The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I thought it would be a good idea to setup a new thread to discuss the merits of HD and the differences between Sky and VM in a new thread.

As I stated in a previous thread Sky, although they are the market leaders for HD, only have a take up of 8.4% based on the last figures they released

This shows that even Sky don't have a great take up yet and HD is still a new market, VM can't afford to take a loss of this at present and so are waiting for the market to mature before investing further.

Feel free to add any comments you would about VM and HD

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

You know what it's the fact that picture quality is already OK on my TV using scart RGB connection to my HDTV. I would love HD but can't afford to pay a monthly subscription for it. The Sky+HD box is now affordable so I feel Virgin Media should lower the up front price for their box and I'd have one. £49 would be about right without any other subscription. I have XL TV package too so no fee for me.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

8.4% isn't *that* bad when you consider that they're all being forced to pay £10pcm extra. Especially since it's the same £10pcm whether you take premium packages or not - I expect that uptake would increase if the HD sub was reduced for customers taking standard packages only.

We've also yet to see the results from the £49 Sky+HD box offer - it might be enough to sway some people, although there's still the matter of the expensive HD sub.

Then you've got the cost of the HDTV itself. It's obviously an awful lot cheaper to buy an HDTV nowadays, what with 32 inch sets available for under £300 - but that's still a lot of money compared to what a 32 inch CRT used to cost, before everywhere seemed to stop selling them.

I wonder how well Freesat HD boxes are selling. Hopefully well enough to destroy the myth that the majority of people interested in HD are mainly interested in HD movies and sports - i.e. those customers who already pay a heavy premium for their TV service. BBC HD isn't doing too badly, given that it receives almost no promotion - something like "available on iPlayer" is sorely needed for programmes also on BBC HD.

Also, VM *need* to invest in HD, as a priority, to try and grab the customers who aren't interested in paying a £10pcm premium. I don't really think it's worth them trying to take on the premium market, not as a priority anyway, because the £49 offer probably means that Sky will soon have most of that market cornered.

I look forward to the eventual arrival of ITV's HD content, although seeing as a similar announcement was made ages ago with regards to Channel 4's HD content I won't be holding my breath for *any* new HD! Which is a shame...

Sam

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Only 8.4%, you sure? Link please. :)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I'm sorry, but that's simply not true. When I was in retail 8 or so years ago, the basic 50hz Sony 'flatscreen' WEGA CRT was retailing around the £800 for the 32". You could buy a Samsung for around £500, and a no-name supermarket brand for £350-£400.

Now you can grab a genuine Sony 32" for easily less than £400. It's never been cheaper to own a big telly.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I found this interesting, a survey on HD conducted for Channel 4 (sections 6 and 8)

I think this shows that demand is there for high definition and it's quite interesting that people are interested in a lot of stuff that might not be the top priorities of enthusiasts. That or people haven't got a clue what they want, who knows.

Anyway I don't agree with calling High Definition a new market any more. Since about the middle of 2008 High Definition is gossiped about by non-enthusiasts whereas it wasn't before that. This suggests to me there's vast amounts of untapped potential. For VM this suggests to me they need about 6 HD channels to carry them into 2010 otherwise they're going to get slaughtered next year when freesat gets the content rammed up.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Hopefully we'll find something out tomorrow with the quartely review due.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Or not. With the broadband upgrade news and ITV on demand I'm a bit skeptical we'll hear that much at all. Sounds a bit too much good news at once to mask disappointment on the HD front. I think we'll get 1 HD channel, but miss the deadline on the other 2 or 3.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Based on the latest figures from Sky

http://corporate.sky.com/documents/0...eb126b6c09c7e1

The take up is 8.4%.

A lot of people have bought a new TV to replace the old CRT set and been more than happy with the freeview channels they get.

