Sky Atlantic on Virgin Media

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Chris

In fact, 'most' people in the UK aren't interested in quantity at all. They don't have any kind of subscription TV and have upgraded to Freeview or Freesat because there's no longer any choice to stay with the basic analogue five.

Totally agree. In the recent Freeview advertising campaign, they highlighted that the top 100 popular programmes in the UK are all on Freeview. The mass population are happy with Freeview and have no interest in a pay TV service. For me if Scottish football was on BBC or STV, plus terrestrial TV showed more boxing, I probably wouldn't pay for TV either. I mainly watch "Freeview channels" plus a bit of sport. The Mrs. on the other hand would watch Living TV plus MTV and E Entertainment all day long!

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Chris

In fact, 'most' people in the UK aren't interested in quantity at all. They don't have any kind of subscription TV and have upgraded to Freeview or Freesat because there's no longer any choice to stay with the basic analogue five.

I agree that 'quantity' of channels is not the over-riding issue - it is quality of programmes that is important. I for one am not too bothered that we lack access to Sky's hundreds of channels because they tend to be low budget, low quality channels. We do receive at present all the channels that really matter, although there may be a few on the fringes, such as CBS Drama, that it would be good to have as well.

However, I want access to all the best programming, whether brought to me by live channels or VOD. This is why it is so important that we get Sky Atlantic. It promises to have a lot of very good quality material on there from the States and I will go absolutely mad if Virgin Media do not recognise this and bring us at least the SD channel from launch.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I agree that 'quantity' of channels is not the over-riding issue - it is quality of programmes that is important. I for one am not too bothered that we lack access to Sky's hundreds of channels because they tend to be low budget, low quality channels. We do receive at present all the channels that really matter, although there may be a few on the fringes, such as CBS Drama, that it would be good to have as well.

However, I want access to all the best programming, whether brought to me by live channels or VOD. This is why it is so important that we get Sky Atlantic. It promises to have a lot of very good quality material on there from the States and I will go absolutely mad if Virgin Media do not recognise this and bring us at least the SD channel from launch.

I couldn't agree more. We definitely still watch the network channels or spinoffs (and their catch up) far more than any of the pay channels.

There are a few decent FTA channels on Sky but they would have to agree with VM to be carried on cable, they are nothing to do with Sky so maybe VM don't think they are worth considering, who knows. Lets be clear I think with the exception of some HD simulcasts (we get the SD versions though) and some Sky gaming channels we currently get all of Sky's wholly owned channels anyway but sadly that dosen't seem to be the case with Atlantic if it appeals to you.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I agree that 'quantity' of channels is not the over-riding issue - it is quality of programmes that is important. I for one am not too bothered that we lack access to Sky's hundreds of channels because they tend to be low budget, low quality channels. We do receive at present all the channels that really matter, although there may be a few on the fringes, such as CBS Drama, that it would be good to have as well.

However, I want access to all the best programming, whether brought to me by live channels or VOD. This is why it is so important that we get Sky Atlantic. It promises to have a lot of very good quality material on there from the States and I will go absolutely mad if Virgin Media do not recognise this and bring us at least the SD channel from launch.

I don't follow you their Old Boy. Virgin Media can recognise that until they go blue in the face but with Sky's stated intention to keep it as an exclusive it doesn't matter what VM or VM's customers think. We are not going to get it. In sd or hd. I know you want the channel Old Boy but you will have to find other ways of getting the content.

[Dave42]

sky ONLY want 1 thing a monopoly sooner people see this the better

[howardmicks]

Originally Posted by Dave42

sky ONLY want 1 thing a monopoly sooner people see this the better

Yep and vm helped them out by selling them the channels

This whole thread is waste of time if it's just about playing the blame game..

I frankly think that most of the content on TV is crap anyway and whatever Sky get their hands on will be repeated ad nauseum for the next 20-30 years somewhere where you can view it without paying for Sky.
Star Trek and Stargate being two examples.

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by howardmicks

Yep and vm helped them out by selling them the channels

it was only way vm would ever get sky premium HD and sky1 hd would you rather they kept the channels and never got them thats what lots people wanted access to sky premium HD

ps i very happy to have access to them

[howardmicks]

Originally Posted by Dave42

it was only way vm would ever get sky premium HD and sky1 hd would you rather they kept the channels and never got them thats what lots people wanted access to sky premium HD

ps i very happy to have access to them

I agree with what your saying,But by the time sky1 has been ripped to pieces and all the usa imports and top shows go onto atlantic sky 1 want be worth squat.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by howardmicks

I agree with what your saying,But by the time sky1 has been ripped to pieces and all the usa imports and top shows go onto atlantic sky 1 want be worth squat.

It will be as worthwhile as Sky 3 LOL :-)

[Doug P]

Sky Atlantic is massively over-valued by many on here imo

From what I've seen of the line-up, I would tend to agree ... unfortunately for some people, the value of their TV service is determined by how many channels they have, not whether they actually want to watch them.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Chris

From what I've seen of the line-up, I would tend to agree ... unfortunately for some people, the value of their TV service is determined by how many channels they have, not whether they actually want to watch them.

The problem for Virgin is customers want it , if they could hold out like they did with the Sky basic farce eventually Sky would come begging to increase ad revenue. You can see them eventually getting access but probably only SD to which Virgin should say both or forget it.

[Pierre]

There's nothing on SKY Atlantic that's worth losing any sleep over.

Originally Posted by Doug P

Sky Atlantic is massively over-valued by many on here imo

I would agree my view is that eventually sky atlantic will find its way onto vm in sd only,its only free( and exclusive) to all sky customers i think for about six months then its part of one of their packs i think possibbly at this point (or sooner) we will see the sd version appear on vm provided sky do not want silly money for it.

Not really into the sort of programming on sky atlantic myself though as has been said in this thread already quantity of channels is a moot point its wether you would actually watch them or not, when and if they arrive that counts.