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- Virgin Media TV Service (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=11)

- - Vod (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=16471)

Video-On-Demand I believe, for example if you want to watch a movie you can watch it when you want at any time.

Video On Demand - a system where you can select what you want to watch and it starts immediately, rather than have to wait for a slot on the current front row system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by seaneeboy

Video On Demand - a system where you can select what you want to watch and it starts immediately, rather than have to wait for a slot on the current front row system.

Also it works like a VCR in that you can pause it at any time, rewind it etc. just that you only get to see it once.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Who offers vod?

Currently only homechoice to selected areas of London.

Ntl and Telewest are both working on it.

Doesn't KIT in Kingston-Upon-Hull offer VOD?

Oops forgot about them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob

Doesn't KIT in Kingston-Upon-Hull offer VOD?

yep, Yes TV formerly Elmsdale Media were running VOD in Kingston.

ntl had a trial running with them about 6 years ago, the service was very equipment hungry. There was a massive amount of equipment required in the hubsite just to service 250 trial customers.

ntl are said to be launching VOD with On Demand group before Xmas!

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2 X1

ntl are said to be launching VOD with On Demand group before Xmas!

Implementation is almost complete in Glasgow as far as I know, implementation (wiring in sites and equip installation) is currently going on in South Wales.

Apparently there are lots of problems with South Wales because the networks and hubsites have been allowed to get into a bad state, through lack of maintenance and cost saving issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Escapee

Implementation is almost complete in Glasgow as far as I know, implementation (wiring in sites and equip installation) is currently going on in South Wales.

Will VOD have to wait for all areas to be upgraded?
Is Belfast being 'done'?

questions questions

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1701-e

Will VOD have to wait for all areas to be upgraded?
Is Belfast being 'done'?

questions questions

I,m not sure as I dont work for them anymore, I only know the bits and pieces that one of my old friends from the national VOD implementation project has told me.

What I get is fairly upto date, I would of taken a guess that Northern Ireland would be in a similar situation to Wales and Glasgow. The 2 guys I know involved are from Glasgow and Wales, so not too sure about Ireland. Many new implementations were started in the Celtic regions because the central guys always found us helpful in Wales, and we pulled all stops out to get the job done.

'tis very good news. i suppose it's just celtic regions being installed with the new equipment, and other areas will follow after the trials in those regions?

:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigitup_j

'tis very good news. i suppose it's just celtic regions being installed with the new equipment, and other areas will follow after the trials in those regions?

:)

Not sure really, it just got mentioned when an old friend was telling me about some of the problems they were having.

I would of thought someone around here would know more details about dates and marketing etc?

hopefully someone knows? or, are ntl going to leaving us all guessing?? (for a change :rolleyes: )
:D

Confidentiality clauses being thrust in staff's faces no doubt.

Shouldn't it be called Voodoo On Demand? I think NTL would need a lot of magic to get it off the ground. :)

Didn't someone on CF comment that part of NTLs network had been condemned when a VOD team investigated the viability of VOD? :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by poolking

Didn't someone on CF comment that part of NTLs network had been condemned when a VOD team investigated the viability of VOD?

london, per chance? seeing as the network can't do much anyway!

Quote:

Originally Posted by poolking

Yes, I did.

The people from Glasgow condemned the network and the hubsites, most of the problems were historical money savings that went on in Wales. I think the regional head of networks and planning got bonuses for coming in under budget for new build in those days. Many corners were cut, and without going into too much detail I once kitted out a new site only too see half of the equipment removed, then it was all refitted again within a few months as part of an upgrade. :rolleyes:

Much of the money saving was down to one manager, we had authority for upgrading equipment because parts of the hubsites were built using what they had to hand instead of ordering the correct equipment, the local manager ignored the regional directors decision and never placed the orders.
I guess it's hard to comprehend but places like Glasgow did very well, they had more employees per customer than Wales and money was spent a lot freely. So now there is a lot of problems that many of us knew would come back to haunt them, it happened with cable modem implementation and we knew it would happen with VOD. I was involved locally with the proposed VOD implementation just after ntl mass "planning for growth" redundancies, before they went into chapter 11 they signed a deal with Diva and I think promised them $10M around the same time they signed a deal with another company that I went to work for about $10M as well. I was told the same ntl director signed both deals and didn't have the authority, when ntl went into chapter 11 both these companies lost their money and their deals.

I know nothing much about callcentres or Swansea technical support or billing etc, but I do know about the state of the networks and headends/Hubsites in many areas.

The current VOD deal involves Scientific Atlanta for RF/Optical equipment, SeaChange (spelling?) for servers and software, Harmonic Lightwave (as SA) and Cotswold Communications are wiring the sites.

The deal has been financed by the vendors, as ntl have no way of paying for it. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigitup_j

hopefully someone knows? or, are ntl going to leaving us all guessing?? (for a change :rolleyes: )
:D

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you ;-)

Thanks for clearing that up Escapee. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by wir3d

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you ;-)

You'd have to track me down first ;)

Browneggsandham :D

looks very promising!

any more on VOD, like possible suppliers of movies/tv shows?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthYoda

any more on VOD, like possible suppliers of movies/tv shows?

It was reported a while back that Sony & Disney were in talks with NTL. It was finally confirmed this month when they filed an application with the European Commission for a UK cable-only VOD service called "MovieCo".

"Oct. 13, 2004

Sony, Disney team on U.K. VOD service

Sony Pictures and the Walt Disney Co. are planning to launch the United Kingdom's first studio-backed video-on-demand service in a bid to erode British Sky Broadcasting's control over Britain's pay TV market, it was confirmed Tuesday. The two studios said they plan to launch a cable-only VOD service in partnership with management company On Demand Management, which already operates pay-per-view services for the U.K.'s biggest cable operators, NTL and Telewest. Sony Pictures, Disney and the On Demand group filed an application Oct. 4 for permission to launch the service with the European Commission's competition division and expect a preliminary decision as early as Nov. 11."

great but the main problem with Sky Box office which I bet VOD will also have is that films are available months after they are out on DVD rental.

This situation has improved on Front Row at least as the day is now 3 months instead of 6. Still along time I agree :)

plus, VOD deal between Sony, Disney and ONDemand group will see a direct competitor to BSkyB, on cable:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11...okays_movieco/

that's for ntl and telewest (who are both launching VOD in H1 2005)
:)

LINK FIXED NOW, sorry :angel:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigitup_j

plus, VOD deal between Sony, Disney and ONDemand group will see a direct competitor to BSkyB, on cable:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/1..._okays_movieco/

that's for ntl and telewest (who are both launching VOD in H1 2005)
:)

Link doesn't work :erm:

It does... just scroll down!!