Top Up TV, will it survive past 2013?

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  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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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.

    Oh, thats rich. You swore at me on this thread. Whereas everyone else, irrespective of their views, has been polite to one another!
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    3 years too late, and only with significant changes. The original proposal as Sky wanted it, never got approval.

    Just for the record, it's also worth stating that it wouldn't just be national competition authorities that would be looking into this matter too but the European Commission as well.

    The Commission directly intervened in Italy to block Sky Italia from operating (and dominating) both a satellite and a digital terrestrial pay-TV service and they would have almost certainly started formal investigation proceedings if it had looked like Sky really were going to launch Sky Picnic to try to kill off TUTV (a direct competitor).
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,252
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    dearmrman wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with BT BB, never had a problem, but each to their own.
    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    Me too. Over ten years rock solid. But, as you say, each to their own.
    My dad seems to have endless problems with his. The latest one is that for no reason the hub (Home Hub 2) just decides to kick off all WiFi devices and requires a reboot to get them back on. This happens about 20 times a day.

    BT's solution: Use less WiFi devices (apparently they have too many) and start using cables instead. What a pathetic response from CS.

    I know a few other people who have had major problems too. One was recently told to switch from their 6M ADSL2+ connection to Infinity (for greater speeds) only to find that it is now slower than 6M. BT say that the engineer (not connected to BT or Openreach because they are short staffed) probably set it up wrong, and they will have top wait until a proper engineer can come out (no time specified).

    I have never used BT BB personally, but I hope it isn't too bad because I will be switching to them soon. This is really only because the house I am moving to has no phone line, and BT are the only company giving away a free connection as part of their package, therefore it is the cheapest option.

    Hopefully I will be spared the problems experienced by friends and family.
  • MJH1962MJH1962 Posts: 184
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    My dad seems to have endless problems with his. The latest one is that for no reason the hub (Home Hub 2) just decides to kick off all WiFi devices and requires a reboot to get them back on. This happens about 20 times a day.

    BT's solution: Use less WiFi devices (apparently they have too many) and start using cables instead. What a pathetic response from CS.

    I know a few other people who have had major problems too. One was recently told to switch from their 6M ADSL2+ connection to Infinity (for greater speeds) only to find that it is now slower than 6M. BT say that the engineer (not connected to BT or Openreach because they are short staffed) probably set it up wrong, and they will have top wait until a proper engineer can come out (no time specified).

    I have never used BT BB personally, but I hope it isn't too bad because I will be switching to them soon. This is really only because the house I am moving to has no phone line, and BT are the only company giving away a free connection as part of their package, therefore it is the cheapest option.

    Hopefully I will be spared the problems experienced by friends and family.

    I agree with your comments about the Home Hub. I plugged it in once and thought it was pants so I now use my own modem and router and rarely get any drop-outs. BT sent me a HH3 recently which still sits in the box it came in. The issue you describe with the engineer is an Openreach problem, irrespective of his employment status.

    I've just remembered that this is supposed to be a TUTV thread!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,252
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    MJH1962 wrote: »
    I agree with your comments about the Home Hub. I plugged it in once and thought it was pants so I now use my own modem and router and rarely get any drop-outs.
    I'm happy to hear this as I have my own Netgear modem/router which is absolutely brilliant! It also cost me £180 so I would rather use that. I take it that it is easy enough to use a non BT modem/router?
  • MJH1962MJH1962 Posts: 184
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    lstar337 wrote: »
    I'm happy to hear this as I have my own Netgear modem/router which is absolutely brilliant! It also cost me £180 so I would rather use that. I take it that it is easy enough to use a non BT modem/router?

    If you have Infinity, then it may not work. There are various posts on the BT Community forums which have covered this, so I suggest you check thse out.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    MJH1962 wrote: »
    If you have Infinity, then it may not work. There are various posts on the BT Community forums which have covered this, so I suggest you check thse out.

    Yeah, particularly for the Multicast channels. I don't really understand such stuff (modems and routers) but some users have connected the BT Hub to their own main Netgear modem/router to get the best of both worlds.
  • freetoview33freetoview33 Posts: 2,921
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    Top Up TV died a long time ago ever since they first started loosing space, since then it's been on life support!

