Re: Itv2 hd
 

I fully agree with you , VM offering is completely different to that of Sky , I do not dislike cable in fact my TV service was on the whole pretty good and I can't fault my V+ , my main reason for switching was to get SS 3 and 4 in HD and ESPNA HD.

I agree with VM policy of trying to get channels at competitive prices , I was merely stating a customer will always compare the two , and also that on this occasion Sky had no involvement on VM not carrying the ITVHD channels. I have publicly stated on here that I would consider a return to VM so as you can see I'm hardly anti VM , I still have M TV , XL BB and M phone. I have absolutely no problem with peoples differing views , were I do have a problem is when somebody states something what's factually untrue.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

How could you possibly know that? Don't forget Sky is a significant shareholder in ITV.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

Yes sky now own less than 7.5% they were made to sell shares from the original 17.9% however itv have already claimed to have held talks with VM and a user on here has received an email from ITV stating they are open to negotiations with other platforms. I feel the wait is down to VM trying to thrash the best price out , which is obviously beneficial to customers , I feel it will arrive and possibly before the end of the year however that's just my opinion nobody really knows. I would no longer class 7.5 % as a shareholding what would seriously block VM from carrying these channels.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

I'm inclined to agree. Cable in this country ever since the launch of digital cable has never considered adding new channels to be a priority as they have seen broadband as their number one priority, probably with on demand television, specifically Tivo, as their number two priority. New channels isn't something that VM, or its predecessors ever saw as important which is why new channels very rarely launch on VM and when they do they tend to replace an existing channel. This strategy has always been controversial and always ignites passionate debates on forums such as this one.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

Yes l agree and l also think they have the wrong strategy on this.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

I honestly don't think that VM have the wrong approach when it comes to adding channels. Sky run in all guns blazing and pay silly amounts of money, where as VM tend to wait a bit and actually try and negotiate a better deal for them and the customers.

So yes channels can take longer but VM is sensible in no spending silly amounts of money.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

l am not advocating spending silly amounts of money but l am sure even you would admit Virgins negotiating seems to take a eternity on getting some of these channels.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

Sky also have the advantage that they can leave it up to the individual channels to handle the uplinking to the satellite and all they need to do is add the channel to their EPG. This is what a lot of people seem to forget when they complain about VM not instantly adding channels when they launch.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

I take your point to a certain extent but even you would admit that some channels we still have not got which Sky had 18 months ago and surely it does not take that long to get certain channels.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

Depends how much they want, really. It sort of ties in with my previous post. If, for example, ITV wanted £1 per month per subscriber for their HD channels, for Sky that £1 per month is all they'd need to pay as ITV were fronting the cost of uplinking the channels to the satellite. For VM it would cost them the £1 per month, plus however much it would cost them to add the channel to their system. This, I believe, is why VM go to such pains to negotiate a good price for channels as they have extra expense involved that Sky don't.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

Not at all. VM have a lot more work involved in getting channels on to the system. So it will naturally take longer.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

But you have to admit that cable customers get frustrated by having to wait much, much longer to get these channels.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

Care to point me in the direction of figures to back up the statement that Sky pay silly amounts.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

I personally don't I have other things in my life to worry and get frustated about. If they come, they come. Doesn't bother me either way.

Re: Itv2 hd
 

And the vast majority of new channels don't appear at all. Correct me if I am wrong but the only brand new channels (not including HD simulcasts of existing channels nor channel swaps such as swapping Pop for True Entertainment) which have been added in the last year or so have been a premium channel (Cinemoi) and a timeshift channel (ITV1 +1) whilst many more channels have been removed, either due to them being closed by the channel's owners or decisions taken to remove channels from VM such as MTV Classic. The removal of these channels is in addition to the removal a couple of years earlier of the former Sky music channels which later became owned by Chart Show Media. VM seems to argue that people only want to access music videos on demand and not via linear music channels which must be the reason why so many music channels have been removed with nothing being added to replace them, underlining my point that VM doesn't see television channels as a priority and that Tivo is much higher up their priority list, second, of course, to broadband with on demand probably being their number three priority and new linear channels being right at the very bottom.

As I said before, VM seems not to consider adding new channels as something it wants to do. That's their decision and people have to decide whether to remain a VM customer based on this decision that VM has made and if people want more channels, including almost every channel launched since VM was formed oour years ago out of the ntl/Telewest merger, then they need to think about getting Sky.