Vía Digital 1997-2001: The Platform Subscribers Haven't Forgotten

Vía Digital Died in 2002: The Nostalgia for Paying for Locomotion

Was there life beyond football on pay-TV in the late nineties? There was. Those who paid for Vía Digital between 1997 and 2001 argue that its programming surpassed that of Canal Satélite Digital: Locomotion, MTV, and two film channels, Gran Vía 1 and 2, which aired a different movie each day. Football was scarce. Many subscribers didn't care, as they preferred to trinc it on the radio.

Locomotion, MTV, and the Film Channels Not on Canal+

The star argument wasn't sports, but the catalog. Alongside music and animation, the platform offered thematic film channels and slots for old series, plus a section for interactive games that included bowling. The comparison with the competition was dismissed with disdain: the rival's offering was perceived as pretentious. Ironies of the remote control.

Some argue that parts of that programming haven't aged. Series aired then on free-to-air have since become draws for streaming platforms, while much of the catalog that required a decoder is now a click away and free. The difference is the fan noise.

Piccard Cards, Soldering Irons, and Pirate Codes Until 2003

The other half of the story isn't in the programming schedule, but in the living room. The Piccard card and its programmer were bought in electronics spare parts shops, with soldering included, and codes circulated online to access football, premiere movies, and late-night channels. The method worked, according to those who used it, until 2002 or 2003. Meanwhile, Napster and Kazaa were doing the same with music.

That same subscriber who paid religiously coexisted with the neighbor who paid nothing. The nighttime schedule included adult channels — Canal 18, now DARK, and Spice Platinum — a detail several subscribers recall with a smirk when the family bill arrived and nobody knew anything.

The platform shut down sooner than its users would have liked. The feeling of having paid for something unrepeatable, however, remains lit. Four years, two film channels, and a decoder. Today, three different subscriptions are needed to try and feel the same. Or so say those who still remember the sound of the VHS.