Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by scorpionatthepc

They should reman uktv food "grub".

I think that channel might quietly disappear and UKTV stick the food programmes with the garden shows under the Home channel.

All this rebranding is more to do with how these channels look and are positioned on Sky's EPG, than cable's.

Personally, I think they should have a channel called Aspirin after all these rebrands.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Originally Posted by synner

How exactly have Sky "ruined" any chance of Virgin having HD ?

From a quick and dirty tally, there are at least 13 HD channels not owned by Sky (according to Media Boy's list on page 1).

Virgin have had the rights to broadcast Channel4HD for over a year now.... Where is it ?

At the time of the TVDrive launch, there were posters everywhere stating "Virgin 1, Sky 0 - HD only on Virgin" - so, Virgin were actually first to market with an HD product, as everyone seems to blame Sky for "Locking in" HD channels to an exclusive contract (no evidence ever given for this theory that I have seen), what was stopping Virgin locking in these same channels ?

If Sky has "Locked in" these channels as an exclusive, then isn't that just good business sense for them ?

Do you not think it comes down to the fact that Virgin have been very reluctant to spend any money on the TV side of things and that they simply do not have the bandwidth available to broadcast HD MPEG 2 streams in all areas ?

Do you not think that Neil Berkett's comments that Virgin were not interested in linear HD channels (made last year sometime I believe) may have actually been closer to the truth ?

go have a q1uick count on how many of them sky have stsakes in you find the numbers drops to just maybe 3 or 4 avaiable

i aint saying that virgin shouldnt have hd just it isnt as easy people think and it isnt virign faults.

for the record it was telewest not virign who did that advert

[beeman]

Originally Posted by synner

How exactly have Sky "ruined" any chance of At the time of the TVDrive launch, there were posters everywhere stating "Virgin 1, Sky 0 - HD only on Virgin" - so, Virgin were actually first to market with an HD product,

ermmm no! Virgin media didnt exist when the TVDrive was launched (it was telewest that launched the TVDrive) NTL didnt have a PVR let alone HD box untill after the murger. SKY's HD service was launched and marketed about a year BEFORE VM came into being

[cuggle]

yes we had telewest and it was tvdrive... in fact we still have the original tvdrive box

[Andrewcrawford23]

Originally Posted by frogstamper

Actually Andrew have a look at the wording, "we will be launching four channels over the next four months".
In anybodies language that is a promise.

http://vmhd.blogspot.com/2008/12/ber...annels-on.html

well if it was 4 months that coutns april

well as i said before berkett is a idiot

[synner]

Originally Posted by beeman

ermmm no! Virgin media didnt exist when the TVDrive was launched (it was telewest that launched the TVDrive) NTL didnt have a PVR let alone HD box untill after the murger. SKY's HD service was launched and marketed about a year BEFORE VM came into being

Doesn't actually change the argument though. Ok, VM didn't have an HD product to market first, but Telewest did, and trumpeted it rather loudly:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...-tv-drive.html

"HDTV takes the viewing experience a significant step beyond standard digital television and has to be seen to be believed," said Philip Snalune, managing director of consumer products at NTL Telewest. "It’s set to become this year’s must-have home entertainment experience and Telewest customers are the first in the UK to get access to it"

Note the "NTL Telewest" - The merger between the two was announced 3rd October 2005: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...-sale-off.html

Sky HD launched in May 2006 and there was a total of 9 channels in HD including Sports 1 & 2 and Movies 9 & 10.

HTH

Bri

---------- Post added at 18:17 ---------- Previous post was at 18:12 ----------

Originally Posted by Andrewcrawford23

go have a q1uick count on how many of them sky have stsakes in you find the numbers drops to just maybe 3 or 4 avaiable

i aint saying that virgin shouldnt have hd just it isnt as easy people think and it isnt virign faults.

for the record it was telewest not virign who did that advert

But IT IS Virgin's fault !!!! You yourself have just said that there are maybe 3 or 4 channels which Sky have no stake in. I don't know how accurate that figure is, but why isn't Virgin carrying those 3 or 4 channels..???

