Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Good point. Ultimately, I think it will come down to five TNT but will happen in two stages.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

There are four full time BT Sport channels and six occasional - all are in BT's own EPG.

BT Sport 5 is active most days but not all day. This went HD on Virgin last week but strill red button access.

I suspect that you'll end up with 4-5 live linear channels and the rest will be via apps and red button.

There are far more BT streams available at times than just the 10 accessed on Sky and Virgin. Quite a lot of live Eurosport streams at times.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Again i've told you what is happening, but what do i know huh?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

I should have said Summer/Autumn not July. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. My main point is that WBD won't be adding a new BT Sport linear channel to VM any time soon. Just a prediction based on need to make the service profitable by reducing content.

When they all come under the TNT Sport brand in the UK, the linear channels are likely to be reduced in number, probably to five.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

As far as I know, the HD flag is still missing which is "fun". Discussion about this elsewhere has concentrated on the form of delivery of the sport red button channels. It seems a little dated and messy to reserve capacity on "broadcast" capacity for part time services although, I guess, the same could be said for BT Sport Ultimate. The consensus seemed to be that, rather than switching these streams to HD transport streams, IPTV streams would be a more up to date solution. Something similar to how extra streams are made available on France 24.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

But Eurosport UK will not rebrand until September 2024.

Only the BT Sport branded channels will be TNT Sports from July.

But I can also see the following happen to the Warner Bros Discovery Entertainment Channels from July:

Freeview Channels:
*Quest Sports or TNT Sports Extra (using Really slots)
*Quest (But now showing male base shows that was shown on Really)
*Quest Red (But now showing female base shows that was shown on Really)
*DMAX may rebrand as Quest Style
*Food Network
*HGTV

Pay TV Channels:
*TLC
*ID
*Animal Planet
*Discovery Science
*Discovery History

New Channels?
*Quest Sports HD or TNT Sports Extra HD
*Quest Red HD
*Food Network HD
*HGTV HD

Channel to close:
*Really
*Discovery Turbo

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Although BT Sport 5 is not full-time it is active with programming most days - and a lot more than Ultimate.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Premier league bidding rights are coming up DAZN, Apple, Amazon and Google are all interested amongst the usual culprits.
Google is the surprise there for me.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Yes, scrolling through the listings for the next couple of weeks, BT Sport 5, 6 & 7 have content at some point. With nothing showing for 8, 9 & 10. I guess the justification for BT Sport Ultimate is that it is recordable. The discussions were mainly around the red button services not being recordable, so could easily be replaced with IPTV streams.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

BTtv has all 10 in their EPG in SD and HD.

I don't see why Virgin can not put Red Button 5 in EPG even if part-time. Sky don't have it in their EPG but do have lots a part-time channels that go completely off air for hours, or even weeks.

Sky use streams for much of their Red Button coverage. You get SD from satellite but the SkyQ box switches to a stream and provides HD for the same programme.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

BTtv uses IPTV by default so the efficiencies are already there. I mentioned the missing HD flag. It is an EPG flag, so isn't critical for a red button service. Having said that, there are quite a few off-EPG services which do have the HD flag.

I won't suggest that Virgin should switch to broadcast HD streams for part time red button services but HD IPTV streams would be nice (as with SkyQ).

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Will Virgin Media finally move BBC THREE HD to Channel 113 in Scotland and Wales.

As Virgin did launch some channels on a Tuesday after Easter Bank Holiday Weekend in past years.

---------- Post added at 18:14 ---------- Previous post was at 18:12 ----------


I feel Virgin may give BT Sport 5 a EPG Channel number - like they do with BBC Red Button 1 is on Channel 991.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

News just in:

My Sources has revealed that:

*BBC Three HD in both Scotland and Wales is set to move on April 12th from Virgin Channel 157 to Virgin Channel 113.

*Also the Paramount + app should make an appearance on April 12th. Customers notes Parmount + is NOT on TiVo Boxes and will cost the following:

^£6.99 subscription for all customers wanting to take the service. It isn't included for free with Sky Cinema like it is on Sky.

All information on this post is still subject to change.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Not long to wait then MB. Thanks.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Hmm Virgin customers lose out to Sky yet again.



I can see why Sky would want to keep the Paramojnt! Perk for their own platform, but this is obviously also being used as an incentive for take up of the flagging Cinema channels, so you'd think that they'd also allow this on Virgin to boost take up of Cinema.



Maybe Virgin simply wouldn't cough up for any subsidy required??