ON DIGITAL CHIEF EXEC DEFECTS
Steven Porter
Tony Gamble
It would be nice if he put some wellie into their plans to introduce
the side-car so that we ON decoder owners could tune into his new
boss's satellite channels.
Rgds
Tony
London SW6
ON digital and 42" plasma viewer
Neil Deaville
Stephen Grabiner has resigned as chief executive of pay- TV group On Digital
after less than 18 months in the job. He is to head eVentures, the media
joint
venture between News Corporation's subsidiary ePartners and Softbank. His
departure, reportedly due to disagreements with Carlton and On Digital
chairman
Michael Green, represents a coup for News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch, whose
company is 40 percent owner of On Digital's bitter rival BSkyB. The move
also
leaves On Digital vulnerable to attack from its competitors. Grabiner has
been
replaced by Stuart Prebble, an executive at the group's joint shareholder
Granada.
Steven Porter <ste...@124merk.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:7mice1$om9$1...@news4.svr.pol.co.uk...
Nathan
Tony Gamble <tonyg...@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:VA.0000006...@tony.rhinegold...
> ON DIGITAL CHIEF on the move.
>
> It would be nice if he put some wellie into their plans to introduce
> the side-car so that we ON decoder owners could tune into his new
> boss's satellite channels.
>
From the BSkyB website @ http://www.sky.co.uk/skytv/press.htm
First sidecar modules for digital TV
Tuesday, 11th May 1999
Development agreement for PCMCIA add-on modules between BSkyB and SCM means
customers won't need separate set-top boxes for satellite and terrestrial
television
Digital TV customers will soon be able to receive satellite transmissions
via a digital terrestrial receiver and terrestrial transmissions via a
digital satellite receiver following completion of a development project
between British Sky Broadcasting and SCM Microsystems.
The development project, initiated & funded by BSkyB, started in May 1998
when Britain's Independent Television Commission (ITC) called for
interoperability between the different digital TV services to be offered to
viewers, whatever the method of delivery.
Now that the development project is nearing completion, prototypes of the
PCMCIA add-on modules ("Sidecars") for the respective set-top boxes will
soon be available to manufacturers. Without these Sidecars, customers
wishing to receive both terrestrial and satellite transmissions would need
to acquire a second set-top box, costing significantly more today than a
Sidecar.
The Sidecars have been developed for BSkyB by SCM Microsystems, a leading
manufacturer and designer of removable modules that provide secure access to
digital information.
The first product to become available, the satellite Sidecar, is only
slightly larger than a standard PC Card and interfaces with the terrestrial
set-top box using the common interface socket. SCM and BSkyB are also
working on the development of a terrestrial Sidecar which is expected to be
available for production later this year.
As well as committing the majority of the development funding to the
project, BSkyB has played a major role together with SCM in the development
of this new technology.
BSkyB is the market leader when it comes to digital TV and we're working
closely with Sky's engineering team to ensure customers are getting the best
possible deal," said Jean-Yves Leroux, Executive Vice President and General
Manager of SCM Microsystems' Digital TV division.
"This is another example of leading technology driving prices down and
making digital TV accessible to all."
"SCM's modular technology will play a crucial part in encouraging consumer
take-up of digital television," said Robin Crossley, Head of New Technology
at BSkyB.
"By proactively working with SCM to develop satellite and terrestrial
Sidecars, BSkyB is demonstrating its commitment to platform
interoperability. While BSkyB's digital offering is clearly more
comprehensive than ONdigital's and our set-top box is more fully-featured,
the terrestrial Sidecar will assure consumers that they could easily add
digital terrestrial reception - of ITV' s services for example."
Gary Tonge, Director of Engineering at the ITC said: "We believe that
viewers should be able to receive digital television services cheaply and
conveniently, irrespective of how they have been delivered.
"This technology development, together with the Simulcrypt arrangement that
Sky and ONdigital are committed to implement, is an important step in this
direction. We welcome it".
SCM will be demonstrating the technology at the Mediacast Cable and
Satellite forum being held at Earls Court from May 17th through May 19th.
--
As to when these devices will arrive is anyones guess.
Nathan
Tony Gamble
> As to when these devices will arrive is anyones guess.<
Precisely, Nathan.
>SCM will be demonstrating the technology at the Mediacast Cable and
Satellite forum being held at Earls Court from May 17th through May
19th.<
But didn't.
>"SCM's modular technology will play a crucial part in encouraging
consumer take-up of digital television," said Robin Crossley, Head of
New Technology at BSkyB.<
But try asking Sky for one.
Score. PR company 1. Viewers 0.
Nathan
Simon Gardner <66...@hack.powernet[dot]co[dot]uk> wrote in message
news:B3B364009...@0.0.0.0...
> In article <7miub4$3bu$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>,
> "Nathan" <nat...@thesyndicate99.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > As to when these devices will arrive is anyones guess.
>
mainstream,
> non-$ky-dedicated digital receivers
>
The OnD box uses a DVB Common Interface port, which is what the sidecar will
plug into. Surely the OnD>Sky sidecar would therefore be able to be plugged
into any other device that has this port, which is on the non-sky digital
receivers, is it?
Nathan
Matthew Thompson
<nat...@thesyndicate99.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>The OnD box uses a DVB Common Interface port, which is what the sidecar will
>plug into. Surely the OnD>Sky sidecar would therefore be able to be plugged
>into any other device that has this port, which is on the non-sky digital
>receivers, is it?
