Little info yet - but it can't really be anymore than one or two channels using Top Up TV's old space, unless it's a Sky version of BT Vision, which you'd think the competition commission would have something to say about, but then again Murdoch gets away with anything!
Still no info - someone on the DS forums
suggesting
it
could
be something similar to the "Sky By Wire" service offered by Homechoice, which would enable BT Vision customers to get things like Sky Sports as a broadband channel.
Little info yet - but it can't really be anymore than one or two channels using Top Up TV's old space, unless it's a Sky version of BT Vision, which you'd think the competition commission would have something to say about, but then again Murdoch gets away with anything!
Still no info -
someone on the DS forums
suggesting
it
could
be something similar to the "Sky By Wire" service offered by Homechoice,
which would enable BT Vision customers to get things like Sky Sports as a broadband channel.
satellite broadcaster BSkyB is to launch a pay-TV service on digital terrestrial television later this year.
The new service will allow customers to receive some of Sky's most popular programming, including live Premiership football and Holllywood films.
BSkyB's new DTT pay-TV offering will use compression technology to squeeze four services out of the spectrum currently used by its three Freeview channels - Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News.
Customers will pay a monthly subscription to get the service through a conventional rooftop aerial and a digital TV box.
To access the service, customers will have to buy a new set-top box that includes the relevant conditional access software and MPEG4 decoder - suggesting it will not be available via existing Freeview DTT receivers.
The move raises the stakes in the looming battle with Irish company Setanta, which is offering Premiership football on DTT for a monthly subscription from August.
It also comes on the day that cable group NTL-Telewest rebranded as Virgin Media and vowed to turn up the heat on Sky in the pay-TV arena.
Sky's new service will also be a direct competitor to existing DTT pay-TV outfit Top Up TV.
Sky said the service - whose launch is dependent on approval from media watchdog Ofcom - would use a highly secure conditional access system similar to the one it uses for its satellite television service.
The new service will make use of existing capacity that Sky currently uses to broadcast Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News. As a result, these channels will cease to be available free-to-air via DTT in advance of the launch of the pay-TV service.
If Ofcom allow this to go ahead, it will have a hugely detrimental effect on Freeview (of which Sky's three channels are a major draw), on DTT (more confusion for consumers, less capacity for Freeview channels) and on those companies trying to take Sky on who deserve a fair chance to suceed (Top Up TV, BT Vision, and especially Setanta Sports).
The new service will make use of existing capacity that Sky currently uses to broadcast Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News. As a result, these channels will cease to be available free-to-air via DTT in advance of the launch of the pay-TV service.
I thought the whole point of Sky Three was to showcase Sky One stuff on Freeview! Sky Three may as well shut down as it’s pointless just on Sky and Cable!
When I saw the thread title, I thought - brilliant; but reading into what they plan to do, they have made it far more difficult than it should be.
Attempting to run a monthly subscription service with just four channels, with all compatible hardware being distributed by themselves is crazy.
The current use of Sky Three as a taster for other channels on pay TV platforms remains a solid idea, and could be developed in time to be a major free to air channel - scrapping that plan is a shame [although it opens up rumours that they may bid for five].
Screening certain movies and sporting events currently shown on premium channels on a pay-per-view format on freeview could be a very clever move. They could secure the channels in a similar way to Xtraview, meaning that you instantly have millions of potential customers. They could show anything on PPV on sky, plus Premiership matches, Guinness Premiership games etc - and if they set the prices correctly it shouldn't erode the Sky Sports subscription rate at all (if could even drive growth - get people sampling content at home and with a subscription being a cheaper option than buying every event individually). It could be tricky with some rights issues, but any governing bodies concerned about a lack of their sport on terrestrial should be very pleased (I can only see pubs being upset - but again probably not enough to affect subscription numbers).
I would have thought it was also a long term aim to have a FTA Sky Sports channel that could then bid for listen events this move makes it much more difficult for them to do that (although i'm sure such a move would be a long way off).
Great idea to launch a DTT service, a very, very strange method of implementing it.
Incidentally are subscription services allowed on the 'Crown Castle' multiplexes? I thought not?
This is taking the p!ss. Sky News was a great alternative to News 24, Sky Sports News is the only sport material on Freeview and Sky Three is the closest we can get to general Sky entertainment!
:-(
A former member
so Um If SKY Three goes away Then how on earth can sky hold ANY free to air TV rights for any shows!
