel
63. Cartoon Network
64. Discovery Kids
65. The Children's Channel
7: The Information Network
71. Sky News
72. CNN International
73. UK Horizons
74. Discovery Channel One
75. Discovery Channel Two
8: Other Stations
81. QVC
82. Shop!
83. Zee TV
84. The Local Channel
85. Information Channel
Some of this requires explanation, the Sports Channels are a merged ITV Sport, Sky Sports and BBC Sports each chipping a 1/3 of bids for the sports coverage and each getting 1/3 of the profits, this means they can't be mugged because there is only one option for sports coverage in the UK so they can get it cheaply. For events like the Olympics or the World Cup, Sports One is turned into a 24 channel covering those events. The Movie Channels are a combined Carlton Cinema and Sky Movies each paying and recieving half of all monies.
Closedowns and startups are brought back to all channels except the news channels and the Information Channel. BBC Channels will close at 1am with long ident and God Save The Queen going to a testcard with a caption saying 24hr news is available on BBC N24. ITV Channels, Channels 4 & 5 will close at 2:30 with clocks and long station music and then a testcard with caption for ITN News Channel. Sky Channels close at 2:30 aswell but with captions for Sky News (obviously). Other channels close at 2:30 but free to close how they wish. All stations start up at 6am and IVC is encouraged.
If I'd been in charge of this I would have set up a proper committee to deal with this and had representatives from Sky, BBC, ITV, Channels 4 & 5 and the cable companies to set up an integrated campaign for digital. We do not need so many channels! I believe in the dilution theory of broadcasting, the more channels you set up the more cheap tat you have on air because you have more air time to fill and it costs more to produce programmes.
Anyway, the government should have produced an integrated digital box with the cable companies providing the interactive service through broadband, ITV Digital providing a regional channels and the FTA channels and Sky providing the pay per view channels. I would have limited it to 30 channels and provided a more high definition service. When digital was first proposed it was supposed to provide perfect picture quality and CD quality sound.
It would've been a good idea to introduce HDTV in parallel with digital on the forty-three channels which would be divided into multiplexes (Pay-per-View channels in italics - 24 hour channels in bold) :
1: BBC
11. BBC One
12. BBC Two
13. BBC Choice
14. BBC Knowledge
15. BBC News 24
2: ITV
21. ITV
22. ITV2 (subject to a huge revamp)
23. CITV
24. ITV Plus (Granada Plus & Carlton Select)
25. ITV Lifestyle (Granada Breeze & Men and Motors after 2200)
3: Channel 4 & 5
31. Channel 4 / S4C
32. Film Four
33. E4
34. ITN News Channel
35. Channel 5
4: The Sports Network
41. Sports One (Sky Sports 1)
42. Sports Two (Sky Sports 2)
43. Sports Three (Sky Sports 3)
44. Sports Four (ITV Sport Channel)
45. Sports Five (Eurosport)
5: The Entertainment Network
51. Sky One
52. Paramount Comedy Channel
53. UK Gold
54. UK Play
55. Movie Screen One
56. Movie Screen Two
57. Movie Screen Three
58. MTV
59. VH1
6: Children's TV
61. Nickelodeon
62. Disney Channel
63. Cartoon Network
64. Discovery Kids
65. The Children's Channel
7: The Information Network
71. Sky News
72. CNN International
73. UK Horizons
74. Discovery Channel One
75. Discovery Channel Two
8: Other Stations
81. QVC
82. Shop!
83. Zee TV
84. The Local Channel
85. Information Channel
Some of this requires explanation, the Sports Channels are a merged ITV Sport, Sky Sports and BBC Sports each chipping a 1/3 of bids for the sports coverage and each getting 1/3 of the profits, this means they can't be mugged because there is only one option for sports coverage in the UK so they can get it cheaply. For events like the Olympics or the World Cup, Sports One is turned into a 24 channel covering those events. The Movie Channels are a combined Carlton Cinema and Sky Movies each paying and recieving half of all monies.
Closedowns and startups are brought back to all channels except the news channels and the Information Channel. BBC Channels will close at 1am with long ident and God Save The Queen going to a testcard with a caption saying 24hr news is available on BBC N24. ITV Channels, Channels 4 & 5 will close at 2:30 with clocks and long station music and then a testcard with caption for ITN News Channel. Sky Channels close at 2:30 aswell but with captions for Sky News (obviously). Other channels close at 2:30 but free to close how they wish. All stations start up at 6am and IVC is encouraged.
MD
mdta
Before ITV Digital and ONdigital the company was called:
British Digital Broadcasting
Sky were part of the group, till the government said they wernt allowed to help, so they left the group, and so did any chance of BDB being able to use Sky's Digital technologies.
Sky digital is superior technologicaly, channel lineup, EPG, etc...
Its a real shame as that left them with MHEG.
British Digital Broadcasting
Sky were part of the group, till the government said they wernt allowed to help, so they left the group, and so did any chance of BDB being able to use Sky's Digital technologies.
Sky digital is superior technologicaly, channel lineup, EPG, etc...
Its a real shame as that left them with MHEG.
DA
Exactly the point. Sky Digital have deliberately kept their prices purposely at the same price as ITV digital, because Sky know that with 3 times the number of stations on offer compared to ITV Digital, they are far more likely to gain a significant number more subscribers than ITV Digital.
ITV Digital's prices are not exactly unreasonable for 50 channels, but questions have to asked as to why Sky Digital's prices are so ridiculously low for the ridiculously high number of channels on offer. It's a question for the DTI to investigate closely.
With the dire financial straits that ITV digital find themselves in, Sky know that ITV digital could effectively be forced out of business, leaving them with a monopoly in TV showroom and electrical store sales.
Once ITV digital are out of the way, Sky will then work with BT to work out a ridiculously cut price deal that will effectively force companies like Telewest and NTL out of business. That would leave them with a total monopoly, and then you would soon see Sky Digital's prices rocket by quadruple with all the competition out of the way.
I think it's time that the government take some urgent action before we once again see a disgraceful monopoly by Rupert Murdoch's lot, and their own analogue switch off dream ends in ruins.
I would hate to see the UK remain as basically an analogue only society.
ITV Digital's prices are not exactly unreasonable for 50 channels, but questions have to asked as to why Sky Digital's prices are so ridiculously low for the ridiculously high number of channels on offer. It's a question for the DTI to investigate closely.
With the dire financial straits that ITV digital find themselves in, Sky know that ITV digital could effectively be forced out of business, leaving them with a monopoly in TV showroom and electrical store sales.
Once ITV digital are out of the way, Sky will then work with BT to work out a ridiculously cut price deal that will effectively force companies like Telewest and NTL out of business. That would leave them with a total monopoly, and then you would soon see Sky Digital's prices rocket by quadruple with all the competition out of the way.
I think it's time that the government take some urgent action before we once again see a disgraceful monopoly by Rupert Murdoch's lot, and their own analogue switch off dream ends in ruins.
I would hate to see the UK remain as basically an analogue only society.