Not sure what the standing would be with plugging a Sky Sidecar into
another DVB Sat box - I'm assuming you'd either need to dishes
(planning problems) or a dual LNB - I'd hope people didn't just split
the feed.
M@t :o)
--
Matthew Thompson - Actuality
http://www.actuality.co.uk/
ViNNY
news:B3B364009...@0.0.0.0...
> In article <7miub4$3bu$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>,
> "Nathan" <nat...@thesyndicate99.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > As to when these devices will arrive is anyones guess.
>
> What is more interesting is when the devices will be useable on
mainstream,
> non-$ky-dedicated digital receivers
I'll bet you a tenner that the Sky-for-ONDigital box is first tho ;)
-Vin
Tony Gamble
> I'll bet you a tenner that the Sky-for-ONDigital box is first tho ;)
>
Update on this is that the planned release of the sidecars is 'on hold'
whilst ON and BSkyB are offering 'free' digital boxes. At the moment
they have not agreed to 'subsidise' the sidecar.
The manufacturers are reluctant to risk trying to market a paid-for
sidecar against the competition of 'free' decoders.
I am certainly willing to pay for a sidecar rather than borrow (for
that is what the deal is) a satellite decoder to sit on top of my
terrestrial one. There is already too much clutter and wiring for my
preferences.
Would anyone else be prepared to pay for a sidecar - and how much?
Paul Dundas
tonyg...@compuserve.com "Tony Gamble" writes:
> I am certainly willing to pay for a sidecar rather than borrow (for
> that is what the deal is) a satellite decoder to sit on top of my
> terrestrial one. There is already too much clutter and wiring for my
> preferences.
In fairness to satellite - as far as I can make out it is not a
"borrow" case. If, after a year, you drop your subscription you
get to keep the box which is different from OnDigital's policy where
they take it back.
>
> Would anyone else be prepared to pay for a sidecar - and how much?
>
> Rgds
>
> Tony
> London SW6
> ON digital and 42" plasma viewer
>
>
--
Paul Dundas
Tony Gamble
> In fairness to satellite - as far as I can make out it is not a
> "borrow" case. If, after a year, you drop your subscription you
> get to keep the box which is different from OnDigital's policy where
> they take it back.
>
I'm sure you are right. I'm confused, like many others.
Would you buy a sidecar? I guess you must be a multiple-decoder man -
but, in other circumstances and in the interest of keeping things
simple, would you pay, like Simon G, £100 for one?
Steve Thomas
reeserve.co.uk> writes
>Simon Gardner <66...@hack.powernet[dot]co[dot]uk> wrote in message
>news:B3B364009...@0.0.0.0...
>> In article <7miub4$3bu$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>,
>> "Nathan" <nat...@thesyndicate99.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> > As to when these devices will arrive is anyones guess.
>>
>> What is more interesting is when the devices will be useable on
>mainstream,
>> non-$ky-dedicated digital receivers
>
>
You'll win - I can't imagine why a SkyDigital subscriber would want OnD.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist it, honest!)
--
Steve Thomas "Keep watching the Skys"
Bridgend
South Wales
Darren J Longhorn
>
>
>Update on this is that the planned release of the sidecars is 'on hold'
>whilst ON and BSkyB are offering 'free' digital boxes. At the moment
>they have not agreed to 'subsidise' the sidecar.
>
>The manufacturers are reluctant to risk trying to market a paid-for
>sidecar against the competition of 'free' decoders.
>
When you say 'release' it assumes that they are actually available, is this
the case?
Who are the manufacturers supposed to be?
Simon Pocock
>
> > I'll bet you a tenner that the Sky-for-ONDigital box is first tho ;)
> >
>
>
> whilst ON and BSkyB are offering 'free' digital boxes. At the moment
> they have not agreed to 'subsidise' the sidecar.
>
> The manufacturers are reluctant to risk trying to market a paid-for
> sidecar against the competition of 'free' decoders.
>
> that is what the deal is) a satellite decoder to sit on top of my
> terrestrial one. There is already too much clutter and wiring for my
> preferences.
>
No but then I've got both anyway. From what I remember these sidecar things
were going to cost around £100.
--
Simon.
Tony Gamble
> When you say 'release' it assumes that they are actually available, is this
> the case?
> Who are the manufacturers supposed to be?
No they are not available. The manufacturers are SCM (who announced them in
May).
My understanding was that they had got them to work, but without the final
niceties that would make them stable enough to unleash onto the market. The
timing coincided with the 'free' box war and, I gather, SCM decided to put
the project on hold until this settled down.
SCM are not going to market them until they feel they have some takers.
I'll pay £100 for one. We have one other taker so far (as long as they will
work in non-ON boxes). Anyone else interested?
Steve
>
>I'll pay £100 for one. We have one other taker so far (as long as they will
>work in non-ON boxes). Anyone else interested?
>
I'd pay 100-150UKP for one that goes in a Sky box to allow me to watch DTV
stuff.
bitbucket
<tonyg...@compuserve.com> wrote:
>>SCM will be demonstrating the technology at the Mediacast Cable and
>Satellite forum being held at Earls Court from May 17th through May
>19th.<
>
>But didn't.
Yes they did I had a full demo of the FTA prototype and was shown what
the production version will be like.
They also are working on a DTT sidecar for the Digibox.
bitbucket
<st...@real-time.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>You'll win - I can't imagine why a SkyDigital subscriber would want OnD.
ITV2 LOL....