IceTV Resurrected

[dmulds]

My Automatic Renewal starts on the 22nd October.
Do I cancel and wait for the $7.99 charges to start?

Hi Geoff,

I've extended your subscription a bit to keep you going until we get the payment gateway setup.

Hi Dave,

My subscription ends tomorrow, can you please extend it until you get the payment gateway setup?

Cheers, Dave

[seanf]

I have been reading through these posts with interest since I heard the terrible news about icetv going into Administration. To my surprise I have been with them since May 2008 and over the years paid various full price and discounted price subscriptions, my last payment being a 4 years subscription from July last year for $149 - therefor losing around 2 3/4 years of prepaid subscription.

Doing a quick calc on what I have paid over the years works out to around $6.80 per month.

For me icetv has operated flawlessly over the years, it runs in the background on my HTPC (windows 7 MCE) and my wife and I use the iPhone Icetv app to set recordings no matter where we are.

Prior to the news about the icetv resurrection, I did look at alternate options for downloading detailed EPG - has anyone used the bigscreenglobal.com (bigscreen epg program)? It appears to be able to download EPG from various sites.

Had Icetv gone it would have almost certainly been the death of my HTPC, with Microsoft not continuing with Media Centre and a reliable program guide not being available it would have been very difficult to maintain (ease of use for my wife / kids) unless the bigscreenglobal.com product worked out.

Personally I am OK paying the new monthly subscription and hope the guide data/upcoming shows etc. is as detailed as it previously was. Once the monthly subscriptions build up their funds/bank balance it would be nice to see Icetv provide some sort of discounts to previous subscribers who lost out with the skippa disaster and prepaid yearly subscriptions.

Sean

[iandi]

Just did a quick calculation and, including the 5 year subscription I paid in January, IceTV has cost me $5.36 per month since 2009.
So I'm certainly happy to pay $8 per month for the convenience and ease that it provides.

Also FYI I've also just received a email from the Administrators with an update (as I'm sure many others will have.

[tb123]

Ok, so I'm a little confused. Just received an email regarding an update from the administrators. Part of it is a link to click on to accept electronic communications, but also an "informal proof of debt" form that looks like it's meant to printed and signed. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with this or if it actually pertains to me?

[simoncasey]

Anybody who bought a subscription in advance and didn't receive it is a potential creditor. To be considered as a creditor you need to complete the form. You may then get some money back.

[tb123]

So two months ago I signed up for a 5 year subscription for around $124. Is that what I'm supposed to claim. Have no idea if it was "secured" or not, or what that even actually means...

[spinifex]

First part of the email from the creditors, relating to IceTv.

"Dear Subscriber,

We are pleased to advise that after a successful campaign to secure alternative support for the ICE TV products and services (Cloud based Smart recording, Website and App access, Synopses feeds, New Show alerts, Electronic Program Guide) we are now transferring the operations to a company recently formed specifically to take-over and continue the services.

This company will have all the rights and responsibilities for the continuation of the service commencing immediately. I advise there will be no interruption to the service and you will be able to re-subscribe using the existing IceTV website which will take payment through a payment gateway in the new company's name. In that respect a communication will follow this email from IceTV which will let you know how the service will operate and how you can remain a recipient of that service."

We thank you for your patience through this disruptive period.

[IanL-S]

So two months ago I signed up for a 5 year subscription for around $124. Is that what I'm supposed to claim. Have no idea if it was "secured" or not, or what that even actually means...

All subscription related claims are unsecured. I suggest that you include in the form the duration of your subscriptions (for example 5 years ending on 1 June 2020) and how much you paid for it (include the date of payment); if relevant you should also include the unlimited subscription to IceTV and AdSkipping if you purchased a SKIPPA. Not sure if you can claim for lost warranty cover for the SKIPPA.

I looks like they expect you to fill in the form, scan it and email it back to them. OK if you have a scanner, but otherwise problematic.

I am doubtful that we are likely to get anything back, but there is no harm in trying.

Ian

[tb123]

Thanks for that Ian

[zoszos68]

So two months ago I signed up for a 5 year subscription for around $124. Is that what I'm supposed to claim. Have no idea if it was "secured" or not, or what that even actually means...

