US Cable Giant Liberty Global buys Virgin Media

I think the TiVo will go,the new owners will probably by 1 or 2 STB's (Or replace them with kit they already use around Europe ) and roll them out to all areas. The more they buy the bigger the discounts and the easier it is for repairs and faults etc.

[Martin_D]

So has it been sold ??

[MalteseFalcon]

If it is a done deal, what does this mean for Virgin customers? Will we still get the same services as Virgin provide? I don't want to use BT or SKY so will have to say goodbye to internet and cable TV. Back to Freeview I think if the new owners start messing with existing customers. Could this be why retentions have stopped giving out deals to customers?

[thenry]

relax Mark. a rival to Rupert didn't just buy into the UKs cable network to destroy it. that said UPC's security sucks.

[MalteseFalcon]

I hope they don't destroy it. Mind you, if they start hiking prices up I may have to dump something.

Reading a link, Virgin share prices have gone from $3.26 a share 4 years ago to $45 a share today.

[RB2004]

I think this deal as said will spell an end to TiVo on VM.

It will drive liberty costs down buying just 1 box across America and Europe with massive cost savings.

And with TiVo vs horizon. Well horizon will win as that is libertys own in house stb and it is too similar to TiVo.

Originally Posted by thenry

relax Mark. a rival to Rupert didn't just buy into the UKs cable network to destroy it. that said UPC's security sucks.

Free cable for all then lol

[MalteseFalcon]

Been looking at the UPC website, prices are actually fairly competitive. For the top package, which offers a download speed of 100MB/s and upload speeds of 10MB/s costs the equivalent of £68.52 a month. If they bring packages like that over to us Virgin customers then I am happy. Mind, that is before you add the SKY stuff in.

[RB2004]

These specs alone are tempting over TiVo box,


"The Horizon media gateway has six tuners and can record up to four channels simultaneously. There is a three-hour review buffer that runs across recently viewed channels, from which users can also set recordings. The gateway box comes with a gigabyte of memory and a 500 gigabyte hard disk."

So no way they will keep TiVo,

That box is already rolled out in iteland and europe.

"It will be rolled out in Switzerland, Germany and Ireland over the next 3-6 months. International cable company Liberty Global has been working with a number of partners on the ambitious project, which promises to transform the cable television experience for its customers, allowing them to view media across television, computer, tablet and smartphone screens."

That was October 2012.


So looks like end of TiVo, shame really after all the hype VM put into TiVo and marketing it etc

[thenry]

were UPC dishing out SB6120's? i now see the combo but before the roll out of combo kit?

[howardmicks]

Originally Posted by RB2004

I think this deal as said will spell an end to TiVo on VM.

It will drive liberty costs down buying just 1 box across America and Europe with massive cost savings.

And with TiVo vs horizon. Well horizon will win as that is libertys own in house stb and it is too similar to TiVo.

If vm now ditch TiVo,watch sky swoop to do a deal with TiVo.its clearly what as stopped a lot of customers switching to sky it certainly aint channel choice

[thenry]

Originally Posted by Bogof

Free cable for all then lol

not again.

---------- Post added at 00:25 ---------- Previous post was at 00:24 ----------

Originally Posted by howardmicks

If vm now ditch TiVo,watch sky swoop to do a deal with TiVo.its clearly what as stopped a lot of customers switching to sky it certainly aint channel choice

and brand it as Sky?

[RB2004]

Sky can't do a deal with TiVo because VM were locked in for 4 years? so presumably it will still cost them money, because presumably tivo deal works on the basis that vm buy the rights to use it like a subscription itbut it doesn't mean they have to use it?

Because for liberty their horizon box is better, cheaper and a competitor to TiVo.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by howardmicks

If vm now ditch TiVo,watch sky swoop to do a deal with TiVo.its clearly what as stopped a lot of customers switching to sky it certainly aint channel choice

Things look set to get interesting. The Horizon box, based on Youtube videos, looks great. SKY will need to up their game ASAP in terms of their PVR. I would not be surprised at all if UPC ditch TiVo and SKY try to step in. Remember it wasn't to long ago that BBC catch-up on SKY looked virtually impossible.

Imagine SKY with TiVo Vs. UPC with Horizon

[thenry]

Will Netgear be given the boot. UPC Ireland broadband supply Cisco EPC2425, Cisco EPC3925 and Thomson TWG870