Blackarrow Consulting

Ofcom has revealed that only 65,000 homes claim to use Tiscali’s television-over-DSL IPTV service as their main means of receiving digital television.

Digital TV – News – 65,000 use Tiscali TV as main TV service – Digital Spy.

This news is very depressing for one of the trailblazers in the TV over ADSL world, which became the IPTV world of course. Over 10 years in existence in one form or another, which pretty much amounts to 6,500 homes per year in existence. This is a cottage industry which holds much promise but little in the way of delivery.

Is the lack of success down to the limitations of DSL? the perceived low quality of video? cost of the service? the product proposition? the limited footprint? Not certain really, but one of the big reasons for its lack of success I feel is because customers do not really care about the technology. They care about the content, something that BSkyB in the UK has in droves compare to the small fry of Tiscali. Virgin Media competes by having the same content with innovative and desired services like full content VoD. Freeview and Freesat compete on good enough primary content and being free (well apart from the TV licence of course). What does Tiscali actually offer?

A postscript is also the drop in Top Up TV’s viewers – not a positive for the relatively high priced but content limited platform, which is now even less competitive because of Setanta’s troubles and non-exclusivity.