General : Coming soon to Virgin TV 2014

[denphone]

Originally Posted by theone2k10

Only a rumour i've heard. To combat the growing success of BT Sports and Netflix Sky may reduce the wholesale costs of their movies and sports packs across all platforms.

Don't bet on it as all the leopards l know never change their spots.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by theone2k10

Even Nordic HBO have now stopped accepting credit cards outside the Nordic region i believe.

According to Unblockus, who as I understand it have been in touch with HBO Nordic, that shouldn't have happened. It was a consequence of changing their Credit Card processor and they are hoping to get it sorted.

[theone2k10]

Originally Posted by passingbat

According to Unblockus, who as I understand it have been in touch with HBO Nordic, that shouldn't have happened. It was a consequence of changing their Credit Card processor and they are hoping to get it sorted.

Thanks mate i'll keep checking on it.

[andy_m]

Am well into some research about alternatives at the moment. Seems to me that LoveFilm by post for £7.99 a month is excellent value and, because it is a DVD rental service it has hbo and even Netflix original content. I know it's a little old fashioned, and you have to wait for the DVD release, but if that doesn't bother you I don't think I can find a better value way to source the kind of content you're all talking about, plus a hell of a lot more besides. And it's £1 per month cheaper still if you have an Amazon prime membership, which, as a Kindle owner would be worth it for other reasons as well.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by andy_m

Am well into some research about alternatives at the moment. Seems to me that LoveFilm by post for £7.99 a month is excellent value and, because it is a DVD rental service it has hbo and even Netflix original content. I know it's a little old fashioned, and you have to wait for the DVD release, but if that doesn't bother you I don't think I can find a better value way to source the kind of content you're all talking about, plus a hell of a lot more besides. And it's £1 per month cheaper still if you have an Amazon prime membership, which, as a Kindle owner would be worth it for other reasons as well.

Its superior in that it offers Blue Ray as well with its 5.1 HD audio and 1080p video.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Its superior in that it offers Blue Ray as well with its 5.1 HD audio and 1080p video.

Indeed. We don't have a bluray player, so I'm trying to convince the OH, who wants to stay with Virgin, that a £200 on a combined smart bluray freeview hd+ box, knocking out the Virgin tv, but keeping phone and broadband, keeping the Now tv box for the occasional sport I watch, and then picking up a subscription to LoveFilm by post is the way forward. Reckon we'd have made back the initial outlay in less than a year and will have access to a broader range of content than we currently have. OH is, understandably, nervous at the initial outlay with no guarantee that we won't regret it.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by andy_m

Indeed. We don't have a bluray player, so I'm trying to convince the OH, who wants to stay with Virgin, that a £200 on a combined smart bluray freeview hd+ box, knocking out the Virgin tv, but keeping phone and broadband,.

If you're keeping phone and BB, then there should be no need to spend the £200 on the combined smart bluray freeview hd+ box, as VM should let you keep a Tivo with M TV; probably at a lower price than just phone and BB. You can then buy a £60 Smart BR player, and you've saved even more money.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by passingbat

If you're keeping phone and BB, then there should be no need to spend the £200 on the combined smart bluray freeview hd+ box, as VM should let you keep a Tivo with M TV; probably at a lower price than just phone and BB. You can then buy a £60 Smart BR player, and you've saved even more money.

It sounds a bit ocd, but I don't really want an epg full of greyed out channels, and it would also mean an extra stb on the cabinet, but yes, that would certainly be a cheaper option.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by andy_m

It sounds a bit ocd, but I don't really want an epg full of greyed out channels, and it would also mean an extra stb on the cabinet, but yes, that would certainly be a cheaper option.

I take your point, but no combined Bluray/Freeview PVR that I've come across has anywhere near the functionality that Tivo has.

Just the expiring series links on Freview PVRs would be enough to make me rethink that one.

Also, re the greyed out channels, could you add things as Favourite channels and display that on the guide?

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by passingbat

I take your point, but no combined Bluray/Freeview PVR that I've come across has anywhere near the functionality that Tivo has.

