Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2009)

[scorpionatthepc]

Originally Posted by Horizon

Maybe more than just a few HD channels....

What Berkett also said at that same time and was mentioned here (but seems to have been forgotten) is that all the HD content locked up by Sky (which is pretty much all HD stuff anyway) had recently become available to VM. So that means if VM and Sky can agree a price we could see HD films and sport on cable as well as SKY 1 HD, FX HD, History HD, National Geographic HD and many others either directly or indirectly controlled by Sky.

But the bad news is that I don't see this happening anytime for at least a year for the reason that there isn't the capacity for the HD channels until analogue is totally switched off.

VM may have room for a few HD channels now and may launch channels such as CH4 HD, but for it to be worthwhile for VM to launch lots of HD, that MUST include films and sports. There is no point going to all the cost of upgrading things for HD, as well as all the marketing costs, if HD films and sports aren't part of the deal.

Berkett has made it quite clear that VM's priority at the moment is broadband, where VM has superiority over rivals. I'm sure HD will come to cable, but probably not for another 18 months or so.

Are you trying to upset everyone or something?

[sniper007]

18 months or so? Pure speculation, and unrealistic with your estimates. Virgin are never going to wait 18 months to get some HD content, get real. They will HAVE to atleast bring some HD this year.

Originally Posted by sniper007

18 months or so? Pure speculation, and unrealistic with your estimates. Virgin are never going to wait 18 months to get some HD content, get real. They will HAVE to atleast bring some HD this year.

I agree vm will have some extra HD content this year.

But i do not think it will be the sky sports/movie HD channels which will be a long time coming,at the moment ofcom are on their second pay tv enquirey which focuses on access to premium content ie HD and the like, which could end up with a ruling that leads to regulated prices for access to hd content accross the platforms, which also requires if bought in, access to red button servies that cannot be replicated by other providers. As per page 13,appendix 1.49 of the consultation document.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/second_paytv/

If this happens then sky would surely appeal, and appeal,and appeal again so do not expect i would suggest to see too many more HD channels on vm in the near future (some yes possibly five or six maybe),until ofcom have sorted the access issues out,or should that be if ofcom sorts the access issues out cynical me.

[greeninferno]

Isn't the talk of HD coming " soon " rather academic at the moment ?

Is the physical state of the network up to carrying all or any of these channels at this moment in time ??

COULD they launch as of RIGHT NOW say ITV HD, C4 HD using MPEG2 so all existing V+ customers can receive them OR

Has the network to be upgraded PHYSICALLY i.e. servers etc. so that BEST case scenario ALL 30 odd channels that Sky has COULD TECHNICALLY be broadcast a la Docsis 3 for 50 Mbit broadband ?


OR agian is this a chicken-egg scenario. Virginmedia need the assurance from Sky in place BEFORE they spend the money to upgrade the network.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Originally Posted by greeninferno

Isn't the talk of HD coming " soon " rather academic at the moment ?

Is the physical state of the network up to carrying all or any of these channels at this moment in time ??

COULD they launch as of RIGHT NOW say ITV HD, C4 HD using MPEG2 so all existing V+ customers can receive them OR

Has the network to be upgraded PHYSICALLY i.e. servers etc. so that BEST case scenario ALL 30 odd channels that Sky has COULD TECHNICALLY be broadcast a la Docsis 3 for 50 Mbit broadband ?


OR agian is this a chicken-egg scenario. Virginmedia need the assurance from Sky in place BEFORE they spend the money to upgrade the network.

On the network currently the could carry about 8 HD channels but no room for other channels, however they coudl add more transport streams so they could carry say up to 50 but that would involve adding a lot of ts's to the network with analouge switch off they could probally carry between 30 and 200 hd channels but i dnt know the exact analopuge channels they ae broadcasting to give a better idea

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by richard1960

I agree vm will have some extra HD content this year.

But i do not think it will be the sky sports/movie HD channels which will be a long time coming,at the moment ofcom are on their second pay tv enquirey which focuses on access to premium content ie HD and the like, which could end up with a ruling that leads to regulated prices for access to hd content accross the platforms, which also requires if bought in, access to red button servies that cannot be replicated by other providers. As per page 13,appendix 1.49 of the consultation document.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/second_paytv/

If this happens then sky would surely appeal, and appeal,and appeal again so do not expect i would suggest to see too many more HD channels on vm in the near future (some yes possibly five or six maybe),until ofcom have sorted the access issues out,or should that be if ofcom sorts the access issues out cynical me.

As far as the Ofcom investigation goes into pay tv, that's not relevant now between Sky and VM as they've made "peace."

To repeat what Berkett said again, ALL Sky's HD content is now available to VM.

[Media Boy UK]

ITV HD on Demand to launch in April on Virgin TV?

