General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2013) Vol. 2.

[DaMac]

Why don't they have these very niche channels available as a seperate foreign language pack costing £2 a month to people that want them and concentrate on securing what the majority of people want to see. Like i keep stating, most of these channels can be picked up on freesat, for a one of payment of £80 including dish installation, VM don't really need to provide them, the demand must be miniscule.

[toady]

Instead of getting people to pay extra for niche channels, why don't they add Premier Sports and Sky Atlantic as two addon packages and let people who want them pay extra

People can't always receive Freesat for the same reason as not being able to have Sky i.e. you need a dish and a clear view of the sky

[johnasimmons]

Originally Posted by toady

Instead of getting people to pay extra for niche channels, why don't they add Premier Sports and Sky Atlantic as two add-on packages and let people who want them pay extra

Totally agree

[harry_hitch]

Originally Posted by DaMac

Why don't they have these very niche channels available as a seperate foreign language pack costing £2 a month to people that want them and concentrate on securing what the majority of people want to see. Like i keep stating, most of these channels can be picked up on freesat, for a one of payment of £80 including dish installation, VM don't really need to provide them, the demand must be miniscule.

Some people are not allowed dishes on their rental properties. I would doubt the number of people who watch the channels are miniscule, the station owners/advertisers would not have expanded them out to VM if they were not in demand.
Other than the odd program on Sky 1 (previously fringe, the take, and mad dogs when it is shown) and the odd show on both Sky Arts channels, I don't watch the Sky basics. Lets charge extra for those, VM could charge a much higher price for them. Lets face, VM continued as a company when they lost the channels. (and yes, they would continue as a company if they lost the foreign speaking channels too)
Honestly, what will some moan about when we eventually get Sky Atlantic. We all know VM are trying to get it, like every other network. Unfortunately there seems to be something stopping it from coming to all other networks. As for the missing HD sports, we should be grateful we get SS 1 and 2 in HD. The only reason we get those is because Offcom forced Sky to give us them. It is highly unlikely we will ever get the rest.
Finally please tell me, other than SA, what is missing from VM that the majority of people desperately want?

[johnasimmons]

Originally Posted by harry_hitch

Some people are not allowed dishes on their rental properties. I would doubt the number of people who watch the channels are miniscule, the station owners/advertisers would not have expanded them out to VM if they were not in demand.
Other than the odd program on Sky 1 (previously fringe, the take, and mad dogs when it is shown) and the odd show on both Sky Arts channels, I don't watch the Sky basics. Lets charge extra for those, VM could charge a much higher price for them. Lets face, VM continued as a company when they lost the channels. (and yes, they would continue as a company if they lost the foreign speaking channels too)
Honestly, what will some moan about when we eventually get Sky Atlantic. We all know VM are trying to get it, like every other network. Unfortunately there seems to be something stopping it from coming to all other networks. As for the missing HD sports, we should be grateful we get SS 1 and 2 in HD. The only reason we get those is because Offcom forced Sky to give us them. It is highly unlikely we will ever get the rest.
Finally please tell me, other than SA, what is missing from VM that the majority of people desperately want?

Sky Atlantic & Premier Sports would complete it for me

[howardmicks]

Universal HD would do me and of course sky Atlantic eventually

[denphone]

Originally Posted by howardmicks

Universal HD would do me and of course sky Atlantic eventually

Universal HD hopefully should arrive soon Howard.

[Helix]

Originally Posted by toady

Instead of getting people to pay extra for niche channels, why don't they add Premier Sports and Sky Atlantic as two addon packages and let people who want them pay extra

People can't always receive Freesat for the same reason as not being able to have Sky i.e. you need a dish and a clear view of the sky

I doubt Sky will let them, or they want a set amount no matter how many subscribers which would make pricing it difficult.

You did used to have to pay £1 a month extra for Sky 1 for a while in the NTL days. However I seem to remember when this was suggested again when VM lost Sky Basics they said Sky wouldn't let them have it as a standalone package.

[johnasimmons]

Originally Posted by howardmicks

Universal HD would do me and of course sky Atlantic eventually

I forgot; Universal HD as well as Sky Atlantic & Premier Sports

[HDFootyMan]

Originally Posted by denphone

But momentum is everything HD and BT are very much on the back foot and in my humble opinion that does not bode well for their launch.

How are they 'on the back foot'?

Their YouView service hasn't even started yet, and you know that BT Sports will be cheaper to watch on that platform. I doubt if BT are too worried about the additional channels VM are launching when they've done several deals to launch channels on their own platform. If TalkTalk are any indication then BT could do a triple-play YouView package for a very attractive price.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

How are they 'on the back foot'?

Their YouView service hasn't even started yet, and you know that BT Sports will be cheaper to watch on that platform.

BT Sports might well be cheaper on YouView when it starts but overall its still a poor substitute thus when compared to what Sky and Virgin offer on their platforms on a overall basis plus you also have the scenario of a increasing bust up between Sky and BT Sports because where it stands there is no chance of a deal on the looming horizon between the two and BT without Sky Sports is a no no for many customers in my humble opinion.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

How are they 'on the back foot'?

Their YouView service hasn't even started yet.

Asked and answered!

Already losing ground to the established platforms, most unforgivably they're also losing ground to the only other operator on the same platform.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by passingbat

And thus a reason for Sky to withhold it.

Not a legitimate reason, though. The likes of n power and British Gas both supply the exact same products (ie gas and electricity) and they access their products from the same source in exactly the same way. They distinguish their companies from other companies through pricing and customer service.

Similarly, it should be possible for Virgin Media to offer the same channels as Sky, should it wish to do so (or at least the same content).

Sky is attempting to suffocate the development of its competitors. OFCOM and the Competition Commission should be far more proactive in protecting the interests of the customer.

---------- Post added at 15:31 ---------- Previous post was at 15:21 ----------

Originally Posted by harry_hitch

Finally please tell me, other than SA, what is missing from VM that the majority of people desperately want?

Why, SA HD, of course....

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Toady. I agree totally agree with what you are saying. Thats has been my point all along.

Its one sodding channel that Sky have pumped a fair few quid into to make it a worthwhile exclusive.