Tiscali TV (UK)

Infobox_Company
company_name = Tiscali TV
company_
company_type = Pay TV and Video on Demand
company_slogan =
foundation = 2006
location = flagicon|GBR London
key_people =
num_employees =
industry = Media & Telecoms
products = IPTV over ADSL, Video on demand, Broadband, Telephone
revenue =
parent = Tiscali SpA
homepage = [http://www.tiscali.tv/ Tiscali TV]

Tiscali TV is a UK-based consumer television and video on demand service, operated by the European telephony company, Tiscali SpA.

The service, originally known as Homechoice, was provided by Video Networks Limited (VNL), based in Shepherd's Bush in West London, until it was purchased by Tiscali UK in August 2006, and became known as Tiscali TV as of March 1, 2007.

Its offering is delivered over a BT phone line, using ADSL to provide a triple-play package of IPTV, video on demand, telephony and internet access. In 2003, as Homechoice, it expanded its video services to include, via its IPTV platform, the majority of live channels that are available on the Freeview platform.

Access to the channels and the VOD is via a Tiscali-branded set-top box that is connected to the customer's television set, rather than via the customer's computer. The latest set-top box features an aerial socket and a DVB-T receiver to allow the customer to receive additional channels via the Freeview platform as well as the channels received over IPTV, subject to Freeview coverage and quality of reception. A wireless router for internet access that connects to the set-top box is now also provided as standard.

Tiscali has also launched 'Tiscali+', a 160 GB hard-drive Digital Video Recorder, which holds an approximate total of 50 hours of television and also acts as a replacement for the standard set-top box. The Tiscali+ box has two DVB-T tuners and one IPTV tuner. This means the customer can record up to two separate channels whilst watching a third, provided that two of the channels are being received via Freeview and the third via IPTV. As the box has only one IPTV tuner, it is not possible to record a separate IPTV channel if one is already being watched. In this case the watched channel can be recorded, in addition to up to two separate Freeview channels, subject to Freeview coverage and quality of reception. Tiscali + is available subject to a one-off paymemt of £50 and a twelve-month contract or contract renewal.

ervice area

Tiscali TV was, until recently, only available in parts of London, Surrey and Hertfordshire. Each telephone exchange must be adapted to supply the service and roll-out has been completed mostly throughout London with patchy coverage extending elsewhere. Since September 2007 areas such as Central and Northern England are now Tiscali TV enabled. Around 680 telephone exchanges are now Tiscali LLU enabled, mostly in London, Manchester, the Midlands and Yorkshire and a spattering throughout the rest of the country. Tiscali aims to reach near-national coverage in the coming years, of which 10 million homes by the end of 2008. [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cable/a42437/tiscali-tv-to-launch-march-1.html]

TV Services

The majority of standard UK channels (more than 60) are available, such as E4 and ITV2, as well as premium channels such as UKTV Gold and National Geographic Channel, depending on the selected package and corresponding price paid per month.

A wide selection of video on demand is also available, depending on the selected package. All customers have access to a channel-specific 'catch up' service which allows customers to view a selection of programmes up to seven days after they were initially brodcast, with on-screen controls available to play/pause or skip through the programme. Channels with the catch up service are: BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, FX, E4, More4, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC Channel and CBeebies. All catch up programmes available can also be accessed from Channel 989.

On 13 February 2007 HBO announced its new VOD service was to become available on Tiscali TV.

British Sky Broadcasting announced that it was to supply Tiscali TV with its 'basics' package of channels: Sky1, Sky2, Sky3, Sky Arts, Sky News and Sky Sports News [Citation
last1 = Judge | first1 = Elizabeth
title = Sky strikes deal to carry its basic channels on Tiscali
newspaper = The Times, London
date = 2007-06-27
year = 2007
url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article1994207.ece ] .These channels became available in the Tiscali TV variety pack on Tuesday 28th August 2007.

The current Tiscali TV packages are:

* variety pack (all customers, continuing price from £19.99 per month depending on other services chosen): access to the standard TV and radio channels (including basic Sky channels), seven-day catch up service, pay per view films from Movies Now and Film 4 On Demand, 'taste' of C1 video on demand.

* entertainment xtra mix (add for £6 per month): access to an additional fifteen TV channels, additional VOD channels, full access to C1 VOD.

* music mix (add for £6 per month, 24-hour mini-subscription available for £1.99): access to 11 interactive On Demand 'V:MX' music channels, additional music channels.

* kids mix (add for £6 per month, 24-hour mini-subscription available for £1.99): access to additional children's channels and VOD, 'minimote' (children's television remote control) provided.

* Bollywood and South Asian TV subscription (add for £10 per month): access to Bollywood movies and music videos on demand, additional channels Zee TV and Sony TV Asia.

* Picturebox subscription (add for £5 per month): access to movies on demand from Picturebox.

* Disney Cinemagic subscription (add for £5 per month): access to the Disney Cinemagic channel.

* Sky Movies subscription (add for £22 per month): access to five Sky Movies channels: (Comedy, Family, Sci-fi and Horror, Classics, Modern Greats).

* Sky Sports subscription (add for £21.99 per month): access to four Sky Sports channels: (1, 2, 3, Xtra).

* Setanta Sports subscription (add for £9.99 per month): access to three Setanta Sports channels: (Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Sports 2, Setanta Golf).

* Chelsea TV subscription (add for £6 per month): access to the Chelsea TV channel, focusing on Chelsea F.C..

* adult pack - choice of subscriptions to access the following video on demand channels: - £4.99 per night per channel (trade.tv, The Lovers' Guide, Playboy TV,
The Adult Channel or Spice Extreme.
- £7.99 per night for these three channels: (Playboy TV, The Adult Channel and Spice Extreme).
- £9.99 per month per channel (trade.tv, The Lovers' Guide, Playboy TV,
The Adult Channel or Spice Extreme.
- £15.99 per month for these three channels: (Playboy TV, The Adult Channel and Spice Extreme).

List of channels

ee also

* Tiscali
* List of British television channels
* List of digital terrestrial channels
* List of channels on freesat
* List of channels on Sky Digital in the UK and Ireland
* List of channels on Virgin TV

References

*cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=19267195|title=www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums
*cite web|url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/tv/tiscali-tv.html?code=ZZ-NL-11GK&srccode=|title=www.tiscali.co.uk
*TV Guide on Tiscali TV service itself (in London) as of 2007/11/30.

External links

* [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/tiscali-tv/index.html/ Tiscali TV]
* [http://www.homechoice.co.uk/ Ex-Homechoice site still active]
* [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/ Tiscali Homepage]
* [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/tvextra/tv-packages.html TV packages at a glance]