Today, Chorus NTL launched its high definition TV service. It comprises nine channels (see list below) for an additional monthly €7.50 (or €2.50 if you're a digital subscriber).
For that, you get a free high definition set-top box, which doubles as a 360GB personal video recorder (the same kind of device you use for Sky Plus). A 360GB box holds about 140 hours of ordinary digital TV and about 40 hours of HD telly.
The HD service is immediately available to "nearly 500,000 homes" in urban areas around Ireland. That means Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Sligo will come on stream by the end of the summer, said Simon Kelehan, head of TV in Chorus NTL.
After that, small cities and towns will be assessed on a "case by case basis", he said. But the company does aspire to a nationwide roll-out, said Kelehan. To this end, he said that Chorus NTL is investing €90 million in the network this year and another €100 million next year.
Here are a few other points/observations about the service:
-- The channels being launched are BBC HD, Discovery HD, The History Channel HD, National Geographic HD, National Geographic Wild HD, Crime & Investigation HD, Eurosport HD, Disney Cinemagic HD and Biography HD
-- The standards will be 1080i (as opposed to 1080p) because that's what the channels put out
-- Of a total customer base of 550,000, Chorus NTL has 328,000 digital TV subscribers
-- 70 per cent of all new Chorus NTL subscribers sign up for the digital PVR (which costs an additional €5 per month); this number totals 80,000 now
-- There won't be any Sky channels (sport, movies) on the service, or not yet, at least. Kelehan said that Chorus NTL is "in negotiations" with Sky about this
Kelehan said that new video-on-demand services were also being pencilled in for the second half of 2010. This will take the form of a catch-up service for 30 days and a premium movie download service, of the type already available to UPC's Dutch customers.
And the company has reiterated that it will launch "up to 120 megabits per second" broadband in 2010 over its new (Docsis 3, fibre) network.
For more on pricing and options, see the HD page on Chorus NTL's Irish website.
For that, you get a free high definition set-top box, which doubles as a 360GB personal video recorder (the same kind of device you use for Sky Plus). A 360GB box holds about 140 hours of ordinary digital TV and about 40 hours of HD telly.
The HD service is immediately available to "nearly 500,000 homes" in urban areas around Ireland. That means Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Sligo will come on stream by the end of the summer, said Simon Kelehan, head of TV in Chorus NTL.
After that, small cities and towns will be assessed on a "case by case basis", he said. But the company does aspire to a nationwide roll-out, said Kelehan. To this end, he said that Chorus NTL is investing €90 million in the network this year and another €100 million next year.
Here are a few other points/observations about the service:
-- The channels being launched are BBC HD, Discovery HD, The History Channel HD, National Geographic HD, National Geographic Wild HD, Crime & Investigation HD, Eurosport HD, Disney Cinemagic HD and Biography HD
-- The standards will be 1080i (as opposed to 1080p) because that's what the channels put out
-- Of a total customer base of 550,000, Chorus NTL has 328,000 digital TV subscribers
-- 70 per cent of all new Chorus NTL subscribers sign up for the digital PVR (which costs an additional €5 per month); this number totals 80,000 now
-- There won't be any Sky channels (sport, movies) on the service, or not yet, at least. Kelehan said that Chorus NTL is "in negotiations" with Sky about this
Kelehan said that new video-on-demand services were also being pencilled in for the second half of 2010. This will take the form of a catch-up service for 30 days and a premium movie download service, of the type already available to UPC's Dutch customers.
And the company has reiterated that it will launch "up to 120 megabits per second" broadband in 2010 over its new (Docsis 3, fibre) network.
For more on pricing and options, see the HD page on Chorus NTL's Irish website.
Priced the relative offers last weekend as will be in the market for such services shortly.
By my calculation then, Sky+HD including 3 of their 'packs' and the Sports service was coming out 50c cheaper per month that ntl/chorus digital max plus sports - with a slightly different mix of channels and the latter haing more (including BBC 3 and BBC 4 which don't appear to be on the Sky platform)
The data above would suggest that the ntl / chorus offer on the same basis would now be €3 more expensive but with the Sports Channels on HD if one chooses Sky.
Interested to hear of the experience and view of others but for me, the choice of channels and the confidence in service would be more important as deciding factors than a euro or five per month.
The service issue in the past with ntl / chorus would still cause me to dwell on it. Did they offer any views on that?
Posted by: Padraig McKeon | August 05, 2009 at 03:04 PM
horus NTL launches HD in Ireland: €7.50 extra per month, free 360GB HD PVR<-- wow I loved it! :)
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Chorus NTL launches HD in Ireland: €7.50 extra per month, free 360GB HD PVR<-- interesting!
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