VOD apparently actually coming

who is this

After being due for 2010, then early 2011, apparently VOD might actually be coming next year since they're recruiting for it.

Being a bit overambitious with the "iPhone, iPad, Android etc." bit I think. Took them this long to even get around to hiring someone to do the job even for cable, I'll believe it when I see it.

JoeyJJ

Good detective work. Interesting not sure I would be a heavy user however if something took my fancy and it was priced right, might get a few bites.

coylemj

I would definitely use it as an alternative to Xtravision. On the odd occasion I rent a movie, picking up and dropping back DVDs is a pain.

Currently Xravision charge €4 per night for recent movies, UPC could probably get away with charging €5 to download a movie and considering the convenience they'd probably take a massive chunk of Xtravision's business if not wipe them out completely.

Carter P Fly

Content providers are pushing strongly for pre DVD release on VOD. when this happens here extra vision and the likes could be in troubles

Ranicand

Carter P Fly wrote: »

Content providers are pushing strongly for pre DVD release on VOD. when this happens here extra vision and the likes could be in troubles

In this day and age Xtravision is flogging a dead donkey.

You have to go our to rent the movie and then bring it back the next day.:D

Minstrel27

I go to Xtravision to buy DVD's, Bluray and games. Haven't rented anything in years.

Infoanon

Sky have tied up exclusive rights with all the major studios - that will greatly reduce UPC movie options on VOD

dunworth1

Infoanon wrote: »

Sky have tied up exclusive rights with all the major studios - that will greatly reduce UPC movie options on VOD

i am sick to death of these stupid exclusives i only wish for the regulator to do its job

Carter P Fly

Infoanon wrote: »

Sky have tied up exclusive rights with all the major studios - that will greatly reduce UPC movie options on VOD

as far as I can tell In the UK Virgin dont suffer from skys exclusive rights to movies, they have a pretty exhaustive catalog of movies on offer. Sky had rights to a lot of content but then again so does the BBC, Ch5, Channel 4 and so on. Sky will sell its content wholesale like any other content provider.

bk

I disagree, the price of rentals needs to be cheaper then xtra vision, not more expensive. I wouldn't base my pricing on a company who just came out of examinership.

Xtra Vision have much higher costs then UPC would have, needing to rent stores, electricity, insurance, staff for those stores and needing to physically distribute to those stores.

So UPC should be able to match our undercut xtra vision.

Why would UPC want to do this? Well a cheap and well received VoD service might help them win back customers from Sky (who charge €5.75 for movies!!) and improve their TV service. Also they will be competing with other VoD services from the likes of Apple iTunes, Amazon VoD and Netflicks.

UPC don't want to get into a situation where people start using these alternative services and find it so good that they end up cancelling UPC.

I also hope UPC will be looking to introduce iPlayer catch up services from the likes of RTE, c4, BBC, etc. and that they specially do a deal with the BBC to bring the full BBC iPlayer experience to Ireland. I'd imagine that would be a VERY popular move.

BuffyBot

Rights issues would render the BBC iPlayer useless. They'd have to charge extra for it.

As for movies, the studios would have separate satellite and cable rights for their productions for exactly this reason - one set of rights to sell to Sky, another to sell to cable companies. Double the income for them!

starviewadams

Would be such a cool job to have!

Carter P Fly

FWIW all the next gen VOD platforms are whats called 3 screen vod which ties Mobile phone, Internet and TV services to the same account and the same content. If UPC do start offering vod this in ireland is most likley the setup they will be offerning as it is basically the standard for all newly implemented vod systems. I should note that thsi is not the current setup at UPCs VOD elsewhere in europe where it is just cable vod at the moment.

icdg

NTL did try PPV movies in the very early days of digital with Front Row. Think it lasted less than two years, but there was only four channels of it so to even apply the label "NVOD" to it seems a bit much.

Hopefully they may do a lot better with any new offering which may emerge.

Red Alert

Maybe that's what the cable modems in the STB were recently enabled for... though I wonder would they stream the VOD movies over IP or do a dynamic DVB-C channel allocation?

patrickmooney

icdg wrote: »

NTL did try PPV movies in the very early days of digital with Front Row. Think it lasted less than two years, but there was only four channels of it so to even apply the label "NVOD" to it seems a bit much.

Hopefully they may do a lot better with any new offering which may emerge.

Yes I used front row quite a bit. Now I just use AppleTV to rent any movie I want. Don't think I would rent from UPC, unless they allow you to pay using another method other than your bill.

dunworth1

patrickmooney wrote: »

Yes I used front row quite a bit. Now I just use AppleTV to rent any movie I want. Don't think I would rent from UPC, unless they allow you to pay using another method other than your bill.

i would like the option to pay by credit/debit card as apposed to the bill

who is this

Infoanon wrote: »

Sky have tied up exclusive rights with all the major studios - that will greatly reduce UPC movie options on VOD

Well it couldn't be exclusive in any sense other than TVOD, because iTunes etc. offer digital rentals.

And I doubt an exclusivity arrangement that specific (if it exists, which I'm not sure it does, given what was pointed out about Virgin) would be allowed stand if UPC complained to a regulator. It wouldn't be about offering customers an "exclusive" service (you can rent from Xbox Live, iTunes etc.) just blocking their only real competitor (in Ireland) from competing with them.

While if this is true, I have no doubt UPC will get around it (if they are determined enough), in any case it is their own fault for not launching it before Sky. Cable is far more suited to VOD than satellite, so they should've launched years ago.

Also whatever leverage Sky might have, I imagine Liberty Global has more.