Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

If there were any news I'm sure Media Boy will have posted about it. ;)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

There was this that media boy posted earlier in the thread

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Once Living HD has launched, I doubt we'll see any new HD channels until next year once analogue has been shut down.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Analogue isn't switched off in my area until 2012 (MERIDIAN)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Think he means cable.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

That is Terrestrial Analogue. Cable Analogue will be gone by April 2010 for those areas that can do Digital

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I would love to know the number of VM viewers still watching Cable Analogue :)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

i think your right. should have read it twice lol!:)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

According to VM's latest results - assuming that the difference between "Television" and "Digital TV" is analogue - it's currently 128,700, down 56,600 from 185,300 for the same time last year.

I don't know how many of those could actually receive digital, though - parts of VM's network are analogue TV only.

Sam

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

And the ones that is anagolue will eb converted to digital according ot the lastest q&a

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Has anyone else noticed that Living HD has started showing previews this morning?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Pity the preview isn't HD though! Hopefully this is a sign that launch isn't far away though...

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Showing previews here too, presumably it won't be long till it launches now.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

yep, previews here too, they are in SD.

shame i dont watch any living HD shows though. Discovery or Eurosport HD would be much better for me, better than a kick in the teeth tho:P

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I know living show CSI which I do watch. Does anyone know if the CSI they show is a series in front or behind of what they show in channel 5 ?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

previews here too on living HD, also watched a bit of dragons den from BBC HD and I was impressed :)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I am watching these previews to on a standard V box are they upscaled SD :confused:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I think they're behind Channel 5

Just SD, not even upscaled. The HDTV light on the V+ doesn't come on when watching the previews.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

If it was HD, 80% of VM users wouldn't be able to see it. There's little point in advertising HD to people who have already got it.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I know what you mean, but it's a Barker to get non HD customers to get the V+ and XLTV (if they have HD ready tv of course!) ;)

---------- Post added at 12:56 ---------- Previous post was at 12:53 ----------

I noticed the announcer said Virgin Media customers will be the first to get LIVINGHD! ;)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

IMHO VM are likely to be in negotiations to get HD variants of Discovery, History, Eurosport and other channels and, of course, ITV HD once the Freeview exclusive deal ends in a few months.

The hold-up is more likely to be with negotations or other factors rather than bandwidth. As per earlier discussions, the bandwidth is tight but not completely exhausted. Indeed, it may even be a bargaining chip in that VM could say "until mid next year we can only fit two more HD channels in after ITV HD, would you like yours to be one of them?" but you know I don't like to speculate on such things!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

has anyone noticed Sky are now running ads in the papers showing how many HD channels they have and how many VM have so they must be getting a bit scared

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I did notice that the logos for the channels that are available on both Sky and Virgin were smaller on the Virgin side

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Sky leads the pack to buy VMTV’s portfolio

BSkyB is the clear favourite to land the Virgin Media Television channel portfolio as the sale process moves towards its conclusion.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/b...004699.article

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Sky are telling virgins customers what virgin are neglecting to do.

That something new is available.

Virgin relies on a single press release and for tv magazines to tell customers.
Oh. And Cable Forum of course.

I cannot understand this at all.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

hopefully virgin will get military history soon

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Sky3 is to offer a Pay TV 'Weekend Pass' between 18th-20th September, where a variety of programming from more than 20 pay channels will be available for free.

Channel included are - Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Sky Arts, Good Food, Sky Real Lives, LIVING, Home, Blighty, Sky1, FX, MTV, Disney, National Geographic, History, Bio, Sci-Fi, ESPN, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Comedy Central, Magic, Kerrang, The Box, Boomerang, and one or two others.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I realise that money talks but this seems UTTER madness on VM's part UNLESS the deal ensures 100% that VM carriage is secure along with any HD linear channels.