Over on DS Forums poster ''Technix'' has posted the following:

ITV HD content on VOD will arrive sometime in April

Info from DS Forums.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...&postcount=477

[Horizon]

.....note, only on VOD!

Originally Posted by greeninferno

Isn't the talk of HD coming " soon " rather academic at the moment ?.

Overall, yes.

Originally Posted by greeninferno

COULD they launch as of RIGHT NOW say ITV HD, C4 HD using MPEG2 so all existing V+ customers can receive them OR

VM could launch a few HD channels (CH4HD and ITVHD) and probably will, but that will be it for 18 months+.

Originally Posted by greeninferno

Is the physical state of the network up to carrying all or any of these channels at this moment in time ??

Has the network to be upgraded PHYSICALLY i.e. servers etc. so that BEST case scenario ALL 30 odd channels that Sky has COULD TECHNICALLY be broadcast a la Docsis 3 for 50 Mbit broadband ?


OR agian is this a chicken-egg scenario. Virginmedia need the assurance from Sky in place BEFORE they spend the money to upgrade the network.

No idea what you mean about assurances, once a contract is signed, that's it.

As for the network, Berkett gave a very insightful presentation to the City last year in which he explained exactly what capacity VM has. So here it is (roughly):

VM has 750Mhz of frequency (capacity) on their network. This is split into 75 slots, or channels. VM use these slots like this, as at November of last year:

28 - Analogue TV
31 - Digital TV
2 - 10mb broadband
4 - 50/20 broadband downstream
4 - 50/20 broadband upstream (being implemented now)
6 - VOD/Interactive tv

1 analogue tv channel = about 6 (of good quality) digital SD channels or 2 HD channels. More channels can be squeezed in, but the quality goes down.

So you see that by switching analogue off, (no major upgrades necessary) VM will have oodles of capacity, but at the moment they have room for about 30 new SD channels, or, could squeeze in 4/5 HD channels.

New compression and transmission technologies will allow VM to have even more channels in the future, so capacity is not a problem, it's just how they CHOOSE to use it. VM don't need to "broadcast" channels over broadband yet using DOSCIS3, they have a cable tv network for that! But, eventually all channels will be "broadcast" over broadband, but that's several years away and will free up even more capacity.

Originally Posted by Horizon

As far as the Ofcom investigation goes into pay tv, that's not relevant now between Sky and VM as they've made "peace."

To repeat what Berkett said again, ALL Sky's HD content is now available to VM.

Have you a link to neil berketts quote then that all skys hd content (including sports/movies)is available to virgin media! would love to see it.

However here is a link from december 2008 in which neil berkett says that key to virgin media investing more in HD is getting access to sports/movies.

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=11944


This is where the ofcom investigation is very relevant, despite your views to the contrary as if virgin media wait access to these channels may come through a regulated price,and for vm even to talk to sky about them would in that light would seem silly. Also the regulation ofcom may have in mind would include access to the red button services on sky sports.

Sky and virgin as regards the basics have kissed and made up but only on the basics issue i believe.

[Horizon]

....go to that link, and have a careful read through that article.

Originally Posted by Horizon

....go to that link, and have a careful read through that article.

I have it does say sky locked away all the hd content,that is now available to vm,but of course that does not include sports movies

Because if it did ofcom would not be having a second enquirey into premium content now would they? and by premium if you read the full pdf item from ofcom they mean sky sports/ movies both standard and HD. Available to all platforms at regulated prices.

Which on the link i posted neil berkett stated they needed access to before investing heavily in any other HD.

[Horizon]

....fair points. It's not clear, either way.

One minute he's saying he doesn't have access but in the next paragraph, he's saying he has access to all of Sky's HD stuff. I guess the question that needs to be asked to him, is, what does he mean by ALL?

Originally Posted by Horizon

....fair points. It's not clear, either way.

One minute he's saying he doesn't have access but in the next paragraph, he's saying he has access to all of Sky's HD stuff. I guess the question that needs to be asked to him, is, what does he mean by ALL?

He does say virgin looked to take advantage of ofcoms decision to place HD on a par with premium content as well.

I agree with you though some of the statements he made do seem a little conflicting to say the least.

Although i believe vm will get a little more HD content in the relatively near future if only to stop people moaning! Any significant investment is unlikely to take place until ofcom have made a decision one way or another over access to premium content which in ofcoms view is sports/movies. Which could take some time yet. Sadly for those that are wanting it now.

You know what,i don't mind that. I expect to have to wait for premium HD bcos of all the negotiation et al that go with it. I DON'T expect to pay for CHN 4HD and ITV HD which is all but FTA.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by richard1960

He does say virgin looked to take advantage of ofcoms decision to place HD on a par with premium content as well..

But what decision is he referring to? Either Ofcom have decided the issue, or they haven't. I've not seen any decision, have you? He must be talking in the future tense here, quite bizarre.