General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2018)

[ongman]

Dave HD is now on channel 194

[TMLeafs]

Can't all the SD Sky Cinema channels be removed as HD as been included as standard for over a year now.

[BenMcr]

Up till recently there have been people with SD only boxes. Now that they're being removed I guess it may be possible to remove SD only versions where they're not needed.

Though depends on the contract agreements as well I'd think.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by ozsat

It doesn't record duplicate episodes unless you select 'All' recordings.

I only noticed UKTV was back as all my recordings were back in My Planned Recordings.

Yes, it appears to have picked all of mine up too

[TMLeafs]

Surely it's the same for the SD BT Sport channels once the SD boxes are gone they can go. Any idea how many SD boxes left? Is there a deadline set?

[RichardCoulter]

Don't know, they can't be that many now. There will come a point where it's more cost effective for them to lose the few customers who can't or won't upgrade in order to free up more bandwidth by turning off the SD channels they don't need to have.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I did intend to try to pass a message on to ask them about any QAM modulation changes to address your point and try to find out if this could be how VM will make more efficient use of their existing limited spectrum but, unfortunately, as a result of your (and a minority of other individuals) comments, the people responsible for collating, analysing and posting this information have decided to withdraw consent for their future findings to be published on internet forums.

I am informed that the scanners 'don't care whether you believe it or not and have pointed out that their information isn't produced for forum users in any case'.

The last piece of information issued for public use was that VM have created an extra block of data channels on frequencies formerly used for DVB-C channels. Why? I've no idea.

The scanners take the view that certain forum users seem 'quite happy to accept the validity of the data when it is bringing them additional information about new channels being added in the background, channels switching between subscription packs etc. They find it rather strange that those forum users don't accept the validity of other changes on the network that, possibly, interfere with the user's fantasy vision of what is happening at VM'.

That is why they have taken the decision not to release any new information on internet forums in the future. I have to say, I can't blame them.

---------- Post added at 15:23 ---------- Previous post was at 15:15 ----------

So nameless faceless individuals who previously “released” information they thought was unverifiable have, upon being challenged, decided to back away from saying anything.

I for one think that’s a good thing. If it can’t be corroborated it’s unhelpful to have meaningless analysis based upon it, such as your assertion that there is only space for 4 HD channels - a statement verifiably false.

[ozsat]

+1 is not in HD - do customers still have to pay a premium for the HD versions?

Originally Posted by TMLeafs

Can't all the SD Sky Cinema channels be removed as HD as been included as standard for over a year now.

[SonicMaster]

Originally Posted by MatthewEastaugh

The indication from Virgin is Dave HD will be taking the Dave SD spot soon, with Dave SD disappearing.

I don't think the SD versions of Dave and Gold will be closed on VM, they will just move to different EPG slots, otherwise all Player customers would lose access to these channels because the HD versions are for Mix customers and up.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by SonicMaster

I don't think the SD versions of Dave and Gold will be closed on VM, they will just move to different EPG slots, otherwise all Player customers would lose access to these channels because the HD versions are for Mix customers and up.

There will come a point when HD is the norm and UHD only commands the premium pricing. That day can't be too far away now.

[TMLeafs]

Originally Posted by ozsat

+1 is not in HD - do customers still have to pay a premium for the HD versions?

I'm sure people that have HD wouldn't care about the plus one going or relaunched in HD. Sky cinema comes with HD channels no extra fees. Extra fee only applies to sky sports

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by jfman

So nameless faceless individuals who previously “released” information they thought was unverifiable have, upon being challenged, decided to back away from saying anything.

I for one think that’s a good thing. If it can’t be corroborated it’s unhelpful to have meaningless analysis based upon it, such as your assertion that there is only space for 4 HD channels - a statement verifiably false.

More nonsense from you, it's becoming clear that you simply like arguing for the sake of it.

The information about there being only four HD channels left will now be out of date, there will be even less now as a result of the new HD channels and the return of the UKTV HD channels and I imagine that will be gone when GOLD HD is added, so it will be interesting to see what VM do to free up more space as there won't even be room for an HD Red Button service.

For completeness, most VM channels were converted to 256-QAM from 64-QAM a long time ago, the only ones that haven't are for VM services, such as TiVo downloads.

You have spoilt it for the rest of the people on this forum, well done you.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

More nonsense from you, it's becoming clear that you simply like arguing for the sake of it.

The information about there being only four HD channels left will now be out of date, there will be even less now as a result of the new HD channels and the return of the UKTV HD channels and I imagine that will be gone when GOLD HD is added, so it will be interesting to see what VM do to free up more space as there won't even be room for an HD Red Button service.

For completeness, most VM channels were converted to 256-QAM from 64-QAM a long time ago, the only ones that haven't are for VM services, such as TiVo downloads.

You have spoilt it for the rest of the people on this forum, well done you.

That’s another statement that’s verifiably untrue. There are TV channels being broadcast on 64 QAM multiplexes. If you record BBC 1 HD (in my area) this can be verified in the V6 diagnostic menu. Someone with the time or inclination could go through the entire EPG and give us numbers.

Far from spoiling it testing the veracity of the information provided by these nameless, faceless sources.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by TMLeafs

I'm sure people that have HD wouldn't care about the plus one going or relaunched in HD. Sky cinema comes with HD channels no extra fees. Extra fee only applies to sky sports

I think that VM are gradually moving away from viewing HD as a premium product with the news that GOLD HD & Dave HD will be in the Mix pack and above. I wonder why they won't be moving the other UKTV HD channels down, perhaps they will??

If UKTV have accepted less, perhaps part of the deal was for their HD channels to move down. AIUI, some channels in Full House receive a cut in the subscription fee and, for the HD channels at least, this helps to pay for the extra cost in providing them that cannot be recouped in any other way.

Without this extra income, there wasn't much of an incentive for broadcasters to create new HD channels; adverts on them don't raise any extra and any new viewers they attract will be mostly taken away from the SD version. As time has moved on, old equipment become obsolete and costs have fallen, I now imagine that it's harder not to create programming in HD! Initially, to increase the switch to HD, it was left for VM and Sky to subsidise the creation of HD channels in return for exclusivity periods on their own platform.

I suppose those on Player will just have to manage with the SD +1 versions, I doubt VM will keep SD channels open just for those on the 'free' TV pack which they lose money on.

---------- Post added at 12:29 ---------- Previous post was at 12:15 ----------

Originally Posted by jfman

That’s another statement that’s verifiably untrue. There are TV channels being broadcast on 64 QAM multiplexes. If you record BBC 1 HD (in my area) this can be verified in the V6 diagnostic menu. Someone with the time or inclination could go through the entire EPG and give us numbers.

Far from spoiling it testing the veracity of the information provided by these nameless, faceless sources.

It would seem very odd not to have converted them all in every area, as this would mean that there would be less channels in your particular area; somethiñg that VM doesn't do.

Anyway, the salient point is that capacity is now further to it's maximum limit than ever. I'm not suggesting that VM will actually run out of capacity, more wondering what they will do to get their existing infrastructure to work better for them.

Perhaps they will bring TSID's 36 & 37 back into use for HD expansion or escalate the SD channel switch off programme?? Who knows.

They must have something up their sleeves as they have said that the replacement channels introduced to compensate for the loss of the UKTV channels will remain and the return of the UKTV channels would have been the ideal excuse to dump a lot of them, though I suppose that contractual agreements will come into play.

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

You have spoilt it for the rest of the people on this forum, well done you.

He has not spoilt anything a forum is about debate.