Virgin Media to add more HD channels

Originally Posted by telfordcable

I do have sky HD with sky sports HD, these are the best highest quality. I join sky HD because VM will not offer me any sky HD channels nor no HD on vbox plus which it a let down really.

I watch football, cricket and Lost season 5 in a brilliant HD picture in 1080i on my 52" plasma HD ready tv with sky+ HD box.

I don't blame sky for not letting all HD channels to VM the same goes for ITV1 HD will not let sky have it.

If you want sky HD, then why on earth getting a sky+ HD box as it only £49 (but £29) at tesco retail and get 1 month free HD subscription.

Sky also told me at present they already had 31 HD channels but plan to increase to 59 by end of 2009.

TV drama series such as Lost are transmitted in 720p, not 1080p. Regardless of the resolution of your TV set, you will only get movies and major sporting events in full 1080-HD.

As to the quantity of the channels, this is the usual, age-old argument with a new twist. Sky has always marketed itself on the sheer quantity of channels on its EPG, regardless of the quality of them. Now it's doing the same with HD. Crap is still crap, no matter how many pixels it has.

You may well have Sky Arts HD on your set, but unless you ever watched Sky Arts in SD, what benefit is that to you?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by telfordcable

Sky also told me at present they already had 31 HD channels but plan to increase to 59 by end of 2009.

Do you know, back in the late 80s, I had four channels to watch, and on some occassions, I could find nothing I wanted to watch on any of them. Now, having Cable (although the same applies to Sky, according to friends), I have over 100 channels. Still get times when there is nothing on I want to watch.

Another way to look at it is this: How many of those 59 channels would actually carry anything you want to watch. As I said, I have access to over a 100, and watch mainly the terrestrial channels, and watch Sky 1, Living, E/More 4 and Scifi. What I am saying is that it's all very well boasting of how many channels they are going to offer, but how many are likely to be interesting?

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Do you know, back in the late 80s, I had four channels to watch, and on some occassions, I could find nothing I wanted to watch on any of them. Now, having Cable (although the same applies to Sky, according to friends), I have over 100 channels. Still get times when there is nothing on I want to watch.

Another way to look at it is this: How many of those 59 channels would actually carry anything you want to watch. As I said, I have access to over a 100, and watch mainly the terrestrial channels, and watch Sky 1, Living, E/More 4 and Scifi. What I am saying is that it's all very well boasting of how many channels they are going to offer, but how many are likely to be interesting?

I agree with you. That's my experience. I do usually find something from the ondemand section that I can watch now. That's why I find that are far more innovative advance than HD.

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Do you know, back in the late 80s, I had four channels to watch, and on some occassions, I could find nothing I wanted to watch on any of them. Now, having Cable (although the same applies to Sky, according to friends), I have over 100 channels. Still get times when there is nothing on I want to watch.

Another way to look at it is this: How many of those 59 channels would actually carry anything you want to watch. As I said, I have access to over a 100, and watch mainly the terrestrial channels, and watch Sky 1, Living, E/More 4 and Scifi. What I am saying is that it's all very well boasting of how many channels they are going to offer, but how many are likely to be interesting?

I whole-heartedly agree. We now have more choice of what not to watch. Some programmes are interesting, but not, as in the case of Sky 1, 2 & 3 where the same programme is repeated ad-nauseam through the week.

And this past weekend, there was so much I wanted to see, I watch the free DVD with the Mail during the week.

[howden]

General agreement here - for me HD is a nice to have (even though I have the kit)

V+ and VoD (iPlayer, ITV player, etc) is my priority over HD

[demented]

I like vod a great deal. I like HD a great deal. I'm sick of it being an either/or. Both please . May the HD channels come streaming in, even ones I don't watch for people with different tastes.

[telfordcable]

I suppose u are right there.

I agree that bbci player, itv player are pretty good over internet or vod on the v+ if u have no time to watch it on TV but can watch it later or choose what ever u want to watch it. I am disappointed one thing is Sky will not bring bbci player or itv player on the sky+ box or sky+ HD box because sky had their own sky player or sky anytime via the box which it bit crap and cost money. Sky player (to watch live you must have multiroom) and that's a big con.

Originally Posted by telfordcable

I suppose u are right there.

I agree that bbci player, itv player are pretty good over internet or vod on the v+ if u have no time to watch it on TV but can watch it later or choose what ever u want to watch it. I am disappointed one thing is Sky will not bring bbci player or itv player on the sky+ box or sky+ HD box because sky had their own sky player or sky anytime via the box which it bit crap and cost money. Sky player (to watch live you must have multiroom) and that's a big con.