With the take up of HD being so small and VM being smaller than Sky anyway i'm not sure they can really afford to chuck money at HD without seeing the returns.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

8.4% is from a gigantic base of people. I just don't agree with playing the numbers game. When Sky+ HD breaks through a million in the next quarter or the one after there'll still be people saying that there aren't a million gazillion HD subscribers so HD is a niche product for lunatics with good eyesight. There'll still be people saying that when sky reaches 2 million HD subs.

I think sky's nearly 800 000 subs is good because
(a) of the £10 subs
(b) how pricey the box was until fairly recently
(c) the recession
(d) saturation of the market by PVRs already.

Non-enthusiasts mention HD quite often now to ask questions. They say something along the lines of I have already got/am getting a HD television how do I get some HD channels/ how many HD channels are on freesat/freeview/virgin media and then they get what is a very disappointing response to them of 1 (+1 red button service)/0/1. Oh they say, that's awfully disappointing I don't want to pay sky loads of money, I'll wait a few years in that case when BBC1/2/ITV/C4/Five are in HD. I don't think this is complete disinterest I think this is healthy interest, it's something people are interested in but don't want to pay a fortune for. I think the public are actually ahead of some of the broadcasters and waiting for the content. Broadcasters and providers are doing the classic in the information age of not providing any content (apart from sky) and then throwing a tantrum and saying bleakly that there's no interest because the public are skeptical about shelling out vast amounts of money for virtually non-existent content. We've seen this many times.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Actually, I was basing my comments about lack of interest on Sky's own figures.. However, I think the main problem that Virgin have (and they have hinted as much, but not directly said it) is simple. Sky. Sky have spent a fortune licencing channels for HD, and ensured they had exclusivity clauses put into the contracts.

I personally think that if our government is serious about ensuring competition in the pay and subscription TV market, they need to ensure these clauses are banned from ALL providers.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

My comments about HD content is not just as limited as you might think. With blu-rays people were not going to pay £23 for a BD of a tiny catalogue, now the content is getting out there and the price has dropped a lot people are buying them. High Definition games sold on XBOX 360 as the content was there, if it hadn't been that console would be dead. Their download service on theirs and other consoles is poor content wise and overpriced - so it's not doing roaring business. Just about whatever new idea someone has the first question the public ask is how much content is there. They are always skeptical of these things as companies usually take the biscuit releasing tiny amounts of content and vastly overpricing it.

I wasn't talking to you personally I was just saying the numbers game could carry on forever. People used to say similarly daft things about freeview as the numbers crept (faster past 2,3,5 million mark). I was talking about broadcasters as well as providers. The BBC are very behind the times in my opinion restricting themselves to 9hrs a day (which they haven't even quite reached yet) and just banging on the same repeats and thinking people will somehow magically watch a non-simulcast channel that is barely ever mentioned and is rammed full of repeats. Five had a virtual silence on HD until the other day where they've suddenly decided they'd like some of the action. ITV somehow manage to actually put on content that people want to watch on a platform virtually nobody could get.

While virgin are blocked out of many of the channels Virgin could surely have managed to bag ITV HD before now? Eurosport HD? The rate card needs looking at very badly. Unfortunately even some cable subscribers on discussions on this think that for example the Basic HD channels should not be included in the basic rate card. I think it's where virgin made a big mistake signing away their life till 2011 for the SD versions.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

ITV HD is exclusive to freesat as ITV are one of the backers of that service. Channel 4 HD isn't even on freesat but I thought they were one of the backers of freesat too !!

I'd love to see Eurosport HD on cable but i'm not sure the viewing figures for curling in HD would warrant the investment VM would to make to broadcast it

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It's not exclusive for very much longer though, however much people pretend - it's going on freeview this year. ITV are cash strapped and receptive to ideas, if virgin had waived some money in their face and explained that ITV HD would get all those extra viewers I'm sure ITV could have been brought round sooner than the probable announcement tomorrow about getting it.

C4 is similarly going onto freeview and onto freesat. Again 2009. More disturbingly virgin need to start talking to them if Film4 comes about in any format in 2010.

