Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Hope so, Rich. Gold and Drama have started sharing certain programmes, so that also could be a sign.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Not many and, let's face it, there's very little there to attract an audience with such a low budget.

No, it's TruTV.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

The local TV project has been a complete waste of time, I'm afraid.
I do believe this could have succeeded, but unfortunately those involved don't have the first clue about how this could work!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

l agree with everything you have said here MM.:tu:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Agree entirely with you old boy. I had high hopes of seeing locally made programs on and about Teesside on Made In Teesside but it just hasn't happened so far. When I emailed them a few months back they said to keep watching as they would improve and more local content would be coming but as I say a big disappointment still.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Assuming the deal (which is more or less certain) for Discovery purchasing Scripps Networks goes through then I'd say a very good chance as it will mean Mr Malone will in effect control 50% of UKTV.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Good point.

It's odd to think that VM sold off VM Ireland and their 50% UKTV stake, only for Malone to buy them back.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

I have my own theory but staying quiet on it all i say is one word is publicity and the second starts with s ends with t.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

I think there is a common phrase response for this. What goes around comes around! ��

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

I think I've worked out what's going on.

The Sky EPG shows Eden HD as closing down at 6am on Monday (VM carries on as usual). I expect the test channel currently showing Eden HD with GOLD on its EPG listing to become GOLD HD.

Sky Living Ireland HD recently closed down (Irish satellite viewers now receive the same feed as the UK as the EPG is now mapped to the English version).

I bet that Sky are reviewing the value that they get from their own HD channels and those that they subsidise resulting, thus far, in:

- Sky Living Ireland HD closing.

- Eden HD closing, with the former capacity being used to create GOLD HD.

I think that Eden SD and GOLD SD will eventually become FTA, with GOLD at least going onto Freeview and both going onto Freesat.

What about VM as a result of these changes?

Well, as it's been reported that the Irish version of Sky Living HD continues on VM Ireland, maybe we will keep Eden HD and hopefully we will get GOLD HD too. VM HD channels are line fed, so the capacity is borne by VM, so I guess it's possible that we may end up with some HD channels that Sky don't have (for a change)!

I never envisaged that HD channels would be closing down in 2017!!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

That's a shame as Eden is one of the channels that benefits most from being available in HD. Perhaps (here''s hoping) it's just moving transponder on Sky and HD will remain available on both platforms.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

That's appalling getting rid of Eden HD which is one of the few channels which really benefits from HD for wildlife programmes etc. Just so we can watch 1970s sitcoms on Gold HD that were never made in HD in the first place.... ( I do like my 70s sitcoms btw, but HD won't make them funnier...)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

It certainly seems a strange move, unless Sky are getting Eden UHD!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

Who is part of the beta trial tommorrow for the new sky cinema app

Great news!
We're planning to begin the Customer Trial of the new Sky Cinema app for iPhone and iPad users from Monday 25th September and will be sending you some important information on how to get started on that day.

We thought we'd give you a little advance notice but we'll send you full details as soon as the app is ready for you to download.
If you have an Android device that you plan to use in the Trial we'll be sending info for that towards the end of next week

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2017)
 

I think the problem with Eden is it's relatively low viewing figures.

There has been speculation for some time that Eden & Good Food would be the next (last?) UKTV channels to go FTA. Perhaps it's viewing figures are too low for either Sky or UKTV to maintain an HD variant, but the SD variant might be cost effective using a FTA business model with the increased advertising reach??

There is no benefit to broadcasters in providing HD channels as they cost more to broadcast without any extra advertising income (unless companies like VM & Sky subsidise them).

As Sky & VM no longer appear to be creating/subsidising HD channels for the sake of it, I think that the less popular channels will only become HD due to 'keeping up with the neighbours' (eg the PSB channels) or when SD kit becomes obsolete.

If Sky have decided that certain HD channels aren't driving up or maintaining subscriptions, then it looks like funding is being withdrawn as part of their cost cutting measures because of the cost of the football rights and stagnation of their subscriber base.

Any old GOLD programming recorded on film will benefit from HD, but not stuff recorded on video. Less old material may well have been recorded in HD anyway.