As Promised, back to give comparison between sky HD and Virgin HD boxes

[banjo]

Originally Posted by bikerjoe

Last night...back too my programs again on Sky one... Stargate and Battlestart G..Tonight Stargate Atlantis...plus viewed some of the older stargates and others..On top of that was able too record Life on Mars and view after Battlestar G finished..

I feel I have TV back in my control again..Virgin took that away. I will comment that Virgins Remote is more user friendly than Sky's but that could be down too getting used too skys system.

As far as the on demand..which ever you decide too watch...Channels showing old programs...like UK Gold Bravo etc,etc already show old programs (maybe not what was show during the last week) Yet not that different from..EG- 119 and on demand catch up etc. Because that's all those new Virgin Channels are doing...showing repeats.

Virgin how just invented a new-old channel...Nothing new there...


Sky Engineer told me, they have been told that they will have too take on extra overtime...plus he said he's going too loads of ex Virgin customers and changing them too the basic Sky box..On top of reading what other members have wrote in different threads about Virgin lay offs...Make you think Virgin shot themselves in the foot.

I'm glad I made the dicision too change too sky...Could have gone with there standard box but whats the point in havibng a HD ready TV and not using it

Suns shinning...So out on my Honda Fireblade today

Joe

Thanks for letting us know how you got on Joe, me thinks a lot of people protesteth too much about Sky, good luck and be careful on that motorbike

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Saneboy13

h, the OP also failed to mention that when you do use the Mystical Red Button on Sky, you get charged for it i.e if you want to use fan cam or change cam position on a game of footy, then your Sky box uses your phone line to dial in and allow you to use this function

Err - no it doesn't. AFAIK multicam is a free option. We've never been charged for using it or most of the other red button content.

As for red button on Ntl - it wouldn't have worked with the Liberate middleware even if Sky would have let them have it!

[Sherlock614]

If i had to write all that down to convince myself why i was right to join SKY i would be asking myself a question!

[djstevie]

Originally Posted by Saneboy13

They didn't cut off the Red button from Cable. They have never allowed cable to have the Red button facility on Sky Sports or the Movies.

What facility did the Red button work on in Exeter for you?

Oh, the OP also failed to mention that when you do use the Mystical Red Button on Sky, you get charged for it i.e if you want to use fan cam or change cam position on a game of footy, then your Sky box uses your phone line to dial in and allow you to use this function

Sky only charge for the red button use if your voting on a gameshow or playing the online games etc...they do NOT charge anything if you want to change the camera angles or fanzone, during a footy match. The box will always tell you beforehand if there is a charge as normally you have to enter a pin number.

[bikerjoe]

Hi

I agree with everything that's been said. I'm not trying too convince myself..Just speaking out for what's right.

[Admin edit - Chris T] That's great, but please DO NOT spam identical copies of your posts in multiple threads.

Glad you're content - life's too short to be unhappy.

btw, what will you do if VM take some channels off Sky - will you vote with your feet and leave Sky?

[Tod]

Originally Posted by bikerjoe

Hi

I agree with everything that's been said. I'm not trying too convince myself..Just speaking out for what's right.

[Admin edit - Chris T] That's great, but please DO NOT spam identical copies of your posts in multiple threads.

Oh come on Chris, we wanted bikerjoe to tell us just one more time - or maybe even fifty more times!

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by Tod

Oh come on Chris, we wanted bikerjoe to tell us just one more time - or maybe even fifty more times!

It's like an endless repeat of the Simpsons...

[bikerjoe]

.,

[bikerjoe]

Hi

A week has passed since I changed from Virgin too Sky. I was asked on the Virgin side of this site too give my opinion. I took the High Def virsion of both.

I nearly left this good forum, due too comments from Virgin sided management that seem too be control freaks. I manage 3 motorbike Forum sites and would never had done what they did or said in private messages... Yet I'm an adult and I have found in my 57 years that control types are not worth worrying about.

So for those that are interested in what I have found different between Virgin TV and Sky tv..here it is.

There's no difference other than the fact Sky have more channels. That's it !

High def pictures are equaly as good, Sky having more high def channels...yet in time I believe there will be catch up between all TV supliers..I even believe in time Virgin will get the lost channels back..time will tell.

