What's On Offer Summary

[Providers] [Content] [Equipment] [Availability] [Cost]

Satellite

Terrestrial

Cable

Web-TV

Providers

Main Service Delivery Providers Sky Digital ITVdigital (was ONdigital) BBC Digital Digital 3 and 4 NTL and Telewest
Microsoft, Granda Rentals, Bush, ITV Digital

Backing Companies
Note: there are so many cross holdings and alliances that only major backing companies are shown.
BSkyB (32.5%),
BT (32.5%),
Matsushita (15%),
HSBC Holdings (20%). Granada (50%), Carlton (50%) BBC The commercial ITV companies including Channel 4 and Channel 5. NTL: France Telecom (30%), Microsoft (3%).
Telewest: Microsoft (26%), UPC (24%) and TCI (TCI is owned by AT&T; Microsoft also owns part of AT&T).

Main Content Providers BSkyB, BBC, Granada, Flextech, Channel 4 & 5 Carlton, Granada, BBC, ITV, BSkyB, UKTV (Flextech & BBC) BBC as above BSkyB, BBC, ITV, Granada, Flextech

Advertising Budget £60m in first 3 months £90m in first year

Inital Target for Digital Subscribers

Over 120,000 new subscribers in the first 4 months (plus 230,000 switching from the analogue system). Over 110,000 subscribed in the first 4 months to May 99. N/a as a free service. N/a as a free service. 6,000 in first few months.

Achievements
See Number of Digital Customers for current numbers.
Reached 5m at the end of 2000 and expects to discontinue analogue service in July 2001. Reached 1m in early 2001.
About half the UK can receive a suitable signal.
Aiming for 1.7m by 2003 and 3m by 2005.
Reached 1m in early 2001.

Satellite

Terrestrial

Cable

Web-TV

Content
SkyDigital ITV Digital BBC Digital 3 & 4 C&W, Telewest, NTL BBC and ITV companies

Total TV & Audio Channels Free TV: 7, Pay TV: 48, Audio 44 TV: 30 TV: 5 TV: 4 200 TV: 5

Free Services (See Services for details). BBC channels, Channels 4 & 5, and 20 radios stations. BBC channels BBC1, 2, Choice, Knowledge, Parliament.
Planned Channels
Young children, schools online news.
ITV, Channels 4 & 5, ITV2 BBC and ITV channels. BBC and ITV channels.
Note: at present web-TVs are only capable of receiving analogue TV.

Pay Services with no. of channels (See Services for details). Sports: 4
Entertainment: 11
Documentary: 9
Movies: 4
News: 3
Music: 7 plus 44 audio
Lifestyle: 10
Kids: 5
Movies on Near Demand: 48 channels
Shopping: 1 Sports: 6
Entertainment: 3
Documentary: 2
Movies: 4
Drama: 2
Lifestyle: 6
Kids: 2
Shopping: 1
Pay per view Movies: 4 channels (ONrequest) Film Four Similar to the satellite services.

Programme Guide SkyGuide will help select programmes, set reminders, and block programmes or channels totally or according to rating. Yes DTV Navigator software provides Electronic Programme Guide.

Interactivity Available Interactive TV sports programmes.
Open offering shopping, Banking, E-mail (up to 8 people in each household), and the Internet. Launched Nov. 99
Provided by British Interactive Broadcasting (BIB).
ONnet (E-mail and Internet) launched circa Spring 2000. Telewest's service is planned for launch in March 2000. To be called Active Digital. Internet access offering shopping, banking, e-mail

Interactivity Planned Shopping, Banking, Games, E-mail, free and fast Internet access.

Other Improved teletext with pictures and improved graphics.
tvLINK links a number of TVs around the home.
Improved teletext with pictures and improved graphics. Improved teletext with pictures and improved graphics. Improved teletext with pictures and improved graphics. Promises free Internet access.

Satellite

Terrestrial

Cable

Web-TV

Equipment

Receiver Satellite dish - elliptical in shape and half the size of existing dishes. Normal roof top aerial unless poor reception. Cable TV with built-in modem or set-top box

Decoder Set top box or TV with built-in digital decoder. Set top box or TV with built-in digital decoder. Set top box or TV with built-in digital decoder. At present there are no digital web-TVs.

Manufacturers Pace, Nokia, Grundig, LG Electronics (TVs) Set-top boxes: Pace, Philips, Nokia, Grundig, Sony.
Integrated TVs: Hitachi, Sony, Alba.
WebTV boxes: Nokia
Pace Microtechnology Bush
Pace Microtechnology and Sony (trial system)
Netgem for ITV Digital
Nokia for Dixon's together with ITV Digital set-top boxes.

