Company:Illico (Videotron)

Illico

File:Illico logo.webp
Formerly	Télé Numérique Vidéotron (1999-2001)
Successor	Helix
Founded	1999
Products	Digital TV
Parent	Videotron
Website	https://illicoweb.videotron.com/

Illico Digital TV is a digital television service offered by Videotron. It offers standard digital terminals, HDTV (high definition) and ENP HD (high definition personal digital recorder) terminals.

History

Logo from 1999 to September 28, 2001

Illico was launched on March 29, 1999, in Montreal , during the decline of the Videoway service. Initially, the Illico Explorer 2000 terminal was distributed and its rental was mandatory. The channel schedule was identical to the analog schedule of Montreal West, Quebec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Victoriaville and Cap-de-la-Madeleine, followed by analog specialty channels and about twenty channels not available in analog (including Golf Channel and Game Show Network), as well as Super Ecran, The Movie Network, Canal Indigo, Viewers Choice and Galaxie which had already taken up residence in their current positions.

On September 28, 2001, three weeks after the launch of several digital specialty channels in English Canada on September 7, 2001, Digital TV had a new name: Illico. For the occasion, a major overhaul of the schedule places the channels strategically by category and by package, wherever the Illico service is available, and some of the new specialized channels are available.

In April 2003, Video On Demand was gradually launched in each region.

On April 7, 2004, another portion of the Canadian specialty channels became available.

In 2003, HD broadcasting tests were carried out and the first High Definition channels became available in 2004: PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Discovery, CTV, TSN, CITY and Viewers Choice.

In the fall of 2008, SDV (Switched Digital Video) was launched in West Montreal, freeing up space on the already congested network. In the first phase, 103 less popular channels (most digital specialty channels, multicultural channels and western channels) are available through this system.

In the summer of 2009, filters that were too imposing in the greater Montreal area were gradually replaced, which made it possible to provide, in the fall of 2009, additional space for Video On Demand as well as new High Definition channels. . In addition, the program guide, which had remained restricted to 3 days since the launch of the Illico service, is now available over 7 days, like most other television providers in Canada.

On June 16, 2010, Videotron launched the Illicoweb.tv portal, which allows subscribers, among other things, to watch programs and films from the majority of French-language television stations as well as some English-language stations to which they subscribe on their computer screen. It is now possible to program the digital recorder remotely.

On September 9, 2010, Videotron launched its mobile service which, on certain devices, enabled the recorder to be programmed remotely.

On November 21, 2010, Videotron added a 3D television channel for the broadcast of a special program on Discovery World HD (Last Day of the Dinosaurs) as well as a hockey game, Montreal against Calgary, on December 11, 20105.

In early 2011, the Cisco 8642 and 4642 terminals were sold to the general public in preparation for Illico 2, a new interface that was announced for fall 2011.

On November 30, 2011, the twenty high definition channels missing for the Gatineau region were added after a 2-year moratorium, given the limited free space on the network.

On March 27, 2012, Videotron launched a new version of Illico digital TV (Illico new generation) which allows, among other things, to customize the interface6 and the marketing of 2 new HD terminals from Samsung.

Lagging behind in the offer of English-language specialty HD channels, Videotron added, in December 2013, 36 new HD channels in modernized sectors, accessible only to Illico New Generation subscribers.

On August 27, 2014, Videotron launched the Cisco 9897 terminal (also called X8) which allows eight simultaneous recordings (8 HD).

On September 16, 2015, Videotron launched its new Samsung terminal (X8) Ultra HD recorder allowing eight programs to be recorded simultaneously (2 Ultra HD, 6 HD).

Subscription

Subscribers must purchase an Illico terminal that is part of Videotron's inventory. Buying a device can cost between $99 and $599. Renting a terminal is also possible.

To activate a new Illico terminal, new owners must call Videotron's activation line during opening hours and provide the serial number of the device, which is then activated and associated with their account.

It is also possible to purchase a used Illico terminal that belonged to a Videotron customer. Scientific-Atlanta or Pace terminals from the United States or Rogers cannot be activated. The former owner must then call Customer Service to ensure that the terminal is deactivated from their account. The new owner can then activate it in their account.

