HellasHab

They have no choice, all their other ventures (DirecTV, Home2US) have failed miserably- if they want to continue operating their international service in the US then they have to be on Dish, simple as that. It will be interesting to see how this channel will be offered- only in a package or will it be available a la carte as well?! I am guessing it will probably be in the most expensive package only, MEGA is in a position of weakness here so I don't see them making demands with Dish on how the channel will be sold?!I wonder what this means for the Ellas TV service, will people who signed up so they can watch MEGA, now cancel and go back to Dish?! I see no need for Dish to add Star, that channel is waste of bandwidth IMO. They have a very good package right now with ANT1, ERT & Alpha, the addition of MEGA will make it even better. Star does not really add any value, so I don't see why they would bother adding it?! Having said that however, Dish does carry a lot of niche channels amongst the international channels they offer, so you never know, they just might add it at some point?!

It appears as though OTN has secured the rights to MEGA Cosmos, I saw an ad on Odyssey last night touting how they now distribute 3 channels in Canada- ANT1 Satellite, ERT World & MEGA Cosmos. This explains why MEGA never ceased broadcasting even after ECG lost the rights to the channel. I hope this acquisition will spur OTN to do something about their crappy website- that is one woefully pathetic site, a high school student could do a better job. It's clear that these people don't care at all about having any sort of online presence so why bother putting up a website in the first place- that site is an embarrassment and makes the company look bad, I guess they don't care about that?! ;) I wonder if the pricing will change as ERT World is only a $5 add-on to Odyssey?! ECG charged a full $15 for MEGA Cosmos when they distributed the channel, no discount given at all. I guess it all depends on how much OTN paid for the rights, hopefuly it will be $10 add-on. Unfortunately even with OTN distributing the channel, it will not be available a la carte due to stupid CRTC regulations. :angry:

Perhaps because this IPTV technology is not yet ready for the mainstream- I think it still requires some fine tuning and is a few years away from attaining the same status as cable and satellite TV. I guess it is to be expected since this is being transmitted via a public network (the internet) as opposed to cable & satellite which are closed networks and each provider has their own system.I experienced lip sync issues when I subscribed to the Greek package offered by NEXTV so this might have something to do with the medium being used to transmit the signal as much as it does with the service itself?! Too many issues for my liking- you have to have the right internet speed, a compatible router, unlimited package, etc. if I were you Addynia I would go back to satellite which is more stable and some day if this IPTV thing becomes less problematic you can try it out again.

Are you saying that all channel feeds for this service are originating from Europe?! MEGA Cosmos, RIK Sat, Star International & 4E are all available in North America on Home2US satellite, they should be getting the feeds for those channels from the feed that is distributed here NOT from Europe where they operate under a different system?! I think that explains your lip sync problem addynia- they are not broadcasting the correct feed for MEGA Cosmos or what they might be doing is taking the North American feed and sending it back to Greece then re-transmitting it back here through their system that transmits all channels they offer. Does this mean that the offices they have in the US and Canada are simply for sales?!

Thanks for finally posting the bandwidth info. :tup: So if I understand this information correctly, if someone watches the channels (not VOD) 12 hrs. per day, they will end up consuming 100Gb in a month?! My package has a 300Gb cap- would that be enough to be able to watch for several hours each day without exceeding the cap? Thanks.

I am from Canada not the USA- here ALL major internet providers and most of the smaller ones have these stupid bandwidth caps- anything that can be done for us who are stuck under this system of restricted usage?! Also, you did not answer the question, Grk101 asked what the bandwidth usage is for your service, we are still waiting for that information....

I would like an answer to these questions as well. I noticed you have yet to answer Grk101's questions- is there some reason for that?! These are legitimate inquiries about your service and if you are a legitimate provider then there should be no problem providing us with some answers. Even though you might not care, there are many out there in the US and Canada who might be interested in your service but are constrained by bandwidth caps that many ISP's are putting on the packages they offer. For those of us that are not millionaires and cannot afford the really expensive internet packages which might offer unlimited usage, is there some way to be able to sign up for Ellas TV and enjoy it without having to constantly monitor our usage so we don't go over our cap and pay untold penalties??

Exactly my point, why waste money on a service that could potentially not have the rights to all the channels it offers which means that some day you might wake up and see that many of the channels are gone?! To each his own I guess but I prefer to subscribe to a service I know is legit and will not be gone tomorrow or will keep changing the lineup of channels it offers.

What is the point of all these different versions of Mega?! I still don't understand why they offer the domestic versions direct from Greece- is this for European viewers as these channels are useless IMO for North Americans due to the time difference?! I suspect the reason no one will reveal what channels they offer is because the lineup probably changes frequently due to not all of the channels being legal. I noticed they have made some changes to their website, however when you try and click on one of the packaging options to get more info nothing happens?! It appears to me the only channels they offer for sure are MEGA Cosmos, Star International, PIK Sat & 4E. I don't see ERT World, which is a must for me and I am sure many others.

