General : Changes to Virgin TV (2021)

[ScottishSteve]

A broadcast engineer at Sky has tweeted

‘we’ll be delivering both 5.1 and Atmos for EPL in UHD HDR starting August 13th’
https://twitter.com/ColinSladen/stat...693387776?s=20

Sky have also confirmed this in a press release
https://www.skygroup.sky/article/-an...remier-league_

Maybe there could be some movement on the horizon for Virgin customers on that date.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by epsilon

BT had recordable IPTV stream boxes on their system so the conversion was seamless. That's not really the case for Virgin where new boxes would probably be required to record IPTV streams. Even with a basic Now TV app would be unlikely to be added to original flavour Tivo models which, probably, still make up a significant proportion of the boxes on Virgin's network.

As I've said on another forum, withdrawal of a significant number of channels would be a significant blow to Virgin's tv platform. Coupled with a loss of subscription income, would they really invest in supplying new boxes just to act as an income collector for Sky?

NOW is hardly on the same scale as Disney, it just doesn't have as much to offer. It would be a very risky move for Sky to stop providing their channels to third parties if the NOW provision is the only alternative.

However, this is currently a rumour from an unnamed source. I'll not worry about it unless and until the usual reliable industry sources make similar reports.

Why is it necessary to record IPTV streams when the programmes are already set out on demand within the app? I’m not sure I follow that argument.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Why is it necessary to record IPTV streams when the programmes are already set out on demand within the app? I’m not sure I follow that argument.

I think BT use IPTV for live linear channels as it's Freeview + Pay TV channels through a recordable box.

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Why is it necessary to record IPTV streams when the programmes are already set out on demand within the app? I’m not sure I follow that argument.

Is everything shown on the channels also available on-demand?

The point was that BT's boxes can actually record IPTV streams. Many viewers prefer to record and watch at their leisure rather than be restricted to the, often, limited availability of the on-demand content. I believe I've seen you make that point yourself.

[Legendkiller2k]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

I think BT use IPTV for live linear channels as it's Freeview + Pay TV channels through a recordable box.

BT used to use multicast for their channels combined with freeview, not sure if it's still multicast now though.
Plusnet and Talktalk were similar using multicast.
Multicast is basically IPTV.

---------- Post added at 13:20 ---------- Previous post was at 13:19 ----------

Originally Posted by epsilon

Is everything shown on the channels also available on-demand?

The point was that BT's boxes can actually record IPTV streams. Many viewers prefer to record and watch at their leisure rather than be restricted to the, often, limited availability of the on-demand content. I believe I've seen you make that point yourself.

No quite a bit of stuff on the channels wasn't available via on demand as is the same with SKY and i think VM.

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by Legendkiller2k

No quite a bit of stuff on the channels wasn't available via on demand as is the same with SKY and i think VM.

That's what I thought but OLD BOY seemed to be suggesting that all content is available on-demand.

[Aguero9320]

Originally Posted by epsilon

BT had recordable IPTV stream boxes on their system so the conversion was seamless. That's not really the case for Virgin where new boxes would probably be required to record IPTV streams. Even with a basic Now TV app would be unlikely to be added to original flavour Tivo models which, probably, still make up a significant proportion of the boxes on Virgin's network.

As I've said on another forum, withdrawal of a significant number of channels would be a significant blow to Virgin's tv platform. Coupled with a loss of subscription income, would they really invest in supplying new boxes just to act as an income collector for Sky?

NOW is hardly on the same scale as Disney, it just doesn't have as much to offer. It would be a very risky move for Sky to stop providing their channels to third parties if the NOW provision is the only alternative.

However, this is currently a rumour from an unnamed source. I'll not worry about it unless and until the usual reliable industry sources make similar reports.

---------- Post added at 06:25 ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 ----------


Sky seem to get most of their bought in content from NBC and CBS, so an NBCUniversal / ViacomCBS merger with a combined streaming service would be a significant change to the playing field. Although combining the NBC and CBS networks in the USA isn't going to get regulatory approval.

If NBCU and ViacomCBS choose to merge in the future, I could see CBS spun off and sold to Warner-Discovery. Popular content from The CW could always be aired on CBS, with the other network being closed and most CW content becoming Max Originals.

[Media Boy UK]

BBC Cuts:

-BBC Parliament (Channel 605) will be broadcasting BBC News 24 hours a day from Monday until September.

-From 6am on July 31st BBC Scotland (TV Channel) will be broadcasting BBC Two from Midnight to 7pm.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

BBC Cuts:

-BBC Parliament (Channel 605) will be broadcasting BBC News 24 hours a day from Monday until September.

-From 6am on July 31st BBC Scotland (TV Channel) will be broadcasting BBC Two from Midnight to 7pm.

I thought that BBC Scotland only broadcast at night anyway?

[ozsat]

There is no change to BBC Scotland - it will still be programming from 7pm to midnight with the 'This is BBC Scotland' info screen between midnight and 7pm.

There is still an occasional day when some odd daytime programming may appear.

Originally Posted by Media Boy

BBC Cuts:

-From 6am on July 31st BBC Scotland (TV Channel) will be broadcasting BBC Two from Midnight to 7pm.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Aguero9320

If NBCU and ViacomCBS choose to merge in the future, I could see CBS spun off and sold to Warner-Discovery. Popular content from The CW could always be aired on CBS, with the other network being closed and most CW content becoming Max Originals.

They aren't looking to merge more partner for an International Streaming service.

https://deadline.com/2021/07/comcast...nt-1234796476/

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

BBC Cuts:

-BBC Parliament (Channel 605) will be broadcasting BBC News 24 hours a day from Monday until September.

-From 6am on July 31st BBC Scotland (TV Channel) will be broadcasting BBC Two from Midnight to 7pm.

The BBC Parliament channel cannot broadcast the discussions at Westminster during the summer recess anyway, so it's not really a 'cut'.

[1701-e]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

The BBC Parliament channel cannot broadcast the discussions at Westminster during the summer recess anyway, so it's not really a 'cut'.

Exactly in fact it was used as an Olympic channel in the past if memory serves me right as no real loss what with all the repeats

[RichardCoulter]

Cuts to BBC Parliament are on the way soon though.

In the past they have normally shown repeats eg reruns of General Election coverage.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Cuts to BBC Parliament are on the way soon though.

In the past they have normally shown repeats eg reruns of General Election coverage.

The BBC Parliament cut has started - the party Conferences season will not be shown in full live on BBC Parliament this year.

Also the BBC Scotland broadcasting BBC Two thing may not happen on July 31st after all as my Freeview TV Set EPG says "This is BBC Scotland" and the listings for BBC Scotland on the BBC web site says that BBC Scotland will just join up with BBC Two when BBC Two joins BBC News overnights.