Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Thanks for the link Grim. :tu:

I have just been reading the following report and particularly like the part where it says

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...h-Murdoch.html

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Good or bad.cant be any worse than current owners,hopefully they will invest and aquire new channels.could this be a sign of hostility with sky again???

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Sold mine a couple of months ago:mad:

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I think BT is now virgins main competitor, they focused on Sky so much they didn't notice BT creep up and equal virgins core product. That would be the high speed Internet.

Right now anyone can see Virginmedia NEED this buyout, by April they will be third largest BB provider and the only one in the top 3 that throttles it's service.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

My mortgage is paid, but thanks anyway.:D

Yes, the virgin brand is big, but I don't see it fitting into Liberty's empire long term. I think they'll ditch it at the first opportunity. One billionaire will not want another billionaire's brand on his company. But I do agree the virgin brand has been a "puller" for the cableco. But the brand is too associated to Branson, so will go.

As for roll out of tivo to Europe, not a chance for a simple reason. UPC have just rolled out new epg software to cable boxes called Horizon in several countries, they will not swap that for tivo now.

The question to ask is, will tivo in the uk be axed in the future in favour of Horizon?

---------- Post added at 23:23 ---------- Previous post was at 23:19 ----------

Thanks for the link, goodbye virgin.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I think the TiVo will go,the new owners will probably by 1 or 2 STB's (Or replace them with kit they already use around Europe ) and roll them out to all areas. The more they buy the bigger the discounts and the easier it is for repairs and faults etc.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

So has it been sold ??

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

If it is a done deal, what does this mean for Virgin customers? Will we still get the same services as Virgin provide? I don't want to use BT or SKY so will have to say goodbye to internet and cable TV. Back to Freeview I think if the new owners start messing with existing customers. Could this be why retentions have stopped giving out deals to customers?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

relax Mark. a rival to Rupert didn't just buy into the UKs cable network to destroy it. that said UPC's security sucks.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I hope they don't destroy it. Mind you, if they start hiking prices up I may have to dump something.

Reading a link, Virgin share prices have gone from $3.26 a share 4 years ago to $45 a share today.

I think this deal as said will spell an end to TiVo on VM.

It will drive liberty costs down buying just 1 box across America and Europe with massive cost savings.

And with TiVo vs horizon. Well horizon will win as that is libertys own in house stb and it is too similar to TiVo.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Free cable for all then lol

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Been looking at the UPC website, prices are actually fairly competitive. For the top package, which offers a download speed of 100MB/s and upload speeds of 10MB/s costs the equivalent of £68.52 a month. If they bring packages like that over to us Virgin customers then I am happy. Mind, that is before you add the SKY stuff in.

These specs alone are tempting over TiVo box,


"The Horizon media gateway has six tuners and can record up to four channels simultaneously. There is a three-hour review buffer that runs across recently viewed channels, from which users can also set recordings. The gateway box comes with a gigabyte of memory and a 500 gigabyte hard disk."

So no way they will keep TiVo,

That box is already rolled out in iteland and europe.

"It will be rolled out in Switzerland, Germany and Ireland over the next 3-6 months. International cable company Liberty Global has been working with a number of partners on the ambitious project, which promises to transform the cable television experience for its customers, allowing them to view media across television, computer, tablet and smartphone screens."

That was October 2012.


So looks like end of TiVo, shame really after all the hype VM put into TiVo and marketing it etc

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

were UPC dishing out SB6120's? i now see the combo but before the roll out of combo kit?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

If vm now ditch TiVo,watch sky swoop to do a deal with TiVo.its clearly what as stopped a lot of customers switching to sky it certainly aint channel choice

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

not again.

---------- Post added at 00:25 ---------- Previous post was at 00:24 ----------

and brand it as Sky?

Sky can't do a deal with TiVo because VM were locked in for 4 years? so presumably it will still cost them money, because presumably tivo deal works on the basis that vm buy the rights to use it like a subscription itbut it doesn't mean they have to use it?

