Hull ISP KC Launches YouView Based Broadband TV Services

The incumbent telecoms operator for Hull and East Riding in Yorkshire (England), KC, has this week become the third UK ISP after BT and TalkTalk to launch its own broadband TV service based off the YouView (IPTV) platform called KCTV.

As well as the usual Freeview channels, video recording features and catch-up TV content (iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand5 etc.) there’s also access to Sky’s NOW TV subscription film service (at extra cost) and High Definition (HD) channels. But the service could perhaps do with a slightly greater selection of premium content.

The KCTV service can be added to the ISPs existing phone and broadband bundles for an extra charge of just £12 per month (plus a £30 one-off setup fee), which includes the 500GB YouView box (worth £299) and a free home installation. The engineer will also check your in-home broadband wiring and make any improvements needed to achieve the fastest possible speeds.

Customers who add the service to their KCHome bundle will also have their monthly broadband usage allowance tripled to 110GB, while those adding it to a Home Xtra bundle will benefit from an upgrade to “unlimited” downloads.

Gary Young, KCs Business and Consumer Director, said:

“KC TV offers an exciting new way to watch TV, giving households the TV they want, when they want it.

The biggest names in UK broadcasting have spent years developing the YouView service so that as well as offering a vast range of content, it’s also very easy to use. Features like being able to search for programmes starring your favourite actor, and being able to pause, rewind and record live programmes, mean it’s a world away from traditional TV.

And by buying it as part of a phone and broadband bundle, KC customers can make the most of the service without the initial cost of buying a YouView box.”

It’s worth pointing out that customers will be subject to a 24 month contract and must have a broadband service that delivers a download speed of at least 5Mbps, which is necessary to view the Standard Definition (SD) on-demand TV content.