They do however have control over who is and isn't on their epg... removing the channels from the epg would stop most of their customers receiving the channels (as most don't realise you can manually add channels)

No they don't.

Anyone with the cash can get onto the EPG and for the right cash you can be placed into the appropriate area and section.

There's a universal service requirement for this on Sky because otherwise the system is effectively closed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Digital_(UK_&_Ireland) sums it up well under Technical Information

My mistake... I thought sky could charge what they like for inclusion on the epg (thus pricing out channels they didn't want), however, it does appear there is a cap to what they can charge.

The cap was imposed on Sky by the Government after an argument between Sky and the BBC back when the BBC first announced plans to broadcast on satelite unencrypted.

Sky got their knickers in a twist, then said that the BBC could do that if they wanted, but Sky would then increase the amount they charged for the 101 and 102 spot in the EPG - to just about the same as the BBC were paying for Sky to encrypted their channels. The BBC said that's not fair and the Government agreed and told Sky to behave and imposed the cap.

and yet..... we are still waiting to watch these new channels

anyone know when?

No.

Only news is the purchase of the Pipex customers. Three weeks from signing is what someone said.

Another week?

I doubt that's the case!! The deal was only signed 2 weeks ago, I would say at least another week or two. Not only that but may they be trying to change the format of how we recieve Sky, cause at the moment we receive Sky Movies and Sports from Sky By wire rather than Tiscali!! Maybe they'll change that so we receive everything direct from Tiscali!!

i agree it was £1.50 per customer per month. thats not bad.

Unlike you Eamondo i am a vm customer,i guess £1.50 is okay if you are not paying! I would eat in gordon ramseys restaurant every night if i were not paying.

I think as a paying vm customer £1.50 is way too high in relation to the quality. Sky obviously agree as their current offer is i believe nearer 80p! nearly half.

Oh and also in the negotiations sky were telling, or trying to tell vm,if they bought the channels which pack sky would allow their channels to be used in. A bit like me shopping in tescos,and tescos telling me having purchsed my goods what to do with them. If you believe that is not bad. I will have some of whatever you are on.lol

Sorry Richard, but as Tiscali customers seem to pay alot less than Virgin Media Customers for (by the sounds of some of the complaints about VM's service from customers on this forum) a far better service, £1.50 is actually a good deal per a customer for Tiscali!! I just think Virgin feel they are too big for Sky, and considering other cable companies have followed suit as Tiscali and signed on the dotted line it seems that VM have the problem and not Sky.

Er yes but tiscali paid about 81p for the sky channels per customer,if they were such good value at £1.50 per subscriber why did tiscali not pay £1.50!

In fact sky did not think they were worth £1.50 as they have offered them to vm,at just under the price paid by tiscali. I am a vm customer i doubt you are, is tiscalis service far better i do not know anyone with it to compare it with.As tiscali seem only to provide a service to a very small amout of consumers.When it comes to tv.

I think you are confused as we are not talking about tiscali being £1.50 more then vm,but the price tiscali paid for the sky channels per subscriber being almost half what they were originally offered to vm,for!!!!!!

So how big is Sky Italia compared to Tiscali's home land in Italy?

http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/Press...4-6bc96f5011c1 reckoned over 2.7million subscribers in 2004.

http://investors.tiscali.com/tiscali...6&sub=14&lang= claims 3.4million Tiscali subscribers in the UK and Italy. As at the end of 2006, Tiscali UK had at least 1million of those Sky in 2004 was bigger than Tiscali in 2006 in Italy.

1.50 just for repeats of the simpsons and stargate haha

I just been told Sky channels will come in September and are part of the Max pack.

So are they bringing the max pack back then? At the moment there is just the Base Pack and the Big Pack.

September? Crikey - why the delay?

The channels are already broadcasting and it should be fairly easy to just 'plug' them into the existing network.

This looks even more like this is Sky just playing games and getting a deal early just so that they could make it part of their court case against Virgin.

Unless the whole nationwide launch of Tiscali TV is now going to happen in September as well?

Peter, are you able to quote a source or is this a "tip-off"?

To be honest, I'm starting to despair of Tiscali's timelines - the relaunch is supposed to be this month (5th according to Stuff Magazine) and I've been hanging on patiently before switching my broadband to my new home. If the relaunch date is now September then that will be too late for me.

And if Sky is only going to be available "in the Max Pack" then that suggests they are wanting to charge upwards of £5 a month for these channels - too much!

According to DigitalSpy and other news storys on the subject:

"Sky One......will become available to Tiscali TV customers over the summer"

Does September count as summer? If it does Tiscali may have just re-defined the calendar!

I phoned up about email problems (I'm not the only one, apparently) and asked about it. When you think about it, all dates we get are not from Tiscali but speculation. Who knows how much it will cost, I didn't ask and we will have to (as always) wait and see.

What happened on the 5th? nothing. So its indicates something...


Oh, well.

I forgot, its the big pack isn't it.