General : Coming Soon to Virgin Media TV (2016) Vol 2

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I disagree. I have the full monty (excluding sports) and I subscribe to the Now TV pack simply to get Sky Atlantic programming. I am not alone in doing so.

I have no wish to abandon VM TV.

You and others may have no wish to abandon VM at the moment but you don't know what is around the corner. Your financial circumstances may change and instead of downgrading to the basic M pack you may decide to switch entirely to Now TV. That's easier to do if you already have a relationship with Now TV and they make you repeated great offers to switch.
You may not be alone but even 100 people on a forum is not a representative sample of VM's 3.5m TV customer base.

[DaMac]

But, going back to 4K tv's which a lot of people will buy this Christmas, now to is still limited to 720p, the difference between 720p streaming and 1080i broadcast on a 65" 4K to is quite noticeable.

[The Yank]

Originally Posted by Ultimate.Conj

£150+ a month...wow man that's a lot.
I would speak to them and even if you have to say Sky have offered you something better, they should be able to give you a reduction..might have to sign a new contract though.

the new contract is my stumbling point. We are hoping to move house to who know where and don't want to sign any new contract.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by DaMac

But, going back to 4K tv's which a lot of people will buy this Christmas, now to is still limited to 720p, the difference between 720p streaming and 1080i broadcast on a 65" 4K to is quite noticeable.

I would say it's noticeable on any HD TV over 40 inches.

[theone2k10]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Now TV is already out there and yet VM customers still choose both.

By the way, I meant to mention that I was only meaning that the Entertainment Pack should be available as a streaming service on VM, not sports and movies.

---------- Post added at 07:51 ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 ----------


Why not? It's already available elsewhere. It's the stand alone channel they won't allow on other platforms, not Now TV.

---------- Post added at 08:00 ---------- Previous post was at 07:51 ----------


I disagree. I have the full monty (excluding sports) and I subscribe to the Now TV pack simply to get Sky Atlantic programming. I am not alone in doing so.

I have no wish to abandon VM TV.

I can see where you're coming from as i have a verizon kogin which gives me tonnesof us channels plus latest shows, live sports etc but i still have a nowtv sub.

[muppetman11]

I believe that in five years or so Sky will be delivering it's TV service on a platform like Now TV.

If the Fox takeover happens customers will be offered the Sky and Fox portfolio of channels with a greater prominence for On Demand.

[DaMac]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

You and others may have no wish to abandon VM at the moment but you don't know what is around the corner. Your financial circumstances may change and instead of downgrading to the basic M pack you may decide to switch entirely to Now TV. That's easier to do if you already have a relationship with Now TV and they make you repeated great offers to switch.
You may not be alone but even 100 people on a forum is not a representative sample of VM's 3.5m TV customer base.

How many of VM's 3.5m TV customers are Active TV customers? Most people have the TV service forcibly pushed on them and are on no higher than M or M+ package, are these people truly representative of VM customers who actively buy a TV package? I would say not.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Now TV is already out there and yet VM customers still choose both.

By the way, I meant to mention that I was only meaning that the Entertainment Pack should be available as a streaming service on VM, not sports and movies

Sure, there are people out there willing to pay £6.99/mth on top of their VM subs just to get Sky Atlantic / ITV Encore but it isn't good value for money. Sure, Now TV has lots of offers and the entertainment pass is available for less but with a lot of messing around chasing for deals.

There's a lot of duplication of channels available on VM within the entertainment pack, I can't see VM wanting to make it available as a Tivo app. On balance we see more people on here complaining about price increases than the lack of Sky Atlantic. Adding a service that duplicates some of what is already available in a lower cost package would just be giving Sky a free advert to attract VM customers wanting a cheaper deal.

As for a Now TV app specifically tailored to VM and excluding sports and movies. That's not what Now TV is about and there are 2 problems on that front; VM won't want it potentially stealing their customers. Sky won't want to offer a reduced package, their marketing policy is to get Now TV users to add the other packs.

[vincerooney]

Friends,

Is aintree aka the L10 area on the knowsley headend or liverpool? Or do headends no longer exist??

Apparently knowlseys utilisation issues are being dealt with but i have no clue if im in that.

Its been 4 years of utilisation so im thoroughly excited to be eventually disappointed

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Rumour: Movie Mix to become Sony Movies on January 10th on Virgin Media UK.

Also on Freeview

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...1&postcount=14

Now confirmed here:

http://www.rapidtvnews.com/201612134...#axzz4Sd7WRwEj

Now we know why we didn't get the Sony Movie channel.