Thanks for the info mytelenos. Ethnic Channels Group has lost the rights to MEGA Cosmos so if the channel is still broadcasting, it means that Bell & Rogers have some sort of agreement in place with Greek Media Group to keep the channel on the air temporarily until a more permanent solution is found. I suspect that GMG will apply to get MEGA Cosmos added to the approved list and bring it in as a foreign service. The other option is to sign a deal with OTN and have them launch a CDN version of the channel although I think that is doubtful considering that history between the two companies. It appears as though we will FINALLY have a Greek channel here in Canada direct from Greece instead of through a Canadian broadcaster!

Hi all, It appears as though we here in Canada have lost a channel- I noticed recently that MEGA Cosmos is no longer listed on the Ethnic Channels Group website?! I would like to know if any of my fellow Canucks out there can confirm for me whether this channel is still broadcasting? I have checked the website of the providers who offer the channel as well as the Mega website and there is no change as they still list the channel and Mega still lists ECG as the official distributor for Canada- I suspect however that the sites have not been updated recently?!

DKSat, Could you post a list of the channels that Ellas TV offers so those who might be interested have an idea of what exactly they carry since Ellas TV refuse to post a channel lineup?! According to this particular Ellas TV website, (www.ellastv.tv) it appears they carry the complete channel lineup from Nova in Greece- WTH?! :huh: There are channel logos at the bottom of the page for almost all the Greek channels Nova offers except for ANT1 as well as several specialty services which I am quite sure cannot be offered outside of Greece but what do I know?! At the top of the page however it mentions 4E, MEGA Cosmos, PIK Sat & Star International- so which channels do they actually offer?!

ERT World has the rights to Olympiakos (and a few other teams) for the upcoming season, according to the information I have. Your friend might be referring to ERT in Greece- it has been rumoured they they plan to drop their soccer rights (Olympiakos & Xanthi) due to the economy and new cost cutting measures the government is looking to implement at ERT. ERT World is a separate entity, they operate independently from ERT in Greece and have a separate deal for Super League matches which expires at the end of the 2011-2012 season. Its possible something might change but I doubt it because if ERT World dropped their soccer coverage they would lose subscribers. Unfortunately if something does change regarding TV rights we won't know about it until just before the season starts- that how the Greek networks operate. Regarding ERT World availability, just sign up with Dish Network as that is the easiest and best option in your situation. They carry both ERT World & ANT1 Satellite so you can just wait until the season starts to see who will be airing Olympiakos matches then subscribe to that particular channel.

I agree that Dish is the more stable platform of the two but if they want this channel to succeed long term then they have to get their act together and expand distribution of the channel by signing some deals with cable providers. I think its a disgrace that ERT World is only available via satellite in the US, while in other smaller countries it enjoys widespread distribution. Right you are, which means it wouldn't surprise me if ERT World was suddenly removed from Home2US and remained exclusive to Dish. This story has had so many twists and turns in it that I have lost count. ;) I think I can say with some certainty that the story is far from over and unfortunately subscribers in the US are going to continue to be strung along by the idiots at ERT. Based on what Harlem Reporter posted above, it looks like some 'grease' monkey is challenging the deal to award PCCW Global the distribution rights. This will no doubt create more instability and cause more headaches for subscribers. I think that is a good move to shut down one channel, a country the size of Greece doesn't need 3 public channels, not to mention the numerous radio stations ERT operates (some of those will be shut down as well). I would keep NET & ET3, one channel based in Athens and one in Thessaloniki. As for ERT World, I think we are going to be seeing a lot of repeats as with all the cutbacks that are coming, I don't think they will be producing a lot of new programming.

DirecTV dropped their Greek package several months ago, they no longer offer a Greek service. ERT World is currently available on Dish Network & Home2US via satellite and through Wherever TV (IPTV). It has been mentioned on here that ERT World will become exclusive to Home2US and will be leaving Dish Network by the end of the summer but that remains to be seen.

OSFP 18,We have been asking for this info for a while now and nothing has been posted, which further adds to the speculation about whether this service is legit?! I would like to see an official channel list as well- why do you refuse to post this information Ttentelh?! Instead of spamming the boards with useless plugs for this service why not post actual information about it like a channel lineup!? Also, I still do not understand why you offer channels direct from Greece as these are totally useless for us here in North America?! There is a 7hr time difference which makes it difficult to watch anything so what is the point of offering these channels?! If your service offers the international services then that gives us access to pretty much most of the shows that air on the Greek networks AND these channels are all structured according to our local time zone (usually EST).

