BT Vision

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BT Vision
Type Pay TV and Download Service
Industry Media & Telecoms
Founded December 2006
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Products Pay TV services
Programming
Owner(s) BT Group
Website www.btvision.com

BT Vision is a hybrid IPTV-digital terrestrial television service offered by BT Group in the United Kingdom which was launched in December 2006. As of September 2011 it had an estimated 640,000 subscribers.[1]

BT Vision is a "hybrid" transmission service; it delivers TV channels on the digital terrestrial (DVB-T) platform (using a Freeview decoder) and on-demand content via IPTV through a hybrid DTT/IP/PVR set-top box, known as the Vision+.[2] BT Vision requires access to a BT Broadband internet connection with BT's official router (BT Home Hub) to watch programmes, and does not use the customer's broadband allowance.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Background

When British Telecom (BT) was privatised in 1984 it was barred from providing television broadcasts over its telecommunication network, which meant that it was not possible for BT to provide a cable television service. The ban was designed to protect the new smaller telecommunications companies and the small cable television networks in the United Kingdom as it was felt that BT had an unfair advantage because its pre-privatisation monopoly meant that its equipment was already installed in virtually every home and business in the country. In January 2001, the ban was lifted.[3]

[edit] Launch

BT Vision was launched on 5 December 2006, competing with Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk TV (then known as Tiscali TV).[4] Initial industry reaction was positive although there was some criticism that set up costs were expensive and it was noted that BT Group were entering a competitive market.[5] In May 2007, BT Group launched a national advertising campaign for BT Vision.[6] The aim was to attract "hundreds of thousands" of customers by the end of 2007 and 2-3 million in the medium-term.[7]

[edit] Premium sport deal

BT acquired the rights to carry 242 same-day (but not live) Premier League football matches per season in a three-year deal covering the 2007-8, 2008-9 and 2009-10 seasons in a joint bid with BSkyB. BT Vision also have the right to offer on demand coverage of 125 matches each season from the Football League and Carling Cup. This service ceased prior to the start of the 2010-11 season.

Between August 2007 and June 2009, Setanta Sports was available through BT Vision, via DTT and a smart card, offering Live Barclays Premiership and Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, as well as other sporting events such as US PGA Tour Golf and Magners League Rugby. BT Vision has now made a deal with American sports giant ESPN[8] for carriage of its new channel which replaced Setanta on DTT.

The company announced the pricing of their Sky Sports packages in July 2010, following the outcome of Ofcom's review into pay-TV pricing in March, which directed Sky to reduce the wholesale price it charges for the Sky Sports channels.[9] The price charged to customers signing up for broadband, calls and TV with BT for a two-year contract results in the organisation making a "significant loss on the service",[10][11] allowing them to undercut the price charged by Sky to its own customers.[10]

[edit] Vision+ PVR

The Vision+ is a set-top box, similar to Sky+ and V+, that enables 80 hours of television programmes to be recorded while watching other live programmes. The service is described as providing a range of on-demand content without compulsory subscriptions. However, a BT broadband connection with a guaranteed line speed is required. A self-install version and a technician install version of BT Vision are available.[12]

The original Silver Vision+ box is a Philips DIT9719 running Microsoft Mediaroom software, and the new Black Vision+ box is made by Pace.[13] However plans are afoot to move to an open source operating system. Only one Vision+ can be used at a time to connect to the BT Vision service using a single Home Hub / Broadband Line.

BT have recently distributed a firmware update which effectively removes the ability of the box to skip forward 30 seconds.[citation needed] Many subscribers use this to skip adverts in recorded programmes.

[edit] Packages

BT Vision's two main packages are TV Essential and TV Unlimited. Both packages will come with a Vision+ box which will have all Freeview channels, and Vision Replay (which is basically Catch Up TV).

On Demand

Vision TV, Music, Kids and Sport are on-demand. All will cost 50p a show with TV Essential, and all will be free and unlimited with TV Unlimited. Vision Filmclub is available for free with TV Unlimited, and is not available for TV Essential.

PPV On Demand

Vision Box Office and Vision Adult are on a pay per view basis, available with both TV Essential and TV Unlimited. Box Office will cost £2.50 per film, and Adult will cost from £3.20 a show. Vision Adult is available for a 3 hour rental.

