Top Up TV, will it survive past 2013?

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  • Colin_LondonColin_London Posts: 12,654
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    That is the way TUTV should have gone like the LCN 225+ streamed channels and then they might have had a chance of long term survival. Why didn't they adapt and change their business model as they have done before?

    The LCN 225+ channels only work on certain Freeview HD equipment and are unicast so cannot reliably support large numbers of simultaneous viewers. And their subscription methods are somewhat basic. They are clearly not 'thriving' at present.

    The BT TV Connect service on the other hand has been designed for reliable HDTV quality distribution to any number of viewers, with access integrated into Youview boxes.

    TUTV were too late to recognise the (albeit limited) potential of the LCN 225+ unicast method, and would never ever have the capability of BT to implement a national multicast broadcast infrastructure.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,404
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    The LCN 225+ channels only work on certain Freeview HD equipment and are unicast so cannot reliably support large numbers of simultaneous viewers. And their subscription methods are somewhat basic. They are clearly not 'thriving' at present.

    The BT TV Connect service on the other hand has been designed for reliable HDTV quality distribution to any number of viewers, with access integrated into Youview boxes.

    TUTV were too late to recognise the (albeit limited) potential of the LCN 225+ unicast method, and would never ever have the capability of BT to implement a national multicast broadcast infrastructure.

    ...presumably, Colin_London, that's because they're showing tat which I certainly wouldn't pay for. UKTV and Eurosport channels might, on the other hand, be worth paying for, for example.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    Shine On wrote: »
    The question is what will Top Up TV replace ESPN with if it does retain channel 34?

    Premier Sports might be one possible option since it appears to have a subscription value similar to that of ESPN (£10 per month), plus, it is also a stand alone channel, offering programming in the ESPN audience mould, which would undoubtedly fit Top Up TV subscriber needs quite satisfactorily.

    www.premiersports.tv

    However, that is just supposition (wishful thinking!) on my part.

    Would be a decent alternative though...

    BT Sport have got that too, allegedly. £300,000 for 20-30 games.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    Urrr linkinpark875, sorry to have to break this to you but BT have bought ESPNs UK operation w.e.f. 1/8/13:

    http://tv.espn.co.uk/gb/espl/faq/espn-and-bt/

    There will be no ESPN channels broadcast in the UK except the one owned by BT, which is BT Sport 3 by another name (they are believed to be keeping it as 'ESPN' for the time being because of the rights that are still to run for a channel under that name).

    BT are taking ESPN off of DTT. It will only be broadcast via their multicast TV Connect service (on BT Infinity), via the Sky satellite platform (but billed direct), Virgin Media, and on the BT Sport website to BT customers. If you are not a BT Customer the only way to get it is via a Sky receiver or on Virgin Cable (just announced). Deals with Talk Talk TV and other UK ISPs are in the offing.

    Also BT are clearly not going to be retailing BT Sport on DTT to non customers, certainly not via TUTV who are now promoting Sky. The DTT channels are a stopgap until they have expanded their multicast platform to more exchanges. When they can reach maybe 75% of the potential customers who can currently receive via DTT they'll pull the DTT versions off air and force people to receive via the internet (if they don't want to go with the Sky or Virgin platforms).

    Pay TV on DTT is reaching the end of the road - IPTV is the future.

    ^^What he said. :)

    And fibre is the future too. The roll out is expanding rapidly, and at an impressive rate too.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5
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    kasg wrote: »
    Doesn't it work as a basic PVR? Isn't that more than you have on your TV?

    Nope. They sent me t215 which doesn't record (even though I asked for a recorder but they didn't have any)
  • steve.iesteve.ie Posts: 16
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    Seeing as the home page http://www.topuptv.com points you towards Sky for sports, the "Buy Now" tab doesn't go anywhere and the "What's on" tab doesn't allow you to add TV Favourites or PictureBox to an order it appears they are not accepting new customers....
  • MJH1962MJH1962 Posts: 184
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    steve.ie wrote: »
    Seeing as the home page http://www.topuptv.com points you towards Sky for sports, the "Buy Now" tab doesn't go anywhere and the "What's on" tab doesn't allow you to add TV Favourites or PictureBox to an order it appears they are not accepting new customers....

