[Jong1]

Why is it that only Virgin seem to get perpetually stuck with these horrible rights issues. Soon it will kill them dead if they are not careful.

I have just subscribed to Netflix (for their exclusive new show, House of Cards). Here is what I can do:

- watch ALL their shows (not some handful of ancient/foreign/plain awful shows) on any number of devices and PCs I want. All I have to do is log on.

- currently I have Netflix on 2 Samsung Smart TVS, my iphone, iPad and 2 PCs. No ridiculous device limit. no problem.

- as I move from device to device I can instantly pick up every show/boxset from where I left it minutes/hours/days ago. I can start watching on one TV in the kitchen and then leave the house or move to the living room and watch via my HTPC from the exact same spot. All seemless.

What Virgin should have done BEFORE LAUNCH OF TV ANYWHERE is get similar access to all their channels and content.

As I understand it the traditional TV Networks and producers are very protective of the "Old-Fashioned" TV distribution system of which cable is a part. They should be receptive to any cable channel wanting to keep people subscribing in the traditional manor to cable services, rather than defecting to "over the top services" for a greatly improved user experience. If they are prepared to let Netflix show Downton, The Killing, etc. etc. without all these crazy limits surely Virgin must be able to get the same. It seems Virgin just do not try hard enough or do not understand the importance of getting this right.

To get over the "one device at a time" issue I could see Virgin allowing you to buy extra simultaneous device rights in a similar way to the way they offer additional boxes now. Each additional box in your home gives you one extra simultaneous device permission and if you need more (e.g. you only have one box in your home, but you want to be able to watch on your phone, while your family are watching at home) you can subscribe without a physical box.