    If they adapted could they of survived? Maybe but it would of required one hell of a lot of money and it seems like that Top Ups parent company wasn't short of money but was lacking the will to invest in the service to give it a good chance.

    Is there anything salvageable from the ashes? Maybe some form of IPTV based service could take the place of Pay/Freeview but I really think it couldn't compete with BT and TalkTalk so really wouldn't work unless it was backed by a major outfit and I can't see that happening. I think it is a loss.

    What needs to be done now is boost minimum TV/Box standards so all include an Internet Connection (ideally Ethernet and Wifi) and really have youview built in so all people have the chance to take advantage of new tech.
  • MeMeMeIMeMeMeI Posts: 990
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    I suspect it is more a case of the required investment is just not worth the possible income from the limited market niche.

    To much consumer choice has diluted the market share.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 867
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    Very true the company must have seen the sports package as the best way to make money so pumped all their resources into this area.

    It must have cost them a heck of a lot to provide so much TV Fav. output relative to their income before 2012 that the sports package was seen as the best way forward.

    Shame as they could have still made a go of it with sufficent investment allowing a move to pay tv format either on line or via DTT or both.
  • 1andrew11andrew1 Posts: 4,088
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    From Premier Sports' Facebook page:
    "Any chance of negotiating a deal with Top Up TV to broadcast Premier Sports on the DTT platform now ESPN is ceasing at the end of July? Thanks!"
    "Premier Sports: That is for BT I guess. Top Up TV drive very onerous margins is all I know and is the reason most sub[scription] channels won't touch."

    Not sure why they mentioned BT there, but interesting to hear their angle on TopUp TV.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
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    1andrew1 wrote: »
    From Premier Sports' Facebook page:
    "Any chance of negotiating a deal with Top Up TV to broadcast Premier Sports on the DTT platform now ESPN is ceasing at the end of July? Thanks!"
    "Premier Sports: That is for BT I guess. Top Up TV drive very onerous margins is all I know and is the reason most sub[scription] channels won't touch."

    Not sure why they mentioned BT there, but interesting to hear their angle on TopUp TV.

    In order for Premier Sports to know that, I assume that there must have been discussions at some level between TUTV and Premier Sports that were ultimately fruitless just like the talks with BT were.
  • MeMeMeIMeMeMeI Posts: 990
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    Top Up TV drive very onerous margins < If true I wonder why or was it the nature of their business model
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    1andrew1 wrote: »
    From Premier Sports' Facebook page:
    "Any chance of negotiating a deal with Top Up TV to broadcast Premier Sports on the DTT platform now ESPN is ceasing at the end of July? Thanks!"
    "Premier Sports: That is for BT I guess. Top Up TV drive very onerous margins is all I know and is the reason most sub[scription] channels won't touch."

    Not sure why they mentioned BT there, but interesting to hear their angle on TopUp TV.

    What does this actually mean?
  • 1andrew11andrew1 Posts: 4,088
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    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    What does this actually mean?
    I assume that sentence means they charge customers a lot and pay the channels little.
  • 1andrew11andrew1 Posts: 4,088
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    In order for Premier Sports to know that, I assume that there must have been discussions at some level between TUTV and Premier Sports that were ultimately fruitless just like the talks with BT were.
    They probably know from their sister channel Setanta whose British channel was retailed by Top Up TV.
  • 1andrew11andrew1 Posts: 4,088
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    MeMeMeI wrote: »
    Top Up TV drive very onerous margins < If true I wonder why or was it the nature of their business model
    They probably had to - with relatively few customers to spread costs across, they had no choice.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
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    1andrew1 wrote: »
    I assume that sentence means they charge customers a lot and pay the channels little.

    Exactly, 1andrew1.
    1andrew1 wrote: »
    They probably know from their sister channel Setanta whose British channel was retailed by Top Up TV.

    That is indeed a possibility although I wouldn't be surprised if TUTV had made some form of initial approach to Premier Sports in view of the impending disappearance of Sky Sports and ESPN from Freeview/DTT.
    1andrew1 wrote: »
    They probably had to - with relatively few customers to spread costs across, they had no choice.

    Ouch!
  • BainsyboyBainsyboy Posts: 668
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    I've had to go over to Sky :( couldnt really resist the offer being an existing 02 broadband customer.
    All the sky sports channels for £21.50 a month as long as I changed broadband and home phone to Sky. So all I pay now is £21.50 a month for tv and £14.50 for line rental.

