Hello Sky (ordered today) and Bye Bye Virgin..

[newguy]

good luck with the move over but it was not Virgin's fault that the channels were taken off as Sky wanted too much money for them according to what I have read.

Originally Posted by bikerjoe

I'm fed up with choice been taken away from me.

Virgin say this and Sky say that...The truth is Virgin customers are loosing out, no matter what Virgin say they intend too do..

I have missed my favourite programs now for a couple of weeks..24...Stargate..Battlestar G...etc etc,,

I dont believe that Sky one has dropped in popularity..and that Bravo has increased..

I do believe we the customer should have been asked first before the chanels where taken away..Telling us Virgin where not happy is not enough..

Virgin Media is of no use without Sky One. So today I have ordered Sky's High Definition box too be installed, coming next Tuesday. I have untill the end of March too cancel Virgin, which I will do once Sky is installed.

It's costing me £295 for the HD Box and £60 too install..I begrudge this but have been forced into paying this, through Virgins aragance and taking away popular Channels. it's the only way I can continue too watch my fav shows like 24 Stargate etc,

I was happy when NTLWORLD was in charge..weeks after Virgin took over, I had reduced choice. Plus there 119 channel is a load of rubbish at present.

I went for High Definition because I like too watch television at it's highest quality.

That goes for choice as well. Virgin took that quality of choice awy

So Bye Bye Virgin,,,Hello Sky

Originally Posted by newguy

good luck with the move over but it was not Virgin's fault that the channels were taken off as Sky wanted too much money for them according to what I have read.

Yes according to what you read.
Until both VM and SKY agree to publish the minutes nobody will know.

[bw41101]

I've been a cable customer for more years than I can care to remember and I've got no complaints about the shift to VM. From a technical point of view the combining of the NTL and Telewest systems was no mean feat to achieve - of which still to be completed. In addition, the launch of VM had to be brought forward two weeks ahead of schedule - thanks to SKY blabbing it all over the press and the media.

There's no way that I'd move to another service provider - most certainly not SKY!! Whilst I sympathise with those that have lost channels like Stargate SG1/Atalantis, Battlestar Galctica, etc (my favourites also), I'll get comfort in the fact that programs (a bit like like Karma) come around and around, so I'll (no doubt) get to see them a little later on in the year.

Reading the press reports, look like OFCOM may be getting involved with VM/SKY dispute. Hopefully the SKY bully boy will get the just deserved kick in the proverbial - fingers crossed.

Anyway you tell me of any other service provider than can provide a decent quality internet package without a stinking BT connection??

As for the bleaters who are threatening to move over to SKY, please feel free to join the rest of the sheep, by the way the shepherd is called Murdoch.

I'll si thee

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by bw41101

From a technical point of view the combining of the NTL and Telewest systems was no mean feat to achieve - of which still to be completed.

The combining of all the fragmented cable companies that CableTel went round buying was no mean feat to acheive - also still to be completed some eight years later AFAIK.

Originally Posted by bw41101

Reading the press reports, look like OFCOM may be getting involved with VM/SKY dispute. Hopefully the SKY bully boy will get the just deserved kick in the proverbial - fingers crossed.

I fear I might have missed the interest expressed by OFCOM in the VM/Sky dispute that you refer to. Could you perhaps point me to a link that reports that please?

Originally Posted by bw41101

Anyway you tell me of any other service provider than can provide a decent quality internet package without a stinking BT connection??

I would agree...my cable internet connection, once they'd ironed out the severe problems in the early days, was excellent. There were problems of course, some serious some less so - exactly the same as every ISP experiences over time. But I have ADSL now, it's almost as good.

[freckles]

Hi, I am new to this forum, but I want to have my say in the aweful position I have found myself since Virgin has take over ntl.

I am a huge fan of 'Lost' and I was so pleased when Sky started to air the show only 4 days after it was aired in the US. It was great! I was able to go onto the 'Lost' forum and be able to contribute.

Then it all went bad. Not a lot of notification, what I read at the time I thought was just hype or spin or whatever, I really did not think tha Virgin would pull the plug.

So, I have also taken the steps today to cancel my account with Virgin and have ordered Sky. What a revalation!I transfered my telephone account and my BT line will be installed and working on Monday (it could even be tomorrow, but they could not promise). Sky have stated Tuesday 13th as installation day, with a promise that the engineer will call to say that he is on his way, free magazine, broadband installed and everything. I could not be happier.

Tonight was the last straw for me. One of my favourite programmes at the moment is 'Masterchef' which is on BBC2. Tonight it was just black. I had to go and watch it on our TV in our bedroom, which I assume is on annalog or whatever. When I phone ntl to cancel the service I was left on hold for several minutes and then cut off with a message to phone again tomorrow. I the phoned customer services and was directed to the cancellation service. After explaining that I had already tried and had been cut off, I was not offered any help at all. This means that tomorrow I will spend a lot of time trying to cancel my contract. What was interesting was that the lady I spoke to (a Supervisor) explained that if there are 200 customers in the queue the message automatically invites customers to phone again tomorrow. How much money is the company making from customers who wish to cancel?