Originally Posted by Dave42

Can you provide evidence of this? Not just vm say so although i will admit looking at whats been posted it does look like Sky set a high price but we don't know that.

I posted what I was told Sky wanted for SA on here yonks ago. I can't remember the exact figures, but basic channels cost VM a few pennies per customer per week and SA was something like 30p a week.

Sounds cheap, but for VM it all added up.

Originally Posted by DaMac

How many of VM's 3.5m TV customers are Active TV customers? Most people have the TV service forcibly pushed on them and are on no higher than M or M+ package, are these people truly representative of VM customers who actively buy a TV package? I would say not.

One way VM are making customers upgrade is the V6. If PB and everyone else want a V6, they will have to upgrade from the M/Player package.

Originally Posted by jj20x

Sure, there are people out there willing to pay £6.99/mth on top of their VM subs just to get Sky Atlantic / ITV Encore but it isn't good value for money. Sure, Now TV has lots of offers and the entertainment pass is available for less but with a lot of messing around chasing for deals.

There's a lot of duplication of channels available on VM within the entertainment pack, I can't see VM wanting to make it available as a Tivo app. On balance we see more people on here complaining about price increases than the lack of Sky Atlantic. Adding a service that duplicates some of what is already available in a lower cost package would just be giving Sky a free advert to attract VM customers wanting a cheaper deal.

As for a Now TV app specifically tailored to VM and excluding sports and movies. That's not what Now TV is about and there are 2 problems on that front; VM won't want it potentially stealing their customers. Sky won't want to offer a reduced package, their marketing policy is to get Now TV users to add the other packs.

Lots used to complain about the lack of SA, but I think that they've now resigned themselves to the fact that it won't be coming.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Lots used to complain about the lack of SA, but I think that they've now resigned themselves to the fact that it won't be coming.

There were a lot more complaints in the early days and disappointment at not being able to view the likes of GOT on VM. Those complaining the loudest have probably moved to Sky long ago. Of those still with VM, the demand has certainly lessened, possibly because some of these people don't want the hassle of playing catch up. Just as some VM viewers didn't continue watching "Lost" after it had been unavailable during the period that Sky basics channels were withheld from VM.

Nowadays we are as likely to see people complaining about the lack of Sony Movies and Sony's True brand channels. I wonder how many of these people will notice a significant change to their viewing patterns when MovieMix transforms into the Sony Movie Channel.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

You and others may have no wish to abandon VM at the moment but you don't know what is around the corner. Your financial circumstances may change and instead of downgrading to the basic M pack you may decide to switch entirely to Now TV. That's easier to do if you already have a relationship with Now TV and they make you repeated great offers to switch.
You may not be alone but even 100 people on a forum is not a representative sample of VM's 3.5m TV customer base.

If my financial services changed to the extent that I had to make a radical reduction in my TV expenses, I would be looking at all options anyway, regardless of what I could access from my Tivo. I would be likely to go for the basic Virgin package + Now TV via my Roku regardless.

I think enough people know about the Now TV option. Whether or not it is on Virgin Media is unlikely to influence existing customers to reduce their package with Virgin. Yes, there is channel duplication, but I have chosen to accept that irritation in order to access the material I want. Many VM customers are doing the same.

---------- Post added at 13:42 ---------- Previous post was at 13:39 ----------

Originally Posted by muppetman11

I believe that in five years or so Sky will be delivering it's TV service on a platform like Now TV.

If the Fox takeover happens customers will be offered the Sky and Fox portfolio of channels with a greater prominence for On Demand.

Spot on, Muppetman - that is exactly what Fox are reported to be planning to do. A better streaming service along the lines of Netflix is on the cards if this deal goes through.

---------- Post added at 13:44 ---------- Previous post was at 13:42 ----------

Originally Posted by DaMac

How many of VM's 3.5m TV customers are Active TV customers? Most people have the TV service forcibly pushed on them and are on no higher than M or M+ package, are these people truly representative of VM customers who actively buy a TV package? I would say not.

Forcibly pushed on them? No way. You're thinking of the landline, surely?

---------- Post added at 13:52 ---------- Previous post was at 13:44 ----------

Originally Posted by jj20x

Sure, there are people out there willing to pay £6.99/mth on top of their VM subs just to get Sky Atlantic / ITV Encore but it isn't good value for money. Sure, Now TV has lots of offers and the entertainment pass is available for less but with a lot of messing around chasing for deals.

