Virgin Media announces details of new TiVo-powered TV service

Posted in Digital News, Virgin News Tagged , , , ,
Posted on December 5, 2010 by skyeditor

With almost 10 million customers, Virgin Media is the UK’s first quad-play provider of broadband, TV, phone and mobile. The company is one of the largest residential broadband providers in the UK, using a unique fibre optic cable network to deliver next generation ultra-fast internet access of up to 50Mb to just over half of all homes. Combined with a high speed ADSL service and mobile broadband products, Virgin Media is able to offer broadband internet access to virtually the entire country.

Virgin Media announced the first details of its upcoming TiVo-powered HD/3D set top box which will give customers 1 TeraByte of storage for personal recordings. The new HD/3D set top box will launch alongside Virgin Media’s new TiVo-powered next generation connected TV service, and will be capable of storing up to 500 hours of content. When coupled with Virgin Media’s TV on Demand service, the new service will give UK consumers access to over 4,600 hours of TV shows, movies and music videos, including hundreds of hours of HD and 3D entertainment, plus catch up TV from the terrestrial broadcasters.

Powered by Virgin Media’s unique fibre optic network, the box will also feature its own dedicated internal modem able to deliver HD video and other online services without impacting customers’ regular broadband connections. As a result, Virgin Media’s new TiVo-powered service will not only be able to deliver linear TV alongside an instant TV on demand offering but will also be able to support online video in HD straight to customers’ TVs without having to sacrifice other online activities when in use.

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, said: “Virgin Media’s next generation connected TV service – powered by TiVo – and combined with our superior broadband will blow other ‘connected TV’ products out of the water. We’re really proud of our new next-generation TV service which will appeal to anyone and everyone looking for the best of live broadcast TV, catch up, on demand and internet apps and services.”

Virgin Media and TiVo announced plans to join forces in November 2009. Virgin Media and TiVo have developed a unique converged television and interactive service bringing UK consumers the best in TV entertainment, be it broadcast, on demand or online.

Virgin Media rolls out UK’s fastest broadband

Posted in Digital News, Virgin News Tagged , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

Virgin Media announced the rollout timetable of its highly anticipated ultrafast 100Mb broadband service. Giving customers nearly twenty times the average broadband speed in the UK, the 100Mb service will go on sale from December and will propel the UK up the global broadband league table, demonstrating Virgin Media’s clear network advantage over rival broadband providers. (Average UK broadband speeds are at 5.2Mb as at May 2010.)

“The launch of our 100Mb service is a significant milestone in the UK’s broadband evolution and a vivid illustration of the power of our next generation network. From establishing the UK’s first ever broadband service in 2000 to the launch of 100Mb in 2010, in the space of just ten years, Virgin Media has led the greatest developments in digital Britain. The world of possibilities that broadband will enable is set to explode and we’re excited about the innovations we can bring to consumers in the next decade.” said Neil Berkett, chief executive officer at Virgin Media.

Prime Minister, David Cameron, welcomed the news and said: “We want to see super-fast broadband brought to people’s homes and businesses right across the country and this exciting news takes us a step closer towards reaching that goal.”

With 100Mb service, users could easily download an entire music album in as little as 5 seconds, a TV show in around 30 seconds, a high quality movie in as little as 90 seconds and a high definition (HD) movie in around 7 minutes. Research done by Virgin Media has shown that service will truly come into its own when more than one person in a household is using the service at the same time.

“We have already seen a massive uptake in the number of customers watching video rich services and bandwidth hungry high definition programmes and clips. We are now in a world where people want the best connectivity with whatever screen they are using and those service providers that aren’t able to deliver this will simply be left behind.” added Mr Berkett.

The new 100Mb package comes with a new custom built energy efficient combined modem and wireless N router, with the potential to deliver speeds of up to 400Mb as new services roll-out in the future(The SuperHub comes complete with Gigabit network connections, which are needed in order to receive the full 100Mb service on. Gigabit compatible home equipment must be used). A typical family will be able to get the new ultrafast service for as little as £35 a month when bought in a bundle, or just £45 per month when bought as a sole product.

