Montréal, September 7, 2005 – A recent independent study conducted by Québec's most respected consumer magazine has rated Vidéotron's digital television service first in consumer perception for both flexibility and value. As of August 31, Vidéotron's illico Digital TV service had more than 410,000 subscribers, a 36% increase in the past year and almost double from two years ago.
With more than 310 all-digital channels from around the world, a wide array of packages and an à la carte option that lets customers fully customize their channel line-up, illico offers total freedom of choice. For example, customers can change their line-up, add a channel, etc. directly, with no intermediary, in real time.
In addition to freedom of choice, illico Digital TV delivers all the advantages of interactivity, such as voting for television shows directly from one's television set and access to a host of exclusive features.
Vidéotron introduced digital TV in February 1999, said Manon Brouillette, Vice President, Marketing and Product Integration, Consumer Division. Since that time, we have enhanced our watch what you want, when you want' approach by constantly offering television viewers new options and value-added services. What sets us apart from the competition is not only our superior, more open-ended technology, but also product offerings that more closely match our customers' growing needs.
VoD: NEARLY 1,000 TITLES AND MORE THAN 350 EXCLUSIVE FREEBIES
Vidéotron is the only distributor in its service area to provide Video on Demand (VoD) service and one of the first cable companies in North America to be able to do so, thanks to its upgraded network. Subscribers can choose from more than 1,000 titles, over 350 of which are free.
All illico set-top boxes support VoD. Users can pause, rewind or fast forward a program or film, just like a DVD. They can stop the program and continue watching it at any time within a 24-hour period. Vidéotron customers can order the service simply by going to channel 900 and following the on-screen instructions.
The Free Content section includes original programs from the TVA Network as well as films and performances. During the upcoming season, episodes of some of the most popular programs will be available.
Customers can also access nearly 650 films through VoD. Vidéotron is the first major television distribution company in Canada to carry films from the prestigious Warner Bros. Entertainment studio on demand.
In addition, Vidéotron offers its customers one of the best VoD services in Canada, making available a varied, regularly updated selection of programming featuring content from the largest Québec distributors (Alliance Atlantis, Christal Films, TVA Films, Séville, Equinox) as well as the American studio Universal. Vidéotron is the only provider of the Super Écran on Demand service.
More than 75,000 subscribers to Vidéotron's cable telephone service
Also in the month of August, the 75,000th subscriber signed up for Vidéotron's cable telephone service, just seven months after its launch. Roll-out is moving ahead and meeting with continued enthusiastic response.
Vidéotron ltée (www.videotron.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services and residential telephone service. Vidéotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. Vidéotron serves 1,459,000 cable television clients in Québec; including over 411,000 illico subscribers as of August 31, 2005. Vidéotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 591,000 clients to its cable modem and dial-up services. Vidéotron provides residential telephone service to more than 75,000 customers in Montréal, Québec City, Laval and Montréal South Shore.
