Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

I think it is most likely that all the channels that each broadcaster owns will morph under the one banner - BBC, ITV, etc and all on demand. That would be the most straight forward thing for them to do and I have said so all along since 2015.

I don’t discount that they may offer a scheduled service at the time the changeover commences (ie the switch off of transmitter-broadcast TV) as a means of assisting the transition, but it is more likely, in my view, that they will grasp the opportunity to go for on demand only unless forced to do otherwise by the government.

---------- Post added at 15:29 ---------- Previous post was at 15:23 ----------

Well, I haven’t met anyone who has heard of FAST channels or know what I am talking about when I mention Pluto TV.

Yes, I’m sure that some people will watch FAST channels, particularly if they don’t subscribe to a streamer, and as long as the owners of the FAST channels make enough money from advertising, they will continue to operate. I guess they wouldn’t need that many people to view to make it worthwhile.

I don’t think the bigger broadcasters will see it that way, though.

None of us will know until it happens. I’m just expressing a point of view - one that I have held for early 10 years now. I accept that others may disagree.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Do you mean like Roku, Paramount's (CBS) Pluto, Fox's Tubi, Comcast's Xumo, or Amazon’s Freeview?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

But no doubt many will have heard of ITVX? They may not have heard of FAST channels - but ITVX has them.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

ITVX is fine, and is not a part of my debate

---------- Post added at 22:13 ---------- Previous post was at 21:45 ----------

Actually I was talking about the likes of BBC, ITV, Sky, etc, which you probably know I was talking about. Not the more obscure channels which more obsessive people on here are into.

Sorry to you. Hugh, it you need to burst that bubble you are into.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

I quote Are you stating that Amazon, Paramount/CBS, Fox, NBC/Universal, & Comcast aren’t some of the, to use your words, "biggest broadcasters"?

So you were talking about the likes of ITV, but when someone mentions ITVX’s FAST channels, they are "not part of your debate"?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

We are at cross purposes because we are conflating two different subjects - the FAST channels on one hand and the broadcasters like the Beeb and ITV on the other.

My point is simply that the myriad of traditional broadcast channels (ie those published in the TV magazines) are likely to present all their programmes under one banner in the future and would not be divided up into individual channels as now (ITV1,2,3,4) and so on.

The FAST channels are a relatively new phenomenon that tend to be subject related (eg Baywatch, Friends, etc). While I agree that these FAST channels will continue to exist if operators can make money out of them, I believe the main channels that we watch now will simply be streamed under one banner. That’s all I’m saying.

We are currently in a transitional period, but once the broadcasting is switched to online only there will be no point in carrying on with categorising programmes in that way. The big streamers of course categorise their offerings by programme type, eg new releases, dramas, etc and not by labels such as Netflix 1, Netflix 2, and so on.

So while for example you can still look up your programmes by channel at present, as you can on ITVX and the BBCi-Player, I don’t think the broadcasters will display their content in that way after the transmitters are no longer used for TV.

The FAST channels are likely to continue to exist for the foreseeable future.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Linear channels delivered over the internet then?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

TV magazines in which country? Maybe we could simplify that and just say the ones that people you know have heard of..

The ones we are seeing at the moment but there are thousands of them globally and not all of them are meant for bingeing on a single show.

So, put simply, it doesn't fit in with your vision of the path to 2035 so is doomed to failure?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Hang on he might be onto something with this new definition. If “linear tv” relies upon the existence of TV magazines, and those go out of business, there’s no more linear TV. :rofl:

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

What to watch in Ultra HD this August

https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-t...tra-hd-channel

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

I'm sure it's already been pointed out, but 8 of these 14 'new' FAST channels were actually already available on VM via the Pluto TV app:

- Inside Crime
- Mystery TV
- Homes Under The Hammer
- Great British Menu
- Fear Factor
- Wipeout
- Haunt TV
- Baywatch

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Flicked through the "new" fast channels and what a load of old crap.
Seems to me Virgin are just desperate to fill up space with any old rubbish especially with the loss of TCM.
Not really impressed with Pluto either as it seems to be all US programmes that I've never heard of.
Yes it's all free but ,as with 3d, rubbish is rubbish in whatever format.
To me Virgin needs some "proper" movie channels to replace TCM.
I remember years ago when 24hr tv was proposed and it was predicted that quality would suffer.
They were correct.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

I’m glad someone agrees with me on this. All the FAST channels I’ve looked at are low quality programmes with advertisements thrown in. The ads appear to be of better quality than the programmes themselves.

I maintain my view that they are a flash in the pan, although the fact that so many people are happy with watching dumbed down material is frankly worrying, so who knows?

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Warner Bros Discovery new Virgin Media deal update:

My Sources has just told me that Warner Bros Discovery are not happy with the money being offered by Virgin Media that is on the table for the new deal to be signed and Warner Bros Discovery are ready to walk away.

Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)
 

Well if Discovery channels go it'll be back to Freeview when my contract runs out..