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UPC HAVE OFFICIALLY launched their streaming service My Prime as a replacement for their previous On Demand digital service.
My Prime had been available for much of the past three weeks by way of a ‘soft launch’, an effort to get current subscribers used to the system.
The service comes officially free for Horizon customers (UPC’s upgraded digital network that includes multi-screen viewing and mobile service), although those customers on older digital subscriptions will be expected to pay €5 a month to use it.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, UPC’s head of commercial Bill Blake explained that this charge is negligible as “in 99% of cases if a customer switches to Horizon the monthly fees are identical”.
When asked what the split of UPC’s tv customer base is between Horizon and older packages Blake admitted that 61% of the firm’s 330,000 subscribers are still on older digital services.
This would suggest that My Prime is being offered as a sort of carrot to convince those 200,000 customers to switch to the Horizon service.
Official figures are currently unavailable but it seems that My Prime has launched with a lineup of in the region of 300 individual movies, box sets and children’s series.
The official listing on UPC’s website is a little, shall we say, underwhelming, although some of the titles mentioned at today’s launch are yet to show up as part of the online catalogue.
Examples include TV series such as Love/Hate, Devious Maids and the Daniel Day-Lewis movie epic There Will Be Blood.
The line-up still pales in comparison to the many thousands of titles available on, say, Netflix for example which leaves My Prime with a deal of catching up to do if it wants to make any kind of impression in the increasingly competitive streaming market.
In the lead-up to the launch of My Prime some UPC customers had voiced displeasure online at being offered the streaming as a consolation for a price hike.
The customers in question were frustrated that UPC would not reveal details of My Prime’s line-up in advance of the hike thus making an educated decision on whether or not to stay with the company impossible.
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I unfortunately moved to Horizon from Sky. Horizon makes the little baby Jesus cry :(
Biggest pile of $h1t I’ve ever seen. Anyone thinking of going to horizon..don’t.
Why is there a photo of Alan Partridge with Dave Fanning?
It’s a comedy service for me. I checked out My Prime and laughed so much. Thanks UPC.
This sounds great..ih wait, my thin black upc bix is a pile of absolute w@@nk that doesn’t work, crashes all the time, needs resetting every two days, and doesn’t change channel when i press the. .. change the channel buttons. ….oh well, 60 quid more in the pocket soon every month.
Upc is absolute pants
Watch Love/Hate on My Prime or Better Call Saul, House Of Cards, Orange Is The New Black etc on Netflix. It’s a tough call.
Whilst I’m all in favour of increased competition in the marketplace, this new MyPrime offering from UPC is complete pants.
I tried to view some of the “Free” programmes on offer over the weekend (most are tripe fyi) but was met each time with a warning message saying that because they’re in HD, I’d need to upgrade my UPC box. It doesn’t give you an alternative. The box I have is only 2 years old. And now they want more money from me?? On top of the 14% price hike they sprung on me this month?! No thanks!
I’ll be sticking with Netflix.
Wow, your box lasted 2 years?since I was upgraded to horizon last year, we’re on third box,after the first 6months(kept braking) and we might get a 4th since this once is not that great either.
Any problems ph Pakistan or India, They know our streets and towns inside out, Goodluck with the queries.
Agree, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to solve a problem with some with limited English and strong accent
I’m sure it be just as shiiiite as the normal service,and probably as much as a disaster as the horizon box,
I’m sure I’ll get red thumbed into oblivion, but am I the only one who hadn’t had a problem with the Horizon service? Had teething problems, but for me, it’s all sorted and working. That said, I’ve absolutely zero interest in MyPrime.
Just left the Horizon service this week after UPC increased the monthly rate of €80 to €134.Terrible WI-FI through horizon too.AVOID
Did you negotiate first? I told them I have no interest is 200 broadband and can live with lower if competitors offer me close to half what UPC asks. I got it down and will go down as Sky is catching up.next year I might leave UPC for good if Sky are better than this year. Wi-fi isn’t yet able to have 200 speed for the regular folk, is it?We are fine without km of wires and love wi-fi.
Yes I tried to negotiate as the €80 was a deal that ran out after 12 months. There was no comparable deal this year and the horizon multiscreen hardly ever worked so just cancelled it and kept the broadband as it’s a good product through a modem (Not on Horizon box).Pity the horizon wasn’t developed properly before launch.
The Myprime content is shockingly bad!! Boxsets are a joke and the movies wouldn’t look out of place in the DVD bargain bin of your local topaz. Big own goal by UPC can’t believe they have the balls to compare it to Netflix
Sky like vodafone are the best,you get what you pay for peasants
Overpay for.
Don’t get the horizon box. Slower interface, poor wifi range, missed recordings, loses sound. Wifi needs to be rebooted at least once a day. And forget support from UPC.
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