Because for liberty their horizon box is better, cheaper and a competitor to TiVo.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Things look set to get interesting. The Horizon box, based on Youtube videos, looks great. SKY will need to up their game ASAP in terms of their PVR. I would not be surprised at all if UPC ditch TiVo and SKY try to step in. Remember it wasn't to long ago that BBC catch-up on SKY looked virtually impossible.

Imagine SKY with TiVo Vs. UPC with Horizon :eek:

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Will Netgear be given the boot. UPC Ireland broadband supply Cisco EPC2425, Cisco EPC3925 and Thomson TWG870

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

http://mediacentre.virginmedia.com/S...tform-167.aspx

Was it 4 years from their agreement, or 4 years from the box launching? The above press release was from November 2009.

No idea lol,

Here's the info I read on horizon box though,

http://informitv.com/news/2012/09/09/libertyonhorizon/

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Sky DO NOT want anything to do with TiVo!

Probably , which will be sad as a lot of effort has gone into a superhub 2 and testing has just begun lol.

All wasted.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

you mean the destroyed rep by SH1 followed by a too late SH2 success soon to be possibly booted. yup what a waste of efforts and for what!!!

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

http://blogs.wsj.com/overheard/2013/...n-the-horizon/

Seems to suggest TiVo will be safe for 4 years

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Lol you guys need a reality check NOTHING is going to change anytime soon. If you think it will be a change as fast as the virgin media thing you're all very wrong.

The Virginmedia thing was NTL/Telewest rebranding after a successful merger of 2 UK cable companies. What's happening now is very very different. You won't see any change for a longtime. Virginmedia have commitments to Virgin group and TiVo that they can't just drop.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I think an announcement on the deal is due tomorrow afternoon. That should make things very clear.

At the moment we are all just guessing. Nobody knows nothing for sure.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

The deal has has been agreed but multi $ billion deals can take a long time to complete. Virginmedia customers can be safe in the knowledge nothing will change for 12-18 months minimum probably longer apart from management job losses. UPC guys will start appearing at VM and making big changes but that will not effect customers.

The sales guys had their chance with virginmedia and got rich, now it's time for VM to realise its potential.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I was just reading that Neil Berkett will make £30 million from the sale. I have no idea how accirate this is however I'm guessing Mr. Berkett won't be hanging about too long :D

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

UPC guys will stay at UPC. Don't forget this isn't the first time Liberty have owned a UK cable company....they've been at it for over 20 years.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

he deserves it. all the best to him. well done too knowing not to push it. that in itself is a talent.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Lol, trust me guys from UPC/ liberty will be all over the various offices of Virginmedia. Their first priority will be savings and cuts.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I think you may have misunderstood. Liberty doesn't need to send "its" people to vm, because they're already there and have been for ever.

Liberty, as its now called, used to be TCI, was a major shareholder of Telewest which became VM. Many of the Telwest people are still in VM, one of them runs the tv service. So, there doen't need to be Liberty/UPC people parachuted in, they've always been there to begin with.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

They now own it, and the merger of NTL/telewest was bassically if they're honest NTL taking over telewest and NTL guys run the thing. We both obviously have an amount if inside knowledge but I think I know more than you.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

is it not standard practice to send new owner in along with his or her selected people ? unless of course agreements are signed during takeover to keep the old going which i doubt very much. if theres heads that know one another then great. itll make for a smooth'ish switch.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

....of course, there will no doubt be management team reporting back to Malone. But the point I was trying to make to the other poster, is Liberty ain't a new owner. They are a very old one which have been invloved in uk cable for almost 30 years, not 20 as I said before.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

they havent had a say in whats gone on during VMs reign though ?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

They understand the cable industry, but the UK is crazy competitive and a very unique market.

---------- Post added at 01:45 ---------- Previous post was at 01:42 ----------

If they had any input over Virginmedia the TiVo deal would never of happened, I thought horizon had a clue... But with every post I'm thinking he hasn't.