The 100Mb service will be rolled out across Virgin Media’s cable network, which reaches nearly 13 million homes, and will be made available in new areas as Virgin Media expands its network. The first areas to get the ultrafast service will include parts of London, the South East and Yorkshire, with the roll-out expected to be complete by mid 2012.

Sky entertainment line-up in early 2011

Posted in Digital News, Sky News Tagged , , , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

Early 2011 will bring us exciting changes in Sky’s entertainment line-up. Sky customers will have access to a wide range of high-quality content through Sky1, re-branded SkyLiving and completely new channel, Sky Atlantic. The three channels will feature content which will appeal to all tastes extending from entertainment and comedy to drama and factual programming. Sky1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic will appear side by side on the front page of Sky’s electronic programme guide. Sky1 will be at #106, Sky Living at #107 and Sky Atlantic at #108, all three available in high definition (Sky HD). These channels will be available to all existing Sky customers at no extra cost, and also as a Sky basic subscription package, which starts from £19 a month.

Sky1 – what to expect

  • Mad Dogs – drama
  • Martina Cole’s The Runaway – drama
  • Sinbad – drama
  • Chris Ryan’s Strike Back – drama
  • Stella – comedy
  • Mount Pleasant – comedy
  • This Is Jinsy – comedy
  • Little Crackers – comedy

Sky Living

Sky Living was acquired by Sky from Virgin Media earlier this year. It will re-brand as Sky Living in the early 2011. It will move to a new slot #107 on the Sky EPG from its current position #112.

Sky Atlantic – what to expect

  • Boardwalk Empire
  • Game of Thrones
  • Luck
  • Tremé
  • Mad Men

Sky reached 10 million TV customers

Posted in Digital News, Sky News Tagged , , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

Judging by the numbers, this was a very exciting fall for the Sky. Namely, Sky has reached the long desired number of 10 million subscribers to its TV services, providing quality programmes and delivering home entertainment to 36% of households in the UK and Ireland. A goal was set in 2004 when Sky had 7,355,000 customers and since then an additional 2.6 million customers have joined Sky. It is estimated that Sky TV now reaches 25 million people.

But Sky TV is not the only service offered by Sky. Approximately one third of the customers is now using Sky HD, while a quarter is using Sky Broadband and Sky Phone services. For the past few years aforementioned services contributed heavily in growing Sky’s customer base.

Sky continues to be very active in delivering new services. Sky 3D was launched in October as first in-home 3D channel in Europe followed by the new on-demand service, Sky Anytime+. New channel, Sky Atlantic HD, is expected to be launched in early 2011.

“To be the choice of 10 million families is a big achievement for the whole team at Sky. It’s the result of a constant appetite for change and years of hard work behind the scenes to give our customers a great entertainment experience. But perhaps an even bigger achievement is the transformation of our business, which means we now have more ways to grow than ever.” said Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Chief Executive.

Sky – customer base as at 30 September 2010


Total customers: 10,000,000
Sky HD: 3,154,00
Sky Broadband: 2,892,000
Sky Phone: 2,547,000

Sky Anytime+

Posted in Digital News, Sky News Tagged , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

Sky Anytime+ is Sky’s new internet delivered video-on-demand service. Since late October, it began rolling-out to millions of Sky HD homes. Sky HD boxes are connected to the Sky Broadband network in order to access on-demand service. While connected, customers are in position to access content which they can pull and watch whenever they want. There’s more than 600 movies, documentaries, arts and other popular drama and entertainment shows. Sky Anytime+ provides customers with the content from the following programmes:

  • Sky Movies
  • Sky Sports
  • Sky Arts
  • Sky 1

These programmes come with no extra charge for existing subscribers.

The interface of Sky Anytime+ is improved compared to the existing Sky HD electronic programme guide. Things like thumbnail images, editorialised listings and search tools bring web experience and web habits which means that the content discovery will be fore intuitive and straightforward. Sky Anytime+ works similar to on-line streaming videos. The content is available to watch before it has been fully downloaded. What this means for most users is that after waiting for less than a minute the content is ready to watch.