Eurosport is a proper channel showing proper content. People do actually watch it. It may not be everybody's cup of tea but neither is Sky1 my cup of tea and I don't go round knocking other people's tastes or proclaiming that as I don't watch it we shouldn't have it. Other people have other tastes, I will be thrilled for those with other tastes if we got sky1HD just as I will be if there's something I watch.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

What investment do they need to make, I'm sure when they added the extra capacity recently I'd hope they would have planned for HD

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I agree, what investment?

Basically VM appear dissinterested in HD - they appear very interested in all these pants +1 channels. The on demand gear is brilliant, although the HD stuff needs updating (no not movies). All in all they would rather have 50mb broadband which no one really needs, wants or could really take advantage of.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

The subject of the amount of people switching over to Sky for the H/D content, is being discussed on another thread called "I have switched"
Yet, you are right about VM being more interested in the 50Meg Internet.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Virgin are more interested in HD than you think!;)

Things will certainly get a lot better in the next 2 months thats all I shall say.

50MB is not all they are working on or care about!

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I, for one, would love to be able to believe you - but I've built up enough pessimism in the time I've been with VM to sink an aircraft carrier, and I've only been with them since last October! And anyway, they've left it so late that anything they do now is just going to be seen as playing catch up to Sky.

So what if they're secretly working on something amazing? Customers are losing faith, and that's not a position VM can afford to be in. They're being as secretive as Apple, yet not delivering - most tech companies that *do* deliver great stuff can't get away with being so secretive, so why do VM think they're anything special?

Well I should hope that they care about *all* their services, but I upgraded my broadband from L to XL 2 days ago and my internet is now significantly slower - so it seems that it's not just HD that VM appear to be ignoring!

Sam

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Bit of a brave thing to say 13hrs before the announcement we all know is coming!

Views vary from pessimistic that they'll be 0 HD channels for months to my own view that we will get 4 but they'll miss the deadline for some of them, right through to the (completely crazy) other end of the scale that the 15 Sky HD channels will somehow arrive in the not so distant future.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Allow me to be the pessimist then, and opine that investors will again be told that all manner of vague and fanciful things are "coming soon" - but nothing even so flimsy as the press release about Channel 4's HD content back in October 2007 will actually be announced.

I'd love for you to be able to feed me my words, though!

Sam

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I'm sure "coming soon" will be in there somewhere. We should take bets on word counts :D.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Well in that case, allow me to be the first to assure you that we'll hear "next generation *" at least three times! Funny how absolutely none of us "civilians" have any idea what that means, and also how VM never seem to elaborate...

Sam

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

What a announcement is this then?

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

VM's quarterly results are due today. They like to time big announcements like Sky Basics coming back or 50Mb broadband in these presentations. People are hoping its HD this time.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Even if they just did regular updates to the on demand HD stuff that would be a start,it's been the same content for months now.
No chance I know, but Sky sports HD would be a mouthwatering prospect!

---------- Post added at 09:09 ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 ----------

Out of interest does anyone actually need 50mb bb,apart from maybe business users?

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

vm have announced there fourth quarter results not a single reference to hd see here for the statement http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...781&highlight=

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

People that need to download illegal copies of movies and music using P2P.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

according to the latest figures from VM there are 521,500 V+ users of of 3.6m which is 14.4% so higher than on Sky but some of those users could be just using the service for the DVR side of things and not the upscaling \ HD side

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Danny85: It's the conference call at 1pm that usually yields the interesting stuff :)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

well here is for hoping am not holding my breath though

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I think they will mention HD! Puely becuase of what they said a while ago. I doubt even VM will go back on what they said when it was so open and public. I doubt though we will get all 4 HD channels as promised. My best guess CHN4 HD and ITV HD (or am i being utterly naieve lol)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Nothing new then really on the HD front...

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Asked a serious question about regulation by a questioner with some sense

Neil Burkett.

