Sky and Virgin Media to scrap for new HD customers
The two providers will be keen to sign up the many Brits who currently don't receive high-definition services.
There were plenty of interesting facts and figures to take from Ofcom's fifth International Communications Market report, but we were particularly struck by the statistics regarding high-definition (HD) TV.According to the telecoms watchdog, us Brits are leading the way in terms of HD TV ownership - 59 per cent of households have one of these sets, two percentage points ahead of the US.
But we're lagging behind the US, Japan and France in take-up of HD services, with only 13 per cent of UK consumers signed up to receive these channels.
While questions may be asked about why we've been so slow to get onboard with the technology, we're sure Sky and Virgin Media will treat this as good news, as it means there are plenty of potential HD customers for them to scrap over.
In the battle between the two providers over attracting new HD subscribers, we reckon Virgin Media's definitely got the edge in the lower end of the market.
You can enjoy the benefits of V+HD with 100 TV stations, plus up to 10Mbps fibre optic broadband and unlimited weekend home phone calls, for just £16.75 per month for the first six months.
After this promotional period the price returns to £29 per month, but you'll also get £50 credit on your first bill and free installation.
However, Sky offers a greater number of these channels and particularly excels with its HD films and sports coverage. You can get access to all the Sky Sports stations in HD for £51 per month, or choose Sky+HD with Sky Movies for £46.75 per month.
Both packages come with a free set-top box and a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher.
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