TalkTalk TV

TalkTalk TV is a UK-based consumer television and video on demand service, operated by the TalkTalk Group. In September 2012, TalkTalk TV was launched in partnership with YouView. Its television and video on demand service is delivered over a BT phone line, using ADSL or VDSL. It provides IPTV, video on demand, telephony and broadband internet access. The company features TalkTalk TV Lite or TalkTalk TV Plus. The TV Lite Box cannot record and only has the capability of pausing and rewinding for up to 30 Minutes. The TV Plus Box pausing and rewinding for up to 2 hours.

TalkTalk TV
FormerlyHomechoice, Tiscali TV, TalkTalk TV
TypePay TV
IndustryIPTV
FoundedSeptember 2012 (originally 2000)
HeadquartersUnited Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom
Websitewww.talktalktv.co.uk

History

While TalkTalk TV in its current form launched in 2012, its predecessor dates back to 2000 when the UK's first video on demand service, HomeChoice, was launched, at first covering an area in north London.[1] It was provided by Video Networks Limited (VNL), based in Shepherd's Bush in London, which utilised high speed ADSL connections. By 2003, HomeChoice had just 3,000 subscribers, compared to Sky's 7 million and over 2 million each for both Freeview and digital cable operators.[2] HomeChoice avoided bankruptcy and relaunched in 2004, striking a deal with BSkyB to provide Sky Sports and Sky Movies to HomeChoice customers.[3] HomeChoice was purchased by Tiscali UK in August 2006 and rebranded to Tiscali TV in February 2007, by which time it had 40,000 subscribers in areas of London and Stevenage.[4]

On 30 June 2009, the European Union approved a deal in which The Carphone Warehouse would buy all the assets of Tiscali UK. As a result of Tiscali UK's acquisition, Tiscali TV was rebranded as TalkTalk TV in January 2010.[5]

TalkTalk TV however struggled to compete against Sky, Virgin Media and BT's television services. On 20 October 2010, TalkTalk announced its plans to launch a new TV service in 2011, in a partnership with YouView.[6] By the start of 2011, TalkTalk discontinued its existing TV service and removed it from their official site.

TalkTalk formally launched its YouView-based TV service in September 2012.

As of May 2013, TalkTalk TV was Britain's fastest growing TV service.[7]

YouView launched a Netflix player for new and existing Netflix customers. This is now on retail boxes and this launched on TalkTalk in late 2015.

Channels and content

TalkTalk Plus TV is delivered by IPTV signals using a YouView set-top box. These boxes also allow access to digital terrestrial television (DTT) signals using an additional aerial to watch Freeview channels. Originally all its channels and content were available on the TalkTalk Player without any EPG channel numbers. On 7 August 2013, the channels became available on the YouView EPG with channel numbering ranging from 401 to 599. The channels can be bought as packages or 'boosts' which can be changed every 30 days if desired. Customers can Record these 'Boost' channels, along with a new version of the TalkTalk Player. As of June 2015 the channels were re-numbered.

Current TalkTalk packages with the channel numbers are as follows (On Demand content is in the TalkTalk Player):