The level of some of the people running this company :blah:

I didn't catch the first fifteen minutes so maybe there was some mention in there of HD. Otherwise virgin media are a bunch of liars, let the exodus start now :td:.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

They just mentioned that Ofcom are investigating sky and there distribution of HD channels. A mention of May/June when the outcome maybe be clearer then. No mention of the HD channels that were supposed to be here in the first 3 months of 09 and yet more news on VOD.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I'm not impressed. The second paytv consultation was published recently. I can't see where he gets that May/June date from, it's clear it will probably drag on well into next year.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I have to say i'm rather dissapointed. I fully understand that it's a very small % of us that have V+ boxes but VM don't seem to understand that until they increase their HD list they won't be encouraging any more people to upgrade.

It's a vivious circle!

I really wanted to hear comfirmation of the HD channels that had been promised... i guess we can forget them now!

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Yep, I think you're right Mobes. Fairly obvious that linear HD channels are completely off the menu for VM. What I don't understand is, why promise 4 by Q1 09? That's just setting yourself up for a fall!

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Well i have to say it that was teh dumbist thing virign could have done they should have onyl said that if they had contracts signed for them but they onyl 1 for ch4 hd and that is the onyl one i tihnk we will see by 1st 09 btw 1st 09 for virgin ends in april i think

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I'm more than disappointed, I'm furious. Well not that furious as I was expecting 1 HD channel and then to be vague about when precisely the others were coming. But not even fulfilling that.

What I can't understand is why switch Gold off analogue, on demand uses a totally different bit of their spectrum? What the smeg have they used it on?

I suppose the only left hope is that they will launch one of them but they'll randomly launch it one day and not tell anybody about it in true Telewest/VM style.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

What was wrong with his response?

He gave a serious answer. In that, he really has no clue, and neither does anyone else, and that trying to give a date is pointless.

He really can't predict when ofcom will announce any sort of decision, and if he tries to put a time line to it when it undoubtedly passes due to appeal after appeal after delay he'll get lambasted for making promises that we'd have sky's HD channels by then.

I'd say the questioner had zero sense, as his question was never going to get a real answer, simply because one doesn't exist for it. You can't judge with any degree of accuracy when things like this will be settled, it is basically in the alignment of the planets.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It wasn't a serious answer and that was my problem with it. It is a serious question session for investors, journalists and so on listening in and the guy just treats us with contempt. Behaving like that is inappropriate, a journalist of investor with any balls should rip into the man for giving such a mickey mouse answer.

Ofcom have just published, it was perfectly possible for him to quote bits of it and give an answer based on facts. He didn't.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It was a serious answer.

The question was, when can we expect to get hold of Sky's content (actually, the guy asking just said premier league football, which means nothing, as we have sky sports with the exception of match choice, so he didn't even ask a coherent question).

The answer to that is impossible to say, and that was the response he got.

You seem to have an issue with the use of the phrase "how long is a piece of string", but it's one that gets thrown around a fair bit in meetings, especially on questions as open ended and so open to debate as that one.

He wasn't treating the listener with contempt, but pointing out that it's an issue he really has no control over, and as such isn't in line to make a prediction on it.

As for the latest Ofcom publication, it's entirely irrelevant to being able to answer the question, as all that was published was the responses from the interested parties to the latest round of consults. Ofcom have not made any sort of publication that indicates how they feel on the issue, or what sort of time frame they feel they need to look into it, so none of it is relevant.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

So are we still expecting CHN4 HD Andrew? I'm a tad confused now.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

we have been expedctign it for 15 months ;) i aint going to say much for a few reasons most of them personal

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

O.K :)

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It's madness, if a deal has been signed for Channel4 HD, surely VM would be shouting about it? Honestly, I've never seen such a haphazard way of conducting business.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It does seem a bit pathetic! Ignoring the Sky HD channels that still leaves CHN4 HD, ITV HD, EUROSPORT HD, Discovery, FX, MTV etc.... are we REALLY saying that VM has or cannot negotiate/afford/be arsed to put a couple of these channels on their system??????

