Cable television
Telenet launched Telenet Digital TV interactive television on its cable television network on 3 September 2005.
Since 2012–2013 cable customers need not pay an extra subscription to receive digital TV, but they must purchase or rent a set-top box in order to view the digital TV channels and to use the interactive services based on the Multimedia Home Platform.
Telenet also rolled out high definition television services during 2008.
In July 2008 Telenet reached an agreement with Interkabel's INDI regarding the acquisition of its 800,000 cable TV customers.
Its main competitors on the Belgian digital television market (DVB-C) are Numericable and VOO in the Brussels region. Other competitors are Proximus TV IPTV and TV Vlaanderen Digitaal (DVB-S/DVB-T2), owned by Proximus and an Airbridge Investments -Providence Equity Partners consortium, in the Flanders and Brussels regions.
Telenet and North American digital media & broadcasting company Vice Media both launched a local version of US TV channel Viceland (itself owned by Vice and later rebranded to Vice TV) in Belgium on 2 March 2017. It closed down 25 Augustus 2020
Set-top boxes
The Digibox (set-top box) and Digicorder (personal video recorder) are made by Advanced Digital Broadcast. Starting in 2007, Telenet started replacing the Digibox and Digicorder with HD versions, also made by Advanced Digital Broadcast.
In 2019, Telenet launched the TV-box, a 4K successor to the Digibox and Digicorder. No longer made by Advanced Digital Broadcast, the TV-box is part of the Horizon 4 platform of majority stakeholder Liberty Global.[8] Even though it is a successor to the Digicorder, it no longer houses a hard drive and instead is a cloud PVR-device. While it is still a DVB-C recorder, it requires an internet connection (unlike the Digibox and Digicorder) as both recordings and VOD-content are provided via streaming instead of the harddrive and DVB-C respectively.
Pay TV
Telenet also offers several premium TV channel packs including:
The French bouquets are provided from VOO.
- Streamz (including access to Streamz & a timeshifting service for linear channels. Formerly Play)
- Streamz+ (including access to Streamz+ & a timeshifting service for linear channels)
Set-top boxes
The Digibox (set-top box) and Digicorder (personal video recorder) are made by Advanced Digital Broadcast. Starting in 2007, Telenet started replacing the Digibox and Digicorder with HD versions, also made by Advanced Digital Broadcast.
In 2019, Telenet launched the TV-box, a 4K successor to the Digibox and Digicorder. No longer made by Advanced Digital Broadcast, the TV-box is part of the Horizon 4 platform of majority stakeholder Liberty Global.[8] Even though it is a successor to the Digicorder, it no longer houses a hard drive and instead is a cloud PVR-device. While it is still a DVB-C recorder, it requires an internet connection (unlike the Digibox and Digicorder) as both recordings and VOD-content are provided via streaming instead of the harddrive and DVB-C respectively.
Pay TV
Telenet also offers several premium TV channel packs including:
The French bouquets are provided from VOO.
- Streamz (including access to Streamz & a timeshifting service for linear channels. Formerly Play)
- Streamz+ (including access to Streamz+ & a timeshifting service for linear channels)
- Play More (including Streamz+, 3 Play More-channels, premium channels, Stingray Music & a timeshifting service for linear channels)
- Play Sports (including 6 Play Sports-channels, Eleven Pro League & Eleven Sports. Also available as Pay-per-view)
- BeTV (also including Ciné+)
- BeTV Sport (including VOO Sport World & Eleven Sports)
- Option VOO Sport (including Eleven Pro League)
- Option FR (Flanders Only)
- Be Bouquet Family Fun (including channels, Brussels & Wallonia only)
Digital Terrestrial Television: Teletenne
On 21 June 2012, Telenet launched its pay TV digital terrestrial television based on DVB-T technology, called Teletenne. The service has been closed down in 2014 due to low success.[9]
In 2014, Telenet acquired a 50% share of De Vijver Media from Sanoma, which owns SBS Belgium with the channels VIER and VIJF.
On 6 October 2016, SBS launched a third channel: ZES. SBS Belgium and Mediahuis co-launched a Flemish version of the radio NRJ on 3 September 2018.
In 2018, Telenet acquired the shares of De Vijver Media's two other shareholders, Mediahuis and the duo Wouter Vandenhaute and Erik Watté, taking it full control of SBS Belgium.
On 28 January 2021, Vier, Vijf and Zes were rebranded as Play4, Play5, Play6 and the launch of a new free online video-on-demand service GoPlay, and a fourth channel Play7 launching on 2 April.
In 2023, SBS Belgium is renamed to Play Media. Play Media is since 2023 also co-owner of radio Play Nostalgie.
Streaming
On 14 September 2020, Telenet & DPG Media launched streaming service Streamz.[10][11][12] It includes series & movies previously available on Telenet's Play-subscription (such as HBO content), original programming & content from VTM, SBS Belgium (a Telenet subsidiary), VRT and international studios. For an additional cost, subscribers can get access to Streamz+ including recent blockbuster movies.
The service is available either through Telenet or Streamz itself. Customers that subscribe through Telenet can access the service through their set-top boxes (and the accompanying app and website) and Streamz (website and app), but subscribing via Streamz only allows access through the Streamz-platform.
