Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

A copy of a letter to Neil Berkett. No doubt I will get a bland, non-commital response from his team.

I will let people know the answer if anyone is interested...

Dear Mr Berkett and your team,

Sky basic channels

I have resisted emailing you since the Sky Sports/Movies HD channel launch on Virgin because I really wanted to give Virgin a chance to back-up its press release claims that it has “the option of carrying any of Sky's basic HD channels”
(source: http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...556&highlight=) This was announced on 4 June 2010, and to date the following Sky basic HD channels are still to appear on Virgin Media:

• Sky Sports News HD
• Sky News HD
• Sky Arts 1 HD
• Sky Arts 2 HD

These are all within Sky’s basic package range. As Virgin has an option of carrying these, why are you depriving your customers of these channels?

In the very same press release, Virgin said: “New carriage agreements will secure wholesale distribution of Sky's basic channel line-up, including Sky1 and Sky Arts, and the newly acquired VMtv channels, on Virgin Media's cable TV service”

Why is Sky Atlantic, and Sky Atlantic HD being allowed to be a Sky exclusive channel? Sky Atlantic is free to all Sky customers, and therefore is a Sky basic channel. Virgin have a wholesale distribution agreement for Sky’s basic channel line-up. Therefore you have a wholesale agreement for Sky Atlantic, and by definition therefore, Sky Atlantic HD.

I am intrigued as to why these six channels (counting Sky Atlantic and Sky Atlantic HD as separate channels) are not on Virgin Media (from 1 Feb 2011). Your press release of June 2010 states you have the option and carriage agreements to have these channels, so why are they not available? Was the negotiation of the deal for the sale of the VMtv channels so poor on Virgin’s part that what you thought and claimed to have signed in June 2010 turned out to be very different to the actual terms and conditions?

Sky Sports red button

The very same press release of June 2010 states: “Virgin Media will make available through its on-demand TV service a range of content from Sky's basic and premium channels, including the newly acquired VMtv channels. Virgin Media will also have access to red button interactive sports coverage and the opportunity to deliver selected standard definition programming over the internet.”

When will the red button facility become available to Virgin customers? I presume that the Virgin negotiators ensured that Virgin customers will get the full service rather than a watered down service? This was seven months ago – why have Virgin been idle for seven months?

Sky Sports 3 & 4 in HD, plus Sky 3D

I realise that Sky are not obligated (via Ofcom) to provide these channels to Virgin. However, have you and your team tried to explore avenues whereby Virgin could provide these channels at an incremental cost? Whilst more expensive, surely giving subscribers the option is of benefit to all concerned – the subscriber, Virgin (happier subscribers, no cost as the fee is passed straight to Sky) and Sky who will receive extra revenue from this arrangement.

I look forward to hearing from you or one of your team soon – and more importantly I look forward to Virgin carrying the Sky basic HD channels in the very near future.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

your wasting your time, good email, but chance of a satisfactory answer, ??????? nil.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I do hope that you did not send that email with the red text as above as it looks a bit strange and possibly could stop someone from actually taking time to read the text.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Good questions!!!

Nice one...

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Chartwell is asking a lot of commercially sensitive questions from VM, also comes across a little rude/patronising? :o:

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

What, did people think that the deal would cover all future Sky basic channel launches? Seriously?

Sky Atlantic didn't even exist when VM did the deal with Sky.

To be honest, I'm surprised that people are surprised. What business would do a deal with a rival which gives that rival access for future content/products as soon as their released?

Its like Sony asking Microsoft for Fable Basics on the PS3, and then being annoyed 3 months later when Fable III launches as an exclusive for the Xbox 360.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

He/She is a paying customer like the rest of us. He/She has the right to ask what direction Virgin Media are going in terms of TV.

And just lately Virgin seem to be standing still, so I am with the op as it has plenty of valid points.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Do agree with some of the comments myself and its does appear that vm in terms of tv are starting to take the wrong direction again and seem to be concentrating solely on tivo and trying to get more money out of us v+ customers,Doesnt matter how good tivo looks it needs the channels to support it and at the minute it is looking like sky is controlling what channels we have and dont.Sky have the technology but they have the channels to support it and they appear to grasp that is what customers want more than vm at the min,I really do hope i am wrong

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Looking forward to seeing their reply, didn't realise it was as far back as June they promised a lot of that. Pathetic! Great e mail mate

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Excellent email , the majority of these issues have been raised more than once on here. Let us know if they bother to reply.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

VM have the option to not respond - and perhaps it is slightly patronising, but when a company takes seven months to deliver on its promises, perhaps stakeholders are entitled to be somewhat frustrated, as VM could be seen as holding customers in contempt by saying one thing and not delivering.

VM said in their press release the wholesale agreement covered any of Sky's basic HD channels. As for SD, they claim a wholesale agreement for Sky's basic channel line-up, of which Sky Atlantic is about to be one of them.

As I intimated, perhaps VM thought any meant any, and the basic line-up meant the basic line-up, but their lawyers ballsed up and it doesn't mean anything of the sort.

This has been discussed many times on here by many of us who know nothing of the details. I have asked the people that know. Of course they will only disclose what they want to, and I suspect I will be none the wiser. It cannot hurt to (a) ask the question and (b) register my displeasure at the below par tv offering from VM.

As for your analogy, that isn't quite analogous as Fable III is not a basic product free to all Xbox subscribers like Sky Atlantic is for Sky. If Xbox gamers got Fable and all of the future Fable games for free as part of a "Xbox basic" package and Sony secured access to this package for their PS3 gamers too, then Sony would be entitled to be agrieved if the Xbox basic package changed to have a game different to Fable, but the PS3 gamers were left with nothing. The Xbox basic pack still exists, but the ingredients have changed.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I did ask the question above about certain sections being highlighted in red, now did you do that in the email or have you left it black as per normal as that would look more professional and that would probably get a better response as you have asked valid questions.:)

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Now that you have pointed that I am sure they will be kicking themselves for not having thought of it before.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

To true. :)

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

If you are a Sky subscriber, don't you have to pay £10.25 per month to access the HD versions of packs you are on?