It beggars belief TBH with you.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

C4 HD and ITV HD will be on freeview in the not so distant future. C4 will be on freesat. If they don't fix this pronto it's going to be a very large joke indeed. You can't realistically have less than what's going to be FTA on two other platforms.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I rang them up earlier on to discuss a quote for keeping my BB 10MB (old L, new L?) and Phone XL and cancelling my XL TV as am moving just my TV to SKY+HD. the guy on the phone said we're getting ITV HD in March and Discovery in March/April, and he was vague about any others.

Is this the standard "carrot on a string" practice from VM Customer Services? I don't know. So I'll hang around till 2nd June as supposedly that's when my contract is up, the date my V+ got installed and hopefully some of this will come true........

With Sky:
SKY+HD, variety pack (equivalent to XL) + 8MB BB, Unlimited Phone comes to £56.25, £8 more than what I pay at NTL but hey I think it's worth it for the HD

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

That's a good point. Demeted. VM will then be seen as a lesser platform than the others if it happens.

I know HD users are in the minority BUT if your platform doesn't have HD (whioch lets face it is the future of broadcasting) then it will feel a very archaic one... and the markets don't like a backward thinkning company!

Also VOD is all well and good but if it doesn't have a decent amount of HD content on it then it too will seem backward very quickly.

---------- Post added at 15:12 ---------- Previous post was at 15:10 ----------

Seems to me that the CSR's are asked to say or off their own backs say pretty much anyting that comes into their heads.... they're probably as in the dark as Neil Berkett seems to be.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

The problem is naming ITV HD in March is almost plausible. Last time I checked my ITV Net Player upgrade still had nothing in tv choice. So there's further work to be done there so why not ITV HD?

The thing is though say it's true, why aren't they shouting it from the rooftops?

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I was pretty hopeful a couple of months back.. i'm just ****ed off now lol...

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I'm going to see out my contract and then I'm off to Sky. I like Virgin, it's a shame that they have their heads fixed firmly up their anal passages.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

You're lucky you have the choice :)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I have the choice but won't be going to Sky. I've posted before my reasons for sticking with VM and they're still relevant today. Here's what I posted on my blog back in September:

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Film 4 wnt an HD version...waddya reackon the chances VM will have it? ;) lol

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Well bang goes another VM HD fantasy, the fact nothing has been mentioned since Burketts boast on 15/12/08 of three or four HD channels in the next three or four months, had me doubting they would materialize.
Listening to his "rosie" blather about VMTV on the subject of HD, I had to laugh as he said "we are not going to let our competitors build a competitive advantage in the HD area".:nutter:
What on earth does he call our paltry HD content compared to Sky's ever growing 31 plus HD channels??? I expect in his deluded mind VM is hot on the heels of Sky. No doubt he'll announce another HD fantasy soon just to keep as many VM customers on board in the hope he can pull a rabbit out of his backside.
Well not me Mr Burkett, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

On questioning the availability of HD products via the virginmedia twitter channel, they replied :- "There are some exciting things planned which we are still working on - look out for announcements we'll be making in due course".

Don't hold your breath though!

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Does 'in due course' mean slower or faster than 'coming soon'?

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Amuse.

Yet another pathetic HD response from Virgin. Having had our V+ box for nearly 2 years now and an endless string of broken promises I'll believe any HD channel launches when I tune into them on my V+.

Pathetic.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Wholeheartedly agree with you, ShadowTD.. the 'jam tomorrow' approach that VM are taking with HD is nothing short of ridiculous.

