Service
Setanta-i
Owner
Setanta
What's happened
Service has launched
But I'm often dubious about this sort of thing. Why would I want to watch full games on a PC screen when I could indulge in the comfort of my sofa and a larger screen?
My concerns were raised even further when I had to install not one, but two pieces of software to make Setanta-i work properly. Not a great start - but when I landed on the site's player, what a turnaround.
There is immediate access to all of Setanta's live TV channels, an extensive selection of highlights across all sports, the ability to create my own channel and a search function that worked well. And it doesn't stop there - it has on-demand content, a schedule of events and a good interface.
What really makes Setanta-i work is the media player. Content loads very quickly, it's full screen, you can fast-forward away from the long- winded game build-ups and rewind to see your team score again and again without tiresome buffering problems. Granted, I checked this out at work and we have similar bandwidth to NASA, so I will be interested to see how well it works over a wireless connection at home.
But you have to pay a premium for it, which is a shame because it's super slick. Sadly, there isn't enough on there to tease out my debit card. With time-delay TV and V+ available, the challenge will be getting subscribers, but I recommend this service all the same.
Advertisers will doubtless be excited and intrigued by the prospect of aligning themselves with this sort of content and technology. However, they will have to be convinced that the numbers are there and that some form of return on investment will be achieved before getting involved. As video content continues to be the darling of digital display, this is not in a bad place to attract interest.
What's good?
Usability of video player.
What could be better?
The subscription fee.
Would I book my clients into this?
Yes.
Charlie McGee, Managing director, Carat Digital