Sorry to rant and rave, but I am just so disapointed with ntl aka Virgin.

[andygrif]

Masterchef is repeated on Sunday I think.

[pmdelany]

Originally Posted by freckles

Tonight was the last straw for me. One of my favourite programmes at the moment is 'Masterchef' which is on BBC2. Tonight it was just black. I had to go and watch it on our TV in our bedroom, which I assume is on annalog or whatever..

Why did you not just watch it on your normal TV, you can still watch BBC2 without cable

[newguy]

True, true and no doubt we will never know the full truth. It's a shame that big companies are so greedy but good for the customers to have competition out there. And VM are no doubt competition for sky which has been a long time coming.

Originally Posted by arcamalpha2004

Yes according to what you read.
Until both VM and SKY agree to publish the minutes nobody will know.

Originally Posted by andygrif

....snip...
I fear I might have missed the interest expressed by OFCOM in the VM/Sky dispute that you refer to. Could you perhaps point me to a link that reports that please?
....snip....

ThisIsMoney
"BSkyB is calling for the media watchdog, Ofcom, to force Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Media to open up its cable network to other broadcasters."

Or it may (tangentially) be this - SkyDTT
"BSkyB's plan to launch pay-TV channels on the UK's digital terrestrial platform—announced last week on the day that Virgin Media launched its quad-play proposition—will require media regulator Ofcom to conduct a consultation looking at three key issues.
Ofcom said while no request to change licences held by Sky and National Grid Wireless, the transmission group which currently carries Sky's three channels on Freeview, had been received, discussions between Ofcom and Sky had identified the need to consult on Sky's plans to launch a new DTT set-top box using the MPEG4 compression standard; the impact of the loss of Sky's three channels on Freeview; and whether new licence conditions were needed to ensure fair competition"

or this - BBC
"Media regulator Ofcom has been ordered to investigate BSkyB's controversial purchase of a 17.9% stake in ITV. The government has asked the watchdog to advise on whether November's share deal was against the public interest. BSkyB's decision to buy into ITV was seen by some as an attempt to block a bid for the firm from its rival NTL"

[surfer100]

i can't believe how hostile people have been to u on this. Maybe these people work for VM.

[RXP]

Forget about SkyOne. Just download your fav SkyOne shows ;-)

[bw41101]

Well that must be good advice. However (with respect) clairvoyancy was never one of mine or (I guess) many readers strong points.

Care to expand your statement with (perhaps) some information?

Si thee

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by foreverwar

ThisIsMoney
"BSkyB is calling for the media watchdog, Ofcom, to force Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Media to open up its cable network to other broadcasters."

Don't think that's what he was referring to. Also, I haven't seen any response on this issue by OFCOM. Chiefly, one assumes, as it's just a bit of PR'ing from Sky rather than anything serious.

Originally Posted by foreverwar

Or it may (tangentially) be this - SkyDTT
"BSkyB's plan to launch pay-TV channels on the UK's digital terrestrial platform�anno unced last week on the day that Virgin Media launched its quad-play proposition�w ill require media regulator Ofcom to conduct a consultation looking at three key issues.

Hmmm, not really anything to do with Virgin, let alone the Virgin/Sky 'dispute'

Originally Posted by foreverwar

or this - BBC
"Media regulator Ofcom has been ordered to investigate BSkyB's controversial purchase of a 17.9% stake in ITV. The government has asked the watchdog to advise on whether November's share deal was against the public interest. BSkyB's decision to buy into ITV was seen by some as an attempt to block a bid for the firm from its rival NTL"

Not really anything to do with this dispute. I might argue that it's not really anything to do with Virgin either, as they had their chance to buy ITV but failed....but let's not go round in that circle again.

So, are you saying that the poster was not correct about OFCOM involvement in the Sky/Virgin 'dispute'? It's just that I haven't noticed their reply either....

[freckles]

I did watch Masterchief on my 'normal' TV and I am aware that it is repeated on Sunday, but I work shifts so that is a no go.

Anyway, I have left Virgin and, next week I will be able to watch my favourite programmes. (This is how good the service is. I have a date and time when the engineer will appear, he will phone me to let me know he is on his way, with the timescale of the installation being one and a half hours). That is what I call good service.

After waiting ages to cancel I just wonder how many customers are going domw the same road. As I discussed with my family today, Virgin are going to have to produce something very large to pursuade customers to return.

[gc7]

Good Luck, to you all, with your move to Sky. All I can say is I hope you don't have any problmes. Yes they may have been nice to talk to while signing up, thats because you're a new customer. Now that you have signed and been captured, you will be like all the others, just a means of payment.