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I can't see the demand or urgency to allocate bandwidth to either of the news channels in HD, Sky Arts could possibly merit it but I doubt the viewing figures for the SD versions are large enough either. Somehow I doubt any of those channels would be particularly expensive to carry in HD so the logically the reason has to be technical.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

How can one define the worth of a deal which involves a channel and related content which doesn't exist yet? Sure, Sky knew SA was coming, but their under no obligation to tell VM about it.

Sky know that the TV content gap between them and VM is closing (partly thanks to the latest deal) so......this was always going to happen. I didn't expect SSN HD or Sky News HD on Cable anytime soon (they weren't even mentioned in VM's press releases by name) and I didn't expect SA either in any definition.

However (and I should have said this eariler), I agree with the rest of your letter wholeheartedly. I watching SS1 now and it would be nice if I could press red and select a match. Ho-Hum, I've have to settle for Chelsea screwing up....again.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I think the OP, as a paying customer has every right to ask all of those questions, to be frank the tone is no better or worse than some of my dealings with VM's call centre staff. I probably wouldn't have typed in red but if that means they don't reply, which I am sure it dosen't, it really says a lot about VM. I thought VM love red anyway, they are always sending me garish emails plastered in red!

However Berkett's office are the only people at VM I have found to be fully competent in sorting things out so I have no doubt they will answer the email even if the OP, and us, don't like the answer.

The only real gripe I have is regarding Sky Arts HD as VM actually said it was coming soon, they never said the other channels were and it simply isn't good enough to still be waiting around 6 months later. They shouldn't say these things if they cannot deliver them in a timely fashion, or at least update people with a reason for the delay.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

l will never go to Sky but l agree totally with the questions that need to be answered by Virgin, so far we have been waiting 7 months and still nothing has happened with regards to what has been mentioned in the original question, people are not happy and Virgin need to understand this or else they will lose customers in the end.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Which comes back to my point in the Tivo thread about managing expectations. VM need to learn that it is better not to promise something that really isn't coming soon. As for VM call centre staff, I have only ever found them polite and helpful. The only thing I can say against them is the indian call centres sometimes take longer to sort something than the UK staff and are perhaps over polite.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I think the OP has every right to ask the questions of Virgin, he/she is a paying customer who has been promised much ,but so little delivered in 7 months!
VM are terrible at communicating with there customers about this sort of thing, surely they can update there customers on something they promised 7 months ago?

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

In my experience with Mr Berkett's office, it's more likely to get a response if you print it out and post it - email can be a bit hit and miss.
I'm surprised the much-lauded contracts with Sky were so loose that they allowed Sky to close so quickly a majority of the VM channels and launch a "new" channel in their place that they could withhold. I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that the rebranding of Living hasn't led to that being denied us too. The whole deal now looks like a big con for VM customers - thank god we got Sky 1 HD. I don't expect to see the other Sky basics in HD coming our way any time soon now.
So no more Bravo, Bravo+1, Bravo 2, Channel One, Channel One+1, Challenge Jackpot - and nothing to compensate, whereas Sky customers get Atlantic. If I'd passed a contract through my office that was so open to abuse by the other party I'd be hung, drawn and quartered

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Like many of the above issues, most likely due to "feet dragging" on Sky's part. Last I heard of the Sports Interactive red button content is that it it should finally emerge early this year.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I think vm need to be upfront and tell us why these channels have not started broadcasting on their platform. i believe they got a crap deal which looked good on the main points but the small print said different. if i was one of the negotiators i would hang my head in shame and quit , but they won't do that. as for the channels that were sold to sky, it seemed everybody apart from the negotiators knew that sky would shut most down soon after buying them. the wait between the announcement of these channels and actually getting them is terrible, if the bbc did this there would be outrage, could you imagine them telling us that doctor who is coming soon and then not screening it till 9 months later. you never know vm might surprise us with a big announcement saying these channels will be starting soon, again!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

It amazes me that so many VM customers automatically assume that so many problems are caused by Sky. I am sure they are not the easiest people to deal with but they can't cause everything.

I have read, whether it's true or not, that VM are carrying out upgrades to facilitate the red button and this seems a far more logical reason for any delay given the time they seem to take on pretty much everything they do. It was VM themselves who announced months ago that red button access was part of the VMtv sale. And remember free caller ID from February 2011?, that has been canned because of 'technical problems'.

This is a sidenote but I got an email from VM in November 2010 informing me of the upgrade to upload speeds, which is great. The trouble is, for me at least, is when I enquired when I can expect the upgrade I was told it would be in August 2011. Perhaps it would be better to tell me personally a bit nearer the time instead of 9 months before I am getting it.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

And they have every right not to respond. I hope they do respond to be honest :)

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Why do you think they have every right not to respond to a paying customer raising concerns?

Genuine question, I'm just interested.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Because if its commercially sensitive information that they do not want to release.

Believe me i am with you on this i would like to see the answers to, However if any of those questions are deemed as commercially sensitive then i think they will not respond and have a right not to if there is valid reasons

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

They can still respond though if only to confirm that they cannot answer those questions which of course is fair enough if they have a valid reason.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Agreed

When i said not respond i did not mean completely i meant with answer to the specific questions

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

Fair enough but I am sure they would respond anyway, they are on the ball in that department in my experience.

Re: Sky Atlantic, Red button, Sports 3&4(HD), Sky 3D
 

I'm sure the OP will get a courteous responce, but may not get the answers they want.