VM Confirms Liberty Takeover
 

As far as I know, no. Because the old Telwest company, as was, went bust and was bought up by the banks and other bondholders.

Oh, VM has just announced on their website, that subject to shareholder approval, that Liberty Global will buy Virgin Media.

Liberty Global will become a subsidary of a new UK company and the Virgin Media name will remain.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Maybe you want to retract this comment in that case?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Nope, ultimately TiVo will go but nothing will happen for a while yet.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Good to see he's getting ready for plenty of pointless Americanisms.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

You actually have no inside knowledge at all, you left a long time ago and your post clearly show you have no idea of how things are today.

If you did you would know that all of the directors were put through an assessment centre and only 20 percent of Ntl people secured a role, the rest were telewest people. Since then they have embarked on bringing in people who fit the virgin way and now 80 percent of the senior people are from the virgin recruitment approach

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

How did you come up with that rubbish.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Might be a kiwi ism though :)

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

So do any of you know what sort of track record Liberty have for treatment of staff? Are there likely to be redundancies or an increase in outsourcing to overseas call centres?

I'm just a customer but these things are important. I've known a few people who have worked for VM in Bellshill and Uddingston and they've always struck me as being one of the better call centre employers.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

From the press release.

http://news.sky.com/story/1048244/vi...liberty-global

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

God they sold it quicker than they add channels :Sprint:

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

They certainly kept it quiet as several days ago nobody knew anything.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

The only people who needed to know we're the only people who knew :LOL:

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Really, I am sure it was an oversight not advising you :D

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Oh don't worry about me dear chap as l am often at the bottom of the chain as l know my station in life.:D

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Looking at the liberty global website, they seem to be on the same page as virgin as in what they deliver. They will get a boost from having TiVo as it looks like the have Samsung stb's, and reading about the set top boxes they use in the horzions tv offering in some other countries, they have 6 tuners 4 for recording.
http://www.lgi.com/PDF/horizon/horiz...chure-2012.pdf

Looking at the Irish website, similar packages and pricing but with channels that currently are not available to virgin ie sky news hd, MGM hd, but still no sky sports 3/4 in hd.

Lets see what the future brings to uk cable.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Hopefully this will give them more money to invest in the broadband network. They have had years of pretty much having a monopoly when it comes to superfast broadband but they seem to be falling behind a bit now BT have started to catch up.

With BT soon offering faster speeds (although I know you need fibre to the home) than VM and having truly unlimited connections with no STM, Virgin Media have very few selling points except in areas where you can't yet get Infinity.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Like most private companies (especially foreign owned) e.g. gas, electric, water etc., they only want to make huge profits... just recently my energy supplier NPower put my direct debits up to £116 a month from £70 a month without notifying me by letter or email... I was a bit miffed to say the least, especially as I had to email them, then they phoned me and I got it reduced to £80 a month. I dont mind having a bit of credit on my account.

I rather have my money in my bank account then in theirs.


We shall see what the future holds with Liberty... if the prices go up then I shall switch reluctantly to either BT or the Murdoch Empire.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

The deal is subject to approvals from regulators and both companies' shareholders, and is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.

Liberty Global will continue to use the Virgin Media brand in the UK.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Interesting article just appeared on the Washington Post Website

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I was interested in the following quote:

"Liberty said it will relocate its headquarters from the U.S. to the U.K."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bye the bye shouldn't the ? now be taken off of the thread title ?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

As most of Liberty's operations are in non-English speaking countries there isn't anywhere for them to send the calls

Also unlike most mergers, there isn't any duplicated business in the UK for Virgin Media to be merged into either

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

I hope for UK workers you are right. Ireland seems the most likely place if any . Would think that "same" services operating in these two countries would be a starting point to cut costs. :(

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Virgin Media are significantly bigger than UPC Ireland, so if anything the 'savings' might be the other way around

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

according to DS, the deal has been done, so its goodbye VM and hellow Global - BUT still no news or info from VM.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Here's a LINK :)

also they have only announced the deal this morning which has not been signed yet by ether company, SO what the hell are you expecting Arthur, give us a few pointers ?