If I could have Sky fitted, I would. :(

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

HD TV is a great system and the quality superb. There is a drawback however in my case and I presume all VM users of the V+ box are the same. When I set my Box to HD and, of course, the Mirai LCD TV also ,I am unable to Record to VCR or DVD Recorder and not even able to send AV to other rooms in the house. This I am told is due to regulations which require the Box to be fitted with "Blockers" as indeed is the case with BBCi, they too prevent any recording of the content and state this if one tries. One major problem with VM is that they do not mention this when one contacts them to take the system nor can they offer any solution to the lack of use of Volume Control on the V+ Remote as they have no contact with the manufacturer of the remotes, a firm in Morocco.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

You cannot record HD on to an analogue VCR or an analogue DVD recorder. You need digital equipment to record onto. This I think is your problem with trying to record in HD.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

That's not entirely true. The V+ *is* capable of storing HD content on DVD/VCR, it just scales the content down to standard def. So, it will archive the content, it just won't be high def anymore.

It is true, however, that the TV scart is disabled when using HD.This is due to the fact the the box uses thesame decoder hardware for both the TV scart and HDMI output and can't output both SD and HD at the same time as much as any legal requirements.

The correct way to hook up any DVD/VCRs or TV senders is to use the VCR scart.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

re Old Boy & StuartC replies. Many thanks for the help. I have used the info. and have now recorded from the V+ onto the VCR OK. Also have found that I needed to use the Scart 1 on the LCD TV to connect to the TV Scart on the V+ Box and the Scart 2 on TV to copy to other Boxes from the VCR scart on the VM V+ . Previously I was the using the TV Scarts in the reverse order. Again my thanks for the help.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It's the one thing I'm sceptical about switching for - the archival capabilities of DVD / VHS haven't yet been matched for BluRay / HD-DVD. BluRay recorders in Japan are more than £2k, and no HDMI. :(

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Thankyou Turkey Machine for the info re VM V+ and the relative Scart actions. It helped me to understand that TV Scart is best used out of HD for all purposes, even the Mute/volume on the Remote Control is rendered useless in HD. As the HD cannot be seen on VCR or DVD there is no point in doing so. Thanks.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

************** NEWS FLASH **************


Virgin media announce HD channels coming soon but more than likely in the year 2012 which of course clashes with the Mayan calendar's end of the earth preditction.

Oh well! I guess we haven't missed much or VM would have given it's paying customers what they want!

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Looks like the BBC i-player is going HD. It's certainly a step in the right direction. I wonder how long it will take before we can see it on Virgin Media? Full story here http://www.techradar.com/news/televi...rom-bbc-575351.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

How long is a piece of string :)

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Neil Berkett will no doubt say "in three or four months", or course as the time passes we the customer will hear absolutely bupkis until the deadline approaches where surprise surprise we'll be let down...again.:shocked:

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Posted this in the news thread, but though it may be of interest to this one....

Source: Digitalspy.co.uk

Read More here

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Yep working on is virgins new word for coming soon.:D

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

:D

I know Telewest & NTL: had "coming soon" tatooed on them and customers got fed up of the statement, but I feel this something different, they are genuinely interested in getting HD on there for the customers... :)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Can it honeastly be that difficult to lob a couple of HD channels on???? I mean really...seriously???

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It obviously is isn't it... otherwise we'd have them! :D They need to get a decent amount of channels in HD to sell it as a pack, otherwise they'd be wasting their time if they got just a couple and tried to charge for them.. :)

Plus, don't forget Sky had done deals with some of the broadcasters for exlusive access for a period of time and they also have their own channels in HD, which they hadn't offfered to VM on favourable terms due to wanting an edge over VM. :)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

It is.. While the actual act of putting on the channel should be relatively easy (a lot of Virgin's channels are taken from the Sky feed and repackaged), the contracts involved can mae things difficult. Especially as Sky have a lot to lose if Virgin get a lot of HD, so will probably have negotiated exclusive contracts with most of their channels. If you don't think they'd play dirty like that, they did when Channel 4 went free-to-air.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

I think it's £100 to install and £5 a month. Anyone know when they will bring down their prices?

