Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Sky Q actually uses a mixture of both progressive download and streaming.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Currently here BT and Sky can only offer a maximum of about 56Mbps via broadband - which BT say is too slow to provide their UHD channel.

---------- Post added at 18:46 ---------- Previous post was at 18:44 ----------

Broadband will be an alternative - not a replacement.

And I suspect for many users it will be a downgrade to their current service.

Imagine the download speed required to perform a UHD stream and six HD recordings all at the same time - and perhaps a UHD movie download too - and still have enough space to do some streaming on a laptop or two.

It may launch next year - but will be a limited service in most areas to start with.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Nobody knows what the Q dishless service will entail , I completely agree even with Virgin's fastest broadband service you'd struggle to replicate what Q over satellite offers.

The only way you could realistically have a service similar is if everything is moved to the cloud and even then those on poor broadband lines would be ruled out.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

For what it's worth, Virgin Media mandates that you must have their VIVID 100 (100mbps) product or better in order to get a V6 box, claiming that this speed is necessary for 4K streaming.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

That’s no longer true. The current Player bundle includes V6 and 50Mb broadband.
http://www.virginmedia.com/shop/bund...er-bundle.html

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

My interpretation is that Virgin Media was being less than truthful in claiming that 100mbps was needed, failed to get enough customers, so have now reduced the requirement to their lowest speed (50mbps). I also think that it's only a matter of time that VM drops the requirement to buy broadband from them as a requirement to get a V6 box, especially if people will be able to get Sky content without a dish via any ISP's broadband.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

When we get any worthwhile 4K channels we will be able to tell how fast broadband we need:mad:

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

This also begs the question of what happens to all the FTA channels on satellite who only pay Sky for an EPG slot. Are Sky going to give these channels an ultimatum to "join our platform & pay up or you are off the EPG on our fibre service". Or will the service become a Hybrid satellite/fibre service with the unencrypted channels still fed by the dish & the pay channels fed via fibre.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Virgin Media's policy is to be a content aggregator, so there is a one-stop shop for content. However, as Sky Sports and BT Sport have refused to allow their 4K programmes to be broadcast on VM's platform, then VM's customers have to make do with 4K content from YouTube and Netflix.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

They might go down the Youview route. A service combining Freeview and OTT channels delivered by broadband. Seems to make the most sense as the new service doesn't appear to be aimed at current SKY customers, it's aimed at those who have not been able to to get SKY or cable in their area due to various reasons. I'd imagine their true target audience already has broadband and a TV aerial.

A cross between the Now TV smart box and Sky Q. Having the Freeview channels on the EPG for "free" would allow them to put together some attractively priced packages like Talk Talk and Plusnet have managed to do in the past.

Just guessing

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

I think this will come from a software upgrade to the Sky Q boxes that allow streaming via the ethernet port and by proxy via WiFi to other boxes in the house. They'll probably use HEVC to start with and recommend minimum 50Mb/s and suggest that for multiple channels at once you need even more bandwidth. With 1Gbit/s in the pipeline however, in a few years, it won't be an issue.

Satellite won't go away fully until broadcast TV itself becomes unprofitable, I think.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

I personally think this is great news for customers. Prices must surely come down, and there will be a price war. And the customer will go for the better service.

At the moment There are several services that provide quality channels - something that VM boast about - but never produce.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Apart from Sky Atlantic, what are these quality channels that Virgin Media don't have, Arthur?

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Part of the reason I left Virgin Media was due to the ridiculous amount of time they can take to add a new channel to their platform. Sometimes it takes over a year to get a new Freeview channel on the EPG. Far too frustrating. The latest example is Freesports.

Re: Sky fibre optic coming
 

Agreed, they aren't very quick to update changes to the EPG either.