Vodafone enters world of TV with many extras

It may be hard to believe now but less than 20 years ago general election candidates were running on the issue of whether their communities could receive cross-channel television signals. And one actually got elected in Donegal. Those were the days when people living outside of the main cities and away from the east coast had to rely on massive rooftop aerials for dodgy TV reception, fork out a hefty fee for a satellite subscription, or use an illegal deflector system.

Today, TV viewers can choose from free-to-view Saorview and subscription services Virgin, Sky, Eircom and now Vodafone for their in-home entertainment. Each has their own strengths and pricing plans but among the main attractions offered by many is the ability to have a single provider for your TV, broadband and home phone services. Bundling them together in this way usually delivers considerable savings and cuts down on the headache of having to pay multiple bills every month.

The newest player to enter the TV market is Vodafone and it is bringing quite a few innovations to the standard offering. The service offers all the usual content and features customers expect from a modern TV service but with a few extras that are sure to attract tech lovers and hard-pressed parents.

Among these new features is one which allows a viewer to rewind to the beginning of a programme if they miss the start, even if they haven't set it to record. So, if you miss the first few minutes of the Six Nations clash between Ireland and England or you desperately want to see that party political broadcast in full, no problem. Just press a button to go back to the beginning. Viewers can also effectively go back in time and choose to watch any programme from the past seven days. So, if you forgot to record that episode of Midsomer Murders, no problem – you can watch it anytime up to a week after it was shown.

Netflix lovers will also be pleased to find that the service is included in the onscreen programming guide along with the other channels and even has its own dedicated button on the remote control.

‘TV Anywhere’

Subscribers also get a new dedicated “TV Anywhere” app where mobile customers can watch TV on their phones while out and about. Possibly the most attractive aspect of this is the fact that Vodafone mobile subscribers get to use it absolutely free – data used to watch programmes does not come out of their monthly allowance. There are some other quite interesting and useful features including a wireless multiroom option. Family disputes over TV preferences can be easily resolved by installing an additional box or two in different rooms, which require no messy wiring and can easily be moved around the house as and when necessary.

On the other hand, a potentially embarrassing feature allows you to see a record of the last five programmes viewed. Useful for some but it mightn't be that welcome to secret fans of America's Dumbest Pets.

“This is a first for Vodafone in Ireland, changing the relationship we have with our customers as well as changing our position and what we stand for in the market”, says Vodafone chief executive Anne O’Leary. “We are aware that we are entering a competitive market with some heavyweight established players. However, we believe that our content-driven approach, simple and clean interface and value proposition will set Vodafone TV apart.”

Viewer flexibility

She points to research carried out for Vodafone by Amarach Consulting, which revealed that viewers in Ireland are changing their viewing habits. “One-quarter of Irish adults now view TV content on demand, and a further quarter embrace online streaming to fit into their busy lives,” she notes. “This demonstrates that people now want the flexibility to watch their favourite shows whenever and wherever they want and Vodafone TV enables customers to do just that.”

The research also produced some other interesting findings which the TV channels might do well to note. The appetite for nostalgia among Irish viewers is very strong with almost three in 10 people surveyed saying they would like to bring back Love/Hate for one night only. This might not be all that surprising but agri-soap Glenroe came in a close second while the unforgettably cheesy Where in the World? quiz show also featured in the top five.

According to Ciaran Barrett, head of consumer fixed with Vodafone, the company already has considerable expertise in TV. "We already have nine million TV subscribers across six different countries. That made it a natural progression for us to follow our strong mobile, broadband and fixed-line offerings here with a TV service. We have a lot of TV skills here in Vodafone and that has allowed us to bring the service to market so quickly."

The initial packages on offer to customers include a basic pack of 55 or 80 channels with add-ons such as BT Sports, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and so on, as well as the option to add a home phone but Barrett sees this evolving over time.

“We’ve listened to our customers to understand what kind of TV service they want and we believe we are delivering great content with an excellent experience”, he says. “But we will continue to listen to them and will expand our channel listing in response to demand. We are continually talking to content providers about what they can offer us and our customers.”