“Sky Anytime+ demonstrates the benefit of being able to use the best combination of distribution platforms in delivering what our customers want. Through Sky Broadband customers can now explore a rich library of programming to watch on-demand through their TVs. Meanwhile satellite continues to satisfy the increasing demand for high bandwidth services like HD and 3D, and Sky+ continues to help customers define their own schedules from the best of the week’s TV.” said Stephen van Rooyen, Sky’s Deputy MD of Marketing.

Fibre-based broadband available in Warwick and Kenilworth

Posted in BT News, Digital News Tagged , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

BT Vision announced that houses and businesses in Warwickshire and Kenilworth now have access to fibre-based broadband.

Over the next few weeks, more than 11,000 local households and businesses in Warwick and more than 9,000 in Kenilworth will experience the fibre-based broadband revolution.

Fibre to street cabinets offers download speeds of up to 40Mbps, potentially rising to 60Mbps in the future, and upload capability of up to 10Mbps. Even faster speeds are possible if the fibre goes direct to the home or premises. Higher speeds will power new business applications and more sophisticated home and entertainment services.

While BT Vision estimates that the great majority of premises in upgraded areas will be able to access fibre-based broadband, it is likely a minority will not initially be able to receive services for a variety of commercial and technical reasons. BT Vision’s local network business Openreach, which is deploying the technology, is actively looking at alternative solutions for these locations.

“This is another exciting development in the region’s fast-moving broadband story. Households and businesses switching to super-fast broadband will soon be experiencing the internet as they have never experienced it before. The advent of BT fibre-based broadband in Warwick and Kenilworth will support local jobs and the local economy and is a vital part of BT’s broadband plans for the West Midlands. As our roll-out of super-fast, fibre-based broadband gathers pace, many more customers in other parts of the capital can look forward to faster speeds in the pipeline.” said John Dovey, BT’s regional director for the West Midlands.

The new network will underpin the introduction of many new services and applications which will be quite useful especially for businesses. Computer processing and storage of files will become more sophisticated and secure using cloud computing technology. There will be faster back-up of computer systems and wider use of high quality videoconferencing within firms and between them and their customers.

Fast broadband for Cornish customers in less than five moths

Posted in BT News, Digital News Tagged , , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

Within less than five months, eight Cornish communities will have super-fast broadband as part of a £132 million project to make Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly one of the best connected locations in the world.

By the end of the March 2011, more than 10,000 households and businesses will be able to access the service in the following communities:

  • Leedstown
  • Chiverton Cross area
  • St Agnes
  • Portreath
  • St Day
  • Devoran
  • Stenalees
  • Par

This is the pilot scheme. It will run in advance of the main roll-out programme which will be focused, in its early phases, mainly on South East Cornwall.

This project is the result of partnership between BT Vision and the European Union. It is expected that super-fast, fibre optic broadband will be delivered to more than 80% of households and businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by 2014.

£53.5 million has been granted from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence programme. £78.5 million has been invested by BT Vision. It is expected to create 4,000 new jobs and protect a further 2,000

Carolyn Rule, Cornwall Council cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said: “The project has been making very good progress since it was announced less than two months ago. It shows the power of the public and private sectors working together to help build a bright, strong future for us all. The businesses and people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have good reason to be very optimistic about the years ahead.”

“This is an incredibly innovative and pioneering project never before done on this scale. A pilot scheme in these eight locations will provide valuable feedback at an early stage as we prepare for the early phases of the roll-out programme primarily in the South East of the county.” said Nigel Ashcroft, director of next generation broadband for Cornwall Development Company.

Jon Reynolds, BT South West regional director, said: “It is excellent news that the first Cornish businesses and homes will have access to super-fast broadband at such an early stage. This is a transformational project, which will boost the productivity of local businesses and help to attract a more diverse range of high-growth companies to the area. It will play a major role in creating a more prosperous Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly”

Some people in eight pilot areas will not be able to access fibre-based broadband immediately. Those people will in future receive faster speeds than today through various technologies such as wireless, satelite broadband, advanced copper and a further extension of the fibre optic network.

Communities leading in BT Vision’s broadband race

Posted in BT News, Digital News Tagged , , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

BT Vision announced the UK’s current front-runners in its ‘race’ for super-fast broadband.

