General : Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2016)

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by Horizon

...
It's ironic that ALL Freeview boxes of today run faster than anything that VM offer. And as for Amazon Fire sticks, or Chrome, or any other USB stick, they are far, far, better than our "premium" boxes for which we pay a premium for.

They are 'younger' and therefore have faster processors, and don't have as much processing to do.

That is why I use Tivo just as a PVR and streamer boxes for OTT.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Horizon

.... you raise a interesting point. What happens to the liberate software on the v boxes? I wonder how long the Liberate contract still has to run? Will the v boxes be phased out and the current "premium" tivo boxes become the bog standard ones instead.

I have a v box and it runs faster than the tivo, mainly because its 2 week guide was striped out of it some time ago. I seem to recall VM saying a few years ago that they would download tivo software onto the standard boxes minus the recording features. I can't say I'd be thrilled about that if that's still the plan.

That's what I was thinking ie TiVo being the standard offering with Horizon as the premium service.

I don't know if V boxes will get TiVo software or not, but the then CEO did say that it was an option some years ago.

My old V+ box was stripped of some services over the years, I had no idea that this had also been done to the V boxes too.

As you say, if these boxes are struggling now, I wonder how/if they could cope with TiVo software.

It was interesting to read in the VM Ireland link that someone provided earlier that HD channels appear to be provided as standard for the channels subscribed to for the two TV packages that VM Ireland appear to offer.

I think it's now time that VM did this in the UK as I don't think that HD should be regarded as a premium service in 2016.

Even Sky are scrapping their HD charge for movies from 1/6/16.

The charge remains for sport, not sure about the position with regards to the HD variants of the basic channels.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11...-provided.html

Originally Posted by Horizon

.... you raise a interesting point. What happens to the liberate software on the v boxes? I wonder how long the Liberate contract still has to run? Will the v boxes be phased out and the current "premium" tivo boxes become the bog standard ones instead.

I have a v box and it runs faster than the tivo, mainly because its 2 week guide was striped out of it some time ago. I seem to recall VM saying a few years ago that they would download tivo software onto the standard boxes minus the recording features. I can't say I'd be thrilled about that if that's still the plan.

It's ironic that ALL Freeview boxes of today run faster than anything that VM offer. And as for Amazon Fire sticks, or Chrome, or any other USB stick, they are far, far, better than our "premium" boxes for which we pay a premium for.

I agree with you, we pay £5 per month per box. But all these sticks thin little sticks are faster than TiVo. Virgin should have got off the a**** a long time ago so boxes would be replaced before the slowed down

---------- Post added at 22:02 ---------- Previous post was at 22:00 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

That's what I was thinking ie TiVo being the standard offering with Horizon as the premium service.

I don't know if V boxes will get TiVo software or not, but the then CEO did say that it was an option some years ago.

My old V+ box was stripped of some services over the years, I had no idea that this had also been done to the V boxes too.

As you say, if these boxes are struggling now, I wonder how/if they could cope with TiVo software.

It was interesting to read in the VM Ireland link that someone provided earlier that HD channels appear to be provided as standard for the channels subscribed to for the two TV packages that VM Ireland appear to offer.

I think it's now time that VM did this in the UK as I don't think that HD should be regarded as a premium service in 2016.

Even Sky are scrapping their HD charge for movies from 1/6/16.

The charge remains for sport, not sure about the position with regards to the HD variants of the basic channels.

I don't think there should be any premium for a standard format like HD. But to be honest before we get excited there is probably a 4K movies charge coming from sky soon

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

I agree with you, we pay £5 per month per box. But all these sticks thin little sticks are faster than TiVo. Virgin should have got off the a**** a long time ago so boxes would be replaced before the slowed down.

I don't think there should be any premium for a standard format like HD. But to be honest before we get excited there is probably a 4K movies charge coming from sky soon

VM are certainly making their assets sweat.

Oh yes, you can be sure that Sky will be introducing a 4K/UHD charge and may even take steps to prevent the channel/s being carried by competing platforms

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I don't know if V boxes will get TiVo software or not, but the then CEO did say that it was an option some years ago.

No, they won't.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by Horizon

.... you raise a interesting point. What happens to the liberate software on the v boxes? I wonder how long the Liberate contract still has to run?