It's not so much that Sky won't add BBC iPlayer, as Sky can't add BBC iPlayer. iPlayer is a Video-on-demand service, and it requires bandwidth in both directions in order to get it into the set-top box. Virgin can do VOD because its cable network can lend internet-like functionality to its TV service. Later this year Freesat will add the iPlayer because they have insisted that all Freesat boxes have an ethernet connection, allowing the box to use the internet to demand and receive content. Sky boxes receive content via the dish but can only send data via a dial-up narrowband link on your home phone line.

This is why Virgin is concentrating on VOD - it's something it can do, that Sky can't do. And VOD-HD is a more compelling proposition than linear HD, which is what Sky is offering.

[Turkey Machine]

Originally Posted by Chris

It's not so much that Sky won't add BBC iPlayer, as Sky can't add BBC iPlayer. iPlayer is a Video-on-demand service, and it requires bandwidth in both directions in order to get it into the set-top box. Virgin can do VOD because its cable network can lend internet-like functionality to its TV service. Later this year Freesat will add the iPlayer because they have insisted that all Freesat boxes have an ethernet connection, allowing the box to use the internet to demand and receive content. Sky boxes receive content via the dish but can only send data via a dial-up narrowband link on your home phone line.

This is why Virgin is concentrating on VOD - it's something it can do, that Sky can't do. And VOD-HD is a more compelling proposition than linear HD, which is what Sky is offering.

Sky could offer VOD - all those Sky+ boxes have an ethernet port on them. Deliver it over ADSL. But they can't because not everyone who takes Sky TV wants broadband along with it.

Yes, Sky+ boxes have e-net, but what proportion of Sky's customer base has a Sky+ box? Has Sky even done any of the development work that would be necessary to activate the port and make use of it?

Freesat has specified a working ethernet connection from day one, so all Freesat boxes, whether HD or SD, with or without PVR, will be able to run the iPlayer when it's launched later this year. Virgin Media of course is able to do iPlayer and similar VOD services by the very nature of its network. Sky on the other hand is out on a limb.

[Turkey Machine]

Look how quickly they upgraded all boxes from analogue to digital - they could do much the same for all those with a "normal" Sky box.

[demented]

I would like to know whether it is possible to get VOD on the ethernet port on sky+. If it is possible at all it would be quite interesting as there are over 3 million sky+ boxes out there and it would be a service to a significant number of people even if no one gets upgraded. If Sky can't it'll be something great for freesat.

Originally Posted by Turkey Machine

Look how quickly they upgraded all boxes from analogue to digital - they could do much the same for all those with a "normal" Sky box.

Different times - the change from analogue to digital brought with it a massive new selling opportunity with all the additional interactive content that became available. Financially, it was worth Sky's investment to do that. They also had fewer subscribers, so fewer boxes to dish out (if you'll pardon the pun) to get customers upgraded. These days we are also talking about dual-tuner boxes with PVRs in them, and most likely HD as well. Probably more expensive than the basic digiboxes were, even back in the day.

Originally Posted by demented

I would like to know whether it is possible to get VOD on the ethernet port on sky+. If it is possible at all it would be quite interesting as there are over 3 million sky+ boxes out there and it would be a service to a significant number of people even if no one gets upgraded. If Sky can't it'll be something great for freesat.

Technically it must be possible, the question is whether Sky is developing anything at present. I'm sure they have someone doing lab tests and development, but whether they have anything anywhere near ready to market is debatable.

To drag this back on topic, Sky and VM have taken completely different tacks in the their approach to providing HD content. Sky has the raw cash available to snap up exclusive channels and to launch its own (even if most of them don't actually carry very much HD), VM has the platform to provide it in a targeted way to customers (i.e. VOD), also bypassing Sky's exclusivity in some circumstances because they are buying for a different platform.

VM has made much of VOD and clearly sees it as the way to push HD. Unfortunately for them, within about nine months they will no longer be able to claim they are the only place you can see the iPlayer on your TV because the Freesat launch of this service has been in the planning since before Freesat itself even launched.

[*sloman*]

Originally Posted by demented

I would like to know whether it is possible to get VOD on the ethernet port on sky+. If it is possible at all it would be quite interesting as there are over 3 million sky+ boxes out there and it would be a service to a significant number of people even if no one gets upgraded. If Sky can't it'll be something great for freesat.

You would need the customer to have a min bandwidth of say 2-3mb/s

The UK average is only 3.6mb/s that would leave only 600-1600kb/s free for average Joe.

This is one of the main reasons BT want to deploy FTTC but they are waiting for Ofcom to give them the go ahead for exclusivity so they can offer TV via phone line etc… And no other provider can leech off there investment. (fair in my eyes if BT are footing the £1.5bn bill)

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by Chris

Yes, Sky+ boxes have e-net

Really?

http://www.sky.com/Assets/PDF/StaticFiles/3554610.pdf
http://www.nevilleaerials.co.uk/BSKYB.htm
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...rear-panel.jpg
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s....php?p=7386676
http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-s...ts-layout.html