So only worth changing if you enjoy the channels Virgin has lost and have high def and interested now in the extra channels.

Both have equal quality, costs are around the same, except that Sky offer TV and Broadband for only £26 if it's up and running in your area. That's a good deal..Unfortunatly not in my area yet..Plus Sky charge a lot for there high def box.(yet that's a one off thing)

I have opted too remove all Virgin items..TV-Phone and broadband...Not that there's anything wrong with there phone service or broadband..They are very good. I'm going too a BT phone too give my more options for Broadband. No other reason.

Truth is, I'd still be with Virgin if they hadn't lost the channels. I had great service fron NTL and the girl that dealt with my leaving Virgin over the phone was really good. Got the £75 back for the HD box I'd just had installed. I'm not going into politics on why they lost the channels..I and most arent privy too the meetings between both sides, so it's only guess work what gets said by those on the outside.

So my conclusion is..Both give excerlent service...it's up too each individual too choose..

Good luck too you all. I have kept a promise too other users here who asked me too comment after I changed...this is that.

Joe

[Geezer69]

Good comment - I too have found that comments on here can get a bit bolshy. I am changing also when I move house - just for the HD thing and missing channels really. Virgin surprised me totally with the friendly and helpful customer service when arranging cancellation and pick up of equipment. I have been with NTL for seven years now and feared calling up customer services - appalling just not do it justice. Good luck to Virgin though - I feel in time that they will get the channles back and probably in time my custom. I love the idea of having my mobile phone contract with them also and their broadband is second to none. They just need to improve the TV product.

Closed while I find and merge this with your previous 'comparison with Sky' thread - you really don't need to keep starting new ones for the same subject.

---------- Post added at 16:32 ---------- Previous post was at 16:32 ----------

Merged and reopened.

[Obasho]

I nearly changed to Sky when Virgin lost sky1 etc. But after recent events i.e. Virgin re securing afore mentioned channels I’m glad I stayed. I'm sure all the teckies on here speak a lot of sense but the reality of the whole thing is Virgin is just so easy. No crappie dish sticking on the front or back of your property, no cable draped over your roof because sky engineers aren’t allowed in your roof space (I know it's not their fault) No having to have a BT phone line with all the added costs and hassle of that. I take the view that Sky has had a massive head start and to be frank haven’t made a great job of providing a top draw service. They thought they had the market monopolised and I’m pleased that there is now a serious competitor that can help bring prices down, which after all is for the good of all of us. I am just about to sign up to Virgin+HD, which may not as quick as SKY but in my opinion the overall product that virgin supplies i.e. Virgin on demand inc. BBC iplayer, Music on Demand and pretty much everything else, is pretty much spot on. Whether you own (Sky) or Rent (V) your equipment, doesn’t make much difference. The only advantage here is that if you box breaks, Virgin replaces it, SIMPLE!

With my Virgin XL package I get 145 Channels including Sky 1, 3 etc, Setanta Sports plus a variety of on demand services including iplayer. I get 20mb proper Broadband (although it mostly comes through at 11-15mb) and a phone line. This all come through at the, not cheap, but not wallet splitting cost of £38 per month. The HD+ again isn’t cheap, although there is a 50% discount at the moment and with the XL package, I don’t pay any monthly additional cost.

My only real complaint about virgin is that the customer service has been shocking in the past, however having spoken to someone today, they seem to be improving things.

Let's hope both providers continue to improve as well as bring cost's down.

Anyway hope you all have a good Xmas and try not to watch too much TV. (it'll make your eyes go square)

[Mick Fisher]

Originally Posted by Obasho

I am just about to sign up to Virgin+HD

What HD? For the tiny bit of HD that VM can supply why bother?

Neil says VM customers don't want HD so if you want HD then you better start thinking about Sky+HD.

[hokkers999]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Having seen the quality of display in my local dixons, I can honestly say that I would be thoroughly unimpressed if my TV picture was as "good" as that.

I agree, that's why I won't shell out my hard earned cash. Plus don't forget the demo - assuming they use a true hd source - looks fantastic because your standing 3 feet away from it where the eye can perceive the distance.

I'm not reopening that whole debate, viewers can search this forum if needed, but at a more typical 7-9 feet viewing distance the laws of physics means the eye is no longer capable of resolving the difference.