General : Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2016)

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

It's usually 3 or 4 weeks once we're into "proper" pilot, but I don't know when that will start.

Thanks, spiderplant, that's good to know.

---------- Post added at 16:59 ---------- Previous post was at 16:56 ----------

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

See how you know this do Virginmedia not think we have a right to know

Spiderplant works for VM, and no, you don't 'have a right to know'!

You are only allowed to know that there is a DNP order, remember? The little snippet of information that you thought was so useful in a previous post!

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Horizon

I don't see how with the extended tivo contract ending in a few years and tivo themselves are now struggling in the States, that VM would launch a brand new tivo. Doesn't make sense, yet most here are saying a new tivo will be launched. Has Vm themselves ever said that....?

It's suggested in that Telegraph article as it states that VM will launch a new box at the turn of the year and then beyond that it will shift to Horizon.

At the turn of the year it will launch a new set-top box to rival Sky Q, with ultra-high-definition pictures and a similar ability to sling programmes to tablets and smartphones around the home. Beyond that, there will be a major overhaul of the ageing plumbing that powers Virgin Media’s broadcasting, to allow it to shift to Liberty Global’s next generation distribution system, Horizon, which is already in use elsewhere in Europe.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...sform-its-neg/

[Horizon]

.... the Telegraph article is rubbish.

Horizon is a front end, a user interface. It's not a distribution system at all, so no idea what they're going on about.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Horizon

.... the Telegraph article is rubbish.

Horizon is a front end, a user interface. It's not a distribution system at all, so no idea what they're going on about.

Presumably the copy would have been cleared with VM so maybe a subbing error.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Thanks, spiderplant, that's good to know.

---------- Post added at 16:59 ---------- Previous post was at 16:56 ----------


Spiderplant works for VM, and no, you don't 'have a right to know'!

You are only allowed to know that there is a DNP order, remember? The little snippet of information that you thought was so useful in a previous post!

I do still thinks it's useful. But spiderplant works for the company. So that means virgin knows the information. They know how fed up customers are with TiVo but don't share good news with us just bills increase

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

I do still thinks it's useful. But spiderplant works for the company. So that means virgin knows the information. They know how fed up customers are with TiVo but don't share good news with us just bills increase

I certainly agree with you that it would be good to know, but we don't have the right to know it until Virgin is good and ready.

Unless, of course, you are theone or you work at that tall shiny office building that is Media Boy HQ

[steveh]

Originally Posted by Horizon

Horizon is a front end, a user interface. It's not a distribution system at all, so no idea what they're going on about.

Like TiVo it requires a substantial middleware component for servicing the EPG, search, on-demand browsing, box authentication, etc - which I thought came under the Horizon banner as well.

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by Horizon

....

Horizon is a front end, a user interface.

Stop talking about what you get up to in your spare time lol

Originally Posted by steveh

Like TiVo it requires a substantial middleware component for servicing the EPG, search, on-demand browsing, box authentication, etc - which I thought came under the Horizon banner as well.

https://newsroom.cisco.com/press-rel...icleId=1010109

As the first deployment of its kind, Liberty Global's Horizon platform brings together leading partners from across the industry to enable a next-generation multimedia experience, providing innovative new functionality and services for its subscribers.

NDS technologies provide the core enabling framework for the newly launched platform; Managed by the NDS Unified Headend, the new platform enables delivery of content and services to multiple devices in and out of the home, all with a unified look and feel and leading functionality tailored to the device.

To enable advanced functionality within the home, NDS' MediaHighway middleware resides in both the multimedia gateway device and set-top boxes. As the primary software component, MediaHighway provides the underpinning for services such as recommendations, personalisation and an advanced, multiplatform user interface from NDS.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

See how you know this do Virginmedia not think we have a right to know

Right now there isn't really anything to know. "You'll get a software update at some point but we don't know when" isn't much of a news story.

I expect there will be some sort of communication close to the deployment in your area, as there was for the people in the first pilot regions.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Horizon

I don't see how with the extended tivo contract ending in a few years and tivo themselves are now struggling in the States, that VM would launch a brand new tivo. Doesn't make sense, yet most here are saying a new tivo will be launched. Has Vm themselves ever said that....?

Liberty, as already mentioned, contribute and co-own a standardised software bundle called RDK which Horizon runs on. I don't see how Liberty would invest in this and then run a completely different system, tivo, in parallel to their own stuff.

200 odd companies are involved in RDK, so why bother with tivo now?

Re apps, Liberty have their own Netflix-ish app called MyPrime. Can only be a matter of time before it launches on VM. It's on LG's other cablecos.

