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Tiscali banks on programme guide to win internet TV war


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Old 23-10-2006, 10:47
Peter We
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http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Doc...A-1698B08DF007

By : Tony Glover

19/10/2006


TISCALI is to challenge BT by launching its own internet television service in Britain just before Christmas, after BT Vision is due to go live.
At first glance, Tiscali’s bid for Britain’s internet TV market looks ill-judged. BT has a better-known brand, more customers with broadband connections and recently signed a clutch of impressive content deals with partners such as Universal Films. BT will launch this autumn, with a
full-scale marketing campaign in the spring.
Tiscali hopes to differentiate its service through its electronic programme guide (EPG). It says the greatest challenge to any internet TV service is how to guide users through the sea of film and video content on the internet.
The Sardinia-based internet service provider intends to offer adult users a personal profile system that keeps a record of their preferences and learns to alert users to content that could be of interest. Each customer will gain entry to the EPG service by having a personal identification number (PIN) entered on the remote control handset.
“This will be the most advanced EPG on the market and will contain some features that our rivals will not develop for some time,” chief executive Tommaso Pompei said in an interview with The Business.
Mary Turner, head of Tiscali’s UK arm, said: “When so much choice is potentially available, there is the obvious problem of children accessing unsuitable material on internet TV. But there is also a danger of them not being able to find the programmes available.”
Adults will be given a guide that lists a choice of programmes. The children’s guide, called Scamp, will use pictures and icons to allow the child to access suitable material. Children will have their own internet TV service, a niche market Tiscali believes competitors have overlooked.
The service will also include a separate, brightly coloured remote control handset specifically designed for children. Other members of the household will share the main remote control, using individual PIN numbers.
Tiscali’s new internet TV service so far comprises a content library of 7,000 videos and films. Pompei likens the service to the music download service offered by Apple. “The service will be like an iPod on TV,” said Pompei.
The company has just published its business plan for 2007-2010, which will concentrate its efforts on its core business in Italy and in Britain, where the group’s overall customer base exceeds 3m users, of which roughly half are broadband users.
Tiscali also has plans to extend next year’s triple play offering of TV, fixed-line phone and internet access to include mobile telecoms. Tiscali has started preliminary partnership talks with Hutchison Whampoa’s mobile phone unit 3 Italia.
In its 2007-2010 business plan, Tiscali said it expected to reach agreement with an existing mobile operator in Italy by the end of the year as part of the group’s expansion to offer combined fixed/mobile services.
The company is studying opportunities to become a virtual mobile operator.
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Old 23-10-2006, 10:49
Peter We
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Nothing new then..
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Old 23-10-2006, 13:08
BBRealist
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Originally Posted by Peter We
Nothing new then..
We actually agree on something, call the police

Can't say a personalised EPG makes me all excited.

I can just imagine a little paperclip popping up on screen 'I see you have just watched porn... I can recommend....'

No thanks
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Old 23-10-2006, 16:44
Peter We
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The mind boggles

The EPG is already customised and the childs remote already exists. He seems to be describing the existing MyTV service.

Unfortunatly even if I changed to NTL I still can't get HDTV until, at least, next year.
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Old 23-10-2006, 17:59
Rufus Londinii
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This article illustrates a major problem Tiscali is going to face.

This is basically a description of the Homechoice Service (even down to Scamp) but, instead of concentrating on how Tiscali is going to improve a service which has been around for years, this article makes it look as though they are starting from scratch which, up against "giant" BT looks like a PR Disaster.

Makes you wonder if dropping the Homechoice Brand is such a good move after all...

(Of course, it could be lazy, lazy journalism from the reporter but, hey, where's the fun in that???)
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Old 23-10-2006, 18:20
studiosonic
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Originally Posted by BBRealist
I can just imagine a little paperclip popping up on screen 'I see you have just watched porn... I can recommend....'
Classic! lol
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Old 23-10-2006, 18:57
pissedbob
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Originally Posted by Rufus Londinii
(Of course, it could be lazy, lazy journalism from the reporter but, hey, where's the fun in that???)
Given all the references to "internet TV" in there I think that's as likely as anything....

So the only "new" info is that Tiscali have committed to launching their new UK service sometime after BT's, but before Xmas - maybe. Whoop-de-doo
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Old 23-10-2006, 19:52
Peter We
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Originally Posted by Rufus Londinii
This article illustrates a major problem Tiscali is going to face.

This is basically a description of the Homechoice Service (even down to Scamp) but, instead of concentrating on how Tiscali is going to improve a service which has been around for years, this article makes it look as though they are starting from scratch which, up against "giant" BT looks like a PR Disaster.

Makes you wonder if dropping the Homechoice Brand is such a good move after all...
Thing is the HC service is a lot better than what BT seem to be offering, depending on price of course. Details like that can make or break either service and obviously only time will tell which is better.

More waiting....
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Old 23-10-2006, 21:02
Rufus Londinii
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Originally Posted by Peter We
Thing is the HC service is a lot better than what BT seem to be offering, depending on price of course.
I'm not denying that (at the moment anyway) but, from that report, you would think it was Tiscali/Homechoice that was the newcomer to the arena - not BT!
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Old 24-10-2006, 11:34
Peter We
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Odd isn't it.

Given BT's history of launching a new product and every single competition coming along and doing it beter and cheaper, maybe Tiscali are trying the same. However, whereas in the past BT were prevented from being any cheaper than their competitors, now BT can compete on level terms.
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