DS are wrong as the deal has NOT been signed over by ether company yet.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

What are you talking about? The deal is not DONE, it still has to be finalised and agreed by the VM shareholders.

Also VM will still be the name of the UK cable Company.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

thats my biggest concern is the loss tax to uk and profits syphoned.

I am in the mind hope its actually blocked to be fair.

Dont see it being good move for UK or its customers.

I did some digging the charges hit this.

55 euros for box and channels. About 47 in sterling at current market. With that the horizon box gets 80 channels.

How is that comparable pricing to VM.

http://informitv.com/news/2012/09/09/libertyonhorizon/

Although this might not be accurate pricing worried we may see big increases in our bills. If that happens Im off.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Thankfully your knee jerk reaction will have nothing to do with it.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

What are the prices of the competition in those countries though? You can't base what they are going to charge in the UK on what they have charged in a completely different market.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

You can bet there will be some weird and wonderful comments in this thread before the day ends and i think Arthur's was the first. :LOL:

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

So will the Patriot act apply to the web browsing of VM customers as well as their emails now?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

:rolleyes: ?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Stephen, l was under the impression that the 'deal' was still be talked about, And l am sure that Libery will change the VM name within six months.

All we need now is for Berkett, to become a director of BT Vision ?

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Nope - and doesn't apply to the emails anyway

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/...rgin-takeover/

and
and
So the same situation as Virgin Media have been in. A UK company compliant with UK laws financed in the US

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

[QUOTE=Sirius;35532901]This post being edited as ben posted the way company will run



On it might get blocked I mean it got alot hurdles yet. Would be shocked if Murdock wont find way to get ofcom to refuse it.

Helix good point believe there is about 4 large companies then sky.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital...he_Netherlands

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

As I just posted, Liberty is moving to the UK as part of this

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

thanks ben never say your post before replying to sirius.

Hopefully then that will negate the tax issue to HMRC then will support the takeover if its done.

That was my main beef the only other is prices.

How much will they charge us for there product.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Arthur

Your wrong on all counts

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Have you read the VM press release yet?

It states that the company will still operate seperately as Virgin Media. The name will not be changing anytime soon.

Its a done deal as long as all the shareholders accept it.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

sorry edited because say your post thanks though

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

How about using the expression "a done deal" then. Can not see it not happening - can you ?

What the company is called is really a minor point.
What they bring to the table for us, as customers is of far more interest.

So will doing deal this increase the likelihood of more channels :erm: Extra QVC perhaps:p:
Will this increase the BB speeds for existing & new customers.
Will coming soon be a thing of the past - accept for MB ;)
Already stated that -have no plans to push cable out to parts not offered it.
What is the long term future for our beloved TiVo

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Its way too early to answer any of those questions Itshim. The deal will not be completed till about July I would think.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Although Liberty have already said they have no current plans to change the name or TiVo

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6e390f1a-7...44feab49a.html

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Of course the Patriot act applies to emails and to VM's email service which is provided by Google, an American company, with it's HQ in America.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

However Google has a European HQ in Ireland so has to comply with EU law and America comes under the 'Safe Harbour' agreements http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/dpa/policy/outside/ so any request under the Patriot act would conflict with EU law

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

From the live webcast on now:

Neil Berkett to leave, his wish, once the deal is done. Liberty keen to retain the rest of the vm board and use their expertise across the combined group.

Combined company will be world's largest cableco, bigger than Comcast.

Liberty broadly intend to leave vm alone, they won't be changing vm's network, or trying to merge vm's tech with other european operations.

Liberty will use vm's expertise in mobile/quad play across the combined business.

Liberty Global and Vm will become a new UK based company, with HQ still in US and listed on nasdaq.

Liberty to put $3 billion additional debt onto vm's books.....its tax efficient, so they say, for them to do it.