At the time of activation, the terminal goes into Boot mode, allowing the new customer to explore, for a limited time, all the channels available on the network (except adult channels and SportMax channels) as well as to order freebies on channel 900 (Illico On Demand). Ordering pay-per-view movies from the Illico On Demand service and pay-per-view (Indigo and Viewer's Choice) will only be possible at the end of Prime mode, i.e. when the terminal only makes available the channels chosen by the customer.

Packages

The basic service includes only the basic channels, including Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec, TVA, V, CBC, CTV, CITY and Global, as well as the mandatory basic specialty channels including RDI, TV5, APTN, MétéoMedia, CPAC, the National Assembly as well as the community channel Vox and 17 Montreal radio stations and 51 channels of the musical service Galaxie (residential customers only). For information, in January 2012, the price of the basic service is set at $19.99 per month plus taxes plus network access fees of $2.99 per month plus taxes.

Until September 1, 2009, 1% of the TV bill was paid into the Fund for the Improvement of Local Programming (FAPL) transparently for the customer. On that date, when the CRTC decided to increase the percentage to 1.5%, Videotron opted to add it to the bottom of the bill. This TV tax was reduced to 1% in September 2012, 0.5% in September 2013, and abolished in September 20147.

Subscribers can then choose between:

1 pre-assembled package (Mini, Franco, Anglo, Telemax, Mega)

5 (limited choice), 10, 20, or 30 custom channels

They can then add international channels, religious channels, movie channels, Playboy, SportMax, Canadian and/or United States flexible schedule, to the superstations, as well as à la carte channels, individually or in bundles. 5, 10 or 20 channels of their choice.

Subscribers have the right to choose the channels that suit them without having to pay for a full package, however, subscribers who choose to subscribe only to the basic service cannot take one or two channels at a time. unity. Some packages also provide access to partial or full analog cable service on other television sets in the home at no additional cost.

Illico on Demand

Illico sur demande is a video on demand (VoD) service accessible on channel 900, launched in 2003 by Archambault. It offers shows, films, cartoons, shows, sports and events, offered either free or paid, as well as some titles in High Definition (HD) and recently in 3D. The titles offered are in French and English. Unlike a DVD, it is not possible to change the language after ordering.

The price of the movies varied between $1.99 and $12.99, depending on the type of content and its SD or HD version. The order of paid titles can be blocked by the subscriber, including films for adults, while retaining access to free programs. Access to the video on demand service may also be blocked by customer service.

Terminals

Current

• Cisco 4642 HD (YPbPr and HDMI outputs, Illico 2.0 compatible)
• Samsung HD SMT-C6340 (Illico 2.0 compatible
• Cisco 8642 HD (500 Go) (sorties YPbPr et HDMI, compatible Illico 2.0)
• T91 Samsung HD SMT-C8340 (500 Go) (sorties YPbPr et HDMI, compatible Illico 2.0)
• Cisco 9897 HD (2 To) (sorties YPbPr et HDMI, compatible Illico 2.0)

Former

• T9 Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 (contains Ethernet port)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2010 (no Ethernet port)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2020 (no Ethernet port)
• T11 Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2100
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2200
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3100 (same as 2100 but dual memory)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3200 (same as 2200 but dual memory)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 1800 (no clock display)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer E940 (no button or clock display)
• pace 511
• Pace 501 (no button or clock display)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000 (80 GB) (not compatible with Illico Display)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8010 (80 GB) (compatible with Illico Display)
• T29 Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 (80GB)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3100 HD (YPbPr output only)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3250 HD (YPbPr and DVI outputs)
• T27 Pace 550 HD (YPbPr and DVI outputs)
• Pace 551 HD (YPbPr and HDMI outputs)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4250 HD (YPbPr and HDMI outputs)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8010 HD (160 GB) (YPbPr and DVI outputs)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 HD (160 GB) (YPbPr and HDMI outputs)
• Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 HD (320 GB) (YPbPr and HDMI outputs)

Remotes

• E2050 and AT2300 (red light, number 5 oval)
• RT-U43CO (red light, number 5 square)
• RC-U49C+ / RT-U49-15+ (Mode, All and # buttons for HD terminal)
• AT8400 (black, 4 modes (CBL, TV, VCR, AUX))
• UR5-8400A (gray, 5 modes (CBL, TV, VCR, DVD and AUX))
• RT-U63P (black, 5 modes)