BT Vision

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 an IPTV television service provided in the United Kingdom, launched in December 2006, and owned by the BT Group. It requires access to a BT Broadband internet connection with BT's official router (BT Home Hub) to watch programmes, including on demand services. Watching BT's on demand service with the BT vision service uses none of the customers broadband allowance. Contents 1 Launch 2 Overview 2.1 Vision+ set-top box 3 Content 3.1 BT Vision Music 3.2 BT Vision Film 3.3 BT Vision Sport 3.4 BT Vision TV & BT Vision Kids 3.5 On Demand 4 Background 5 Powerline adaptors 6 References 7 External links // Launch BT Vision was launched on 5 December 2006, and entered the market to compete with Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk TV (then known as Tiscali TV).1 Initial reaction by the industry 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.2 In May 2007, BT Group launched a national advertising campaign for this service.3 The aim was to attract "hundreds of thousands" of customers by the end of 2007 and 2-3 million in the medium term.4 However, as of November 2010, BT Vision has a total of only 520,000 customers, compared to over 10 million customers that receive satellite services from British Sky Broadcasting.5 Overview BT Vision provides digital terrestrial television channels using a Freeview decoder and on demand film, TV, sport, kids and music programming delivered via broadband through a hybrid DTT/IP/PVR set top box, known as the Vision+ (see below).6 Vision+ set-top box 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.7 The original Silver Vision+ box is a Philips DIT9719 running Microsoft Mediaroom software, and the new Black Vision+ box is made by Pace. The operating system of the Vision+ is Windows CE, from Microsoft. 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 forced an update on subscribers which effectively removes the ability of the box to skip forward 30 seconds. Many subscribers use this to skip adverts in recorded programmes. Content BT Vision Music BT has agreed deals with: Sony BMG EMI Music Universal Music Music Mall NBD Planet Rock who provide a range of 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. BT Vision Film BT Vision has signed deals with the following studios to provide classic movies and the latest blockbuster films: DreamWorks Paramount Pictures NBC Universal Lionsgate films Buena Vista International (Disney) Walt Disney Pictures Touchstone Pictures Miramax Films Pixar Animation Studios Warner Bros. Momentum Pictures Film 4 MGM Artificial Eye All films are available on a pay-per-view basis. BT Vision Sport BT won the rights to carry 242 same-day (but not live) Premier League football matches per season. The three year deal covers the 2007-8, 2008-9 and 2009-10 seasons. BT has acquired the rights 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. These matches are available from 10pm on the evening that the game is played. (This service has ceased as from season 2010-11) In addition to the football above, BT Vision is building an archive of classic matches from a variety of sports. All of this on demand sports content is available on a pay per view basis, without the need for an upfront television subscription. Alternatively, customers can take a monthly viewing package allowing them to watch as much content as they like. 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 ESPN8 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",1011 allowing them to undercut the price charged by Sky to its own customers.10 BT Vision TV & BT Vision Kids TV: BBC Worldwide The History Channel CBS Television Studios Living TV The Battlefield Channel MTV National Geographic Channel ITV Channel 4 HBO Warner Bros. Adult Swim Fireworks / Paranormal Media Discovery Channel. Kids: BBC Worldwide Disney on Demand (Disney Channel VOD and Disney Cinemagic VOD) Nickelodeon Cartoon Network HIT Entertainment Disney XD (UK & Ireland) Entertainment Rights. On Demand Channel 4 on Demand (4oD) BBC on Demand. 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 April 2011.12 ITV Catch Up, available from December 2008. 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 United Kingdom. In January 2001, the ban was lifted.13 Powerline adaptors Main article: Power line communication The set-top box is connected to the hub via an Ethernet cable either connected directly to the BT Home Hub, or to one of a pair of Comtrend Ethernet adapters. The Comtrend UPA adaptors use the mains wiring in a house to create an Ethernet network. A second adaptor is plugged into the mains and connected to the BT Home Hub via an Ethernet cable. These plugs are provided as part of the BT Vision package. Radio Amateurs have claimed that these powerline adaptors cause disruption and interference. Following their introduction by BT in 200714 an estimated 500,000 units were in use by January 2009, resulting in around 40 complaints from radio amateurs in that time15 to the communications regulator Ofcom. Following internet publicity the figure rose to 143 complaints in the year to September 2009, of which 121 were resolved.16 Ofcom concludes that "there does not at present appear to be significant public harm arising from this situation." Nonetheless The Radio Society of Great Britain continues to maintain that PLT is causing disruption to Shortwave radio services. Ofcom has commissioned an independent study into the likelihood and extent of interference caused by PLT apparatus.16 References ^ BT Vision - passing you the control, BT Group news release, 4 December 2006, retrieved on 2 June 2007 ^ Hi-tech world assesses BT Vision, BBC new report, 6 December 2006, retrieved on 2 June 2007. ^ BT Vision unveils national advertising campaign, BT Group news release, 10 May 2007, retrieved on 2 June 2007. ^ Multi-million pound campaign to promote Britain's most flexible digital TV Service, BT Group new release, 10 May 2007, retrieved 2 June 2007. ^ http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/corporate-sme/bt-raises-earnings-forecast-as-broadband-sales-soar-1.1067759 ^ http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=24693 ^ Pay Per View TV | BT Vision ^ http://www.btvision.com/sport/setanta ^ 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.  ^ 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.  ^ "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.  ^ http://topnews.co.uk/216548-bt-vision-subscribers-get-bbc-iplayer ^ BT to begin broadcasting, BBC news report, 27/5/2001, retrieved on 2 June 2007. ^ http://www.powerlinenetworking.co.uk/content/view/138/75/ ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/15/bt_vision_interference/ ^ a b http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/enforcement/plt/ External links BT Vision, official site. 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