The merged NTL/Telewest (Which is Virgin Media just without the name change) has been around since 3rd March 2006, thats 3 years !

Basically, if the company had ditched the TVDrive on merger and gone with NTL's planned PVR which was to use MPEG4 then I would bet that VM WOULD now be carrying those 3 - 4 HD channels.

Bri

[jim1690]

what happened to the bbc channels that were meant to be coming today is it not happening now

[virginruinedntl]

Hope the next virgin box is an mpeg4 box, if they give free upgrades to mpeg4 boxes they could add quite alot more channels. Obviously it would be expensive initially but i'm sure they could sell the boxes on to another cable company, they'd get alot more customers if there were more hd channels available.

[Andrewcrawford23]

the new samsung v+ is mpeg4 and i believe they are going to start developing mpeg4 v box with samsung and eventally roll out meg4 jus tflike docsis 3

This thread keeps going off the point of the title (yes i am as much to blame).

The problem is that not much happens in the world of anything new on digital TV on Virgin Media as they are more preoccupied with broadband services where they feel they have a technical advantage over their competitors

[jim1690]

i will ask again what happened to the bbc channels we were meant to get today

[Media Boy UK]

When I give out the March 24th launch date for missing BBC Channels with BBC Alba launch on Virgin Media I says that the time:

NOTE: The BBC TV and Radio launch date is subject to change.

See here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/34748518-post502.html

The latest launch date I have at time of post is ''By Summer''.

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by Andrewcrawford23

well if it was 4 months that coutns april

well as i said before berkett is a idiot

That's true, I'm just hoping that VM surprise us before the end of April. Even if it isn't the promised four HD channels the least they could do is put Channel 4 HD on the network, fingers crossed eh!

[scrotnig]

Much as I like cable and would never have Sky, I always say to people, if you want HD don't bother with Virgin Media.

There will not be any HD on Virgin any time soon, this is the way the company works, they promise all sorts of things that they know they cannot deliver.

Trust me, by the time it arrives it will be obsolete.

When I worked for them in 2004 they were promising Sky red button services within a few months....they still aren't here!

Just forget it or move to Sky. They only keep promising it to try and prevent churn.

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by scrotnig

Much as I like cable and would never have Sky, I always say to people, if you want HD don't bother with Virgin Media.

There will not be any HD on Virgin any time soon, this is the way the company works, they promise all sorts of things that they know they cannot deliver.

Trust me, by the time it arrives it will be obsolete.

When I worked for them in 2004 they were promising Sky red button services within a few months....they still aren't here!

Just forget it or move to Sky. They only keep promising it to try and prevent churn.

I'm beginning to think your right, from my point of view I'll wait until my present contract expires in June then if we are still in the current situation of "we are getting HD content/channels very soon" then reluctantly I'll ditch the TV package and get Sky.
Its a real shame because I don't think people are expecting VM to match Sky on HD content, just give us something better than the current pitiful selection. As far as the argument goes that "Sky have tied up HD content", a favourite of Berketts, I don't buy that for a second, even with my lack of knowledge concerning the ins and outs of the HD market, there is know way that Sky has a complete monopoly on all HD, as said earlier what about Channel 4? according to numerous posts VM have had the opportunity to carry it for about a year now...so why haven't they?
It certainly looks as if your prediction for HD on VM is coming true scrotnig, not a word from them since Berketts four HD channel boast on the 15/12/08, it sounds even more hollow when you actually listen to that speech when he says,"our competitors have invested heavily in HD and we at VM don't intend to be left behind in the HD stakes"
That last statement is truly laughable, "left behind"!! blimey Sky are adding HD channels at a rate of one a month and currently have in excess of thirty of them, in comparison we at VM have one part-time channel and a bunch of programmes on demand that have not changed since God was a boy.
I don't think its a case of VM being left behind concerning HD, an apt metaphor would be Sky in a hundred meter race almost at the finishing line whilst poor old Neil is still limbering up in the green room waiting to make his move.
"Left behind"? we never even got in the starting blocks.