Taktalk TV or not??!?!

Hi All,

Right one real simple question I wonder if MK_CHRIS or someone who has information on can clear this up for everyone. Is TalkTalk still offering TV services to new customers web site suggest yes but anyone you speak to at TalkTalk says no the service is now going to be switched off and become freeview only!?

I have recently told a few people who I know live in an area of Tiscal TV enabled Exchanges, however great if you go online and order but as soon as you call up anyone at Talk Talk they say the TV service is no longer offered?!?

What is going on are all the sales staff at TalkTalk totally unaware of the product or unable to sell it and so instead say the product is no longer available?

I think existing customers should be told what the hell is going on also if the service is no longer being provisioned for new customers why is it listed on the web site?

If it is still available it seems completely unprofessional of TalkTalk sales staff to mislead new customers in this way of telling them the product which they called up about is not available when it is!

Thanks

Steve

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
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    Steve, I can't answer your question explicitly just as a customer but have a read of the post I just tagged on to this thread:

    http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1204140

    Maybe explains the recent uncertainty and seems to be good news, ie a green light for TT to run with the IPTV service! :)
  • parthenaparthena Posts: 2,820
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    This link in particular from that thread:

    http://www.talktalk.co.uk/products/tvextra/

    Maybe you can sign up online :)

    However, having tried myself - the New Customer link isn't working :( The Upgrade link says, when you get there, "This offer is currently only available to existing Tiscali Broadband customers".

    parthena
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
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    To be fair to TalkTalk, they're not obliged to continue to sell any product, especially in these circumstances where they've obviously inherited it and have been weighing up their options. Their only obligation is to keep providing and maintaining the service to existing customers and at the very worst, advice well in advance of any changes or termination.

    But yes, as an existing customer I'd feel more confident about the product if I knew they were actively selling it so let's hope they do just this in the near future.
  • Paper DollPaper Doll Posts: 3,398
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    Talk Talk sales staff said the service is ending, boxes will become freeview, TV engineer said Talk Talk are investing in it so :confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
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    Paper Doll wrote: »
    Talk Talk sales staff said the service is ending, boxes will become freeview, TV engineer said Talk Talk are investing in it so :confused:

    Well there hasn't been any official announcement of that as far as I'm aware, when was it you spoke to the TT sales dept paperdoll?

    Hopefully just a misunderstanding but I think it's clear there's still a fair bit of confusion regarding this!
  • parthenaparthena Posts: 2,820
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    JamesH10 wrote: »
    there's still a fair bit of confusion regarding this!

    That's what Paper Doll is highlighting :( I think we must await "development".

    parthena
  • Paper DollPaper Doll Posts: 3,398
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    Have finally got tiscali tv working properly after 2 years so hope they don't scrap it.

    Turned out it was the box that was faulty and they've finally replaced it after about 50 calls to the support people!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
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    my auntie was a tiscali customer, she rang them this morning with details of new address as she just moved and they said the tv is being stopped, so she cancelled her contract there and then and has sky installation booked. I just tried to ring talk talk for some clarification and the phone lines arent open weekends, which is just great for someone who works all week and cant phone them. Very unimpressed and guessing I will be leaving them too
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11
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    I think the question isn't so much Talktalk TV or not, but rather TalkTalk or not. When talktalk splits from CPC, expect SKY to be interested. Talktalk's claims to be committed to project canvas will ensure their network is more attractive to SKY, who if they bought Talktalk, could leave project canvas dead in the water, thereby protecting the future value of BskyB.
  • parthenaparthena Posts: 2,820
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    Would Ofcon have something to say about that? Like for instance... "Go ahead, take what you want, Rupert" :D

    parthena
  • 1andrew11andrew1 Posts: 4,088
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    dhvd wrote: »
    I think the question isn't so much Talktalk TV or not, but rather TalkTalk or not. When talktalk splits from CPC, expect SKY to be interested. Talktalk's claims to be committed to project canvas will ensure their network is more attractive to SKY, who if they bought Talktalk, could leave project canvas dead in the water, thereby protecting the future value of BskyB.

    I think you're right to suggest that an independent TalkTalk could be vulnerable to an outside bid though the benefits to Sky are probably not very significant. If Sky did purchase it and TalkTalk withdrew from Canvas this would not be the end of Canvas - after all, it existed before TalkTalk, which is just one of many shareholders.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11
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    It would leave three competing platforms

    PROJECT CANVAS

    BBC, ITV, CH4 and FIVE with BT 4.6 m broadband subs

    VIRGIN

    3.7m bb subs

    SKY

    1.5 m (with Talk Talk would be 5.6m bb subs)
    plus give sky the coverage to switch all their 9m tv subs to a
    combined DStv/DSL delivery platform.
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,663
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    dhvd wrote: »
    I think the question isn't so much Talktalk TV or not, but rather TalkTalk or not. When talktalk splits from CPC, expect SKY to be interested. Talktalk's claims to be committed to project canvas will ensure their network is more attractive to SKY, who if they bought Talktalk, could leave project canvas dead in the water, thereby protecting the future value of BskyB.
    So far any interest from Sky in Talk Talk does not seem to be happening, Orange has now moved it's broadband to BT and could also offer a rebranded BT Vision IPTV service based on Canvas to it's phone customers, along with T Mobile customers when it merges.

