No More HD - Confirmed By VM

[gc10360]

Actually maybe HD broadcast is in the slow adoption stage, but HDTV certainly is not, you'd be hard pressed to be able to buy a SDTV nowadays so most people are buying HD sets, many people are happy with the V+ upscaled picture because they are ignorant of HD (not to be offensive) how many of joe public out there have bought HDTV to use it for watching HD broadcasts and films, I have heard people complaining because they have spent ££ on a new TV and the picture is no better they think that the tv has some magic box that will improve the images they see on tv - or the other common reason for purchase, "well they take up less room".

Why is upscaling good enough for the majority of general public when HD is so much better (not just slightly as some people imply).

while there is this ignorance of what HD offers - HD will not be seen as important, as we have seen with the comments made by the virgin CEO recently, its nice to have good broadband(not great by any means) and primitive VOD services, but what do most people spend most time watching....
Linear TV - standard Definition low bitrate rubbish that we can vaguely improve with upscaling.

It need to be known that not only do we want better quality programming on tv but we should be able to see it in the highest broadcast quality available.

most may disagree with what i say above, but i say to those people, continue to bury your heads in the sand and carry on with your MAKE DO existance. ITS TIME FOR PROGRESS!!

[NTLVictim]

Freesat will be doing HD.

[gc10360]

Originally Posted by NTLVictim

Freesat will be doing HD.

but only selective programming so technically its no better than virgin- infact at launch its worse. -- ok its free - but its 150 for a HD box!

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by gc10360

Actually maybe HD broadcast is in the slow adoption stage, but HDTV certainly is not, you'd be hard pressed to be able to buy a SDTV nowadays so most people are buying HD sets,<snip>, I have heard people complaining because they have spent ££ on a new TV and the picture is no better they think that the tv has some magic box that will improve the images they see on tv - or the other common reason for purchase, "well they take up less room".

But how often do people buy TV's. What is the average age of a TV. My own TV buying habits were a 21in CRT in 1989, a 32in flat front CRT in 1999 and a 42in HD 720 plasma in 2007. The latest purchase was only because I got divorced, moved into a new apartment and needed to buy a TV. The 32in CRT is still going strong in my ex's apartment and I would probably not have been TV shopping otherwise.
If my purchasing habits are anything to go on and with your valid assertion that you can't really buy an SD set anymore right now only 10% of TVs in the UK are HD sets. 10% is a minority of TV sets and while those with them may move signal providers to get HD there is also inertia means many would not, waiting home for a sat install, cancelling one provider, signing up to a long term contract with another etc.
In 12-24 months when say 30% of the primary tv sets in the country are HD this dynamic will shift. People will have seen true HD signals at friends houses and want that. There will also be more choice in channels. Until then VM has some breathing space to get this network infrastructure up to speed to carry more HD. Even if the network is still a problem they could take a tactical move to drop the +1 channels and use that free capacity for example.
Anyway thats my 2c on the subject.

[sherer]

the way I see is it is alot of the these technophobes and early adoptors who are going out buying these HD TV sets are the ones with the disposable income who are willing to out and spend more to get a HD TV signal to their brand spanking new TV.

Whether that would be enough for VM to make a profit out of more HD service i'm not sure and whether VM have the capacity to carry more HD channels is also an issue.

Anyone think we should get a mod to change the title of this thread into something like the "VM-HD Discussion thread" as that seems more fitting that the current title now

[Arthurgray50@blu]

It is extremely annoying, when you spend a fortune on HD equipment, to obtain HD channels, and then find you cannot get them, we have Freesat from ITV etc, who say they will provide this FREE, so why doesn't Sky and VM, we will have now, Sky saing that they will cease charges for HD channels, BUT what can VM do absolutely nothing, they are way behind everyone, l just hope Sky do buy VM channels, it will save all VM customers a great deal of money, as we now have competition, which will make things cheaper for everyone.

[SMHarman]

But who is spending a fortune on HD equipment these days. As already said the only TVs you can now buy are HD so there is no real HD premium and the TV manufacturers are bleeding money on TV Sales, closing factories, merging operations.
Paying a premium for HD signals will go away. It has in the US. Here you pay the premium for DVR functionality over standard STB functionality.
VM can create the capacity for many chanels of MP2 HD content, my Cable provider in the US has managed it and so will VM. Right now it is not their priority and most people viewing on TV sets 32in and smaller will probably not notice.

