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Indo: Sky bombarding viewers with new offers as Irish cable companies cry foul

  • 10-01-2002 9:20am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭


    The Independent has an article on our cable companies NTL and Chorus are handling competition Sky.
    THREE years ago observers expected Ireland's cable companies to lead a technology revolution in Irish homes. But digging up the roads to upgrade the pipes which carry TV signals has turned out to be much more time consuming and expensive than expected.

    But the difficulties and delays encountered by Ireland's two cable companies, Chorus and NTL, are being exploited by Rupert Murdoch's aggressive Sky.
    Amasing that Sky Digital is now by far the dominant DTV platform in Ireland:
    So far NTL has signed up 10,000 of its 375,000 customers for digital services, while Chorus has tied up 20,000 of its 250,000 subscribers.

    Chorus has the advantage of using microwave distribution and is not as heavily dependent on cable as NTL. But Sky can target an individual quickly, put a satellite dish on their house and set up the system in less than an hour. All of its 193,000 customers have digital television.
    So even though NTL and Chorus have licence requirements to upgrade to digital TV, Sky have more or less overnight come in and taken the lion's share. With RTE and the rest of the UK terrestrials coming on stream this year on the Irish Sky service, customers will have the option of dropping any existing contract with the cable or MMDS companies.

    What Chorus and NTL need to do now is develope interactive, telephone and broadband services if they are to survive.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭Washout


    interesting article indeed...especially on the figures.

    I recently upgraded my NTL standard package to the digital package. and I must say I have been dissappointed so far with the service.

    The reason i upgraded was in hope of catching events such as the NFL playoffs only to find out that are only been shown live on sky sports extra which comes with Sky digital but as yet is not available on NTL digital.

    On quite a number of occassions NTL channels tewnd to go black screened...i really noticed this during saturday evening when it was extremly windy.

    I did call them up and I must say they were very polite and efficient and they had a guy call around to my house within 24 hours while i was at work to boost the signal from outside the house into the house. which i do appreciate.

    I think NTL will have to offer bring online more of the channels available on sky digital....such as UK Gold and Sky Sports Extra for it to be a success. otherwise they are doomed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,726 ✭✭✭✭DMC


    Originally posted by Washout
    interesting article indeed...especially on the figures.

    The reason i upgraded was in hope of catching events such as the NFL playoffs only to find out that are only been shown live on sky sports extra which comes with Sky digital but as yet is not available on NTL digital.

    I think NTL will have to offer bring online more of the channels available on sky digital....such as UK Gold and Sky Sports Extra for it to be a success. otherwise they are doomed.

    Not a hope of seeing Sky Sports Extra on NTL Digital, I'm afraid. When the likes of OnDigital and Cable digital were being set up in the UK, Oftel said that the 3 main Sky Sports channels must be made available, and part of a package for those other providers. Now, it never said that Sky could have its own exclusive channels, all to themselves. Which, in my book, is fair enough. After all, ITV Digital has exclusive Champion's League.

    And that's what you find with SSE. NFL, Australian and South African international cricket, as well as the UEFA Cup with Leeds and Chelsea, are exclusive for Sky Digital viewers only.

    Damien.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ONireland


    Sky can put a dish up in less than an hour, but only after days, normally a week of waiting.

    ITV Digital can get a Digibox to the customer next day - Set up can be done in 10 minutes.

    However, cable may take a few hours to set up, but the STB powers itself up in about 5 seconds.

    :D:D:D

    What useless statistics they quote in newspapers. My advice; get the channel lists for each service. Think "What would I really watch?" then think "No, really, given that I have RTE is there anything worth getting any service for?"

    You'll find your left with this list of requirements:

    - Sky One
    - UK Gold
    - ON/OFF Switch

    :D


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    :D:D:D
    mm


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