TiVo Crafting TV Everywhere Portal for Atlantic Broadband

Supplying whole-home DVRs with fancy user interfaces and access to a menu of over-the-top content represents  just a portion of  TiVo’s relationship with Atlantic Broadband.

Atlantic Broadband, a subsidiary of Canadian cable operator Cogeco Cable, is also working with TiVo on the development on a TV Everywhere portal that is targeted for launch before the end of 2013, David Isenberg, Atlantic Broadband’s chief marketing and strategy officer, said.

He said the operator’s initial slate of TV Everywhere fare will feature authenticated content from more than 30 networks, including premiums HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Encore, and Movieplex, as well as access to shows from several popular national cable channels from the A&E, Turner and NBCUniversal, and Fox properties.

The coming portal will highlight the Atlantic Broadband brand and look a lot like TiVo interface that’s powering the MSO-supplied boxes. “We think what’s unique is we’re offering a consistent look and feel across all screens with TiVo,” Isenberg said, noting that the MSO’s legacy platform uses boxes from Cisco/Scientific Atlanta and Arris/Motorola.

Atlantic Broadband is the first cable operator to announce the deployment of TiVo’s T6 platform, which is the operator version of the hardware for TiVo’s retail-focused Roamio Plus DVR. Among the cable-tweaks in the T6: Atlantic Broadband’s version will use Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) technology to distribute live TV and recorded content to TiVo Mini client boxes over the home network, and it has been integrated with the MSO’s own video-on-demand service, which relies on Arris video pumps and video backoffice.

The box will also support many of the retail-facing aspects of the Roamio, including recommendations and a quick view of what’s popular on live TV.

At this juncture, Atlantic Broadband will not offer out-of-home streaming, a feature that TiVo just added to the Roamio. “In the near term, our primary focus for out-of-home consumption is the TV Everywerhe home page,” Isenberg said. “Out-of-home streaming capability is still something brand new and something we’re evaluating carefully.”

Atlantic Broadband will also offer a mix of over-the-top content on the TiVo platform, including YouTube, AOL On and a TiVo Hotlist with curated Web videos.

Netflix support? Not yet. “Clearly with 30 million subscribers there are lots of folks who have Netflix and enjoy Netflix…and most of that consumption is on people’s TVs,” Isenberg said. “As an industry, when we have found ways to deliver what customers want and add value to their TV experience, it’s been a win for us and a win for customers. Finding a way for us to bring some of these other services to our customers in an integrated fashion would fit that assessment, if we’re able to do so.”

Atlantic Broadband launched its TiVo offering on Tuesday in Cumberland, Md., offering it with six different produce bundles, including three double-play packages (TV plus broadband) and three triple-play packages.

The MSO expects to debut TiVo in Miami, Fla., and Aiken, S.C., later this year, and follow with additional market launches in early 2014.  Atlantic Broadband, which serves more than 230,000 customers, also operates systems in western Pennsylvania and parts of Maryland and Delaware.

Comcast launches 'Internet Plus' HBO bundle for broadband customers

Just last month Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said he was open to the possibility of bundling HBO Go with broadband subscriptions, and it looks like that vision is now being executed — in a way. As spotted by DSL Reports and GigaOM, Comcast is now offering a package called Internet Plus. It puts together a 25 Mbps internet connection, a basic TV lineup of 45 channels, Comcast's own streaming video service Streampix, and most importantly, a subscription to HBO and HBO Go. According to DSL Reports it's priced between $40 and $50 and is only available in certain markets. We were able to confirm that it's available in sections of Northern California for $39.99 a month.

The package is essentially what many cord cutters, and Game of Thrones fans, have been asking for: a way to legally watch their favorite shows online over a speedy internet connection, without paying for expensive, full-scale TV packages that they never watch. To get a sense of how little the basic TV service adds to the cost of Internet Plus, one needs only to look at Comcast's other $39.99 package. That deal is made up of the same 25 Mbps internet connection paired with telephone service — with no television or streaming video options at all.

Comcast_internet_plus1_560

It's important to note that this may just be a trial balloon; the offer is available only to new customers, and you'll have to sign up by January 31st in order to take advantage. After the first year of service the cost will also jump up to $69.95. But given the popularity of streaming video services, there's undeniable pressure for service providers to address consumer demand for a la carte programming without upsetting their basic business models. These kind of small steps are welcome — and certainly, the possibility exists that some customers could find themselves so enraptured by the programming on television that they upgrade to more elaborate packages. For those that aren't interested in hundreds of channels at their fingertips, however, it's a sign that companies may finally be open to addressing their wants and needs as well.

TalkTalk launches £7.50 TV, broadband and phone deal

TalkTalk has launched a new package deal that includes TV, broadband and calls for £7.50 per month plus line rental.

The Essentials TV bundle comes with a YouView TV box worth worth £149 and unlimited internet, as well as evening and weekend calls.

Catch up TV now accounts for a fifth of British TV viewing


TalkTalk claims that the package is the UK's lowest price for TV, internet and calls, allegedly representing savings of up to £190 in comparison to BT's equivalent deal over 18 months.

Tristia Harrison of TalkTalk said: "This is TalkTalk doing what it does best: giving families access to exciting new products at unbeatable prices.

"Each week thousands more homes are signing up to YouView from TalkTalk because of our great value offering.

"Watching catch-up on your TV and having access to additional channels is now a pre-requisite for many. EssentialsTV offers both the functionality and content that modern households demand, together with the market's best value price point.

"It supports our goal to help make Britain better off."

TalkTalk delivers line rental at £15.40 per month, and also offers a Value option for an upfront payment of £126, representing a saving of £58.80.

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a528851/talktalk-launches-gbp750-tv-broadband-and-phone-deal.html#ixzz2jsKHZxS4
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