Sources inform ''Globes'' that joint cable company HOT has cancelled home Home Cinema (pay per view) for analog subscribers. HOT recently offered its analog subscribers, who have had the Home Cinema service for the past year, to make the switch to digital services at the same price.
The notice only applies to International Television Holdings (Tevel) subscribers, since it is the only cable company that continued to offer the service in recent years. Several tens of thousands of Tevel’s remaining 70,000-100,000 analog subscribers were contacted.
In its letter to subscribers, HOT offered a switch to digital service at NIS 175 per month (including one set-top box). The price is guaranteed for one year. This is the monthly fee paid by analog subscribers; the monthly fee for the basic package of digital services is NIS 185. Subscribers switching to digital services will pay the normal extra fees for additional channel packages.
The sources added that HOT was considering eliminating Home Cinema from it digital services, where it is called HOT Time, because of the rapid penetration of its video-on-demand (VOD) service, launched over a year ago, and which competes with Home Cinema.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on November 17, 2005