    This has been covered in previous posts!
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,404
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    I had a response from my friend yesterday.

    He confirmed that TUTV got back to him and confirmed that TV Fav. and Picture Box will continue for the foreseeable future.

    Now whether that is until 31/07/13 or until mid November when the contracts with the current providers run out is yet to be seen.

    I suppose it depends on how many people still subscribe to TV Fav. and Picture Box with sufficient income there isn't any reason to pull the service yet but even with enough subscribers there might not be sufficient money to keep going after the current contracts with providers expire so wind the service down fully.

    As always it will be a wait and see set up if you are so inclined.

    Well, TV Time Mike, I don't know how many subscribers they have because of Top Up TV's East German-style obsession with security and disclosure. My guess is that the bulk of the profits and subscribers came from the sports side of things and so it might not be economic for them to continue operating after the end of July (when ESPN goes) especially if it means frittering away the tidy sum that they got from Sky in return for the customer database and recommendation to go to Sky.

    At least these days there are more free and paid-for TV options for former Top Up TV customers to consider when compared with 2004 when their service originally started.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    Well, TV Time Mike, I don't know how many subscribers they have because of Top Up TV's East German-style obsession with security and disclosure. My guess is that the bulk of the profits and subscribers came from the sports side of things and so it might not be economic for them to continue operating after the end of July (when ESPN goes) especially if it means frittering away the tidy sum that they got from Sky in return for the customer database and recommendation to go to Sky.

    It least these days there are more free and paid-for TV options for former Top Up TV customers to consider when compared with 2004 when their service originally started.

    Agreed.

    The diversification of television platforms and On Demand providers is a very important development in the evolvement of 21st century Media services. Which does of course, offer the user lots and lots of choice. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 867
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    True you get more choice but for those of us who can't really get freesat or don't want Sky/Virgin based services or are able to have interbased streamed TV for one reason or another it does narrow things down somewhat.

    I know we are in a wonderful new world where TV via the internet is the wave of the future but I'm old fashioned I still like TV via the TV and I can't afford to upgrade my TV etc. so now that TUTV are on the way out it will return us to freeview at least for the foreseeable future.

    Hence my selfish wish that TUTV's owners had taken a more pro active stance and got more content, air time or even came up with a HD DTR any of which could have allowed the service to hang in there a little longer.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 206
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    Hence my selfish wish that TUTV's owners had taken a more pro active stance and got more content, air time or even came up with a HD DTR any of which could have allowed the service to hang in there a little longer.

    It's not selfish wanting a service to continue, when it suits your needs, Mike. PVR-wise, I reckon Kieron Edwards is one of the best software engineers around. He took what was admittedly an unreliable receiver and transformed it via a series of upgrades into a fantastic piece of kit. At the time, I bet it became more reliable than the BT Vision box, a company that has far more development resources available to them than Top Up TV ever had. A few years ago, Sky had huge problems with their software upgrades, no wonder they selected Kieron to work as a software developer. Even several years after no further software upgrades, my Top Up TV box still performs really well - I give Kieron full credit for helping make these receivers last as long as they have.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    So... has anyone come up with an alternative yet to their current TUTV set-up?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 206
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    I'm sticking with Top Up TV - should the company cease trading at the end of July (or November) then so be it.

    Even though I'm a big sports fan, there will be no more paid subscriptions to any other TV service provider from me.

    If BT wanted potential customers to sample its Sports Channels, then it should have offered subscriptions via Top Up TV on the DTT platform, even if that was only for however long it takes to run the DTT service down.

    Instead, it has closed ranks on potential customers.

    Maybe if it hasn't done so already, OfCom should adjudicate what exactly the wider public interest is here, since sports / TV access appears to be heavily constrained by alternative business motives.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 867
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    If they hadn't put all their eggs in one basket by just focusing on the sports side TUTV could have weathered the storm until they have maybe got another sports provider but by running the TV Fav. set up down to the bare bones and not providing DTR's for those who might have wanted to sign up they did leave themselves wide open to any sudden changes.