    If the sports were not coming off of dtt I would have quite happily of stayed with top up as have found them to be very good over the last few years that I have had them
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
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    1andrew1 wrote: »
    I assume that sentence means they charge customers a lot and pay the channels little.

    The Wholesale price of Sky Sports 1 & 2 is £19.41.

    TUTV charge £34.99 including VAT.

    Plus they have to take into account their own running costs!

    So the onerous margins are TUTVs not anyone one else's. So these silly assumptions that they are somehow ripping either Sky or their customers is clearly wrong!

    http://media.ofcom.org.uk/analysts/regulated-prices/

    http://www.topuptv.com/skysportspacks/
  • Lee MorrisLee Morris Posts: 2,824
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    Hi! All
    First lets just get this right and how can you really compare the cost of Sky Sports 1 and 2[£19.41] with TUTV[£34.99] including VAT as:

    1: If you are with Sky then unless you are just using Sky as Freeview apart from the sports then that would be the case that it would be cheaper but if on the other hand you have all the films etc. Then the cost of Sky is a whole load more than TUTV.

    2: TUTV was not just the sports channels but also channels such as Gold[UKTV] etc.

    As for Onerous margins and I think what is meant by that is that TUTV is there to provide a pay tv service as cheaply as possible within reason for Freeview customers as the whole point of Freeview is that it is cheaper than Sky, so I can only imagine that very sadly Premier Sports must be FATCATS and probably wanted to get a lot more money than ESPN thus meaning a vast increase for the viewers and BT I feel are the same.

    So as I have said before it is very sad that we first lost Setanta and now ESPN and seeing as the BT Sports channels will not be on Freeview then it is a very sad day for not only TUTV but I feel the Freeview service as a whole, I just fear this could mean we end up with the end of Freeview and BT taking over DTT with Sky being the other player in the tv market.

    A very sad time indeed.
  • MeMeMeIMeMeMeI Posts: 990
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    Why should it mean the end of Freeview?

    Those lucky to get Youview can get Skysports channels through TalkTalk at least..

    It is just a shame that costs mean none of the main Channels could afford to turn one of their +1 channels into a sports channel..

    And doubt you will ever see sport on Pick TV
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    Lee Morris wrote: »
    TUTV was not just the sports channels but also channels such as Gold[UKTV] etc.

    As for Onerous margins and I think what is meant by that is that TUTV is there to provide a pay tv service as cheaply as possible within reason for Freeview customers as the whole point of Freeview is that it is cheaper than Sky, so I can only imagine that very sadly Premier Sports must be FATCATS and probably wanted to get a lot more money than ESPN thus meaning a vast increase for the viewers and BT I feel are the same.

    So as I have said before it is very sad that we first lost Setanta and now ESPN and seeing as the BT Sports channels will not be on Freeview then it is a very sad day for not only TUTV but I feel the Freeview service as a whole, I just fear this could mean we end up with the end of Freeview and BT taking over DTT with Sky being the other player in the tv market.

    A very sad time indeed.

    What a load of tosh. BT Sport will be on DTT. And BT sell Sky Sports for only £25 a month too. And thats also only on a month to month contract as well. And TUTV was never on Freeview. :rolleyes:
  • stuntmasterstuntmaster Posts: 5,070
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    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    What a load of tosh. BT Sport will be on DTT. And BT sell Sky Sports for only £25 a month too. And thats also only on a month to month contract as well. And TUTV was never on Freeview. :rolleyes:

    I think your misreading him.

    what he's saying is BT sports will be on DTT but not available to buy separately. You'll need BT broadband etc.

    Premier sports could have made a packet and got themselves on DTT. With Virgin at a stalemate with negotiations. It would have been a good option for me.

    What he's saying I think is that we once had the option to buy 3 sports channels off a freeview box, and now we can't. So unless you have any of the big players you are stuffed.
  • MJH1962MJH1962 Posts: 184
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    Premier sports could have made a packet and got themselves on DTT. .

    I think you are over-egging this somewhat. The content offering from Premier Sports is hardly going to get many subscribers. Very much a niche player in the sports TV market.
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