Liberate went out of business many years ago. The software is now supported by Seachange, presumably for as long as VM require.

Originally Posted by Horizon

I seem to recall VM saying a few years ago that they would download tivo software onto the standard boxes minus the recording features. I can't say I'd be thrilled about that if that's still the plan.

You needn't worry; it turned out to not be viable

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

I agree with you, we pay £5 per month per box. But all these sticks thin little sticks are faster than TiVo. Virgin should have got off the a**** a long time ago so boxes would be replaced before the slowed down

Due to cost considerations PVR's are typically replaced every 5-6 years, Streamer sticks every 1-2 years.

If you want PVRs replaced more frequently, you need to be prepared to pay more for your VM services.

I'm guessing it would be cheaper to shell out for a streamer stick, than pay the price rise that VM would have to impose to replace their PVR every two years.

[Horizon]

... it would be nice to have the option to choose what equipment we can use, so that I can organise things as I want them, not as VM want them.

Chance of that happening, zero.

---------- Post added at 00:31 ---------- Previous post was at 00:24 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

VM are certainly making their assets sweat.

That's how John Malone become a billionaire. Making other people pay for rubbish.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Oh yes, you can be sure that Sky will be introducing a 4K/UHD charge and may even take steps to prevent the channel/s being carried by competing platforms

And so the cycle starts all over again......zzzzz. Sky shift top sports onto their 4k channel then either withhold it from competitors or charge extortionate rates.

2040: Sky announce holographic tv and it you want to watch footballers moving around your room in glorious Sky holovision, you'll need to subscribe to Sky directly. and on and on it goes.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

I don't think there should be any premium for a standard format like HD. But to be honest before we get excited there is probably a 4K movies charge coming from sky soon

UHD content will be included in the Sky Q Silver bundle dependant on your subscription.

Originally Posted by muppetman11

UHD content is included in the Sky Q Silver bundle dependant on your subscription.

Yeah but sports or movies might come with premium as those channels haven't launched officially yet

---------- Post added at 10:56 ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 ----------

Originally Posted by passingbat

Due to cost considerations PVR's are typically replaced every 5-6 years, Streamer sticks every 1-2 years.

If you want PVRs replaced more frequently, you need to be prepared to pay more for your VM services.

I'm guessing it would be cheaper to shell out for a streamer stick, than pay the price rise that VM would have to impose to replace their PVR every two years.

I get the 5 to 6 things but I'm sure my TiVo came 2009 to already not far from 7 years

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

Yeah but sports or movies might come with premium as those channels haven't launched officially yet

If you just have the Sky Q Silver bundle you'll get Entertainment 4K content from launch if you have movies you'll get 4K Movies and if you have Sports you'll get 4K Sport included.

Originally Posted by muppetman11

If you just have the Sky Q Silver bundle you'll get Entertainment 4K content from launch if you have movies you'll get 4K Movies and if you have Sports you'll get 4K Sport included.

Well that means virgin unlikely to get sky premium 4K as they don't charge there customers or if we do the cost will fall to virgin customers to pay

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

Well that means virgin unlikely to get sky premium 4K as they don't charge there customers or if we do the cost will fall to virgin customers to pay

If the wholesale price contains an add on cost for 4K, they will have to pass it on. They are not making money out of the Sky premium channels as it is and they certainly wouldn't contemplate a loss.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

I get the 5 to 6 things but I'm sure my TiVo came 2009 to already not far from 7 years

I think some trialists got it at the tail end of 2009, but the official release was April 2010. I'm not 100% sure on that though.

---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 ----------

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

If the wholesale price contains an add on cost for 4K, they will have to pass it on. They are not making money out of the Sky premium channels as it is and they certainly wouldn't contemplate a loss.

Why would Sky let any other provider have 4k Sky content? It is a USP for them. The Sky Atlantic situation illustrates that.

[theone2k10]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

Well that means virgin unlikely to get sky premium 4K as they don't charge there customers or if we do the cost will fall to virgin customers to pay

VM will be getting some form of 4k content mostly on demand stuff though, we believe this may be through netflix though so would require a Netflix subscription.
VM may get some 4k channels Discovery are rumoured to be launching a 4k channel so hopefully this will be on VM at some point.