All subscription related claims are unsecured. I suggest that you include in the form the duration of your subscriptions (for example 5 years ending on 1 June 2020) and how much you paid for it (include the date of payment); if relevant you should also include the unlimited subscription to IceTV and AdSkipping if you purchased a SKIPPA. Not sure if you can claim for lost warranty cover for the SKIPPA.

I looks like they expect you to fill in the form, scan it and email it back to them. OK if you have a scanner, but otherwise problematic.

If you use the tools in adobe readers latest version you can type in the document  and highlight and sign.
I have already emailed mine.

Kevin

I am doubtful that we are likely to get anything back, but there is no harm in trying.

Ian

[drumkit]

I'm a little confused on the timeline here.

Ice TV owned and run by Chris OBrien

A number of customers prepaid their service agreements in advance
A number of customers paid and didn't get their PVR's

So IceTV had a financial issue and went into administration.   

Administrators came in an essentially put the business up for sale because Chris's business could no longer function.

Chris came back in and bought the company back less all the obligations he previously had before it went broke.

Consequently, the owners of the old IceTV are the owners of the new IceTV less all the obligations they had to their customers (not to mention creditors and presumably staff as well).

All the customers are meant to run back and rebuy their services (not to mention hardware) from the same person who took their previous money?

Am I missing something here?   Are we meant to feel happy about that ?



Don't get me wrong.  Im glad the staff still have a job to come back and previously I was quite happy with IceTV.  I was even sad for the owners and staff of IceTV when it went broke.  But to see the same owner step back in and keep running with the company makes me feel like this is a bit poor form.  How do we trust that the new company wont just follow the previous one taking all the customers money again?

I was all set to rejoin icetv until I saw the same director on the from line in my friendly email I just received.

Perhaps I have missed something ?

[spinifex]

My Automatic Renewal starts on the 22nd October.
Do I cancel and wait for the $7.99 charges to start?

Hi Geoff,

I've extended your subscription a bit to keep you going until we get the payment gateway setup.

Hi Dave,

My subscription ends tomorrow, can you please extend it until you get the payment gateway setup?

Cheers, Dave

Part of an email i got from IceTv, which should put your mind at ease.
"Because it will take at least a week to get the on-line payment gateway set up we are happy to provide the EPG data to all our subscribers free-of-charge until that time, including those that lapse."

[GaryT]

Perhaps I have missed something ?

I do not think you've missed much. Sounds like a pretty good summary to me !

[Paul55]

Perhaps I have missed something ?

I do not think you've missed much. Sounds like a pretty good summary to me !

A simplistic summary from the point of view of an angry, hurt 'victim'. Just because vengeance isn't being wreaked upon those you have decided are 'guilty', you are taking your bat and ball and going home. Seriously?

The fact is there is a very limited pool of people capable of managing this service - and even less who would have been able to maintain the service without a break. You either want the service or you don't - you don't get to choose who runs it unless you cough the money the buy and run the business yourself.
I understand that customers are annoyed - I lost more than 5 years of subscriptions myself. But we need to get over it - what has happened has happened. The proper process was enacted and independent auditors/administrators have found a way ahead that keeps the service running and staff employed.

I see people expressing concern for the IceTV employees and, in the same post, stating they won't be subscribing to the service they obviously value because they aren't happy with how the situation has been (successfully) resolved. If the new IceTV isn't profitable, those very employees will lose their jobs. A bit hypocritical IMO.

[jeisner]

Consequently, the owners of the old IceTV are the owners of the new IceTV less all the obligations they had to their customers (not to mention creditors and presumably staff as well).

All the customers are meant to run back and rebuy their services (not to mention hardware) from the same person who took their previous money?

Am I missing something here?   Are we meant to feel happy about that ?

Not really, the phoenix has risen..

Personally it has been good for me as it caused me to investigate the TAPs available for my topfield and I discovered SMARTEPG. As I really only record less than half a dozen shows a week (on series link) this has worked out well as I can make do without ICETV using SMARTEPG and WEBCONTROL.