HD : XL Package But NO HD Box

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by martkt10

Well, thats my point, i pay for XL, but can't view any HD channels as the box only has a scart connection

While I do see your point, Virgin's perspective on this would be that you are getting the package you signed up for (ie without HD). You can't expect VM to give you a free upgrade just so you can receive a service you haven't had in the past. Having said that, if you phone up CS and tell them you were looking to upgrade your services, I'm sure they would cut you a good deal.

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by Superblade7

What you have to remember is that if you've been with them years then you will have taken the XL TV pack when there was no HD on VM. Therefore you still currently get what you signed up for despite the fact that the XL TV package has been improved over the years. Plus the bundle you have will no longer exist as, like others have pointed out, the 20Mb BB tier is a legacy tier as the minimum is now 50Mb. We don't know what you currently pay for your services but like I suggested above, you may find that some of the newer bundles will be around the price you currently pay or even cheaper and will all come with a TiVo to enable you to get HD. Even if you go through the retentions route, you will likely have to switch to a new bundle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sticking up for VM here but surely you can't expect any company to just keep providing their customers with new equipment when available? They have to get something out of it to make it worth their while whether that be tying you into a new contract, upgrading your bundle or charging you an product/installation fee (or a combination of the three).

I agree but they should provide you with a minimum spec to receive what you should be able to receive, even if it it been a free upgrade.

[Superblade7]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

I agree but they should provide you with a minimum spec to receive what you should be able to receive, even if it it been a free upgrade.

They do during the term of your contract. However after that, the onus falls on the customer to decide whether they want to carry on, upgrade or cancel. If you do nothing then the company will just continue providing the services you originally agreed.

That's the way of the world works I'm afraid and is why companies look to provide new services and product innovations to try and encourage customers to do something and take a new product or service and re-contract.

If the onus was on the companies to keep providing customers with new equipment all the time then it'd cost them a fortune and they wouldn't bother looking at new products or services and just keep things constant to reduce their costs.

It's the same across the industry, 3G to 4G, SD to HD, HD to 3D/4K, DVD to Blu-ray and the list goes on. All to encourage us customers to buy new products and services or agree new contracts.

I do think there is a sensible time to retire specific hardware through fault replacement though, like why don't they just replace faulty SD boxes with the new VHD ones. As already stated if your cable modem dies in is replaced with a superhub 1 (I know not great) with access to wifi potentially for the first time for that customer!

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by mhatter67

I do think there is a sensible time to retire specific hardware through fault replacement though, like why don't they just replace faulty SD boxes with the new VHD ones. As already stated if your cable modem dies in is replaced with a superhub 1 (I know not great) with access to wifi potentially for the first time for that customer!

Totally agree. What is the point of replacing old hardware with old hardware? Before too long VM will want to convert everybody onto TiVo software compatible boxes, why not get some of them out of the way during the course of normal engineer visits??

IIRC, customers could pay to upgrade to an HD box and then it became free. Not sure when they started charging again.

In the end everybody will need to have either a Tivo or a TiVo compatible V Box. I'm sure that customers who refuse to pay for a new box will be upgraded for free, as it would cost more in lost revenue by losing customers.

Does anyone know if both the SD and HD V boxes are TiVo compatible?

[jb66]

Some customers would fake a fault to get new cpe

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Does anyone know if both the SD and HD V boxes are TiVo compatible?

Neither of them are.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Totally agree. What is the point of replacing old hardware with old hardware? Before too long VM will want to convert everybody onto TiVo software compatible boxes, why not get some of them out of the way during the course of normal engineer visits??

IIRC, customers could pay to upgrade to an HD box and then it became free. Not sure when they started charging again.

In the end everybody will need to have either a Tivo or a TiVo compatible V Box. I'm sure that customers who refuse to pay for a new box will be upgraded for free, as it would cost more in lost revenue by losing customers.

Does anyone know if both the SD and HD V boxes are TiVo compatible?

Because it's cheaper to do so, one assumes. When it ceases to be economic, things will change.

In the meantime, if the individual wants to get HD, the onus really is on the customer to talk to VM about it and see what deals are available.

[Matth]

If everyone had HD kit, then there would be no need to double up with SD and HD channel versions - I guess if the kit was designed to, it could downsample the HD channels to SD for people without HD - which must surely be getting rarer.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Matth

If everyone had HD kit, then there would be no need to double up with SD and HD channel versions - I guess if the kit was designed to, it could downsample the HD channels to SD for people without HD - which must surely be getting rarer.

That's a big if, though, Matth. Don't forget that there are a lot of people who cannot afford to get the best kit available, and many continue to rely on non-HD ready TVs.

Unless the EU are about to rule that it is everyone's human right to have an HD TV, I can't see much change happening on that front.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by Matth

I guess if the kit was designed to, it could downsample the HD channels to SD for people without HD - which must surely be getting rarer.

All the VM HD-capable boxes can do this already.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

All the VM HD-capable boxes can do this already.

That's interesting. Does that mean that you can receive HD channels on a non HD-ready TV then? If so, I really hadn't appreciated this.

[Anypermitedroute]

i would of thought it was a simple HDMI to SCART cable which you can pick up in the poundshop making it compatible

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by jb66

Some customers would fake a fault to get new cpe

Are customers just routinely believed when they report a fault? Aren't checks done?

[heero_yuy]

I see on VM's website that taking an upgrade HD box means a new contract. Is that for sure?