    The problem with public interest as TUTV etc.found out when they tried to get Sky to loosen their strangle hold on films is that as there are internet based services now it is seen as still a free and open market but if you are not using internet services for whatever reason that tends to fall a little short.

    Sadly the company has done well to last this long but I can't seen it lasting much past the end of the year at most unless someone gives them one heck of a big cash shot in the arm, they make new equipment available and start over.

    But as noted above and elsewhere IPTV is the wave of the future so lets just jump up and down on TUTV and forget about it. At least the doom and gloom posters here will be happy not so sure about anyone who still works for the company and may have a mortage, family etc. to think about

    Rant over, well freeview isn't so bad.
  • dearmrmandearmrman Posts: 21,434
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    Shine On wrote: »
    I'm sticking with Top Up TV - should the company cease trading at the end of July (or November) then so be it.

    Even though I'm a big sports fan, there will be no more paid subscriptions to any other TV service provider from me.

    If BT wanted potential customers to sample its Sports Channels, then it should have offered subscriptions via Top Up TV on the DTT platform, even if that was only for however long it takes to run the DTT service down.

    Instead, it has closed ranks on potential customers.

    Maybe if it hasn't done so already, OfCom should adjudicate what exactly the wider public interest is here, since sports / TV access appears to be heavily constrained by alternative business motives.

    BT though are not interested in having TV customers at this moment in time, they want people for their broadband service, which is way they have not wholesaled the channel out to anybody yet.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,252
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    dearmrman wrote: »
    BT though are not interested in having TV customers at this moment in time, they want people for their broadband service
    Perhaps they should try working on that then.

    Don't see the point in a "We know our BB is a bit crap, but look at the free sport we are offering you".

    Sorry, but I choose my BB provider based on the merits of the BB service, not the crap you throw in with it!
  • MeMeMeIMeMeMeI Posts: 990
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    But what happened to SKY and their wish to launch a PAY TV service on terrestrial digital TV..

    Since they bought the TUTV R&D could they now consider using TUTV technology to launch their own Pay TV now?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,252
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    MeMeMeI wrote: »
    But what happened to SKY and their wish to launch a PAY TV service on terrestrial digital TV
    It never got regulatory approval.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    It never got regulatory approval.

    It did get regulatory approval actually :p

    However Sky decided not to go ahead of it as too much time had gone by and the market had changed.

    http://crave.cnet.co.uk/televisions/sky-sports-forced-to-drop-prices-sky-picnic-terrestrial-pay-tv-service-given-go-ahead-49305384/

    http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a210008/ofcom-to-greenlight-skys-picnic-service.html
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,252
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    3 years too late, and only with significant changes. The original proposal as Sky wanted it, never got approval.
  • dearmrmandearmrman Posts: 21,434
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    Perhaps they should try working on that then.

    Don't see the point in a "We know our BB is a bit crap, but look at the free sport we are offering you".

    Sorry, but I choose my BB provider based on the merits of the BB service, not the crap you throw in with it!

    Nothing wrong with BT BB, never had a problem, but each to their own.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    dearmrman wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with BT BB, never had a problem, but each to their own.

    Me too. Over ten years rock solid. But, as you say, each to their own.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 348
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    I am loving this thread! so much bitterness!

    I literally laughed out loud on some of these!

    thank you trolls - you know who you are. reading this really made my afternoon.
  • MJH1962MJH1962 Posts: 184
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    I am loving this thread! so much bitterness!

    I literally laughed out loud on some of these!

    thank you trolls - you know who you are. reading this really made my afternoon.

    Look in the mirror, your post is trolling in itself!
  • MJH1962MJH1962 Posts: 184
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    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    Me too. Over ten years rock solid. But, as you say, each to their own.

    Same here. The only issues I have ever had are with my wiring, which is the responsibility of Openreach, so even if I had been with another ISP then I would have had the same problem.
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