Quote:
Originally Posted by passingbat
Wasn't there meant to be a tivo launch partty today where people hoped new channels would be announced as well?
Has the party happened, about to happen later today or was that false information re the launch party?
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Why its nice to read some of the speculation and rumours on the forums about forthcoming launches I always tended to wait for the press releases from VM even if Id heard something myself. But even they arent accurate... they are constantly pulling the wool over customers eyes and makes it hard for someone like me who doesnt want to pay for Sky for anything and BT Vision arent viable option for me to take them seriously. Im baring paying them every month through gritted teeth and it shouldnt be that way.
People on here (including VM staff and mods) might not wanna hear it but Virgin try to constant play the victim role in relation to their negoiations to Sly and other big companies whilst shafting others. Not only that the constantly lying to customers and then vanishing when the said promises and launches dont happen I find amazing and from what Ive read nobody has pulled them up on it.
Examples include: Few years back when 4oD launched we were promised HD on demand content... has anyone seen it? Likewise with ITV Player HD on demand content... never turned up too. When I queried this before with Twitter team was told they spoke to content dept and that they are working with both channels to make it happen and that was last summer.
More examples: Sky on demand content mentioned in the press release 9 months ago to the channel deal including via TV and Virgin Media online player... nothing unless you include limited OD content from Sky Living, greatly reduced from before. Also mentioned in there press release was on demand content for premium channels (eg: sky sports/movies) and nothing. No red button that was supposed to launch mid march and no communication from them as to why apart from VM staff posting on here that its 'coming soon' and 'in testing' but why cant they communicate that more widely. When your told something by VM you have to take it with a pinch of salt.
Sky Arts HD on demand mentioned in the press release and nothing 9 months later apart from Sky Living HD (which we already had) and 1 addition with Sky1HD.
Good Food HD (not bothered about this but just add another example) was mentioned in a press release as being under negiotation yet VM own 50% of the channel and it launches on Sky 1st before VM. Now can anybody explain the logic in that to me? Do VM staff know why people are so frustrated with them as a company and their odd business decisions?
Viacom remove 3 channels from VM to launch Comedy Central HD "to launch new channels on VM" what has launched? Nothing... but they have on Sly with MTV Music channel and Nickleodeon HD and there also a number of Viacom channels that VM customers dont have.
Add to the fact we have had 2 price rises in 6 months, numerious channels removed from platform everything seems to round out as us having around 160 channels on XL and then whatever premium add-ons you want after. 160ish (to 170) seems to be the benchmark they want to stick to and we will get no more.
Mentioned this all in complaints to CEO office guess what they could tell me... nothing! Apart from going on about TiVo which was suppose to have launched late Dec hasnt (dont include BETA launch to staff and couple thousand lucky customers to test a launch) and red button is 'coming soon' but still in testing.
Was told that Sky on demand content isnt coming now coz Sly want too much money for it! They didnt even know it was mentioned in the press release when I brought it up...
TiVo without content will eventually be toothless and I find it amazing they sold their content division to Sky. At least with their own content at gave them some bargaining power to protect us and content for thier platform.
What is even more incredible is we lose Bravo channels, Virgin 1, Challenge Jackpot and the plus 1's yet the one new channel Sly launch... Sky Atlantic we dont get! In the press release it said Sky would deal with VM with new channel launches in fair/competitive terms yet VM would been paying a set fee for Sky's basic channels. So if the set fee for example was 10 quid per month for 10 channels and then Sky close 4 of em and launch another surely the terms of deal have changed? Why would you continue to pay Sky £10 a month to recieve 6 channels when the deal covered 10? And then just accept it? Something doesnt add up... leads me to believe they knew that channels would be closed. Why would you sign a multi year deal with so many loopholes?
I'll go one further... its looking as if its a 1 in and 1 out in channel launches right now as it would seem VM network cant add channels (especially on HD front) without removing them. It also looks like they are trying to increase profits whilst cutting back on content to customers yet putting up prices for us. CSC wants True Entertainment on VM and launches but Pop is dropped. My son used to watch Pop and its on demand content but now they are gone to launch this new channel. Why couldnt both be on VM? Seems like they want to pay content providers the same prices in contract negiotiations yet want more content... then tell them if you wanna launch new channels you have to take some off as we aint paying you anymore!
Can anyone from VM on here honestly answer these questions? One very disillusioned cable customer of 15 years! Please correct me with facts rather than fanboy rants telling how me great everything is with VM... I think we deserve to know the truth and be updated with issues via official means such as there website or email communications if there is a problem with launches (eg: TiVo, red button, content launches etc) more efficently rather than posts from VM staff hiding behind user names on here.
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Re: Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2011) Vol. I.
So if it was not coming vm have had plenty of time to say so. Although if i remember rightly the press release may have said vm only had the "option" to carry the channels if so i take that to mean no deal had been done regarding the price vm might have to pay to carry them.
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