Exactly. I also think that TiVo's days may be numbered completely.

They are struggling in the states as it's been found that those not prepared to pay for television are also not prepared to pay the TiVo fee.

It looks to me that the only way that they are able to keep going in the states is by doing what they did in the UK- joining forces with cable companies, even by doing this their penetration is an abysmal less than 2%.

They are currently trying to sell themselves to Rovi.

If this falls through, I think that TiVo will either fold or be bought up by a cable company (who then won't have to pay licensing fees).

I wonder if the launch of MyPrime will affect carriage of Netflix?

[Horizon]

MyPrime is just the brand the other LG cablecos use for their On Demand services. So if it did launch here, it would in effect just be a renaming exercise of VM's exisiting services. (Everyone forgets we've had "streaming" on cable long before Netflix ever existed aka On Demand/VOD - Video On Demand.)

I really can't call it on Tivo's future. Some say the company will become more successful than ever and its share price will double over the next year or so and others say the opposite. I wouldn't be too surprised if John Malone came along and made an offer for TIVO at some point. He doesn't like to keep all his eggs in one basket...

TIVO, as we see it on VM, has all the potential but poorly implemented and neglected. TIVO has always had powerful search features long before SkyQ or Netflix, but its a pain in the neck navigating around on VM's version.

THe On Demand section is a mess and text based, yet if you search for the same stuff in Search & Discover you get nice pictures and its just a better experience.

Perhaps if the imminent software upgrade does improve things, VM will stick with TIVO for the time being. But unless they sort out the basic useability issues (which have always been poor in UK cable's history) ie slow channel change, sluggish menus/operation etc, I don't see a future for TIVO here.

[mike_gain]

Originally Posted by Horizon

Perhaps if the imminent software upgrade does improve things, VM will stick with TIVO for the time being. But unless they sort out the basic useability issues (which have always been poor in UK cable's history) ie slow channel change, sluggish menus/operation etc, I don't see a future for TIVO here.

That will depend on whether VM see an overhaul as meaning that performance issues are addressed properly or if it just means adding a new feature or two while fixing some issues. The On Demand screens sound like they are having a change from text to thumbnail but if the performance isn't there what's the point?

[Derekb108]

Originally Posted by Horizon

I don't see how with the extended tivo contract ending in a few years and tivo themselves are now struggling in the States, that VM would launch a brand new tivo. Doesn't make sense, yet most here are saying a new tivo will be launched. Has Vm themselves ever said that....?

Liberty, as already mentioned, contribute and co-own a standardised software bundle called RDK which Horizon runs on. I don't see how Liberty would invest in this and then run a completely different system, tivo, in parallel to their own stuff.

200 odd companies are involved in RDK, so why bother with tivo now?

RDK's website:

http://rdkcentral.com/

---------- Post added at 16:51 ---------- Previous post was at 16:48 ----------

Re apps, Liberty have their own Netflix-ish app called MyPrime. Can only be a matter of time before it launches on VM. It's on LG's other cablecos.

At some point VM UK and VM Ireland's services will be integrated. So we should really look here for pointers:

https://www.virginmedia.ie/televisio...ut-television/

My Prime wording is taken up with Amazon Prime. I don't Think Amazon would like that some how.....

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Horizon

MyPrime is just the brand the other LG cablecos use for their On Demand services. So if it did launch here, it would in effect just be a renaming exercise of VM's exisiting services. (Everyone forgets we've had "streaming" on cable long before Netflix ever existed aka On Demand/VOD - Video On Demand.)

I really can't call it on Tivo's future. Some say the company will become more successful than ever and its share price will double over the next year or so and others say the opposite. I wouldn't be too surprised if John Malone came along and made an offer for TIVO at some point. He doesn't like to keep all his eggs in one basket...

TIVO, as we see it on VM, has all the potential but poorly implemented and neglected. TIVO has always had powerful search features long before SkyQ or Netflix, but its a pain in the neck navigating around on VM's version.

THe On Demand section is a mess and text based, yet if you search for the same stuff in Search & Discover you get nice pictures and its just a better experience.

Perhaps if the imminent software upgrade does improve things, VM will stick with TIVO for the time being. But unless they sort out the basic useability issues (which have always been poor in UK cable's history) ie slow channel change, sluggish menus/operation etc, I don't see a future for TIVO here.

I don't think there is much doubt that VM will stick with Tivo for the time being. The existing box will be upgraded and a new box will come out in 7-9 months' time.

After that, I think the likelihood is that the next box for VM will be an enhanced Horizon box. Expect that to be well advanced in Virgin's plans about three years from now, with a planned rollout in 2021, if not a little before.