Number Channel Name Boost
301 Sky One TV Select
302 Sky Witness TV Select
304 Sky Replay TV Select
305 Sky Crime TV Select
307 Comedy Central TV Select
308 Comedy Central Extra Entertainment
309 MTV TV Select
310 Gold TV Select
311 W Entertainment
312 Alibi Entertainment
314 Gold +1 TV Select
315 Eden Entertainment
316 FOX TV Select
317 National Geographic TV Select
318 Nat Geo Wild Entertainment
319 SYFY Entertainment
321 E! Entertainment
327 Sky History TV Select
328 Crime + Investigation TV Select
329 Lifetime Entertainment
330 Sky History2 Entertainment
338 Vice TV Select
401 Sky Sports News TV Select
402 Sky Sports Main Event Sky Sports
403 Sky Sports Premier League Sky Sports
404 Sky Sports Football Sky Sports
405 Sky Sports Cricket Sky Sports
406 Sky Sports Golf Sky Sports
407 Sky Sports F1 Sky Sports
408 BT Sport 1 BT Sport
409 BT Sport 2 BT Sport
410 BT Sport 3 BT Sport
411 BT Sport ESPN BT Sport
415 BoxNation BoxNation
417 Sky Sports Action/NFL Sky Sports
418 Sky Sports Arena Sky Sports
450 BT Sport Extra 1 BT Sport
451 BT Sport Extra 2 BT Sport
452 BT Sport Extra 3 BT Sport
453 BT Sport Extra 4 BT Sport
454 BT Sport Extra 5 BT Sport
455 BT Sport Extra 6 BT Sport
483 Nickelodeon Kids
484 Nick Jr Kids
485 Nicktoons Kids
486 Cartoon Network Kids
487 Boomerang Kids
488 Cartoonito Kids
489 Baby TV Kids
500 Sky Cinema Premiere Sky Cinema
501 Sky Cinema Select Sky Cinema
502 Sky Cinema Hits Sky Cinema
503 Sky Cinema Greats Sky Cinema
504 Sky Cinema Animation Sky Cinema
506 Sky Cinema Family Sky Cinema
507 Sky Cinema Action Sky Cinema
508 Sky Cinema Comedy Sky Cinema
509 Sky Cinema Thriller Sky Cinema
510 Sky Cinema Drama Sky Cinema
511 Sky Cinema Sci-Fi & Horror Sky Cinema
512 TCM Movies Entertainment
536 MTV Music Music
537 MTV Hits Music
538 MTV Classic Music
539 MTV Base Music
556 Sony Channel Asia Asian
557 Zee TV Asian
558 Zee Cinema Asian
559 Sony MAX Asian

On Demand Services

Entertainment

  • ABC Studios – On Demand
  • Sky One – On Demand
  • Sky Witness – On Demand
  • Sky Arts – On Demand
  • Comedy Central – On Demand
  • MTV – On Demand
  • National Geographic – On Demand
  • History – On Demand
  • Crime + Investigation – On Demand
  • Lifetime – On Demand
  • FOX – On Demand
  • Gold – On Demand (UKTV Play)
  • W – On Demand (UKTV Play)
  • Alibi – On Demand (UKTV Play)
  • Good Food – On Demand (UKTV Play)
  • Eden – On Demand (UKTV Play)

Kids

  • Hopster – On Demand
  • Nickelodeon – On Demand
  • Nick Jr – On Demand
  • Cartoon Network – On Demand
  • Boomerang – On Demand
  • Cartoonito – On Demand
  • Baby TV – On Demand

Movies

  • Sky Cinema – On Demand
  • TalkTalk TV Store (Buy or Rent)

Tiscali/TalkTalk TV (2006–2011)

Access

Access to the channels and the Video on demand is via a self branded set-top box that is connected to the customer's Television set. The current set-top box features an Aerial socket and a DVB-T receiver. A wireless router for internet access that connects to the set-top box is also provided.

TalkTalk+

TalkTalk+ includes a 160 GB hard-drive Digital video recorder, which holds 50 hours of recorded television and acts as a replacement for the standard set-top box. TalkTalk+ can simultaneously record up to three separate channels.

Service area

TalkTalk TV was initially only available in parts of London, Surrey and Hertfordshire. Since September 2007 Central and Northern England were TalkTalk 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.

TV Services

The majority of standard UK channels are available, such as BBC One and BBC Two, as well as Premium channels such as Sky Movies and National Geographic Channel, depending on the selected package and corresponding price paid per month.

Video on Demand is 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 broadcast. Channels with the catch up service are: BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, Fox, ITV, ITV2, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC Channel, Channel 5 and CBeebies.

On 13 February 2007, HBO announced C1, its new VOD service was to become available on Tiscali TV.

British Sky Broadcasting announced that it was to supply Tiscali TV with its basic TV package including Sky1, Sky2, Sky Arts, Sky News and Sky Sports News.

TalkTalk TV packages as of 2010 are:

See also

References

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