Other wise it's like a lamb supplying the mint sauce to the wolf.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Also in that story from Broadcast:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

There was a full page ad in the Daily Mirror the other day from VM highlighting that they had several HD channels

I didn't see anything on the SKY ad mentioning that you had to pay extra for their HD channels compared to VM (well nothing in a type size that normal people could read)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Virgin have also been running full page newspaper adverts saying that HD is free within XL tv

They have also put up a page here http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginm...d-channels.php

It is also mentioned in the Virgin Media Customer Magazine electric! www.virginmedia.com/electric

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

To be honest i dont like the idea off sky getting them what will it mean for us vm customers?.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Is it that much of a problem if sky did buy these channels?
I mean they are average at best and probably wont vanish from cable anyway right?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

For all those of you that have managed to get hold of your 3D glasses and cant wait for the 25th to try them out have a look at the following page...

http://www.colorcode3d.com/

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Probably not the slightest bit of difference. But as I keep saying about this issue, I'll believe it when I see it. That is, the sale of VM's channels.

VM has just hired a new executive directive of television to replace Malcolm Wall. This seems to indicate to me that a sale won't happen. If you're about to sell something, why hire someone new to run it when the folks you're selling it to will want their own person in charge?

Most of the speculation about all this seems to be coming from VMTV staffers, not VM's bosses.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

What color glasses are? they as i have a set off green/reddish one from my bloody valentins.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Where we get glasses from??

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Free with TV & Satellite Week - price at £1.20.

But after Tuesday do not bin them as Channel 4 is joining the 3D revolution by ordering UK-made content that can be viewed in 3D on standard TV sets.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/b...004685.article

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

The glasses are left eye orange and right eye blue.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Thanks ill get a pair.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I have looked and not being lazy but what is happening on the 25th?

Ta

Liam

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

There is a 3D episode of Chuck on Virgin 1

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

LOL thanks Stephen, I went out to get the TV&Satellite magazine fr the glasses - I have the normal 3d ones (Blue and Red lenses) and they don't work on the site that was given above - the ColorCode one!

Anyway it will be interesting to see how it broadcasts!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I am not a wizard, but HOW can you see 3D pictures on a TV, if the set is not an 3D telly ?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

LIVING HD may launch on September 4th.

Someone has posted an rumour on DS Forums that LIVING HD may launch on Virgin TV on the 4th of September.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...8&postcount=40

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Sounds about right

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

List on post one has now been update.

Media Boy list update news: August Bank Holiday.

Due to August 31st being an non-Scottish Bank Holiday I have moved some of the dates about on when I will update post one.

New dates will be as followed:

August 24th update will now be posted on August 21st.
August 31st update will now be posted on August 26th.
September 7th will be update on that date.

NOTE: If something big happen on Virgin TV I will update on September 2nd as well.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Would it be looking too deep to think that Living HD is being launched on VM now in order to ensure it's carriage before sale of the channel to Sky?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Personally IMHO it is a shame to see the VMTV channels sold off and I hope that it won't go ahead. If anything, I'd like to see VMTV expand their portfolio of channels.

I think it would be particularly bad if the channels went to Sky although it is probably not enough of a monopolies issue to be blocked by the authorities. I imagine Sky would tailor the content to fit in with their existing channels and we (non-Sky customers) would ultimately lose some choice.

I'm not sure what VM's financial reasons are for the sell-off but this must be the worst possible time for them to get a good price while we're still in recession. That is probably why the other potential UK / European bidders have gone quiet. Nobody has spare cash at the moment.

Let's hope the new guy has been brought in to salvage the situation rather than make VMTV ripe for sale and broker a deal.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

We're all seeing the negatives here - it's quite possible that any deal brokered for the sale of the VMTV channel portfolio would contain many caviats to protect the main VM content delivery business - perhaps even a lifelong agreement to share content across the two platforms. This deal might not be as disastrous as everyone is thinking, it may even lead to the twin holy grails of Sky's HD channels and red button content - perhaps even a guarantee that there would never be another event like the great blackout of 2007-8! They'd be daft not to make that insurance policy as part of the sale.

