Optus TV dumps monthly magazine
Optus TV will stop publication of its monthly magazine after February, citing it as 'no longer financially viable.'
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Subscription
Optus TV subscribers could be in for a rude awakening with confirmation that the Pay TV supplier will stop publication of its monthly magazine after February.
Optus says the majority of its subscribers no longer take delivery of the magazine, having switched to its online guides and the on-screen EPG. It claims it is no longer financially viable to continue publishing the magazine.
Subscribers who currently receive the magazine will no longer be charged from March.
TV Tonight is a firm believer that as necessary as online and EPGs are, they are never a replacement for a traditional print Guide, particularly for such a vast landscape as Pay Television where viewers are overwhelmed by content. There is nothing that can replace being able to browse through detailed information, circling highlights, being attracted to shows from photographs, and reading interviews and stories. EPGs and online guides are complementary to print, not a replacement….
In 2009 Optus Television stopped offering its service to new subscribers, with service still available to existing subscribers.
Optus TV advises customers to call 1300 760 019 for enquiries.
34 Responses
As an ‘aged’ customer, paying more than I can really afford for the top digital package, I cant see the point of adding the extra channels, and then not giving a printed guide to the programmes. We don’t need a glossy magazine, just a printed guide on newsprint, like the Wednesday Telegraph connect, or the ones in the Sunday Papers or some local papers. As TV is our main source of entertainment these days, we like to plan our viewing ahead, so need to be able to compare times and channels, for the week. This is not possible online or on screen. Older people need a printed guide – I suspect that older people make up the largest viewing group who use cable TV the most.
This raises a couple of questions in my mind.
Firstly, Optus claims to be printing so few copies that is has become financially unviable. This seems at marked odds with ACP’s own web-site, where a circulation of 150,000 is proudly proclaimed. If I were an advertiser I’d be a little peeved at learning ‘the majority of Optus TV subscribers no longer take delivery of the magazine…”. So tell me, what is the case – no readers (so few as to not matter) or 150,000 circulation – which is it?
Secondly, the A-Z programme search functionality on all set-top boxes (standard and IQ) and has been disabled since the latest firmware update. Thus a viewer cannot find a programme by tile any longer. This also affects Foxtel viewers!
Thirdly, the Optus online guide only offers 5 days, whilst Foxtel offers 14 days. Not much of a window to plan your viewing is it? Allied to this is a limited programme search function. For example type in ‘Click’, the BBC’s top rating technology program – no joy there.
Fourthly, why not offer a PDF version (save those trees!) or if cost is still an issue, make the printed Foxtel guide available to Optus subscribers. As “Foxtel Magazine is Australia’s highest circulating entertainment magazine and your source of cover to cover programming information, premieres, behind-the-scenes previews and more” wouldn’t this be a customer focused solution. Seeing as as ACP produces both this shouldn’t be too hard. It’s the same content and programming after-all.
Honestly, I fear Optus just wants “out” of the whole pay-tv business and is trying to ‘lose’ its customers as quietly as it can – death by a thousands cuts me thinks.
I think people are reading too much into this (that is, assuming the Foxtel and Austar guides are on the way). The main reason Optus are doing this is because they are in the process of exiting the pay tv market altogether.
I hope Foxtel dont go the same way!!?? I use both the magazine and the EPG
I feel they compliment each other – I like to look ahead beyond 7 days sometimes- where as the EPG only goes up to 7 days programming
I remember working at Optus HQ in North Sydney where you would have expected to watch Optus TV in the break rooms. No. I’m sure they had to subscribe to Foxtel because they could never get their cabling into North Sydney!
Get a Facebook page dedicated to “bring back Optus magazine”, seems to work for everything else. I would seriously do that if they dare to mess with my Foxtel mag! lol
Surprised by amount of people who still use the paper guide.
All I can say is “Don’t worry”. You’ll adjust soon enough. It’s still possible to plan ahead and do everything you would do with a paper guide. Everything will be ok.
On the other hand, I don’t think my pop even knows there is an EPG on his Foxtel.
How to upset one’s subscribers without really trying ! I suppose I could threaten telling my friends not to subscribe to Optus – oh, thats right, they are not taking on new clients – yet another great business choice. I need a printed Cable TV magazine to plan ahead, highlight favourites, swat flies with, etc.
Mmmmmmmm interesting,hopefully Foxtel won’t go down the same road.I don’t use mine as much as i used to but i find it very handy,to know when movies will be finishing up.So if there is something you have been wanting to watch,you can catch it before it disappears.With the FTA stations,programs available through newspapers etc,this is also handy as to know if a program is a repeat or not.The on-Line guides don’t give you that information.So i can’t see this type of thing disappearing.
With an magazine I can plan ahead on what to watch.
Without it, planning on what to watch is difficult as it would mean a constant look via other means which is not always available to me unlike a magazine.
Very disappointed by this.
i wish they would bring iq into their services. i have optus and i wish they would
@Evan – yes a PDF version would be a great idea, emailed direct to customers or download from their site but that still means some form of production is required even if it doesn’t go to printers. Maybe talking out the printing would make it more cost affective?
Long ago before I realised it was not worth the money
Foxtel used to supply the magazine for free
For the amount of programming, however feeble, offered by these companies..
As stated above. A print guide is invaluable and indeed a necesity and should be
included for nix – Again as with all things nowadays…
Less cost to them… Less value to the customer.
Foxtel better not do the same in the future…
This sucks. An EPG is fine if you sit down and think, “what to watch now?” But I tend to plan ahead too, and a magazine is far easier than online guides et al. I guess their customers can pick up a TV Week?
There’s still an Optus Tv?
We may get some more competition in the Pay TV sector if the NBN is ever built.
Meanwhile there is another Pay TV company and that is SelectTV who have actually been doing a bit of advertising lately. Their channel selection is pretty woeful unless you are in to movies and kids shows but it is competition nonetheless.
I don’t know why Optus even do their PayTV anymore… don’t they just resell foxtel?
it’s pretty poor that australia only has one major pay tv service, where’s the competition? , i little off topic but in the US one cable company might be dropping fox in the next few days, if they did obviously a lot of people will change pay tv providers, but in australia when foxtel don’t carry a channel (like say nine in Adelaide) you have no choice, its either stay with foxtel or nothing)
Why don’t they offer a PDF version of the mag (or at least just the listings)
I agree with David’s comments in the article. While I certainly get a lot of use from the fantastic EPG, I also find the printed guide invaluable. More often than not it’s the Foxtel magazine that alerts me to new/interesting shows. As David says, without the mag I’d feel totally overwhelmed by the content.
Why couldn’t they just send out a Foxtel mag? It’s the same programming, right?
I really don’t see why Optus continue to offer this service – obviously its something to run over their HFC network – but really, over the past decade they’ve just let it decay further and further…
Why don’t they just do what Telstra does and on-sell the actual Foxtel service (satellite only).
I’m on the fence with this one, while I agree reading the printed guide is good and easier then going on line or the EPS I often find myself on the Austar site doing a search for when my show is going to be on. Maybe it should be an option at a higher price for those who want/need it. Just thank god the Pay TV EPS is far better that the FTA ones.
I think it’s a sensible move. We receive the magazine, but rarely look at it. I use the on-screen guide all of the time.
..It makes good Toilet Paper though (once you take the staples out of course) 😛