TV Choice On Demand - Buy the boxset instead!

Sugar Kane · 03-10-2010, 09:03

I have had Virgin Media XL tv package for a few years now, and at first I believed it was the best thing to happen to tv in a long time. Paying a bit extra to have access to whole seasons of programs- in theory this should be great. However, I have noticed that the same old series make up the bulk of what is on offer again and again so when something 'new' and exclusive comes up, I look forward to it. When I saw that season 4 of The Wire was going to be shown over the summer, I was very pleased. When the episodes began to get uploaded however, the frustration set in. Episodes would be uploaded so infrequently (and sometimes, missed out altogether) that by the time the viewing expiry date had come 30/09, only half of the season had been uploaded. Now call me picky, but when I subscribed to this service I expected to get whole seasons, not bits and pieces.

This service seems to have no reason or rhyme, things appear and disappear without warning. Episodes are duplicated or missed out altogether. I find this service so frustrating, that I am very tempted to just cancel XL and buy the boxsets of whatever series Virgin promises. I could then watch them at my own leisure- something you are supposed to be able to do with TV choice. Disappointing!

dgcarter · 03-10-2010, 09:57

And no doubt one of Virgin's mouthpieces will be along shortly to whinge that it's not VM that decide what goes on there.

jab1990 · 03-10-2010, 10:06

i do find that their on demand shows can be quite erratic. I actually think part of the reason they do this is so people will buy the whole series.

If it is on warner tv, you can go on their website and it will list whats shows are going to be put on next.

Sugar Kane · 03-10-2010, 10:20

Well if it carries on, I will just direct my hard earned cash elsewhere. We are paying for a service that doesn't deliver. The Wire is an HBO series, and I'm wondering if the BSkyB deal will mean that we will be getting less and less HBO content. If HBO goes, I cancel Virgin Media, as simple as that. Most of the time, the HBO content is the only thing worth watching on TV Choice.

03-10-2010, 10:50

I'm surprised VM haven't improved on the reliability of the vod service. It is after all their flagship tv service but shortly they will be having competition from Sky. Having said that it works well for me but I rarely follow a series on it.

**Hugh** · 03-10-2010, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgcarter

And no doubt one of Virgin's mouthpieces will be along shortly to whinge that it's not VM that decide what goes on there.

No need to be abusive.

jb66 · 03-10-2010, 11:15

When will they be having competition from sky? A computer and HDTV streaming all on a 6meg line, don't think so.

zantarous · 03-10-2010, 11:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Kane

Well if it carries on, I will just direct my hard earned cash elsewhere. We are paying for a service that doesn't deliver. The Wire is an HBO series, and I'm wondering if the BSkyB deal will mean that we will be getting less and less HBO content. If HBO goes, I cancel Virgin Media, as simple as that. Most of the time, the HBO content is the only thing worth watching on TV Choice.

I believe that Virgins HBO deal will be coming to end this year. I have no sources to quote just a posting on Digital Spy after HBO Sky deal broke

Quote:

Originally Posted by jb66

When will they be having competition from sky? A computer and HDTV streaming all on a 6meg line, don't think so.

6MB today but this will overtime become faster and faster. With some QoS applied to a router you could get a decent service. Where Sky will dominate is the amount of content they will sign up they are already spending serious money on it.

Digital Fanatic · 03-10-2010, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgcarter

And no doubt one of Virgin's mouthpieces will be along shortly to whinge that it's not VM that decide what goes on there.

Really nice... must remember these comments if/when you need some free help or advice from any VM staff.

---------- Post added at 11:29 ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Kane

I have had Virgin Media XL tv package for a few years now, and at first I believed it was the best thing to happen to tv in a long time. Paying a bit extra to have access to whole seasons of programs- in theory this should be great. However, I have noticed that the same old series make up the bulk of what is on offer again and again so when something 'new' and exclusive comes up, I look forward to it. When I saw that season 4 of The Wire was going to be shown over the summer, I was very pleased. When the episodes began to get uploaded however, the frustration set in. Episodes would be uploaded so infrequently (and sometimes, missed out altogether) that by the time the viewing expiry date had come 30/09, only half of the season had been uploaded. Now call me picky, but when I subscribed to this service I expected to get whole seasons, not bits and pieces.