It's very easy to be sniffy about the VM top brass - but remember, they're some of the country's top executives. If they DON'T think of things like this, heads would roll.

Compare it with, say, planning permission. When Amazon built their new super-warehouse just outside Swansea, caviats (in planning they're called "106 Clauses") were included which stated that Amazon had to finance a by-pass and a school. Such things are rife in business. Watch this space - it could be the best thing that ever happened to the Cable platform.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Well said - hopefully could be the best thing ever...

I for one am very pleased with the way things are happening at the moment (HD etc) and would never want to return to the dark time (Sky Blackout)
Keep up the good work Virgin !!!

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I think that Fibre Optic to your Set-Top-Box and Broadband Router, with all that comes with it, will be the best thing that ever happened to the Cable platform. :tu:

As for caveats and codicils in sales contracts, they are unlikely to be binding. It's difficult to get anyone to commit to your restrictions on their product or service. If you bought a used car would you sign an agreement saying you'd keep it the same colour or only drive it on dry days?

Not really the same thing as a council insisting that you build the road to a new housing estate, retail park or commercial premises.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Why? What would that give you that a 4Gbps coax cable doesn't?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

IF you dnt know why a fibre connection is better i think your in the wrong business ;) only joking. Why fibre because techincally is infite capacity, and has a lot of otehr benefits that virign could use apart form broadband and tv. but i dnt see it happening for at least 10-20 years or until bt is starting to cause a threat

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Actually I used to work in fibre networking. At a world-beating 50Mbps. :)

Well it's certainly high, but you need to be able to source and consume the data at that speed. And that's the problem. There aren't the applications to use it.

Such as?

On this we agree. No-one would lay cable in bulk these days, but there's plenty of life in the old dog yet.


ps. How's the search going?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Someone found a link to a another news site that reported what the ceo said, but i am begining to tyhink it was the 50mb launch not a quarterly result

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

The bandwidth to supply every television and radio channel on the planet with room to spare for some not from this planet! Plus unspeakably fast broadband (not that I need more than my 10Mb right now). :tu:

Somewhere in a far, far, distant galaxy they're receiving 1950s episodes of 'I Love Lucy' for the first time! That should stop them coming! ;)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Well I did say in post one that

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I thought that the 200Mb broadband tests in Kent involved fibre to your door. So I'd say sooner than 10-20 years for some areas anyway.

VM really do need more capacity for TV to compete with the various UK and European satellite platforms as well as for broadband and other potential services. They could attract far more customers if they could satisfy the needs of European and Asian residents by eliminating the need for a large dish and potentially multiple satellite boxes.

I have fibre delivered to my door by Ocado. Broadband / All-Bran it's all the same to me! Pardon the toilet humour.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Nope the trial is using docsis3 bonding docsis 3 could in thoery with anagolue switched off deliver about 1-2Gigabit jsut now it could do about 400-500mb japan has 160mb using current cable conenction of docsis 3

---------- Post added at 11:36 ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 ----------

Well what coudl vrigin do with fibre to the home ;) apart form say 10Gigabit conenctions (i bloody wish), over 2000 channels with at least 300-400 hd channels. they coudl offer SVOD ie a channel where you pay for what you want to watch it quite poplour in america, so they coudl offer maybe 100 off them ( i am gussign you knwo the amount of VOD streams that would need ot be need int eh background ofr this) they could offer a slightly better VOd (but i give oyu this it wont give a great improvement virgin is far ahead with this)

but.... the thing that they coudl do that even blow sky out of the water they coudl nto do it jsut now even on DVB-S2, MPEG4 h264 encoding and with new boxes..... is SHD it been trialed in japan and hte way it was delviered ... fibre to the home (well this case premise because it wa business trial) it needs at least 600mb-1gb connection to do it it very high bandwidth comsumpation i believe compressed it not far off blu-ray uncompressed

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

You couldn't use a 10Gbps connection. What are you going to connect to that can supply data at that speed, and what are you going to do with the data when you receive it?

