The VM HD Discussion Thread

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by gadge

Yep working on is virgins new word for coming soon.

I know Telewest & NTL: had "coming soon" tatooed on them and customers got fed up of the statement, but I feel this something different, they are genuinely interested in getting HD on there for the customers...

[Mobes]

Can it honeastly be that difficult to lob a couple of HD channels on???? I mean really...seriously???

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Mobes

Can it honeastly be that difficult to lob a couple of HD channels on???? I mean really...seriously???

It obviously is isn't it... otherwise we'd have them! They need to get a decent amount of channels in HD to sell it as a pack, otherwise they'd be wasting their time if they got just a couple and tried to charge for them..

Plus, don't forget Sky had done deals with some of the broadcasters for exlusive access for a period of time and they also have their own channels in HD, which they hadn't offfered to VM on favourable terms due to wanting an edge over VM.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Mobes

Can it honeastly be that difficult to lob a couple of HD channels on???? I mean really...seriously???

It is.. While the actual act of putting on the channel should be relatively easy (a lot of Virgin's channels are taken from the Sky feed and repackaged), the contracts involved can mae things difficult. Especially as Sky have a lot to lose if Virgin get a lot of HD, so will probably have negotiated exclusive contracts with most of their channels. If you don't think they'd play dirty like that, they did when Channel 4 went free-to-air.

[Johnyhewitt]

I think it's £100 to install and £5 a month. Anyone know when they will bring down their prices?

[Mobes]

O.k, i accpet what you've said. So then why don't VM tell us that. I mean from the bits and pieces i have read VM have never told "us" the non-Sky HD channels are exclusive to Sky at the moment so bare with us 'cos it might be a while - but still we have ther "soon" and "maybe" etc etc... just be honest!

It juts seems such a simply thing to get at least Chn4 HD ITV1 HD :lol: but what do i know :p

Originally Posted by gadge

Yep working on is virgins new word for coming soon.

Bit like the new word for printing money at the bank of england is quantative easing Only easier to say.

[bayards]

Sky viewers can get 32 channels of HD this week, as after the EPG update just rolling, ITV HD may be tuned in manually. It's not on the EPG but now available by a simple "add channel" feature....

[demented]

Originally Posted by bayards

Sky viewers can get 32 channels of HD this week, as after the EPG update just rolling, ITV HD may be tuned in manually. It's not on the EPG but now available by a simple "add channel" feature....

33 or 34 if you're going to count like that. Sky already officially added Sky Arts 2 days back and are quietly busy testing Nat Geo Wild. Depends what your definition is really.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

Plus, don't forget Sky had done deals with some of the broadcasters for exlusive access for a period of time and they also have their own channels in HD, which they hadn't offfered to VM on favourable terms due to wanting an edge over VM.

Sky are not the only source of HD channels and nor do they have exclusive rights with all the HD providers. This is just an excuse.

On the latter point, all VM would have to do is to agree to have a different version of, say, Discovery HD, and this would solve the problem. I seem to recall that about a decade ago there was a different version of one of the channels and this had something to do with rights.

I don't believe for one moment that Sky have a stranglehold over all HD programmes ever made!

[beeman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Sky are not the only source of HD channels and nor do they have exclusive rights with all the HD providers. This is just an excuse.

On the latter point, all VM would have to do is to agree to have a different version of, say, Discovery HD, and this would solve the problem. I seem to recall that about a decade ago there was a different version of one of the channels and this had something to do with rights.

I don't believe for one moment that Sky have a stranglehold over all HD programmes ever made!

That would obviously depend on the terms/wording of the "exclusive" contract. to use your descovery example, if the contract said.....

"Discovery HD must only be broadcast in the UK on the sky platform untill XYZ"

Then VM and vrigin could launch say Discovery prime HD (a symocast of discovery prime as appose to a full channel called DiscoveryHD)

BUT if it said....

"ALL HD channels from Discovery europe broadcast in the UK must only beon the sky platform untill XYZ"

then VM would bee stuck and could not get any HD channel froom Discovery europe untill XYZ

[nialli]

Originally Posted by demented

33 or 34 if you're going to count like that. Sky already officially added Sky Arts 2 days back and are quietly busy testing Nat Geo Wild. Depends what your definition is really.

How much of Sky Arts 2 (or 1, for that matter) actually is HD? Not much from what I can see.
Wonder how long before Sky News goes HD? I watched US news channels in HD last year and it really is jarring when they cut from the HD studio to crap quality SD footage.
I think there's an actual limit to the amount of channels that can go HD, and Sky's fast approaching it - it'll be years before all those repeats channels (UKTV etc) can even consider going HD. The limit would be around 50 by my calculation - the main absentees at the moment being BBC1-4, ITV 1-2, Five, E4, More4 and Film4. Other than those, there's not enough HD programming around to fill schedules for channels.

[bayards]

Wake me up when Sky Filth HD starts lol

H

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

It obviously is isn't it... otherwise we'd have them! They need to get a decent amount of channels in HD to sell it as a pack, otherwise they'd be wasting their time if they got just a couple and tried to charge for them..

Plus, don't forget Sky had done deals with some of the broadcasters for exlusive access for a period of time and they also have their own channels in HD, which they hadn't offfered to VM on favourable terms due to wanting an edge over VM.

Surely channel 4 hd would be a non chargeable channel,i believe vm had an option to take it,also itv may soon be available to put on the vm platform those are two that could be added without charge surely,i know itv was exclusive to freesat but surely that must be coming to an end sometime.?

I have seen people make claims that sky have done exclusive deals with hd content providers many times on this and other sites,notably ds,has anyone actually been able to provide concrete poof this is the case? or if it is have those deals actually now expired, surely if that were the case vm may have made a submission to the competition comission by now or ofcom to claim it is unfair on other platforms ie being denied access to hd channels. After all they were prepared to go to court over the sky basics issue.

Ofcom are conducting a review of pay tv part one has already been done,part two is happening now cannot remember though whether vm have submitted they are being denied access to hd though i know part two focuses on premium content.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/cond...paytv/summary/

If vm are being denied access perhaps we the customers should at least be told even if nobody is prepared even to look into it.

---------- Post added at 13:00 ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 ----------

Here is a vm press release from 2007, in the article it refers to having an option way back in 2007 to carry the linear channel 4 hd so presumably vm could have had it on by now.



http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...314&highlight=

[fred54321]

i dont use forum alot but i just like to say virgin media bbc hd thats one channel they now that customers would love more hd channels so what do they do they go and supply use with more hd channels filmflex and they have the bloody cheek to make us pay for it well out of order so in the end we still have one thats what i think anyways thank you for reading.