Tiscali Jumps On Broadband TV Bandwagon
Internet service provider Tiscali has become the latest internet and communications company to roll out a TV service to its customers, showing exclusive content, cult entertainment and bite-size programme packages to its broadband internet subscribers.
Delivered through a dedicated broadband TV channel, the service provider is offering customers a range of short films, trailers, interviews and music videos for no additional fee. The service is initially being run as a one-hour magazine programme, but will soon expand, changing daily to stream new content to customers via Microsoft’s Windows Media Player.
Amongst the programmes scheduled for the channel’s launch are highlights from this year’s Miss World contest, an exclusive interview with jazz pianist Jamie Cullum, a Britney Spears music video and a rarely screened video from iconic grunge band, Nirvana.
The move sees Tiscali echo the direction of rival internet operators Wanadoo and BT, both of which have mooted their plans for internet services delivered via customers’ broadband connections. Last month saw BT has announce the creation of a new entertainment division within its retail and consumer business, charged with driving the company’s entertainment and education operations, including the creation of its long planned on-demand TV and movie services (see BT Appoints Management Team For Broadband TV Venture).
Similarly internet service provider Wanadoo has announced plans to provide on demand television content to subscribers through its new Livebox wireless broadband product and has since cut the price of customers’ internet connections to enable effective roll out of the service (see Wanadoo Slashes Prices For Broadband Users).
The move to provide television via broadband connections puts Tiscali in direct competition with Homechoice, which offers customers broadband internet, on-demand TV and phone services through one cable. Until recently the relatively new company was only operating within the M25, but has announced a programme of expansion to make its services more widely available (see HomeChoice Boosts Coverage To Customers Outside London)
Tiscali: www.tiscali.co.uk
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