Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

I tuned my Sky+HD box to London Live via other channels off the EPG and I'm up north , not something I'll be bothering with though a few minutes was enough.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

Good shout.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

April List update - April 1st update.

Keep up-to-date on the latest news on upcoming channel launches and other important events across all platforms of Virgin TV and SmallWorld networks.

NOTE: I DO NOT WORK FOR VIRGIN MEDIA OR SMALLWORLD SO ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS LIST IS STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Colours on my list are as followed:

Media Boy = New Info just added.
Media Boy = Virgin Media or Smallworld News and links.
Media Boy = Other Media news/Things.

=== Coming up on Virgin's Digital TV ===
=== Freeviews on Virgin Media or Smallworld ===
???. ??th. (Put channel here) is having an freeview to all (Put package info here) ?? package on Virgin Channel ??? right now until 6am on (Put end date here).

=== April ===
1st. Cartoon Network Too closes on Virgin Channel 705 and Smallworld Channel 602.
1st. Cartoon Network +1 launches at 2.55am on Virgin Channel 705 and Smallworld Channel 602.
14th. Sky Movies Greats rebrand as Sky Movies Superhero on Virgin Channel 410 and Smallworld Channel 309.
14th. Sky Movies Greats HD rebrand as Sky Movies Superhero HD on Virgin Channel 440 and Smallworld Channel 337.
27th. Sky Movies Superhero rebrand as Sky Movies Greats on Virgin Channel 410 and Smallworld Channel 309.
27th. Sky Movies Superhero HD rebrand as Sky Movies Greats HD on Virgin Channel 440 and Smallworld Channel 337.

=== May ===
No News...

=== June ===
2nd. STV to launch STV Glasgow on Virgin Channel 159 (STV West areas only.)

=== July ===
No News...

=== August ===
No News...

=== September ===
No News...

=== October ===
No News...

=== November ===
No News...

=== December ===
No News...

=== By 2015 ===
ITV to launch ITVBe on Virgin Media and Smallworld.

=== Autumn 2015 ===
-The BBC may close BBC Three on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.
-The BBC may close BBC Three HD on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.
-The BBC launch BBC One +1 on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.
-The BBC may add an extra hour per day (to 8pm) to CBBC and CBBC HD on Virgin Media and Smallworld subject to approved by the BBC Trust.

=== Local TV on Virgin Media ===
-Local TV broadcaster Made in Bristol hope to launch sometime in 2014 on Virgin Channel 159.
-Local TV broadcaster Made in Leeds hope to launch sometime in 2014 on Virgin Channel 159.
-Local TV may launch on Virgin TV in some areas on Virgin Channel 159.
-Local TV Channels may also launch on Smallworld in some areas.

=== Unknown dates ===
-News 18 will soon launch on Virgin Media.
-Media Boy HQ has seen info that says an TV Channel is set to be close by it owner on Virgin Media.
-Rumours has reappeared that Sky to close Sky Livingit and Sky Livingit +1.
-The BBC to axe BBC Radio 4 LW on Virgin Channel 911 ''in the long term''.
-The BBC hope to launch English regional variants of its existing BBC One HD service as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland editions of BBC Two HD - but still need to be approved by the BBC Trust.
-Virgin Media may renumber all of the Smallworld channel numbers.

=== Channels ONLY in Smallworld and UPC Ireland areas ===
List last updated on February 21st 2014.

ONLY TV CHANNELS THAT ONLY BROADCAST IN THE UK ON OTHER NETWORKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS PART OF THE LIST.

ALSO THE FOLLOWING LIST OF CHANNELS IS CURRENTLY BROADCASTING ON SMALLWORLD CABLE OR UPC IRELAND BUT NOT ON VIRGIN MEDIA:

Entertainment:
-Pick TV +1*
-MTV +1*

Documentaries:
-History HD**
-Nat Geo Wild HD**
-CI HD**

Lifestyle:
-Travel Channel +1*
-Food Network +1*
-Ideal Extra*
-Fashion TV**

Movies:
-Movies4Men*

Music:
-MTV Classic***
-Channel AKA*
-Now Music*

News:
-CCTV News*
-Sky News HD**

Sports:
-Sky Sports News HD**

Kids:
-Disney Channel HD**

Specialist:
-EWTN**

Radio:
-UCB Ireland**

*Only in Smallworld areas.
**Only in UPC Ireland areas.
***Only in both Smallworld and UPC Ireland areas.

©copyright 2014 Media Boy 2006 - 2014. An ''Keep it real and free'' Production.

==== Virgin Media's Deals with broadcasters ===
Full list now at: http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.co.uk/p...adcasters.html

This part of list has now moved to my blog - follow link.

=== What is Media Boy on about??? ===
Here is what I mean when I post the following on Cable Forum:

Virgin Insiders - means just that.
'Do Not Post' order - means an Virgin insider has given me some info on things that set to happen but has told me not to reveal it right now.

