With more and more options available ELENI ANTONIOU looks at it from a couch potato’s perspective
AS WITH all other inventions, the TV has evolved considerably since its inception and is now threatening to become more intelligent than a fair proportion of its viewers.
With households in Cyprus having up to three TV sets it is hard to believe that a little over ten years ago there was only two channels to choose from. We are now fast approaching the point where the Cypriot couch potato will be overwhelmed with choice. Add to the standard six stations satellite options, LTV and the new digital packages and the choice has almost become endless.
LTV caused quite a stir when it was launched 11 years ago. Cyprus’ first pay TV channel was thought to be taking quite a risk by repeating movies throughout the month but the addition of the more sports based Alfa and its securement of popular series has proved the sceptics wrong and it now has 60,000 subscribers. Keen to ride the new wave of home entertainment LTV now offers NOVA Cyprus. For an initial outlay of £150 for a small dish and a monthly cost of £**, NOVA offers a total of 90 channels including news, films, sports and children’s networks.
The island’s telecommunications authority CyTA is moving into the digital market offering a TV package, called MiVision, through the telephone line. Subscribers with an ISDN line can then use their telephone, internet, broadcast TV and video on demand simultaneously. MiVision was set up in July and has, to date, more than 1,500 subscribers. There are nearly 20 channels available including CNN and BBC World. And you don’t even have to get up and rent a DVD because Mivision does that for you. The DVD shop allows you to rent a film for the night at a push of a button. Well, that’s that for the 24 hour DVD shops!
Increasing in popularity in the UK, SKY TV (the downfall of many students) allows subscribers to record a choice of programmes; watch anything and everything at anytime from only £12 or something. Satellite dishes in Cyprus will pick up the service and there is a wealth of options to choose from. There are thousands of subscribers in Cyprus and at least one advertisement in the Cyprus Mail has been receiving phone calls everyday. Many have moved to Cyprus and brought along their SKYboxes with a card, having only the monthly payment drawn from their account.
Although these services are basically offering the same thing – more to watch on the TV, there are some slight differences that either lower the standards or make it the best. There is also the issue of watching online.
One thing is for certain that the terrestrial channels no longer hold their revered place in the home, gone are the days when Mexican soaps ruled the airwaves.