It appears he just outed himself as being part of Ellas TV (employee?, owner?), whereas before he was supposedly posting as a 'new subscriber' of the service?! :rolleyes: I thought the channels he listed were already available to subscribers?! This service is appearing more and more shady as time goes on. ;)

ttentelh, No disrespect but people should not have to contact you to find out about this service, the owners of the service should be the ones answering questions NOT a customer. The reason everyone is riled up is because this person comes on here trying to peddle their wares and has thus far refused to answer our questions truthfully AND on top of that has insulted a member. If they want to promote their product that is fine but they are going about it all the wrong way- not much professionalism at Ellas TV from the looks of it. This person is behaving the way someone who has something to hide would behave- avoiding certain questions, not answering truthfully and exhibiting very hostile behavior for no reason- no one provoked him/her or insulted them, they just asked some questions. Bottom line, Ellas TV came to us here, we did not go to them so they should respect the board and its members. In life, people treat you the way you treat them- show respect and you will receive respect in return.

Your joking right?! They don't even offer customers the option of renting a receiver, you think they are going to give them away for free?! At least with the rental, they are still collecting a monthly fee, what do they gain by giving them away?!

Well put Grk101. First, a reminder that Personal attacks are NOT allowed on this forum- Ellastv I suggest you read through the rules before posting anything further: http://clubs.phantis.com/sports/index.php?act=SR&f=5 Second, your hostility is not helping your position, it just makes things worse for you and your company. We have a right to be skeptical and a right to ask legitimate questions (which is what they are), if you don't like it then you are in the wrong business my friend. If people are going to fork over all this money to sign up for your service they have a right to know what exactly they are getting into and what you offer. I highly doubt that you have secured an agreement with Nova Sports, History Chanel, Cartoon Network & Disney XD. Perhaps a phone call to these broadcasters is in order to verify that they have actually signed an agreement with your company?! More than likely I don't think they will even know what Ellas TV is!? If you have the rights to broadcast these channels then why are they not listed on your website?? You have yet to post a list of the channels that your service offers, that in and of itself makes people skeptical. The list posted by ttentelh differs from the channels depicted on your site- what are the correct channels?!

They are a legit company but their customer service leaves something to be desired. NEXTV is owned by Ethnic Channels Group, an ethnic broadcaster here in Canada. They currently operate over 10 Canadian ethnic services, which are available via cable and satellite. When I had NEXTV I signed up for the service at their offices in Toronto and picked up the receiver as well. That was my first thought when I read the channels list. This looks like Nova TV North America not Ellas TV?! :huh: There is no way they would be allowed to air History Channel, Cartoon Network or Disney XD (to name a few) here in North America, especially since some of those channels like Disney XD are localized for the Greek market. Also, I see none of these channels listed on the website, only the international channels are listed?! So they are advertising channels that are not currently available and not advertising the channels that are currently being received by customers?! Its working fine for me as are the others except for ellastv.com. Interesting, ellastv.us is not the same as the others, it seems to be some sort of login portal?!

NEXTV here in Canada (which I know for a fact is a legitimate company) offers customers the option of renting a receiver or purchasing it. These guys do not offer that option which makes me question the legitimacy of this whole operation. Cable and Telco providers (not sure about satellite) also offer a rental option to their customers. That is correct, I am talking about bandwidth on my end. As an example, the package I currently subscribe to has a bandwidth cap of 200Gb/month. Having been a subscriber to an IPTV service in the past, I can say with certainty that these services use up a lot of juice. My monthly usage when I had IPTV was around 100Gb and that was with me clamping down on viewing, meaning the box was not on continuously nor was I watching the channels continuously. If you were to watch for many hours each day (which is the case with the older generation who are home all day), you would endure an untold expense coming from penalties for exceeding your usage limit. IPTV is not feasible IMO unless you are on an unlimited plan or you are wealthy and can afford the high cost.

Thanks for the info, however I see you avoided answering my question about exactly what channels you offer?! True, but IPTV IS affected by bandwidth caps that are being implemented left and right by ISP's in Canada and the US- how do you propose to deal with that?! If you watch these channels for many hours each day, every day then you will end up using a lot of bandwidth and exceeding the stupid cap that the ISP's are putting on each package they offer- quite an expensive venture from what I can see. Is there any way to get around this?!

I would have to agree, the start up costs seem to be very high here. Their package prices are too high as well, especially for IPTV which is still a relatively new technology that is unknown to most regular folk. Channel info is lacking, I would like to see a complete list of available channels posted on the site- why is it not there?! I am still not convinced of the legitimacy of this company, they have a Greek URL (.gr) and according to info on their site appeared to be based in Greece?! If it is supposed to serve the US and Canada then it should have an office in North America. Also, I state once again what is the point of offering channels from Greece when there is a 7hr time difference AND as Grk101 mentioned some programming will be blacked out due to rights issues?! This is where things get fishy to me, if this service was legit then they would not be allowed to offer ET1, ET3, Alter, ANT1, MEGA & Skai. All of these channels (except for Skai) have launched an international channel that is intended for the diaspora because their domestic channels are intended for the residents of Greece ONLY. I sincerely hope it is a legit service, its always good having another alternative to cable & satellite but I remain skeptical for the time being.