Sky to launch 4 channel pay service on DTT!

[Analoguesat]

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is to launch a pay-TV service on digital terrestrial television later this year.
The new service will allow customers to receive some of Sky's most popular programming, including live Premiership football and Holllywood films.

BSkyB's new DTT pay-TV offering will use compression technology to squeeze four services out of the spectrum currently used by its three Freeview channels - Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News.

Customers will pay a monthly subscription to get the service through a conventional rooftop aerial and a digital TV box.

To access the service, customers will have to buy a new set-top box that includes the relevant conditional access software and MPEG4 decoder - suggesting it will not be available via existing Freeview DTT receivers.

The move raises the stakes in the looming battle with Irish company Setanta, which is offering Premiership football on DTT for a monthly subscription from August.

It also comes on the day that cable group NTL-Telewest rebranded as Virgin Media and vowed to turn up the heat on Sky in the pay-TV arena.

Sky's new service will also be a direct competitor to existing DTT pay-TV outfit Top Up TV.

Sky said the service - whose launch is dependent on approval from media watchdog Ofcom - would use a highly secure conditional access system similar to the one it uses for its satellite television service.

Once the service launches manufacturers will have the opportunity to produce compatible set-top-boxes and other DTT receivers, Sky said.

"By bringing back some of the UK's most popular pay-TV content to the DTT platform, Sky aims to create more choice for customers who are interested in upgrading from free-to-air to pay-TV," Sky said in a statement.

"This represents an attractive commercial opportunity, benefiting from existing investments in programming and infrastructure, and attracting new customers to Sky over and above current plans for the growth of Sky's satellite service." Full details of the service, including branding, pricing and the complete channel lineup, will be revealed closer to launch.

Sky previously offered a number of pay-TV channels on DTT via the now defunct ITV Digital service between 1998 and 2002.

Media Guardian

 

[Rd100]

Here is full details from sky

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=104016&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=960773&highlight=

 

[aikon0029]

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is to launch a pay-TV service on digital terrestrial television later this year.
The new service will allow customers to receive some of Sky's most popular programming, including live Premiership football and Holllywood films.

BSkyB's new DTT pay-TV offering will use compression technology to squeeze four services out of the spectrum currently used by its three Freeview channels - Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News.

Customers will pay a monthly subscription to get the service through a conventional rooftop aerial and a digital TV box.

To access the service, customers will have to buy a new set-top box that includes the relevant conditional access software and MPEG4 decoder - suggesting it will not be available via existing Freeview DTT receivers.

The move raises the stakes in the looming battle with Irish company Setanta, which is offering Premiership football on DTT for a monthly subscription from August.

It also comes on the day that cable group NTL-Telewest rebranded as Virgin Media and vowed to turn up the heat on Sky in the pay-TV arena.

Sky's new service will also be a direct competitor to existing DTT pay-TV outfit Top Up TV.

Sky said the service - whose launch is dependent on approval from media watchdog Ofcom - would use a highly secure conditional access system similar to the one it uses for its satellite television service.

Once the service launches manufacturers will have the opportunity to produce compatible set-top-boxes and other DTT receivers, Sky said.

"By bringing back some of the UK's most popular pay-TV content to the DTT platform, Sky aims to create more choice for customers who are interested in upgrading from free-to-air to pay-TV," Sky said in a statement.

"This represents an attractive commercial opportunity, benefiting from existing investments in programming and infrastructure, and attracting new customers to Sky over and above current plans for the growth of Sky's satellite service." Full details of the service, including branding, pricing and the complete channel lineup, will be revealed closer to launch.

Sky previously offered a number of pay-TV channels on DTT via the now defunct ITV Digital service between 1998 and 2002.

Media Guardian

Rupert [ moneybags] Murdoch now wants T F/V to add to his empire eh, thought it would not be long before he poked his jealous mug into it, only hope Offcom refuse him, but he probably has a finger up Offcoms a*** as well:mad:

 

[rolfw]

I'm not really concerned about who owns the pay channels on the terrestrial multiplexes, but more disappointed that there are not more FTA channels competing for multiplex space and that the government relaxed the FTA channel mandate.

