[Merged] Virgin to Expand Outside Cable Area by April?

[Media Boy UK]

Virgin Media could expand outside its cabled area as early as next month.

The company plans to market a quad-play offering comprising broadband internet, TV, fixed-line phone and mobile phone outside its cable addressable area beginning in April.

The television component will be powered by a Virgin-branded digital terrestrial set top box. The channels available on Freeview are broadly comparable, with some absences, to those available in the free TV pack ("size M") offered to Virgin's cable phone line subscribers.

By next year, Virgin plans to have secured network capacity from a local-loop unbundled telephony operator to offer more linear and on demand TV content on a service almost comparable to that available in cabled areas.

Info from Digital Spy.

[Downloads]

Article taken from....

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...-by-april.html

Sorry if this is elsewhere, it's difficult to check all the Virgin vs Sky threads!

Looks like the competition for all the consumers might happen quicker than we thought. Basic to start off with, until they can secure bandwidth from another provider.

I should say, i don't want this to turn into a Virgin vs Sky thread, so only talk re this new development. Can anyone see any potential problems with this new service? WOuld it be able to reach everyone? Or would it still miss people in the very remote areas?

[AndyCambs]

A step forward in expanding the current market, although it would have to e priced competitively bearing in mind that you can already buy a Freeview box for pennies (well nearly).
I'd like to see some movement on upgrading the non-digital areas which are already cabled too.

Having said that, I'm enjoying the benefits of digital.

[Downloads]

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

A step forward in expanding the current market, although it would have to e priced competitively bearing in mind that you can already buy a Freeview box for pennies (well nearly).
I'd like to see some movement on upgrading the non-digital areas which are already cabled too.

Having said that, I'm enjoying the benefits of digital.

Yeah, i wondered in an effort to get as many customers as possible, they would try to offer the boxes at peanuts themselves. What's included in the M package that's not in freeview? (Not having ever used freeview myself)

[AndyCambs]

FreeviewABC 1BBC 1BBC 2BBC 3BBC 4BBC News 24BBC ParliamentBBCiBid TVCBBCCbeebiesChannel 4Channel 4 (Wales)CITVCommunity ChannelE4E4 +1Film 4Film 4 +1FiveFive LifeFive USFTNIdeal WorldITV 1ITV 2ITV 3ITV 4ITV PlayMore 4NHS DirectPrice-drop TVQVCS4/C (Wales)S4C (Wales)Sky 3Sky NewsSky Sports NewsSkytextSmile TVTeachers TVTeleG (Scotland)TeletextTeletext CarsTeletext GamesTeletext HolidaysTeletext on 4The HitsTMFUKTV Bright IdeasUKTV History


Virgin Mobile M TelevisionABC 1BBC 1BBC 2BBC 3BBC 4BBC News 24BBC ParliamentBid TVCBBCCbeebiesChannel 4CITVCommunity ChannelE4Film 4FiveFive LifeFive USFTNITV 1ITV 2ITV 3ITV 4Price Drop TVTeachers TVThe HitsUKTV Bright IdeasUKTV HistoryAt the RacesBest DirectDiscovery +1Gems TVGems TV2Ideal WorldPrice Crash TVSpeed Auctionthe Music Factory

Admittedly, the Freeview site claims all the teletext as channels, and includes Sky News/Sports News etc which Sky indicated will be removed before the summer.

[Downloads]

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

FreeviewVirgin Mobile M TelevisionABC 1ABC 1BBC 1BBC 1BBC 2BBC 2BBC 3BBC 3BBC 4BBC 4BBC News 24BBC News 24BBC ParliamentBBC ParliamentBBCiBid TVBid TVCBBCCBBCCbeebiesCbeebiesChannel 4Channel 4Channel 4 (Wales)CITVCITVCommunity ChannelCommunity ChannelE4E4E4 +1Film 4Film 4Film 4 +1FiveFiveFive LifeFive LifeFive USFive USFTNFTNIdeal WorldITV 1ITV 1ITV 2ITV 2ITV 3ITV 3ITV 4ITV 4ITV PlayMore 4NHS DirectPrice-drop TVPrice Drop TVQVCS4/C (Wales)S4C (Wales)Sky 3Sky NewsSky Sports NewsSkytextSmile TVTeachers TVTeachers TVTeleG (Scotland)TeletextTeletext CarsTeletext GamesTeletext HolidaysTeletext on 4The HitsThe HitsTMFUKTV Bright IdeasUKTV Bright IdeasUKTV HistoryUKTV HistoryAt the RacesBest DirectDiscovery +1Gems TVGems TV2Ideal WorldPrice Crash TVSpeed Auctionthe Music Factory

Ahh i see, so they really would have to subsidise the box to get people to convert.

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by Downloads

Ahh i see, so they really would have to subsidise the box to get people to convert.

Sorry for the awful parsing of that text.

Yes - the only decent thing you get extra is Discovery +1, on the other hand, Freeview gives you E4+1 and Film 4+1

I guess you have to factor in additional aerial costs (we would certainly need a new aerial here cost around £120 I think), and even then Freeview isn't fully available in this area.

[AndyCambs]

Whoops another thread duplicated!