[gc10360]

where does this misconception come from that unless you have a big screen you cannot tell the difference between SD and HD, on any HD set when you compare SD and HD the difference is noticable even from a distance, until you get to the stage that its a blur anyway, you can see that the image is sharper and has better colour, get closer and you find more detail especially on close up shots, and there is nary any macro blocking unless it is a poor encode.

even on a 26" LCD the difference is noticable sitting at standard living room distances (3-5 metres) its just more apparent on a larger screen.

[moroboshi]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

But you have just answered your own argument. Right now HD TV is in the slow adoption phase.

Next year where will it be and where will VM be in adding HD channels. Right now and for the next 7 months does VM need more HD channels especially as they have HD OnDemand? In 2009 do they need them? More likely.

I seem to recall reading there are 10 million HDTVs in the UK now, so a heck of a lot of people have them. It's just that most don't yet have a way to watch HD TV broadcasting on them. I'm sure they're enjoying their Xbox 360s and PS3s in high-def though.

Virgin only get away with not offering HD because a) Sky HD is incredibly expensive, and b) Virgin is very cheap, so people are prepared to overlook it's shortcomings. Sky will fix the price eventually, but will Virgin be ready to enhance their HD output 20x by then?

[ahardie]

Originally Posted by moroboshi

I seem to recall reading there are 10 million HDTVs in the UK now, so a heck of a lot of people have them. It's just that most don't yet have a way to watch HD TV broadcasting on them. I'm sure they're enjoying their Xbox 360s and PS3s in high-def though.

If the people I know are anything to go by they are connecting their shiny new HD tv's to their existing boxes by scart and are quite happy with the resulting pq.

[JethroUK]

Originally Posted by ahardie

If the people I know are anything to go by they are connecting their shiny new HD tv's to their existing boxes by scart and are quite happy with the resulting pq.

The way most of them have been sold HDTV on the high st - they prolly think everything on it is HD

[die5el]

Sorry i got to laugh 1 channel of hd damn i must get a v+ box not.

[Mick Fisher]

Originally Posted by ahardie

If the people I know are anything to go by they are connecting their shiny new HD tv's to their existing boxes by scart and are quite happy with the resulting pq.

I have got to agree.

I needed a new TV.

I wanted wide screen and it just so happened to be HD ready.

I find it enhances SD very nicely and I am very happy with the PQ.

Due to, for my tastes, the lack of content and high prices for HD I have never even considered it. I am with Sky and am extremely happy with the Sky+ .

Of course now that Freesat with HD promising excellent reception for 98% has been launched or is at least imminent I may have to reconsider my position.

Another possibility may be that Sky may reduce the price for their HD box and waive the monthly surcharge. They will have to do something or I feel their will be a positive surge of defectors.

VM of course do not have the option of reducing the monthly charge for HD as they don't have a charge or any HD of any note. The only thing they can do is waive the £75.00 connection charge for a V+. Not much of an inducement for any HD hungry punters.

I think If Freesat hurts Sky it will devastate VM. But then maybe Neil is right and people don't want HD, even for free? We will see very shortly.

[sherer]

as others have said alot of people have a HD Ready TV and aren't really using it properly because no one has told them how to get HD. Imagine if Virgin did a mailshot to all their TV customers with something like Got a HD TV ? and explaining what HD is and how you can get HD channels.

A lot of people might then start to look into moving onto the V+ Box although there would need to be more HD content on VOD and more HD channels.

Although it seems all this talk is futile as at present VM aren't looking to expand their HD channel line up.

Would be interesting to know what their HD VOD plans are ?

[supremus]

Originally Posted by sherer

Would be interesting to know what their HD VOD plans are ?

VOD. No question about it. That and broadband are their main priorities. Their latest numbers show that people are happy to stay with them, even with their limited HD line-up. Their subscriber base has grown, and the V+ box is showing surprisingly strong growth.

As for your information campaign idea, it's not really in Virgin's best interest to educate people about HD. The V+ box is already doing quite well, and they don't want to draw attention to the fact that they have a very poor selection of true HD content. Their best option is to rely on the upscaling misinformation campaign to trick gullible customers into thinking that upscaling makes the most of their HD sets.