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O.k, i accpet what you've said. So then why don't VM tell us that. I mean from the bits and pieces i have read VM have never told "us" the non-Sky HD channels are exclusive to Sky at the moment so bare with us 'cos it might be a while - but still we have ther "soon" and "maybe" etc etc... just be honest!

It juts seems such a simply thing to get at least Chn4 HD ITV1 HD :lol: but what do i know :p

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Bit like the new word for printing money at the bank of england is quantative easing :D:D Only easier to say.:D

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Sky viewers can get 32 channels of HD this week, as after the EPG update just rolling, ITV HD may be tuned in manually. It's not on the EPG but now available by a simple "add channel" feature....

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

33 or 34 if you're going to count like that. Sky already officially added Sky Arts 2 days back and are quietly busy testing Nat Geo Wild. Depends what your definition is really.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Sky are not the only source of HD channels and nor do they have exclusive rights with all the HD providers. This is just an excuse.

On the latter point, all VM would have to do is to agree to have a different version of, say, Discovery HD, and this would solve the problem. I seem to recall that about a decade ago there was a different version of one of the channels and this had something to do with rights.

I don't believe for one moment that Sky have a stranglehold over all HD programmes ever made!

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

That would obviously depend on the terms/wording of the "exclusive" contract. to use your descovery example, if the contract said.....

"Discovery HD must only be broadcast in the UK on the sky platform untill XYZ"

Then VM and vrigin could launch say Discovery prime HD (a symocast of discovery prime as appose to a full channel called DiscoveryHD)

BUT if it said....

"ALL HD channels from Discovery europe broadcast in the UK must only beon the sky platform untill XYZ"

then VM would bee stuck and could not get any HD channel froom Discovery europe untill XYZ

:)

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

How much of Sky Arts 2 (or 1, for that matter) actually is HD? Not much from what I can see.
Wonder how long before Sky News goes HD? I watched US news channels in HD last year and it really is jarring when they cut from the HD studio to crap quality SD footage.
I think there's an actual limit to the amount of channels that can go HD, and Sky's fast approaching it - it'll be years before all those repeats channels (UKTV etc) can even consider going HD. The limit would be around 50 by my calculation - the main absentees at the moment being BBC1-4, ITV 1-2, Five, E4, More4 and Film4. Other than those, there's not enough HD programming around to fill schedules for channels.

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Wake me up when Sky Filth HD starts lol ;)

H

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

Surely channel 4 hd would be a non chargeable channel,i believe vm had an option to take it,also itv may soon be available to put on the vm platform those are two that could be added without charge surely,i know itv was exclusive to freesat but surely that must be coming to an end sometime.?

I have seen people make claims that sky have done exclusive deals with hd content providers many times on this and other sites,notably ds,has anyone actually been able to provide concrete poof this is the case? or if it is have those deals actually now expired, surely if that were the case vm may have made a submission to the competition comission by now or ofcom to claim it is unfair on other platforms ie being denied access to hd channels. After all they were prepared to go to court over the sky basics issue.

Ofcom are conducting a review of pay tv part one has already been done,part two is happening now cannot remember though whether vm have submitted they are being denied access to hd though i know part two focuses on premium content.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond...paytv/summary/

If vm are being denied access perhaps we the customers should at least be told even if nobody is prepared even to look into it.:confused::confused:

---------- Post added at 13:00 ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 ----------

Here is a vm press release from 2007, in the article it refers to having an option way back in 2007 to carry the linear channel 4 hd so presumably vm could have had it on by now.;)



http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...314&highlight=

Re: The VM HD Discussion Thread
 

i dont use forum alot but i just like to say virgin media bbc hd thats one channel they now that customers would love more hd channels so what do they do they go and supply use with more hd channels filmflex and they have the bloody cheek to make us pay for it well out of order so in the end we still have one thats what i think anyways thank you for reading.