Cable Forum - General How Virgin TV works

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BenMcr

19-08-2014 10:34

How Virgin TV works

How Virgin Media's TV service works by The Regsiter

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08...r_to_the_sofa/

Quote:

Leading UK cable network operator Virgin Media has allowed The Register exclusive access to its broadcast operation, which delivers TV, movies and other services over its Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC) network to millions of customers throughout the UK.

joglynne

19-08-2014 11:09

Re: How Virgin TV works

Thanks for the link Ben. It lost me about halfway down page 2 but seeing all the kit VM use was an eye opener.

spiderplant

19-08-2014 14:01

Re: How Virgin TV works

What an excellent article.

Those of you who think launching channels involves "just pressing a button", please take note. :)

denphone

19-08-2014 14:23

Re: How Virgin TV works

Yes there are a few of those on this forum.:naughty::dig:

Bofrok

19-08-2014 14:33

Re: How Virgin TV works

Interesting read, thanks for posting.

Stop It

19-08-2014 14:40

Re: How Virgin TV works

Great read, and the sheer amount of hardware just to get TV to our doors is quite staggering, much more than I was expecting really.

pk1	19-08-2014 16:35

Re: How Virgin TV works

Very interesting thanks a lot

Stephen

19-08-2014 18:56

Re: How Virgin TV works

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stop It (Post 35722988)

Great read, and the sheer amount of hardware just to get TV to our doors is quite staggering, much more than I was expecting really.

Makes you realise how much effort actually goes in to running the network and maintaining it.

Never mind upgrading it or adding new channels.

Nedkelly

19-08-2014 22:59

Re: How Virgin TV works

Great post and see some of the kit i work with :)

johnathome

20-08-2014 01:48

Re: How Virgin TV works

With this bit on page 5

Quote:

“Given how we carve up that spectrum today, you can allocate about 300 SD channels and probably around 60-70 for HD. Broadly speaking our content is MPEG2 and we have the ability in the future to move to MPEG4, and get the efficiencies that come with that.”

Is he saying that's the maximum VM could output today, without changing to MPEG4?

If so, how close are we to that?

spiderplant

20-08-2014 09:13

Re: How Virgin TV works

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnathome (Post 35723129)

Is he saying that's the maximum VM could output today, without changing to MPEG4?

Yes. But there are also other options apart from changing MPEG4, as he alludes to a bit further down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnathome (Post 35723129)

If so, how close are we to that?

Currently at about 270 SD and 60 HD.

Pauls9

20-08-2014 09:52

Re: How Virgin TV works

Wow - and that's only part 1!

Thanks Ben

BenMcr

20-08-2014 10:08

Re: How Virgin TV works

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pauls9 (Post 35723152)

and that's only part 1!

Currently debating to myself whether part two is going to be about Virgin Media, or whether The Register are going to trying to do a per platform feature e.g. part 1 is VM, part 2 is Sky, part 3 is Freeview

steveh

20-08-2014 10:16

Re: How Virgin TV works

So everything taken off satellite is reencoded?

MutleyF

20-08-2014 10:36

Re: How Virgin TV works

Enjoyed reading that ...

didn't understand a word of it, but enjoyed it!

spiderplant

20-08-2014 13:36

Re: How Virgin TV works

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveh (Post 35723160)

So everything taken off satellite is reencoded?

Only HD channels, and maybe a few obscure ones like Euronews, are re-encoded.

Rankrotten

21-08-2014 22:48

Re: How Virgin TV works

I thought I read a while back that Virgin recieved an uncompressed HD feed direct from Sky which was encoded and send down the network, apparently not if the Reg are correct.

During Saturday's free Sky Sports day I compared the same Sky Sports HD channels via Sky+HD and TiVo flicking back and forth between providers on the same TV. The HD channels via Sky on satellite are noticeably superior in clarity to the equivalent carried on Virgin which would confirm that they are re-encoded by VM.

BenMcr

22-08-2014 15:10

Re: How Virgin TV works

Part 2
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08...to_the_server/

Quote:

In this second part, we pick up the story on how the customer tech interacts with what’s on offer, and what’s in store for the future – from the sofa to the server.

Bofrok

22-08-2014 21:46

Re: How Virgin TV works

Thanks Ben, another interesting read. Part 2 came round quicker than I thought.

Mad Max

23-08-2014 00:31

Re: How Virgin TV works

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bofrok (Post 35723692)

Thanks Ben, another interesting read. Part 2 came round quicker than I thought.

Common complaint from many wives I gather.....:D

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