General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2014) Vol. 2

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by Lozenge

Sky have made Sky Sports 4 'Your home of golf', so all their golf coverage so far this season has been on there.

Sky Sports 3 has also been made 'Your home of tennis'.

Sky Sports 1 has shown mostly football this season just gone, while sports 2 has shown most of their cricket since being used for the Ashes last summer and winter.

Cheers!

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Not surprised as it's available on Freesat too.

There are some channels on Freesat that are in pay packages on VM.

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

There are some channels on Freesat that are in pay packages on VM.

I really do find it strange that Virgin put channels in the pay packages when they are free to view on Freeview and/or Freesat!

[ncfc1902]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

I really do find it strange that Virgin put channels in the pay packages when they are free to view on Freeview and/or Freesat!

No different to UKTV's Freeview channels being pay channels on Sky.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

I really do find it strange that Virgin put channels in the pay packages when they are free to view on Freeview and/or Freesat!

Think about what's in it for the provider.

For Freeview or Freesat you buy your own box and aerial/dish, then just pick up the signals that are already being broadcast to your home. So it doesn't cost them anything. But VM need to provide a cable into your home and a box to watch it on - and that needs to be paid for somehow. You wouldn't want to pay the actual cost of installing the service, so they rent it to you instead.

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Think about what's in it for the provider.

For Freeview or Freesat you buy your own box and aerial/dish, then just pick up the signals that are already being broadcast to your home. So it doesn't cost them anything. But VM need to provide a cable into your home and a box to watch it on - and that needs to be paid for somehow. You wouldn't want to pay the actual cost of installing the service, so they rent it to you instead.

What I was actually trying to say is a channel that is free on freeview(which most of us have) isn`t a selling pont,is it? Why would you upgrade to say xl package just to get a channel you can already get on Freeview! I do take your point that Virgin have to pay for the cable and box for you to watch it on.

[DaMac]

The other side to this is Virgin don't give you the option to pay for and use your own box, i know that might be considered anti competition in other european countries.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by DaMac

The other side to this is Virgin don't give you the option to pay for and use your own box, i know that might be considered anti competition in other european countries.

In some apartments in countries like Belgium, cable is the only way of receiving a TV signal. So basic cable channels can be decoded there by most TVs without the need of a set top box from the cable company.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

Why would you upgrade to say xl package just to get a channel you can already get on Freeview!

Well you certainly wouldn't upgrade to XL to get a channel you've already got on a lower pack. (Which Freeview channels are only available in XL, anyway?)

Originally Posted by DaMac

The other side to this is Virgin don't give you the option to pay for and use your own box, i know that might be considered anti competition in other european countries.

Those would be the countries where cable is the predominant transmission medium. There is plenty of competition in the UK market.

Any more news on any of the followin channels launching?

Sky1+1
pick + 1
universal channel hd
history hd
nat geo wild hd
ci + 1
ci hd
food network + 1
travel channel + 1
e! + 1
e! Hd
comedy central extra + 1
sony tv + 1
lifetime hd
lifetime + 1
more> movies
true movies 2
true drama
more > movies + 1
sony movies
sony movies + 1
disney channel hd
disney junior + 1
disney junior hd
disney xd hd
mtv classic
pop girl
kix!
Tiny pop + 1
bliss
scuzz
now tv
mtv + 1
mtv live
nick junior + 1
horse and country
pop

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Base on info I have seen the Sky Sports HD Channels launch date is sometime after July 13th.

Until I am told otherwise they will launch by August 1st.

Originally Posted by gizuk

I've corrected your post for you

The info I posted yesterday is still the correct information at time of posting.

I did also have the correct Sky Sports Channels numbers but with Sky Sports 5 launching I am still waiting for the new Sky Sports Channel lineup to be confirmed.

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by DaMac

The other side to this is Virgin don't give you the option to pay for and use your own box, i know that might be considered anti competition in other european countries.

This opens up a whole new argument,shouldn`t Virgin be `forced` to allow anyone to use their cable network? That way you could have a freeview service through cable not controlled by virgin. A bit like now you have Freesat from sky,freesat from ITV/BBC and Real Digital(if they`re still around?). Now I know virgin have to pay for the cable to our homes but there again sky pay to put a dish,cable and a decoder box to a new customer but don`t demand it back when you leave thus allowing you to a)sell your sky box and b)use your dish and cable for a Freesat box!

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

I really do find it strange that Virgin put channels in the pay packages when they are free to view on Freeview and/or Freesat!

To introduce people to cable and obtain income from other streams eg TiVo fee, possible upgrading, PPV etc I think that M should include every channel from Freeview and Freesat.

I really do think that this would temp non pay TV customers to cable.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

This opens up a whole new argument,shouldn`t Virgin be `forced` to allow anyone to use their cable network? That way you could have a freeview service through cable not controlled by virgin. A bit like now you have Freesat from sky,freesat from ITV/BBC and Real Digital(if they`re still around?). Now I know virgin have to pay for the cable to our homes but there again sky pay to put a dish,cable and a decoder box to a new customer but don`t demand it back when you leave thus allowing you to a)sell your sky box and b)use your dish and cable for a Freesat box!

Sky don't pay for those things, you buy your equipment from Sky, and own it outright.

[DaMac]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Those would be the countries where cable is the predominant transmission medium. There is plenty of competition in the UK market.

There isn't any competition on the box buying market... Imagine if you could only view BBC channels on a set supplied by TV licencing UK, there would be an outcry, what Virgin get away with must be illegal under EU law.

---------- Post added at 09:29 ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 ----------

Originally Posted by andy_m

Sky don't pay for those things, you buy your equipment from Sky, and own it outright.

But they don't let you use a box of your choice, EU legislation states that pay satellite providers must allow the end user to view a legally obtained subscription via a receiver of their choice via a suitable cam slot, they don't get away with it in other EU countries, only here because British consumers just accept their lot and don't challenge anything, lets start throwing cows into the sea is what i say.