[rick]

Annoying that you have to be a Virgin broadband customer to use it. My house isn't cabled as there is still building work happening, so they are waiting until it is complete which could still take many, many years still. My parents were given a streaming box for free, but they don't use it, and it's going to waste. I'd love to have it but I can't use it though sadly unless Virgin see sense and allow anyone to use one, not just Virgin customers.

[i.h]

unless Virgin see sense

on the contrary - if they're restricting it to their own network, it can allow them to save money and provide a better customer experience.

Unlike Sky's IP solution, every existing Virgin TV customer is by definition cabled already, so they currently have no reason to offer it to others and there are probably not enough TV-only customers (are there any left?) who take another ISP's broadband to be worth bothering with.

Doesn’t VM’s TV360/TiVo need VM broadband anyway?

[rick]

But it restricts them from potentially getting customers who don't have access to cable internet, which is just under half of the UK at the moment. It's a large chunk of people to just deny services to.

[i.h]

I don't think they care. Pay TV in general is not what it once was, and as I said there are a whole new set of challenges and costs that come with opening it up to all customers.

Virgin have announced that they wish to replace their copper coax network with fibre, and they already have the Nexfibre deal to expand to new areas. That requires an IP TV product - ie Stream. I suspect this is the only reason it exists at all.

BT - for much the same reason - also doesn't offer its TV service to customers of other ISPs. OTOH, Sky knows that a lot of their TV customers don't (or won't) take Sky broadband, and it makes sense to them to open it up. I'm sure they try to push a bundle deal very hard at sign up though.

[Neil Jones]

OTOH, Sky knows that a lot of their TV customers don't (or won't) take Sky broadband, and it makes sense to them to open it up. I'm sure they try to push a bundle deal very hard at sign up though.

When Sky on Demand first came round it was only available to Sky customers. That was eventually dropped.

But on the other hand, when it was just Sky TV and internet was only available via dial-up, Sky didn't do this (being TV only at the time), and they only entered that market by buying somebody else when broadband became a thing in the early/mid 2000's.

Probably safe to say the company they bought did do dial-up before Sky came along, under the model that Freeserve premiered in 1998 that eventually saw the end of the Compuserve and AOL way of internet access.

[Stuart]

When Sky on Demand first came round it was only available to Sky customers. That was eventually dropped.

But on the other hand, when it was just Sky TV and internet was only available via dial-up, Sky didn't do this (being TV only at the time), and they only entered that market by buying somebody else when broadband became a thing in the early/mid 2000's.

Probably safe to say the company they bought did do dial-up before Sky came along, under the model that Freeserve premiered in 1998 that eventually saw the end of the Compuserve and AOL way of internet access.

I think Sky went down quite a progressive route from the beginning which matched the technology available at the time.

- PPV from the movies service from timed channels on analogue
- then up to 700 digital channels which was a 'view once only' at staggered times mixed with pre-loaded 'Anytime+'
- then the full SVOD download when cancelling the staggered broadcasts

I think they played the game rather well.

I think that Sky's policy of still allowing HQ downloads from all catch-up services is one of their best features.

[Kunst]

It seems like yesterday when the Sky Anytime launched, and the most On Demand experience was a downloading through the night of content on Sky+ (HD)!

[WillPS]

I think Sky went down quite a progressive route from the beginning which matched the technology available at the time.

- PPV from the movies service from timed channels on analogue
- then up to 700 digital channels which was a 'view once only' at staggered times mixed with pre-loaded 'Anytime+'
- then the full SVOD download when cancelling the staggered broadcasts

I think they played the game rather well.

This is essentially the route the entire market went, +/- a 'download' step in place of/before streaming.

I think that Sky's policy of still allowing HQ downloads from all catch-up services is one of their best features.

It's less a policy in itself, and more a hangover from the previous business model which saw customers buy and own their equipment instead of renting it. This business model meant that Sky have to support far older equipment than they might otherwise like, or face losing subscription revenue from long-time customers.

It's the same reason they were stuck with a restricted number of EPG positions (back in the days when that mattered) - the limit reflected the very earliest Sky Digital boxes which could store no more.

[Stuart]

It's less a policy in itself, and more a hangover from the previous business model which saw customers buy and own their equipment instead of renting it. This business model meant that Sky have to support far older equipment than they might otherwise like, or face losing subscription revenue from long-time customers.

It's the same reason they were stuck with a restricted number of EPG positions (back in the days when that mattered) - the limit reflected the very earliest Sky Digital boxes which could store no more.

I'm fairly sure that Sky's STBs were provided free even before the BSB merger and was a contributing factor to why one company came out on top. One of them had very deep pockets.

I don't think they they had any reluctance to replace the STBs, as the technological evolution allowed extra fancy bits to be added for a slight increase in the subscription which also gave customers a new bit of kit. The customer always owned it from the first day.

My DRX890 Sky+HD box may be old now, but I only pay £10 a month for the recording and downloading functionality, which gives me access to all the HQ picture catch-up services. When it eventually breaks it will just go in the bin, but for now it's just the ease of use I stick with together with Prime (from the delivery service) and some months Paramount+ or Netflix through the Fire Stick.

[WillPS]

I'm fairly sure that Sky's STBs were provided free even before the BSB merger and was a contributing factor to why one company came out on top. One of them had very deep pockets.

I don't think they they had any reluctance to replace the STBs, as the technological evolution allowed extra fancy bits to be added for a slight increase in the subscription which also gave customers a new bit of kit. The customer always owned it from the first day.

My DRX890 Sky+HD box may be old now, but I only pay £10 a month for the recording and downloading functionality, which gives me access to all the HQ picture catch-up services. When it eventually breaks it will just go in the bin, but for now it's just the ease of use I stick with together with Prime (from the delivery service) and some months Paramount+ or Netflix through the Fire Stick.

Sky Analogue equipment was charged for pre-multichannels I believe.

Sky Digital equipment became free in 2000/1 (I think) with a 12 month contract after a discount only provided if your box regularly 'called home', ergo had to be connected to a phoneline.

Sky+ was an additional charge for a good while, as was Sky+HD.

But the point was by following this model Sky essentially had to support ageing equipment, or lost chunks of subscriber revenue. Contrast this with the model they've followed since Sky Q where they could essentially just send you a new box in the post and ask for the old one back (as VM have done a few times).

To go back to your original point - the download facility is very useful but it's not a feature I'd expect them to support beyond the lifetime of the satellite delivery platform, as it was/is essentially a compromise for a situation which rarely exists any longer. Indeed were it not for the fact a load of customers such as yourself, who own their equipment and still subscribe, I'm sure they'd already have dropped it.