General Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2018) - Page 112

denphone · 01-08-2018, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Virgin Media UK to launch an second 4K UHD Channel.

JJ20X is reporting that Virgin Media UK are testing Love Nature 4K.

https://forums.digitalspy.com/discus...-channels/p167

It starting to feel like waiting on an bus to come.

Having watched some content on there its a pretty good channel IMO.

RichardCoulter · 01-08-2018, 20:43

Yes, I think that this is one of the better ones out of the channels that they recently launched.

If the UKTV channels do come back, I imagine that a lot of the recent additions will be quietly dropped, but as Love Nature looks to be one of the new 4K channels I don't (hope) think that this will be one of them.

dodgem22 · 01-08-2018, 20:55

I do not think any of the new channels will be dropped if the UKTV ones return. This is why they have duplicate epg slots if the UKTV ones return the new channels will no longer have duplicate slots and just the one slot and the UKTV channels the other slot. Thats my take on it anyway.

RichardCoulter · 02-08-2018, 02:07

The reason I say that is because some of the new channels are low value bargain basement type channels that won't get that many viewers.

Many wouldn't have appeared without VM needing quick replacements as they couldn't have afforded the carriage costs, so i'm sure that VM must have done them a deal that they couldn't have refused. I suspect that a short term contract will have been made for something like a year. They might even have agreed to carry some of the channels for free, given that they say that they have offered to carry the FTA UKTV channels for free, then, when the contracts expire they could ask them for the normal commercial rates, whilst knowing that some of them couldn't afford them. This would allow VM to say that it was the choice of the channel owners to leave the platform.

Horse & Country is a prime example as they had to come off Freesat because they couldn't afford the EPG fee.

Then, if VM don't feel that they need them anymore (especially if the UKTV channels return and some form of payment is agreed), they would most likely say something along the lines of them having such low viewer numbers that they have stopped carrying them to invest in better programming elsewhere blah blah.

There is also the fact that capacity is fast running out. Yes, they could increase capacity, but that would involve costs for new infrastructure. I think it more likely that they will follow the likes of Sky & Freeview and squeeze more channels into existing capacity. This would reduce the picture quality, so maybe this is the excuse that they will use to remove some of them??

I say some of them as I don't think that they will all be removed e.g. History HD, Paramount HD will probably stay.

I hope i'm wrong because different people like different things and more choice is always welcome, but this is what I suspect will happen.

SonicMaster · 02-08-2018, 11:51

Quest HD is back on channel 217.

Ultimate.Conj · 02-08-2018, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by SonicMaster

Quest HD is back on channel 217.

Anything decent on this channel?

I've not really looked at it much, but another HD channel for those that watch it is always good.

Media Boy UK · 02-08-2018, 16:57

Another one bites the dust.

We have seen reports on A516Digital Twitter feed that Estuary TV will close by September.

Estuary TV is broadcasting on Virgin UK Channel 159 right now in the Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire area.

Mad Max · 02-08-2018, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Another one bites the dust.

We have seen reports on A516Digital Twitter feed that Estuary TV will close by September.

Estuary TV is broadcasting on Virgin UK Channel 159 right now in the Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire area.

Brilliant, That'll make more room for quality repeats......

Rob King · 02-08-2018, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultimate.Conj

Anything decent on this channel?

I've not really looked at it much, but another HD channel for those that watch it is always good.

We only watch Australian gold hunter on Quest so not really a popular channel for us

muppetman11 · 02-08-2018, 17:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Max

Brilliant, That'll make more room for quality repeats......

Don’t forget both Sky Sports and BT Sport show mainly repeats.

Mad Max · 02-08-2018, 17:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Don’t forget both Sky Sports and BT Sport show mainly repeats.

I wouldn't know, I watch their live events......

muppetman11 · 02-08-2018, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Max

I wouldn't know, I watch their live events......

I’m sure some who watch UKTV watch first run shows

Mad Max · 02-08-2018, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by muppetman11

I’m sure some who watch UKTV watch first run shows

I wouldn't know, dinner ladies somehow doesn't appeal.....

muppetman11 · 02-08-2018, 17:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Max

I wouldn't know, dinner ladies somehow doesn't appeal.....

Doesn’t appeal to me really either but if Sky and Virgin continue to drop channels without reducing charges they’ll find many look to the cheaper streaming alternatives and continue with linear on Freeview or Freesat. Not everyone watches Sport.

Mad Max · 02-08-2018, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Doesn’t appeal to me really either but if Sky and Virgin continue to drop channels without reducing charges they’ll find many look to the cheaper streaming alternatives and continue with linear on Freeview or Freesat. Not everyone watches Sport.

No they don't, but it's a huge part of their service.