In five years time when the multiplexes increase in number, I'm sure that Sky will have its fair share, as they have the channels already up and running, but it will be in direct competition with itself and of course cable.

I would guess that NTL/Virgin must be seriously concerned about their business, post digital switchover.

 

[2cvbloke]

So my OnDigital (which came before ITV Screwup) won't work like it used to for the sky channels then? That's no good, I say good luck selling them then, seeing how you need a new box for TUTV and a new box for the sky package... O-no

 

[rolfw]

The future may well be MPEG4, you could well see others following them in the long term.

 

[2cvbloke]

The future may well be MPEG4, you could well see others following them in the long term.

Well if you think of it, we've all (well, not all, but most) of us have bought MPEG2 Freeview boxes, most of which work well, some having the TUTV capability, but if sky come along and say "you need our box to view this", just like their satellite service, then I don't really think people will go for it. Maybe once HDTV becomes the norm, then fine, I'll put the old MPEG2 boxes in the cupboard and shell out for an MPEG4 capable device, but not before....

 

[rolfw]

The vast majority of terrestrial digital viewers have FTA only boxes, so if they want to go over to pay TV, then they will need to buy a new box anyway, I would guess that maybe the new MPEG4 boxes will have some provision for other pay channels.

Sky will be in no rush, they simply will be looking to get a subscription foothold over the next five years.

 

[Rd100]

We know thay are going to use mpeg4 but are they going to use NDS if they are would they use embedded NDS videoguard or a NDS videoguard cam if they use embedded NDS you would have no choice but to use their own sky receiver like you have to with satellite sky

 

[rolfw]

The article would appear to indicate that it will be embedded.

 

[Salty25]

I'm not quite getting this, what's in it for Sky? Surely they don't see Setanta as being that bigger treat. Also, how does this help them fight BT Vision and Virgin Cable, a fight which they will easily demonate without needing to do anything more than advertise more?

 

[Channel Hopper]

I'm not quite getting this, what's in it for Sky? Surely they don't see Setanta as being that bigger treat. Also, how does this help them fight BT Vision and Virgin Cable, a fight which they will easily demonate without needing to do anything more than advertise more?

Sky have seen their take up on satellite cut by quite a few numbers by the Freeview platform in the past year. The TV and DVD/R manufacturers have all embraced the platform as they know it makes sense to add a £15 circuit and sell on the screen for £100 more.
I don't believe this is any direct threat to the BSkyB, as they already have a takeup via Freesat (their operations centre deals with the free card system, and their roped-in manufacturers supply the boxes), but this is a long term project, as the terrestrial platform will support some 400 MPEG-2 channels once analogue disappears in a couple of years, and quite a few more MPEG-4 stuff should the whole platform move over to another standard.

Anyone with a £25 box is unlikely to complain when they are asked to change their system in 5 years time, but integral TV users (especially the higher end ones) will no doubt be rather pissed off that they have bought a dead duck (even though they may not realise their 'HD ready' flatscreen TV will not actually give true 1920 by 1080 resolution HD quality when it eventually arrives.
Anything broadcast in the meantime should constitute a trading standards enquiry at the very least.

 

[Salty25]

To be honest, I think HD is going to be a niche in the UK for a while yet, so can't see that being a big concern. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows.

 

[the_happy_traveller]

To be honest, I think HD is going to be a niche in the UK for a while yet, so can't see that being a big concern. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows.

I'm with you on this one. I asked about the benefits of HDTV on here a while back and got an almost unanimous reply to hold off for a year or two and see what develops. I think my foray into HDTV won't be until there's no other option or the price reduces significantly.
My SL65 and Tesco's cheapo telly are more than adequate for my needs. As for DTT, it's almost a non starter here at the moment due to the woefully low transmitter power.

I am against paying a subscription of any sort for my TV for 2 reasons. Firstly the sheer amount of free telly available and secondly I'm a tight fisted git