Just the expiring series links on Freview PVRs would be enough to make me rethink that one.

Also, re the greyed out channels, could you add things as Favourite channels and display that on the guide?

The expiring series links would be less of an issue because the plan would be to rely more on catch up services (most things have longer expiry dates on the native apps than they do on Virgin's 7 day service), bluray box sets, and maybe some streaming services, although I agree, this is one of TiVo's best features and I'd miss it. To be honest though, I'd like to try and do without the recording facility because I think with other services that's now achievable, but going for a +box is both a catch all and a compromise.

One of TiVo's worst features is the fact that if you default the epg to display just your favourite channels it does so for precisely one hour before reverting. There are enough button presses with TiVo as it is without adding to them everytime you just want to view the guide.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by andy_m

The expiring series links would be less of an issue because the plan would be to rely more on catch up services (most things have longer expiry dates on the native apps than they do on Virgin's 7 day service), bluray box sets, and maybe some streaming services, although I agree, this is one of TiVo's best features and I'd miss it. To be honest though, I'd like to try and do without the recording facility because I think with other services that's now achievable, but going for a +box is both a catch all and a compromise.

.

What you plan to do is feasible in my view and it was the route I was planning to go down. After initially considering buying a Freeview PVR, I decided to just use catchup services for the terrestrial channels and not bother with a Freeview PVR. But when VM offered me a cheaper price to keep one Tivo with M TV, it made sense to combine streaming with Tivo. The Picture quality on the five main HD channels, is definitely better on Tivo than on the streamed versions, so that is a bonus. But if keeping a Tivo had been an extra cost, I wouldn't have done so.

[RobboEdin]

Originally Posted by passingbat

What you plan to do is feasible in my view and it was the route I was planning to go down. After initially considering buying a Freeview PVR, I decided to just use catchup services for the terrestrial channels and not bother with a Freeview PVR. But when VM offered me a cheaper price to keep one Tivo with M TV, it made sense to combine streaming with Tivo. The Picture quality on the five main HD channels, is definitely better on Tivo than on the streamed versions, so that is a bonus. But if keeping a Tivo had been an extra cost, I wouldn't have done so.

...but keeping TiVo will be an additional cost for you, as there is a TiVo charge somewhere in your total charge. Also, you will be paying for a landline that you may not want.

Did you ask for a price without TiVo but with TV M?

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by passingbat

What you plan to do is feasible in my view and it was the route I was planning to go down. After initially considering buying a Freeview PVR, I decided to just use catchup services for the terrestrial channels and not bother with a Freeview PVR. But when VM offered me a cheaper price to keep one Tivo with M TV, it made sense to combine streaming with Tivo. The Picture quality on the five main HD channels, is definitely better on Tivo than on the streamed versions, so that is a bonus. But if keeping a Tivo had been an extra cost, I wouldn't have done so.

I've appreciated the back and forth, it's helped with looking at my options, so thanks.

[Richc1977]

http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...ghts-channel-5

Could Discovery team up with Virgin Media for the next round of Premier League rights?

Hope so that will give them something barter with when dealing with Sky/BT.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by RobboEdin

...but keeping TiVo will be an additional cost for you, as there is a TiVo charge somewhere in your total charge. Also, you will be paying for a landline that you may not want.

Did you ask for a price without TiVo but with TV M?

You would think it would be extra, wouldn't you, but I was surprised to find that it was cheaper!

I had XL TV XL BB and XL Phone and two Tivos.

I rang up to cancel TV completely and just have XL Phone and XL BB and to pay the line rental up font.

The price they quoted for XL Phone and XL BB was cheaper than the price advertised on the VM website for those services and I accepted that price. Then the CS agent said that if I kept one Tivo with M TV, they could reduce the price by a further £5 for six months and then by 50 pence for a further 12 months.

I guess that since I already had a Tivo installed, it wasn't costing them to leave it in my home and they were hoping I would see a show only available on a higher TV package and up my TV package to be able to watch it.

Also, I suppose it's possible that they want to keep as many TV subscribers for end of year sales figures.