Cable Forum - View Single Post - TiVo Sky VS Virgin Media

ocav · 08-12-2013, 22:28

So... Due to the price increase I've had to switch to Sky for TV only, however there is not many comparisons to the services online except for professional reviews which haven't really been given the chance to go in depth.

CHANNELS

First up, the channels available. Arguably Sky have more channels, however in terms of channels with reasonable quality programming and following, they are pretty much the same. The main downfall here is the HD side of things. Virgin are obviously missing Sky Atlantic and the Sky Sports HD channels, however there are a view channels which are a pleasure to see in HD for the first time.

History HD, Lifetime HD, Universal HD, CI HD, Disney HD, MGM HD, and Sky News/Sports News HD are arguably the most missed channels currently on the VM platform (excluding the ones listed above) however there are a few small SD channels which im sure would be of interest to a few including Trace Sports, Pop, PopGirl, a few music channels that are still missing from VM.

However to counteract that, Scottish viewers cannot access STV HD on Sky and Ginx TV (arguably popular within the gaming community) is not available on Sky.

Regards Atlantic, I will admit I have watched it since switching, for a HBO Film which I enjoyed, but nothing else in the coming 7 days really made me want to keep watching the channel.

The Virgin EPG is a lot nicer, due to the smaller volume of channels, the EPG is neat and the order of channels is much better. However the HD swap on Sky is useful. Virgins EPG with a HD Swap would be perfect imo.

Overall since the additions this year by Virgin Media, its is very difficult to base a decision on the channels unless you are a Sports Fan or a Game of Thrones fan.

PICTURE QUALITY

Many of us now want superb picture quality through their television, you've bought a Full HD TV, you want to feel the HD. Sky win hands down in HD. The picture quality is crystal clear and near BluRay quality on my TV. This is only a comparison on HD channels shared by both platforms.

On Virgin Media my favourite channels in terms of picture quality were Comedy Central HD, Discovery HD and Cartoon Network HD. These channels look a lot better on Sky.

However, Sky does not handle SD very well. Sky 2 is appalling. The Tivo handled upscaling so much better and this is still quite important when a few channels are still only available in SD.

Overall, Sky wins for channels in HD, but the Tivo upscaling capability is hands down the best.

BOX SPEED

Not a long descriptive one, but Sky wins hands down.

ON DEMAND/CONNECTED SERVICES

Virgins Tivo wins hands down in this field. Netflix, YouTube, and Connected Red Button are seriously important applications in the modern connected world. The On Demand service is very good as it is instant and the different programming available through all available services makes the Tivo service a complete winner.

However On Demand on Sky is very good and has been thought through. Downloading and making it accessible in the Planner (My Shows) is very useful and makes you use it more.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Sky Go is fantastic, the fact that it allows access to the Sport channels and Movies On Demand really is the winner on this. These services are very important for Live Sports and On Demand Entertainment.

Virgin TV Anywhere does have more channels, and having BT Sports is its main one up on the competitor in this field, although the TV Anywhere app does need an On Demand facility to make it more worth while.

However the remote record, tv control and search facilities on TV Anywhere are much better than the Sky+ app (which is a separate app to Sky Go unlike TV Anywhere).

OVERALL

Each service has its ups and downs, and after experiencing both I really cannot conclude for my own preferences.

Sky - Wins Sports Fans and those who Love HD
Virgin - Wins those not bothered about the quality of the channels but like access to services like Netflix. Movies fans.

Obviously this can change very easily with just a few changes. At the moment, im torn, and it wouldn't take much to bring me back at the end of my Sky contract.

08-12-2013, 22:28	#1
ocav Inactive Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 641	Sky VS Virgin Media - Comparison So... Due to the price increase I've had to switch to Sky for TV only, however there is not many comparisons to the services online except for professional reviews which haven't really been given the chance to go in depth. CHANNELS First up, the channels available. Arguably Sky have more channels, however in terms of channels with reasonable quality programming and following, they are pretty much the same. The main downfall here is the HD side of things. Virgin are obviously missing Sky Atlantic and the Sky Sports HD channels, however there are a view channels which are a pleasure to see in HD for the first time. History HD, Lifetime HD, Universal HD, CI HD, Disney HD, MGM HD, and Sky News/Sports News HD are arguably the most missed channels currently on the VM platform (excluding the ones listed above) however there are a few small SD channels which im sure would be of interest to a few including Trace Sports, Pop, PopGirl, a few music channels that are still missing from VM. However to counteract that, Scottish viewers cannot access STV HD on Sky and Ginx TV (arguably popular within the gaming community) is not available on Sky. Regards Atlantic, I will admit I have watched it since switching, for a HBO Film which I enjoyed, but nothing else in the coming 7 days really made me want to keep watching the channel. The Virgin EPG is a lot nicer, due to the smaller volume of channels, the EPG is neat and the order of channels is much better. However the HD swap on Sky is useful. Virgins EPG with a HD Swap would be perfect imo. Overall since the additions this year by Virgin Media, its is very difficult to base a decision on the channels unless you are a Sports Fan or a Game of Thrones fan. PICTURE QUALITY Many of us now want superb picture quality through their television, you've bought a Full HD TV, you want to feel the HD. Sky win hands down in HD. The picture quality is crystal clear and near BluRay quality on my TV. This is only a comparison on HD channels shared by both platforms. On Virgin Media my favourite channels in terms of picture quality were Comedy Central HD, Discovery HD and Cartoon Network HD. These channels look a lot better on Sky. However, Sky does not handle SD very well. Sky 2 is appalling. The Tivo handled upscaling so much better and this is still quite important when a few channels are still only available in SD. Overall, Sky wins for channels in HD, but the Tivo upscaling capability is hands down the best. BOX SPEED Not a long descriptive one, but Sky wins hands down. ON DEMAND/CONNECTED SERVICES Virgins Tivo wins hands down in this field. Netflix, YouTube, and Connected Red Button are seriously important applications in the modern connected world. The On Demand service is very good as it is instant and the different programming available through all available services makes the Tivo service a complete winner. However On Demand on Sky is very good and has been thought through. Downloading and making it accessible in the Planner (My Shows) is very useful and makes you use it more. ADDITIONAL SERVICES Sky Go is fantastic, the fact that it allows access to the Sport channels and Movies On Demand really is the winner on this. These services are very important for Live Sports and On Demand Entertainment. Virgin TV Anywhere does have more channels, and having BT Sports is its main one up on the competitor in this field, although the TV Anywhere app does need an On Demand facility to make it more worth while. However the remote record, tv control and search facilities on TV Anywhere are much better than the Sky+ app (which is a separate app to Sky Go unlike TV Anywhere). OVERALL Each service has its ups and downs, and after experiencing both I really cannot conclude for my own preferences. Sky - Wins Sports Fans and those who Love HD Virgin - Wins those not bothered about the quality of the channels but like access to services like Netflix. Movies fans. Obviously this can change very easily with just a few changes. At the moment, im torn, and it wouldn't take much to bring me back at the end of my Sky contract.