Digital TV Providers

TalkTalk TV

By Kelvin Goodson - kelvin@consumerchoices.co.uk

Updated: Monday 25 July, 2011

TalkTalk TV, formerly Tiscali TV, is no longer available to new customers and can now only be accessed by those who originally subscribed through Tiscali, but have become customers of TalkTalk following its takeover of the provider in 2009.

The service, when it was available to new customers, was offered as a single, double or triple play choice. Customers were able to choose a combination of home phone and broadband to go with their digital TV.

Instead of focusing on TalkTalk TV, the company is involved in the “next-generation” digital TV service YouView, set to be launched over the next few months. It is a joint venture with telecoms company Arqiva, the BBC, BT, Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV.

What is TalkTalk TV?

TalkTalk TV works in exactly the same way as Tiscali TV did, delivering digital TV over your telephone line internet connection. Digital TV delivered in this way is known as internet protocol TV, or IPTV, and is the same technology used by BT to deliver its BT Vision (www.btvision.bt.com) digital TV service.

Many of the on-demand programmes available via TalkTalk TV are free for subscribers to watch at anytime. There are also some on-demand programmes that are pay-per-view, but this is indicated onscreen when selected.

Also, like Tiscali TV, TalkTalk TV is only available in certain areas. As of 2008 the service was available to 10 million homes in the UK in the M25 ring, central, north, north-west and north-east England, and Scotland.

Which TalkTalk TV package?

A variety of packages are available on TalkTalk TV, although these are obviously now only to TalkTalk’s former Tiscali customers.

The Variety Pack contains over 60 digital TV channels and radio stations, including Comedy Central, FX and Sky Sports News. It also includes on-demand channels, such as BBC On Demand and V:MX, as well as a number of catch-up channels like 4oD and BBC One, Two and Three.

Entertainment Xtra Mix is an upgrade package which contains all the Variety Pack channels as well as an extra 15 channels, including British Eurosport, CNN and MTV, and a host of video-on-demand channels like Warner Bros On Demand.

The Music Pack does exactly what it says on the tin, offering three MTV channels and VH1 as well as over 8,000 on-demand music videos. Subscribers can build their own music channel with these through My V:MX.

Kids Mix is also self-explanatory, with the likes of Cartoon Network and Nickleodeon available alongside on-demand channels like Disney XD.

TalkTalk TV offers both Sky Movies and Sky Sportsas additional add-ons.

The TalkTalk broadband service

While TalkTalk TV is no longer available to new customers, TalkTalk Broadband is. The provider offers the Essentials package, with unlimited evening and weekend UK landline calls, and the Plus Package, with anytime UK landline calls.

TalkTalk aims to give users the fastest broadband it can provide, but this is dependent on how close you live to the telephone exchange, what the wiring is like where you live and how good your telephone line is.

TalkTalk also offers Fibre Optic Boost, its high performance broadband add-on which provides up to 40Mb broadband for an extra £10. However, this is only available to those who already have a TalkTalk Essentials or Plus package.

TalkTalk calls and line rental

The kind of call package you get from TalkTalk depends on which package you opt for. Essentials offers unlimited evening and weekend calls to UK landline, while Plus will give you unlimited calls to UK landlines 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a discount on mobile calls as well.

If you want cheap calls but don’t feel you need broadband as well, TalkTalk does offer phone-only deals too.

You also have to pay line rental on top at £12.60 a month.

Comments