Are these top-up tv ads legal??

In article ,
says...
In uk.tech.digital-tv Dom Robinson wrote:

: That's because it is. They can't have much of a market share, and I'm
: surprised they have any given that the encryption system was cracked even
: BEFORE ONdigital started broadcasting.

TopupTV are using SECA-2 (not SECA as used by OnDigital). SECA-2 is a LOT
more secure!

Would my old Nokia box update to use that encryption, or would it already be
compatible?

And, given that SECA was cracked before ONdigital started broadcasting, why
didn't they use something else? (the question I wish I'd asked them on Right
to Reply, but you always think of something when it's too late)
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor),
/* 1022 DVDs, 301 games, 102 CDs, 92 cinema films, 33 videos, concerts & news
/* outfoxed, mondovino, ultimate kylie, cannonball run, chronicles of riddick
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4

"Dom Robinson" wrote in message
t...
In article ,

says...
You're right, but did you realise I was talking about an 'add
channels'
rather
than a software update, I just got my adds & my updates in a bit of a
mixup :-)

I've got all the TUTV channels, have had for months, so its not that
which
caused it.

Anything worth watching on it? Not much from the channel line-up for your
£8 a
month.


No I meant I've updated the box so 'it' knows about them.
I haven't splashed out

The only one I like the look of is UK gold - but with all the repeats it's
exactly the same as BBC1 so not worth bothering with.

In message , Simon Slavin
. uk wrote


Well yes, but adverts for forthcoming TV programmes on the
same channel are sometimes allowed. For instance, if you're
watching _Terminator 2_ on Channel 4, a voice can come on
over the closing credits and tell you that _Terminator 3_
will be on at the same time next Sunday. We're already used
to this sort of thing and the only difference between this
and that is that they're advertising programmes on a different
channel instead of the same one.


The TUTV adverts are nothing like advertising another program after the
program you are watching is coming to an end.

The TUTV adverts on Ch5 are during the program and are a red banner
occupying the lower part of the screen and hence obliterating part of
what you are watching

--
Alan

In uk.tech.digital-tv Dom Robinson wrote:
:
: Would my old Nokia box update to use that encryption, or would it already be
: compatible?

It's compatible....or at least after a possible small STB update which I
recall people having to wait for after they had inserted their new TopUpTV
smartcard.

: And, given that SECA was cracked before ONdigital started broadcasting, why
: didn't they use something else? (the question I wish I'd asked them on Right
: to Reply, but you always think of something when it's too late)

OnDigital were expected to use Videoguard encryption (as Sky Digital) but
switched to SECA as, it was believed, they could then get very cheap STBs from
several manufacturers - for whom it was simply a matter of slightly mofifying
their existing Canel Plus satellite STBs. AFAIR when they chose SECA (about
6 months before launch?) it either wasn't hacked or was not widely so. Canel
Plus probably promised them a new smartcard or something.

A better question is *WHY* Canel Plus and OnDigital/ITV Digital left it so
long? In the days when (analogue) Sky was hacked they took the financial
hit of issuing new smartcards with much revised encryption within a matter of
weeks!

On 12/12/2004, Martin Jay wrote in message -
free.org.uk:

Top-up TV seem to be advertising very heavily this Christmas. I get the
feeling that this is a make or break time for them.

I think we all know which way this is going.

Simon.
--
Using pre-release version of newsreader.
Please tell me if it does weird things.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 13:17:06 +0000, Simon Slavin
. uk wrote:

On 12/12/2004, Martin Jay wrote in message -
free.org.uk:

Top-up TV seem to be advertising very heavily this Christmas. I get the
feeling that this is a make or break time for them.

I think we all know which way this is going.

Last I heard they were well on target. I suspect that there is a
large enough profit on each sub. I hate to say it but I fear that
they are not going to go bankrupt in the short term.

Come on could some sell them some football rights...

In article ,
says...
On 12/12/2004, Martin Jay wrote in message -
free.org.uk:

Top-up TV seem to be advertising very heavily this Christmas. I get the
feeling that this is a make or break time for them.

I think we all know which way this is going.


Any idea what their subs figures are like?
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor),
/* 1024 DVDs, 302 games, 102 CDs, 92 cinema films, 33 videos, concerts & news
/* halo 2, divine comedy, britney spears, platinum, eric bibb, michael ball
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4

In article ,
says...
In uk.tech.digital-tv Dom Robinson wrote:
:
: Would my old Nokia box update to use that encryption, or would it already be
: compatible?

It's compatible....or at least after a possible small STB update which I
recall people having to wait for after they had inserted their new TopUpTV
smartcard.

: And, given that SECA was cracked before ONdigital started broadcasting, why
: didn't they use something else? (the question I wish I'd asked them on Right
: to Reply, but you always think of something when it's too late)

OnDigital were expected to use Videoguard encryption (as Sky Digital) but
switched to SECA as, it was believed, they could then get very cheap STBs from
several manufacturers - for whom it was simply a matter of slightly mofifying
their existing Canel Plus satellite STBs. AFAIR when they chose SECA (about
6 months before launch?) it either wasn't hacked or was not widely so. Canel
Plus probably promised them a new smartcard or something.

Ta for all the info, and that latter bit certainly figures.

A better question is *WHY* Canel Plus and OnDigital/ITV Digital left it so
long? In the days when (analogue) Sky was hacked they took the financial
hit of issuing new smartcards with much revised encryption within a matter of
weeks!

I remember that. They've done well to remain one step ahead with Sky Digital
as that's never been cracked, AFAIK.
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor),
/* 1024 DVDs, 302 games, 102 CDs, 92 cinema films, 33 videos, concerts & news
/* halo 2, divine comedy, britney spears, platinum, eric bibb, michael ball
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4

On 16/12/2004, Dom Robinson wrote in message
:

says...

On 12/12/2004, Martin Jay wrote in message -
free.org.uk:

Top-up TV seem to be advertising very heavily this Christmas. I get
the feeling that this is a make or break time for them.

I think we all know which way this is going.

Any idea what their subs figures are like?

They got 20,000 subscribers in by the end of the first
month of 'gnome' advertising, most of them before those
adverts started. Since then, they haven't released any
figures, and TUTV hasn't been passing their figures to
ofcom. I'm not sure but I don't think they actually
have to do this more frequently than once a year.

They have a break-even point of 250,000 subscriptions
at March 2007 (at least, that's what they say).

The most common complaint at the moment is that each of
the channels they advertise is available for just part
of the day. e.g. Cartoon network shuts off at 6pm,
Classic movies available only in the evenings. So while
they slap the logos of various channels over their
adverts you don't actually get the full broadcast of
their channels.

Simon.

In article , Mike Henry wrote:
Their website reveals just how small the fractions of channels are
(http://www.topuptv.com/whatistopuptv_index.htm). I think they should be
done for false advertising!
[...]
The results are even worse than I thought. You can pay for 229 hours of
TV to choose from, but you get less than 94 hours. You find that half
the programmes in your listings that you wanted to see are outside of
the Top-up hours. You start watching a film on UK Gold and have it cut
off in the middle. Diabolical, and the sooner they go bust the better.

It's five channels pretending to be ten, and not particularly enticing ones
at that. If there are enough people who are willing to pay for this, then
they'll get what they deserve, otherwise the company will go the same way
as the only previous pay-to-view digital terrestrial broadcaster that this
country has ever seen (You'd think they'd have learnt from that, wouldn't
you) and nobody will bat an eye.

Rod.