The first communities to have registered more than 1000 votes and at this stage are leading the race are:

  • Caxton in Cambridgeshire
  • Malvern in Worcestershire
  • Burley-In-Wharfedale in Yorkshire
  • Humber

By taking part in a nationwide BT Vision survey, run as a competition called the Race to Infinity – Households and businesses across the UK have been demonstrating local demand for super-fast broadband. The five winning areas will be upgraded by early 2012 at the latest. The company is also pledging to engage with any community not winning the competition where at least 75% of homes and businesses have voted for super-fast broadband.

Since the competition was launched on October 1st this year, more than 241,000 votes have already been cast right across the UK from the most northerly parts of Scotland to the south of England. The race runs until December 31st. It will enable BT Vision to identify demand for fibre broadband across the UK and so influence the BT’s future deployment plans.

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This is fantastic news for the region as a whole and demonstrates the demand for fibre broadband. However there is still quite a way to go until we reach the finishing line and everything to play for. I hope news that the community of Burley-In-Wharfedale has already registered 1000 votes will spur people into action as this data will help BT determine where fibre broadband will be deployed in the coming years.”

“This is fantastic news for Burley-in-Wharfedale. We have a dedicated team of volunteers drumming up votes at community events and canvassing residents on the street. The response has been fantastic and demonstrated the demand for faster broadband. However there is still quite a way to go until we reach the finishing line and everything to play for. We still need more votes and our team will be out, urging the people of Burley to vote.” said Harvey Bosomworth, chair of iBurley.com.

The BT roll-out of super-fast broadband is one of the most ambitious fibre programmes in the world not reliant on public sector support. But support will be needed for the exchanges in the “final third” of the UK where deploying fibre is commercially non-viable.

Solihull gets fibre-based broadband

Posted in BT News, Digital News Tagged , , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

BT Vision announced that houses and businesses in Solihull now have access to fibre-based broadband.

Over the next few weeks, more than 11,000 local households and businesses will experience the fibre-based broadband revolution.

Fibre to street cabinets offers download speeds of up to 40Mb/s, potentially rising to 60Mb/s in the future, and upload capability of up to 10Mb/s. Even faster speeds are possible if the fibre goes direct to the home or premises. Higher speeds will power new business applications and more sophisticated home and entertainment services.

While BT Vision estimates that the great majority of premises in upgraded areas will be able to access fibre-based broadband, it is likely a minority will not initially be able to receive services for a variety of commercial and technical reasons. BT Vision’s local network business Openreach, which is deploying the technology, is actively looking at alternative solutions for these locations.

John Dovey, BT Vision’s regional director for the West Midlands, said: “This is another exciting development in the region’s fast-moving broadband story. Households and businesses switching to super-fast broadband will soon be experiencing the internet as they have never experienced it before. The advent of BT fibre-based broadband in Solihull will support local jobs and the local economy and is a vital part of BT’s broadband plans for the West Midlands. As our roll-out of super-fast, fibre-based broadband gathers pace, many more customers in other parts of the capital can look forward to faster speeds in the pipeline.”

The new network will underpin the introduction of many new services and applications which will be quite useful especially for businesses. Computer processing and storage of files will become more sophisticated and secure using cloud computing technology. There will be faster back-up of computer systems and wider use of high quality videoconferencing within firms and between them and their customers.

BT Vision manages Italian public administration’s global network

Posted in BT News, Digital News Tagged , ,
Posted on December 4, 2010 by skyeditor

BT Vision has been awarded a seven-year contract by Agency for the Digital Public Administration to connect more than 340 offices in 125 countries, provide communication services and manage the global network of the Italian Public Administration.

The new Italian public administration network infrastructure will also benefit from security services, voice over IP for all calls and next generation videoconferencing in high resolution via BT’s Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. The connected global offices, mostly belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and ICE branches (Institute for International Trade), will be able to access essential IT applications that are centrally held in Rome.

“We are extremely proud to have earned the trust of DigitPA. This contract reinforces our position as the preferred global provider of networked IT services for large companies and government organisations. In particular, the Italian public administrations will benefit from our government sector expertise and from innovative solutions that will help them meet their challenges and fulfil their missions all around the world.” said Corrado Sciolla, vice president BT Italia.