Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

Tbf if you want all streaming services on one device you'd be better of investing in a mini pc or windows stick.
I say those as ROKU, Firetv, android tv do have one or two missing aka shield missing nowtv, firetv missing peacock (USA only) but some in UK use it, Roku missing HBOMAX (USA) a mini pc can be got for as little as £100 if you only want it to watch streaming services.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

The problem for OB isn’t the availability of device but he wants existing pay-tv providers to fund their competitors and also promote them to the top of the EPG!

Inherently unlikely.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

As someone who deals with providers i can confirm that will never happen it would not be financially suitable, not to mention deals are already in place for EPG numbers the channels there pay a lot of money for their EPG spot.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

Sky customers also have the added benefit of free Discovery + and heavily discounted Netflix (last time I looked it was something daft like £2 a month with a free upgrade to 4K for 4K customers).

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

That's your argument, not mine.

Anyhow, there won't even be an EPG in the future, so I don't see how VM will be able to compete with Sky on the TV side without becoming a super-aggregator, which is what John Malone was aiming for at one point.

Despite a late start, Sky has got this message and now offers all the main streaming services. Your apparent belief the VM cannot do this for the reasons you have given is shown up for the nonsense it is by the fact that Sky is already doing it!

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

There will always be Live content so there will always be a need for an EPG, or equivalent of, even if it's just for a handful of Live-content-only channels.

Virtually all prerecorded programming will eventually be on-demand, possibly maybe a few shows will be used to fill short gaps in Live channels.

There might even be a few genre-themed and/or provider-authored channels for trailers. My argument is that some people might find it helpful to have something they can turn to to know what's available on the various on-demand services. These would likely be automatically compiled streams rather than broadcast. The Live-content channels will remain broadcast until lag is sorted, possibly longer as there will probably be reasons that aren't obvious to us end-users for broadcast continuing.

Something being streamed rather than broadcast doesn't mean channels will disappear, it doesn't stop being a channel because it's delivered differently, Live-content will require navigating, and comparing side-by-side so the viewer can decide which, if any, Live content to watch, so a grid guide system of some sort for Live content will likely continue. But awful navigation has never stopped stopped a service being a success, just look at Facebook.

Given EPG stands for Electronic Programme Guide and those words could describe the interface to every existing VOD service, maybe the term EPG will simply be redefined. If we were looking for a more accurate name for what is currently called an EPG we would probably call it an Electronic Channel Schedule instead.

---------- Post added at 09:57 ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 ----------

Sorry Hugh, you posted as I was typing/composing.

On-topic. I've not noticed Colors Gujarati stream on Digital Bit Rate yet, despite it supposedly launching on VM soon.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

It's not Netflix is £5p/m and HD and UHD is a extra £11p/m.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

Probably should've looked on the bloomin' EPG. :erm::D

Colors Gujarati is now on Channel 825.

Must've been added just after the DBR scan I looked at.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

AIUI if you pay for UHD you get also get Netflix in UHD too at no extra cost.

The cost of Netflix via Sky seems to vary, it was £2 last time I looked on Black Friday. It does always appear to be cheaper than subscribing via Netflix directly though.

Given that Disney+ talks appear to have stalled with VM over them wanting a bigger cut from Disney, I wonder how Sky can offer their customers Netflix at a lower cost than Netflix themselves. Maybe it's a similar set up as VM have with BT Sport??

Rather than burying their heads in the sand, Sky seem to be embracing the streamers by obtaining good deals for their customers and viewing them as another income stream.

By having them discounted or free on the Sky STB I imagine that their thinking is that customers are less likely to subscribe to a streamer directly and be tempted to cancel Sky. Probably a more sensible approach as the streamers aren't simply going to go away.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

I pay £4p/m for Netflix uhd ;) with work arounds
In the office we suspect Discovery will be next to start leaving pay tv platforms and being exclusive to Discovery+ won't happen for awhile as contracts still have quite a bit to run yet.
UKTV are another one to watch been talks about their pay channels being added to UKTVPlay for a small monthly fee.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

I think you're right Re: Discovery. Two or three years ago I was privy to a document that showed that the ultimate aim of Discovery was to put everything onto their streaming service and keep only one linear channel to showcase their content.

I wonder if the shares that Malone has been building up in Discovery will have any affect on the Discovery linear channels leaving VM? Probably not given the merger with O2.

Do you know if the UKTV plan is to complement their linear pay channels or replace them? I'm assuming that their FTA linear channels will be unaffected??

It really does seem to be a growing trend for broadcasters to cut out the middle man and retail directly to consumers via streaming apps. Another reason why Sky seem to have taken the sensible approach by embracing them and making the emerging situation work for them as best they can.

In time I can see the pay TV platforms being given no choice but to offer their pay TV element via apps. Instead of packs we could see discounted bundles being offered according to how many apps a person subscribes to.

I doubt this will be as profitable for them; maybe this is why Murdoch sold Sky before the company lost value because of this??

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

Atm UKTV would probably offer them on UKTVPlay as a alternative so still keeping a good relationship with VM and SKY whilst they build their pay model on UKTVPlay.

Viacom will be another one would think as they roll out Paramount plus to more markets, i'm off work for rest of week so wouldn't get anything concrete until i return to work (if anything develops).

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

Okidoki.

Re: Changes to Virgin TV (2021)
 

That could be useful if they fail to reach a carriage agreement with Virgin next time. I don't know how well this would work other than for linear channels and catch up. BBC Studios can make their archive content available via BritBox and maybe shouldn't need an additional svod streaming service.