Liberty agree with vm's strategy of not bidding for premium content.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

But "Safe Harbour" is not that "safe".


http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneratio...s-eu-data/8805

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

http://www.lgi.com/PDF/presentations...estor-Call.pdf

Might be worth taking a read through

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Whilst -

---------- Post added at 14:51 ---------- Previous post was at 14:50 ----------

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

So in other words not much will change in the short term and its just carry on as normal with a steady hand on the tiller.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Webcast very interesting. A very good presentation from Liberty's boss Mike Fries, a cool, calm person and his 50th birthday today. He called the vm deal "a nice present".

I think and despite what was said in the webcast, its far too early to see what the impact will be on vm and for us as customers.

As Fries said, Liberty do not have a major pressence in the UK, so its not like the ntl/telewest merger, or previous cableco mergers. As far as the UK goes, there's nothing to merge. The wider picture, though, is unclear.

Fries pointed that the European market is fragmented and underperforming and I believe he intends to use VM as best practice across all of Liberty's operations in Europe. As an example, Liberty has a lot of analogue subscribers and they're keen to learn from virgin how vm did things here.

US billionaire John Malone, major shareholder in Liberty, arch rival to Murdoch, had little to say.

To all, intents and purposes, Fries is now VM boss and in charge of UK cableco but whatever name it will be called. He said the VM name will remain but of course he also said that Liberty will redomocile to the UK and become a subsidary of a new, as yet unnamed company.

I think, long term, Liberty's operations will come under one brand, whether that be Virgin (I think not), UPC, Cablecom, Unity Media etc time will tell.

Liberty keen to buy more european assets.

---------- Post added at 15:10 ---------- Previous post was at 15:07 ----------

That's my impression, yes. Liberty are very happy with vm and how its set up.

As I tried saying to a poster last night, Liberty have been involved in uk cable for a long, long time. They know what's what and it won't be UPC guys telling vm what to do, but probably the other way around by all accounts.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

So basically, they spend a few billion on purchasing Virgin and hen can't be bothered to do anything to improve on the product? Great. Way to waste a few billion dollars.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

They said no such thing. What they have said is they see no reason to change the improvement plan Virgin Media are already on

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

raises more questions of why has malone taken over the company if he not looking to progress it.

Another is now planned operational upgrades will they still go ahead or be shelved.

Said in my post I was wary of rejoicing its always case of careful what you wish for. VM and NTL before where no angels but now fearful future of VM.

Worry is this 3bn extra debt just for the privelage new owners, where its come from liberty accounts?. Why berkett wanting out, does he have issues. Will he spill beans what he dont like.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

There seems to be two main aims:

Vm, because of its debt and the way its set up is VERY tax advantageous. You don't pay corp tax, so liberty have kindly "handed" vm $3 of their debt.

Liberty want to use vm's expertise across its whole business, ie they don't have a mobile business of any worth. Vm do.

Liberty said they will continue to invest in vm's network.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Windall for 4000 Virgin Media staff after Liberty Global deal.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...obal-deal.html

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

...that's why he's leaving, eyeing up that new yacht he saw the other day.:)

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Load with debt, move tax liability. take the profit.:cool: Seems like a plan to me. Unless you really thought they were worried that the poor British public were getting a raw deal & it was time that they stepped in to put it all right:D

I had hoped a few things might have changed - but it was/is hope over experience. I stand by my thoughts that jobs will go ( somewhere in the known universe ):dozey:

Do QVC still belong to them ? perhaps if so we can look forward to the extra channels that offers :shocked:

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

Oh dear Itshim you do seem to have taken quite a negative stance on all this and thats before the deal is completed so one wonders will you ever be happy with your lot dear chap.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

How could Virgin realistically improve the product? A few channels with a better PQ and Sky Atlantic? It's pretty damn good at the moment.

Re: Virgin up for sale?
 

And there are further HD channels on their way in the next week or two according to MB.