=== Media Boy Extra info: ===
Liberty Global - http://www.lgi.com/
Media Boy Blog - For all things Virgin TV - http://mediaboyblog.blogspot.com/
Follow Virgin Media on ''twitter'' here - http://twitter.com/virginmedia
Follow Smallworld Fibre on ''twitter'' here - https://twitter.com/smallworldfibre
See Nialli's blog on Virgin Media High Definition & TiVo Services here - http://vmhd.blogspot.com/

=== Ask Media Boy ===
Last updated February 3rd 2014.

Q: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT VIRGIN MEDIA FROM?
A: I get all my info from Virgin Media viewers, some Virgin Media workers (I called them Virgin Insiders) and Web Sites (NOTE: When I used web sites I will post an link to that web site).

Q: WHY HAVE YOU ADDED 'ONLY IN SMALLWORLD AREAS' AND 'ONLY IN UPC IRELAND AREAS' WHEN THIS THREAD IS FOR VIRGIN MEDIA?
A: Virgin Media, Smallworld and UPC Ireland are now ALL own by Liberty Global.

Q: WHY AM I NOT GETTING ''MTV CLASSIC'' OR ''DISNEY CHANNEL HD'' FOR?
A: MTV CLASSIC and Disney Channel HD is only broadcasting in Smallworld and UPC Ireland areas right now.

==== See you later ===
List last updated on March 31st 2014.

Next update: TBC - unless:

A) If Virgin Media are set to launch more than TWO channels (TV or Radio) in Virgin TV or Smallworld areas.
B) If Virgin Media are set to move more than TWO channels (TV or Radio) about in Virgin TV or Smallworld areas.
C) If Virgin Media are set to close or repackage more then TWO channels (TV or Radio) in Virgin TV or Smallworld areas.

Did I miss anything??? If I did tell me and it will appear on the next update.

©copyright 2014 Media Boy 2006 - 2014. An ''Keep it real and free'' Production.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

Timeshift channels are perfectly fine in our household SP unless a TiVo STB suddenly appeared with 6 tuners.:hyper::Yes:

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

Purely a Conservative desire to have local TV services that aren't supplied by the BBC, ITV having already axed most of that side.

At least Channel One when that operated was doing something a bit different and invested in local news gathering. London Live seems to be generic lifestyle / entertainment news fluff and old TV shows that regularly recycle on existing channels or on-demand.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

After seeing the schedule and viewer reports of it so far, i'm no longer bothered about receiving it.

As you say it's just fluff and I can't see why encryption was neccessary, most of the bought in stuff has already been repeated to death and broadcast FTA anyway!

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

I can receive London Live on Freeview, and I live in the Thames Valley.

---------- Post added at 19:44 ---------- Previous post was at 19:41 ----------

They work quite well in the US.

The idea I think is to provide an alternative to the BBC for local programming. They need to add other programmes to it to draw in the audience and boost advertising revenue. Should get better with time.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

London Live looks nothing like Local TV in the US , over the years I've spent enough time in the USA to know that local news is the lifeblood of their Local TV channels in fact local live news , weather and sport represent at least two thirds of the daily schedule.

Anyone know why Cartoon Network Too has been replaced with CN+1 channel?
Always thought CNToo was a separate channel?
Thinking about it I suppose, TCM2 went the same way.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

I do not know but maybe it due to low viewing numbers.

barb says it only got 0.1%.

Cartoonito got 0.1%
TCM got 0.2%
Cartoon Network got 0.3%

http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/monthl...t=View+figures

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

Erm, it's owned and funded by the Lebdevevs, the family that own the Evening Standard......

http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...aunch-31-march

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

That's not the full picture though.

Besides the costs of licensing the local TV channels, there is some funding from the licence fee, as detailed below. Were they also given a low Freeview channel (8) as well?

"Separately on Thursday, the BBC Trust published details of how it plans to allocate up to £25m in licence fee money to help the local TV multiplex licensee to fund its capital start-up costs, including transmitters and other equipment, between 2013 and 2017.

The BBC said the local TV multiplex licencee was "of course free to consider whether they could fund their plans independently of the BBC funding".

Another £5m of licence fee money will be allocated annually over three years from 2014 for the BBC to buy content from local TV service operators, provided it is "suitable for inclusion in a UK public service (i.e. a BBC service) and the price represents value for money""

http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...al-tv-services

I think it's an interesting experiment and I think it could work in a few of the larger cities.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

I wouldn't disagree, MM, but you need to give it time to establish itself and generate some money.

I don't necessarily want the local channels to emulate the US ones, but I do want them to be worthwhile watching.

It's early days, and I'm an optimist by nature. At least they should be given a sporting chance to improve, and it won't happen overnight.

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

Slight off topic but BT ruled out of CH5 bid.

http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/article/1...nel-5-for-term

Re: Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014
 

The US is far bigger than the UK though, I think that this country is too small for them to survive.

I'm sure he will be aware of this, it's good to point it out though. Whilst the BBC are having to consider cuts eg BBC Three, this Government has frozen the licence fee. In addition they have effectively forced the BBC to provide fundin for S4C, The World Service, Local TV, The DSO help scheme, Broadband etc.

In the case of London Live, the Government has enabled funding for an extremely rich family to open their own TV channel. An outrageous waste of public money when essential services are being cut.