These channels don't exist, and even if they did VM would still have do carriage deals to carry them. Would you be willing to pay 10 times as much for your TV service?

Because VOD is switched to you, it uses tiny bandwidth. The number of viewing choices doesn't affect the bandwidth required. (You already have thousands of choices)

In other words, a quarter of the capacity of coax (using current technology)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Slightly OT but does anyone know a good source of pictures of Virgin Media set-top-boxes front and rear?

Yes, I'm asking for photos of STBs in various positions and from different angles! :o:

That's what happens when you mix your Red, Green and Blue tablets. You go a bit SCARTer brained. :(

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I know Wikipedia has pics of the front and back of the SA box. ;)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

In case you have to get them singly here's the rear view of the SA V+ to get you started.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Yes they might be switched but they still are there, and all have to be there because anyone coudl use them and if they where deploying SVOD channels then they need alot more. All wha ti said is thoery of what they could do with direct fibre conenction. But wether they would or wether they want to or wether there is demand for it is anaother question.

Acutally i know of quite a few places i can get a direct 10gbit connection to mostly because they use oc192 and above. but even wiht torrents in thoery if oyu had enough people uploading for linux distro you could in thoery use the 10gbit conention ot the full, but i do understand what oyu are maening most sites and places are running between 10mb-100mb there odd place on 1gb but few are above that

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Yes, but they have thousands of users, not just you.

OK, so you've downloaded your distro in 4 seconds. Then what are you going to do with it? You'll need one hell of a disc array to store it at that speed. Three of these should do the trick.

I really wish there was a killer app that needed serious bandwidth, because VM could clean up. But sadly there just isn't.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

There was ;) it was called 4oD and it really ate bandwidth i am glad virign have a near comparable service to the now online version which is miles better.

True but with fibre they could potential give that speed to everyone, i say 2-5 years we will be seeing 1gb connection from virgin and bt because demand will be there so i say 10gb would be about 15-20 years after that, jsut because demand isnt high for it now does not mean it is not there and does not mean virign could not explotiot there network which is far superior to any otehr isp in the uk..... well any residential one

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Setanta Sports UK fall out: Premier Rugby in talks with Sky and ESPN over Ex-Setanta Sports rights from 2010-11 season.

Premier Rugby is in talks with Sky and ESPN over television rights for 43 Premiership matches from the 2010-11 season that have become available after the collapse of Setanta (Sports UK).

Sky already have a bundle of 26 games.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Any one knows who's got in rights to Rugby celtic league or did it disappear with Setanta Sports

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

As far as I know:

Setanta Sports Ireland - for Ireland viewers only.
S4C and BBC Two Wales - for Wales viewers only.

No rights for English or Scottish viewers yet as Setanta Sports UK has the rights to games for England and Scottish viewers.

---------- Post added at 19:34 ---------- Previous post was at 18:59 ----------

On Saturday September 5th at 19:00 ESPN will broadcast Denmark v Portugal - An World Cup Qualifier live.

Here is the list of games LIVE on UK Telly on that day:


KO Time - teams - Channel - Broadcast times.

12:15 - Charlton Athletic v Brentford - Sky Sports 1 - 12:00-14:30
15:00 - Scotland v Macedonia - World Cup Qualifier - Sky Sports 1 - 14:30-17:30
17:30 - England v Slovenia - International - ITV1 (Not STV) - 16:45-19:35
19:00 - Denmark v Portugal - World Cup Qualifier - ESPN - 19:00-21:00
19:30 - Cyprus v Republic of Ireland - World Cup Qualifier - Sky Sports 1 - 19:25-21:30
20:00 - Poland v Northern Ireland - World Cup Qualifier - TBC
21:30 - Peru v Uruguay - World Cup Qualifier - Sky Sports 1 - 21:25-23:30
23:30 - Paraguay v Bolivia - World Cup Qualifier - Sky Sports 1 - 23:30-01:30

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

NFLUK.com: Five to show Sunday Night Football.