    Noticed this new Talk Talk shop opening in Central London.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/19/talktalk-centre-soho-digital-media
    The seven-storey office block – which used to be the headquarters of Tiscali, a former rival snapped up by the internet service provider (ISP) a year ago – represents the first step back into the retail business for TalkTalk since it was spun off last month from Carphone Warehouse.

    The first floor of the building has been designated a customer experience centre, showcasing the latest in digital innovation – including the company's own broadband television service, TalkTalk TV – as well as selling wireless routers and encouraging new customers to sign up to the service.

    Due to be opened by Charles Dunstone, the Carphone Warehouse founder and chairman of TalkTalk, alongside the ISP's chief executive and ex-Sainsbury's executive Dido Harding, the TalkTalk centre bears an uncanny resemblance to Apple's flagship shop on nearby Regent Street
  • ashjfashjf Posts: 1,096
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    hanssolo wrote: »
    So far any interest from Sky in Talk Talk does not seem to be happening, Orange has now moved it's broadband to BT and could also offer a rebranded BT Vision IPTV service based on Canvas to it's phone customers, along with T Mobile customers when it merges.

    Noticed this new Talk Talk shop opening in Central London.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/19/talktalk-centre-soho-digital-media

    I like the idea of Orange TV if it was a rebrand of BT Vision, that would be a good service with BT Vision, Canvas, Freeview and extra Orange stuff, Could be good.

    Also, on TalkTalk splitting from CPW, is this just because they want it as a seperate company as it is growing fast? I believe it will still be owned by them but be a seperate company, I dont think they will sell it, not after all thework and purchasing they have done. (they/them, meaning the owners of CPW)
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,663
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    Noticed this as well which shows Talk Talk might upgrade to take on other ISPs.
    http://www.thinkbroadband.com/
    We're also upgrading the capacity of our network in anticipation of ever-higher internet usage. The industry expectation is that consumption of data online will increase by a whopping 50% year on year over the next few years. We're enhancing our network to cope with this explosive rise in demand.

    This upward trend is being boosted by the rise of online TV and video services like BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and, of course, YouTube. Soon these will be joined by Canvas, the online TV service we are a part of, which will provide an iPlayer-style catch-up service on your TV set, while also giving you additional content and features.

    TalkTalk Statement
  • carguy143carguy143 Posts: 2,327
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    Talktalk split from CPW on 29 march 2010 and is now known as the Talktalk Group. I work for Talktalk as in the existing Talktalk, not rebranded from Tiscali.

    http://www.talktalkgroup.com/corporate-information/
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,663
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    ashjf wrote: »
    I like the idea of Orange TV if it was a rebrand of BT Vision, that would be a good service with BT Vision, Canvas, Freeview and extra Orange stuff, Could be good.

    Also, on TalkTalk splitting from CPW, is this just because they want it as a seperate company as it is growing fast? I believe it will still be owned by them but be a seperate company, I dont think they will sell it, not after all thework and purchasing they have done. (they/them, meaning the owners of CPW)
    Seems the split was for shareholders
    http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=talktalk+demerger&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBR_en&redir_esc=&ei=F7LSS9LnG4OkOMaTpOkN
    Carphone’s largest investors have been pushing Mr Dunstone to explore demerger and shareholder value realisation opportunities. He has already reorganised the structure to make a demerger easier. In October, Mr Dunstone told The Daily Telegraph that: “There is, less and less reason for the telecoms and the retail business to be together.”

    Analysts say having both parts of the business under one brand is making it so the market value of the whole company is less than the sum of its parts. One analyst said: “There are two businesses in Carphone that are increasingly operating as stand-alone businesses. Splitting it would give further value to shareholders.”
    Guess some shareholders will stay with the CPW/bestbuy operation and others have gone with the talktalk/AOL ISP operation and some both!.
    ISPs profit margins are getting tighter and guess CPW/Bestbuy will recommend the best ISP that will give them the best services and payback (which seems to be VM now).

    TalkTalk/AOL will have a hard time against BT, VM, Sky etc broadband/phone/TV bundle packages, but if it can keep the Sky TV channels plus Canvas and offer good customer services could do well.
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,663
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    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/may/21/charles-dunstone-project-canvas
    Looks like TalkTalk TV is progressing!
    Charles Dunstone, the chairman of Project Canvas partner TalkTalk, has dismissed criticism of the video-on-demand service by BSkyB and Virgin Media but expects to face further scrutiny before getting its final go-ahead.
    The clearance from the OFT was critical, he added. The service is now awaiting the final verdict of the BBC Trust, unless there are further competition investigations.

    "The shareholders of Canvas see the OFT decision as a very, very important step forward," Dunstone said.

    In December the BBC Trust published its provisional conclusions giving Project Canvas the green light. The trust said that the service would have a "positive market impact in that it will offer the opportunity to ISPs and device manufacturers willing to adopt the Canvas UI [user interface] a ready-made easy access way to develop a platform offering content to TV viewers".

    "We had a decision to make when we bought Tiscali and inherited [TV service] HomeChoice, which had not bought set-top boxes for two years," Dunstone said. "We had a long think about whether we should try and re-energise it in existing form or see what else was going on. The more we looked at Canvas and the partners involved it seemed more of a complete service at a lower risk."

    He added that as the second biggest ISP in the UK, for TalkTalk there was "a real risk of it [Canvas] not happening if we did not take part"
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