Other Optional keyboard for interactive services.
Telephone line for the interactive services
Telephone line for the interactive services.
Keyboard for interactive services.
Cable connection Telephone Line

Retailers Comet, Dixons Independent retailers and High Street retailes such as Granada. Comet, Dixons, Currys The cable providers High Street retailers and TV rental companies

Availability

Geographical coverage All UK All UK
70% UK to start with 99% by the end of 1999 (call 0870 600 6162) - this target has not been met.
Cities and large towns. All UK

Launch Date 1 October 1998 15 November 1998 C&W: July 1999 in Manchester; London in Autumn 99; other areas in 2000.
Telewest: October 1999.
NTL: October 1999.
Bush and Granada Rentals: May 2000
ITV Digital: Late 2000

Satellite

Terrestrial

Cable

Web-TV

Cost

Receiving Equipment & Installation Satellite dish and decoder on free loan (reduced subscriptions to existing Sky subscribers until Sept. 2001). Installation: £40 if premium packages taken; £100 if only free channels taken. Pre-pay package of set-top decoder + 12 months subscription to 6 primary channels + OnNet internet access* + keyboard for £119. Subscribers install themselves.
* effectively a WebTV
May need a new / upgrade aerial if reception is poor (£40).
Alternative is to purchase a set top decoder box (c£200) to access just the free-to-air channels.
Another alternative is an integrated digital TV (idTV) (£969) to access the free-to-air channels plus, if required, a smart card from ITV Digital for the pay-to-view channels.
Installation £40 (free to those who have signed up to cable since October 1998). TV with built-in Internet access (£200) or set-top box (£100).
Granada Rentals is initially offering 200,000 free set-top box and free internet access for the cost of a local telephone call.

Monthly subscriptions Packages from £10 to £34.
Film Four £5.99. Packages from £9.99 to £18.
MUTV £5, Film Four £6. Packages from £9.99 to £40 plus with internet connection and telephony services (cf BT's line rental of £9 per month). Typically £10 per month although there are now many free services (e.g. Dixons, BT).
Granda Rentals subscribers pay a £20 deposit and no monthly subscription but must complete a monthly consumer survey.

Other costs Obligatory BT line rental of £8.92 per month.
Pay per view £2.99 per movie.
Infrared keyboard at £35.
Telephone calls for the interactive services - many calls will be free or lo-call.
Telephone calls for the interactive services - many calls will be free or lo-call.
Infrared keyboard if not provided.
Telephone calls for the interactive services - many calls will be free or lo-call. Telephone calls for the interactive services - most subscription ISPs have lo-call access. Some now offer free calls at weekends.

Viewing Equipment
Standard TV: £100-300; WideScreen TV: circa £600;
Digital TV: circa £1,000
The Bush MailTV (email only) at £199, their InternetTV (price to be announced) or their set-top modem/browser box (£100) - early 2000 prices.
Toys-R-Us is selling (Oct. 00) both a set-top box at £79 and an Web-TV at £169.

BT

BT is offering a video on demand service in London under the brand name Homechoice / VideoNet. It uses ADSL over subscribers normal telephone line and there is a £40 installation fee. From 2001 BT will be allowed to offer TV channels as well. Monthly rental is from £6.00 with video rental from £1.99 to £3.50 for 24 hours.

Back to the Overview

External Resources

Digital News, Number 6, November 1998, Digital Television Group.
Larsen, Peter Thal, 1998, Can digital TV convert the dish-hating viewers?, The Independent, 29 July 1998.
Larsen, Peter Thal, 1999, Battle is joined in digital television, The Independent, 9 April 1999.
Robins, Jane, 1998, Britain's TV revolution starts today, Independent, 1 October 1998
Robins, Jane, 1999, Murdoch guns for digital rivals, Independent, 6 May 1999
SkyDigital, 1998, advertisement feature, Daily Mail, 1 October 1998
Also see the full list of resources for this web site for other related resources.

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	Satellite	Terrestrial			Cable	Web-TV
Providers
Main Service Delivery Providers	Sky Digital	ITVdigital (was ONdigital)	BBC Digital	Digital 3 and 4	NTL and Telewest	Microsoft, Granda Rentals, Bush, ITV Digital
Backing Companies Note: there are so many cross holdings and alliances that only major backing companies are shown.	BSkyB (32.5%), BT (32.5%), Matsushita (15%), HSBC Holdings (20%).	Granada (50%), Carlton (50%)	BBC	The commercial ITV companies including Channel 4 and Channel 5.	NTL: France Telecom (30%), Microsoft (3%). Telewest: Microsoft (26%), UPC (24%) and TCI (TCI is owned by AT&T; Microsoft also owns part of AT&T).
Main Content Providers	BSkyB, BBC, Granada, Flextech, Channel 4 & 5	Carlton, Granada, BBC, ITV, BSkyB, UKTV (Flextech & BBC)	BBC	as above	BSkyB, BBC, ITV, Granada, Flextech
Advertising Budget	£60m in first 3 months	£90m in first year
Inital Target for Digital Subscribers	Over 120,000 new subscribers in the first 4 months (plus 230,000 switching from the analogue system).	Over 110,000 subscribed in the first 4 months to May 99.	N/a as a free service.	N/a as a free service.	6,000 in first few months.
Achievements See Number of Digital Customers for current numbers.	Reached 5m at the end of 2000 and expects to discontinue analogue service in July 2001.	Reached 1m in early 2001. About half the UK can receive a suitable signal. Aiming for 1.7m by 2003 and 3m by 2005.			Reached 1m in early 2001.