This service seems to have no reason or rhyme, things appear and disappear without warning. Episodes are duplicated or missed out altogether. I find this service so frustrating, that I am very tempted to just cancel XL and buy the boxsets of whatever series Virgin promises. I could then watch them at my own leisure- something you are supposed to be able to do with TV choice. Disappointing!

Sugar Kane...

The way the On Demand rights work is VM can put up a certain amount of episodes at any one time, so for example, if a series has 20 episodes, then VM will usually show eps 1-5, then 6-10 etc, etc.

If there are any missing episodes in between then this is a fault, i.e eps 1, 2, 4 and 5 are listed with 3 missing.

If this happens then we can get this re-added from the supplier, HBO etc. Sometimes it can be just a particular regional head-end that has the lost programme.

We now have better monitoring tools for lost episodes and this should improve now.

Hope I've answered your question

from a "Virgin Mouth Piece"

**Maggy** · 03-10-2010, 12:58

Thanks for that DF.I can however understand the OP's frustration because that has never been explained anywhere on VOD..

It's the lack of info that annoys me plus coming across the 3rd or 4th series of a show when I've not had a chance to view the 1st or 2nd series.

It's possibly not how I and others understood VOD to work,possibly foolish of us but none the less frustrating especially to new customers.

Digital Fanatic · 03-10-2010, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Thanks for that DF.I can however understand the OP's frustration because that has never been explained anywhere on VOD..

It's the lack of info that annoys me plus coming across the 3rd or 4th series of a show when I've not had a chance to view the 1st or 2nd series.

It's possibly not how I and others understood VOD to work,possibly foolish of us but none the less frustrating especially to new customers.

Yeah, I can understand that.

A good place to see what should be on and if something is missing is on the VM website.

http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/ondemand/

**Maggy** · 03-10-2010, 13:23

Now you see when I go looking for help on the VM homepage I never seem to be able to find my way around it easily.It can be as hard to find something as it is to understand a VM bill..

Digital Fanatic · 03-10-2010, 13:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Now you see when I go looking for help on the VM homepage I never seem to be able to find my way around it easily.It can be as hard to find something as it is to understand a VM bill..

he he

johnathome · 03-10-2010, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

A good place to see what should be on and if something is missing is on the VM website.

http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/ondemand/

The search isn't working for me, timed out.

Sugar Kane · 03-10-2010, 20:55

[/QUOTE]
Sugar Kane...

The way the On Demand rights work is VM can put up a certain amount of episodes at any one time, so for example, if a series has 20 episodes, then VM will usually show eps 1-5, then 6-10 etc, etc.

If there are any missing episodes in between then this is a fault, i.e eps 1, 2, 4 and 5 are listed with 3 missing.

If this happens then we can get this re-added from the supplier, HBO etc. Sometimes it can be just a particular regional head-end that has the lost programme.

We now have better monitoring tools for lost episodes and this should improve now.

Hope I've answered your question

from a "Virgin Mouth Piece"

[/QUOTE]

I understand that series are uploaded gradually, I just have a problem with the fact that all to often, half a series of something is uploaded and then it disappears altogether. Last year Fringe series 1 was uploaded in it's entirety. I began watching it, and without warning, the show vanished before its 'expiry date'. Months later, it shows up again, and by then I had forgotten what I had already seen.

Now half a season of The Wire is uploaded, and that is all you get. It's gone again. The most annoying aspect of this is that there is no information available to me about when I can expect to see the second half of the series. If this is the bind VM are in, then why don't they publicise their new content as 'the first half' of the series and keep us informed of when we can expect to see the second half. I don't particularly want to have to wait so long that I forget what has happened in the 13 episodes I have previously seen before I get to see the remaining ones. Rights issues or not- in my book this sevice is far from good, it is erratic at best.