International On Demand

Bollywood & Beyond offers Indian content on-demand. It costs £6.99 a month extra, with TV Unlimited only.

Premium Sport

ESPN is free of charge with TV Unlimited. It is not available with TV Essential. Sky Sports 1 costs £12.90 per month, while £18.20 will deliver both Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2. They are available on both TV Essential and TV Unlimited. (A £10 viewing card is required)

[edit] Vision Replay

Vision Replay is the name of the Catch Up TV services, which is available free of charge.

From late May 2008, BT discontinued free access to BBC TV replay, instead requiring Vision users to take out a £2.93 a month subscription. However, In November 2010, BT announced that BT Vision subscribers will begin to be able to access the BBC iPlayer. They expect all subscribers should have access by the end of June 2011.[14] This service was built by Pushbutton for Microsoft Mediaroom.

ITV Net Player has been available since December 2008. Demand 5 was removed on 6 October 2010 but reinstated in May 2011.

[edit] Sport channels

BT offers the following premium sport channels to its customers:

which is delivered through digital terrestrial (because it's a channel, not a on-demand library). They are shared between BT Vision and Top Up TV.

[edit] Vision TV on-demand

Content is provided by:

[edit] Vision Music on-demand

BT has agreed deals with:

who provide over 1,500 music videos, concerts and music documentaries, on-demand. The concert programming covers a wide variety of genres including rock, pop, urban and alternative, jazz and opera.

The music line-up includes names such as Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, Duran Duran, Fatboy Slim, Oasis, Queen and Phil Collins.

[edit] Vision Kids on-demand

BT has agreed deals with:

who provide hundreds of children's programs on-demand.

[edit] Vision Sport on-demand

In addition to the Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2 and ESPN sport channels, Vision Sport is an archive of football, wrestling boxing, martial arts, motorsports and extreme sports matches available on-demand, with a few on a pay per view basis.

[edit] Vision Filmclub on-demand

BT Vision has signed deals with the following studios to provide classic and new films:

[edit] Vision Box Office on-demand

Vision Box Office provides a library of the latest blockbuster film's on a pay per view basis.

Films on Vision Box Office mainly come from the following content providers

[edit] Vision Adult on-demand

There are also some adult channels, some of which are:

A special PIN called (Adult PIN) is required to access content on Vision Adult as a security proaction so that children cannot access the adult content.

[edit] Bolly & Beyond on-demand

BT has agreed a deal with Shemaroo Entertainment, who provides soap operas, films and other programmes from India.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Results for the second quarter and half year to 30 September 2011" (Press release). BTplc.com. 2011-11-03. http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/Showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=B4D54086-8D06-45C5-BF8E-99F6536EF094. Retrieved 2011-11-03. 
  2. ^ http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=24693
  3. ^ BT to begin broadcasting, BBC news report, 27/5/2001, retrieved on 2 June 2007.
  4. ^ BT Vision - passing you the control, BT Group news release, 4 December 2006, retrieved on 2 June 2007
  5. ^ Hi-tech world assesses BT Vision, BBC new report, 6 December 2006, retrieved on 2 June 2007.
  6. ^ BT Vision unveils national advertising campaign, BT Group news release, 10 May 2007, retrieved on 2 June 2007.
  7. ^ Multi-million pound campaign to promote Britain's most flexible digital TV Service, BT Group new release, 10 May 2007, retrieved 2 June 2007.
  8. ^ http://www.btvision.com/sport/setanta
  9. ^ Sweney, Mark (31 March 2010). "Ofcom orders Sky Sports price cut". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/31/ofcom-sky-sports-price-cut. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
  10. ^ a b Wray, Richard (1 July 2010). "War breaks out between BT and Sky over pricing of Sky Sports channels". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/01/bt-vision-sky-sports. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
  11. ^ "BT Vision to offer ut price deal on Sky Sports channels". Daily Record. 2 July 2010. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2010/07/02/bt-vision-to-offer-cut-price-deal-on-sky-sports-channels-86908-22376813/. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
  12. ^ Pay Per View TV | BT Vision
  13. ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a95903/bt-vision-orders-new-pace-stbs.html
  14. ^ "BBC iPlayer on TV in your living room: update". BBC. 2011-04-05. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/04/bbc_iplayer_on_tv_update.html. 

[edit] External links

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