National Football League NFL UK will continue their relationship with Five for the 12th consecutive year after the two sides came to an agreement to show Sunday Night Football live in the UK.

http://tellychannelsnews.blogspot.co...day-night.html

---------- Post added at 13:49 ---------- Previous post was at 13:47 ----------

No update on post one this week back sometime in the 1st week of September.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I'm doubting ESPN get any games now. It was looking like ESPN and Sky would share the rights, with Five out of the picture, but following this announcement I can only see Sky getting the rest.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

LIVING HD to launch on Virgin Media this Saturday???

I have just found this over on DS Forums.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Wow! Sixteen hours after your announcement and no sign of the HD cheerleaders. :cleader:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Balls to Living HD ...i want Eurosport :p

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Maybe there aren't many Living viewers interested in HD. It's not a channel I watch but I do find it a strange name for a channel with programming that mainly seems dedicated to Ghosts, seances, afterlife and other distinctly non-living subject matter. :confused:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Living is quite a decent channel with some decent US imports. Although Saturday seems a very strange day to launch a channel.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I think the DS user who posted that was taking it a bit too literally. It may well launch a day or two before, considering TV & Satellite Week starts its listings on a saturday.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Yes, don't VM usually do launches on a Thursday?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

That was certainly the case with FX HD, Nat Geo HD and MTVNHD, with C4HD on the Friday.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Those channels already existed... Living HD is brand new so could launch any day.

iirc C5 started on a Sunday & 4 was a Tuesday.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Hey, you forgot to mention that there's always a good autopsy in CSI: too! :tu:

If they rearranged some of the programming between Living and Living2 they could rename one of them as AfterLiving. :rolleyes:

Alternatively they could rename Living, Living+1 and Living+2 as Antemortem, Perimortem and Postmortem. :rolleyes:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

But it's a Virgin channel, so they're likely to launch it on a day they normally add channels.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

And where's all the feedback from Chuck 3-D?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Feedback.... it was sheeet! Detailed enough?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

In the Chuck 3D thread.

Basically, the episode itself was excellent, the 3D elements weren't amazing but there were a few cool moments. Didn't add a great deal to the experience.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I had never watched the programme before but took a quick preview by watching a series one episode on TV Choice On Demand in advance of the 3D airing. I'm not in a hurry to watch it again but I agree with your comments on the 3D aspect of it. Good, with a few scenes that worked really well but not spectacular overall. Still, a taste of what's 'coming soon' perhaps.

There's a Chuck 3D thread? I couldn't find one using the forum search facility and '3D' is too small a keyword to search with. I did find the Chuck thread but that hasn't had any activity since May.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

You know it make sense ;)

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I personally really enjoy the show, best thing on TV at the moment.

The thread.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Watched it last night thought the 3D was good a great episode and good series another great Us import look forward to the next episode

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Went into Harrods in London today and they had a LG 3DTV without the need for glasses, insanely cool effect, might have just been there test video but the screen needs a higher "Hz" as you could notice it refreshing on the scenes with more movement. 3D material was coming from a standard LG Blu-ray player.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

And how much were they charging for that?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

It's not for sale...

Found this link, seems they have had it for nearly a year in Harrods,

http://www.cgeye.net/2008/11/full-hd...chnology-9000/

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

I took my sister in law in there today and noticed that as well. Couldn't see the effect though.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Can anybody tell me if Chuck 3D is on again as I missed it.:sleep:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

Ah! I saw the 'Test your Chuck 3D Glasses here!!!' thread but thought it was just that - a demo of the technology which I had already tried.

Thanks, I'll have a look later.

---------- Post added at 10:46 ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 ----------

Well it's conspicuous by its absence in Catch Up TV On Demand but will undoubtedly turn up in TV Choice On Demand once series three starts airing.

---------- Post added at 10:49 ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 ----------

;) Perhaps your eyes are too close together! ;)

No offence intended Clarence.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)
 

As I said a few posts ago, it is repeated on Monday nights.