There's a lot of duplication of channels available on VM within the entertainment pack, I can't see VM wanting to make it available as a Tivo app. On balance we see more people on here complaining about price increases than the lack of Sky Atlantic. Adding a service that duplicates some of what is already available in a lower cost package would just be giving Sky a free advert to attract VM customers wanting a cheaper deal.

As for a Now TV app specifically tailored to VM and excluding sports and movies. That's not what Now TV is about and there are 2 problems on that front; VM won't want it potentially stealing their customers. Sky won't want to offer a reduced package, their marketing policy is to get Now TV users to add the other packs.

If people simply made such decisions on the basis of cost alone, they could still stay with Virgin, cancel their Sky Movies pack and get the Entertainment and Movies passes with Now TV and save money each month, but they are not doing that, are they? People are prepared to pay over the odds for Sky Atlantic in the same way that sport fans pay stupid sums each month for their fix.

These days, people may have given up going on about Sky Atlantic because Virgin do not seem to be listening. It's certainly not that they don't want it.

As for Sky not being prepared to tailor Now TV to offer only one pass on Now TV on Virgin's platform, isn't that exactly what Talk Talk did?

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by jj20x

There were a lot more complaints in the early days and disappointment at not being able to view the likes of GOT on VM. Those complaining the loudest have probably moved to Sky long ago. Of those still with VM, the demand has certainly lessened, possibly because some of these people don't want the hassle of playing catch up. Just as some VM viewers didn't continue watching "Lost" after it had been unavailable during the period that Sky basics channels were withheld from VM.

Nowadays we are as likely to see people complaining about the lack of Sony Movies and Sony's True brand channels. I wonder how many of these people will notice a significant change to their viewing patterns when MovieMix transforms into the Sony Movie Channel.

Agree with you. I never bothered with Lost once the basic Sky channels were restored to Virgin media. And friends keep telling me I should start watching GOT through box sets and now tv but I really don`t have the time or patience to sit and watch endless hours of one program no matter how good it may be. I`d love Sky Atlantic to be added to Virgin tv but if it doesn`t happen I`m not going to loose any sleep over it!

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

If people simply made such decisions on the basis of cost alone, they could still stay with Virgin, cancel their Sky Movies pack and get the Entertainment and Movies passes with Now TV and save money each month, but they are not doing that, are they? People are prepared to pay over the odds for Sky Atlantic in the same way that sport fans pay stupid sums each month for their fix.

People certainly do make these decisions based on cost. The economic forecasts of growing inflation can only lead to this happening more often in the foreseeable future. People are quite probably leaving VM for cheaper packages already, I just don't see VM adding a Now TV app that adds very little other than 2 channels, with much duplication of the rest.

I can see that you would like it for convenience but don't see many other people asking for it. A cost / benefit analysis by VM would show little gain and an element of risk of existing customers migrating to Now TV.

These days, people may have given up going on about Sky Atlantic because Virgin do not seem to be listening. It's certainly not that they don't want it.

As for Sky not being prepared to tailor Now TV to offer only one pass on Now TV on Virgin's platform, isn't that exactly what Talk Talk did?

SA certainly isn't the "must have" channel it used to be. Whereas some people may have been willing to pay a hefty premium in the early days, that no longer seems to be the case. Anyone totally committed to getting the channel will have made other arrangements long ago.

As far as I know, there isn't a tailored solution for Talk Talk, just service limitations due to rights issues on the YouView platform.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

If my financial services changed to the extent that I had to make a radical reduction in my TV expenses, I would be looking at all options anyway, regardless of what I could access from my Tivo. I would be likely to go for the basic Virgin package + Now TV via my Roku regardless.

I think enough people know about the Now TV option. Whether or not it is on Virgin Media is unlikely to influence existing customers to reduce their package with Virgin. Yes, there is channel duplication, but I have chosen to accept that irritation in order to access the material I want. Many VM customers are doing the same.

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Spot on, Muppetman - that is exactly what Fox are reported to be planning to do. A better streaming service along the lines of Netflix is on the cards if this deal goes through.

---------- Post added at 13:44 ---------- Previous post was at 13:42 ----------


Forcibly pushed on them? No way. You're thinking of the landline, surely?

---------- Post added at 13:52 ---------- Previous post was at 13:44 ----------


If people simply made such decisions on the basis of cost alone, they could still stay with Virgin, cancel their Sky Movies pack and get the Entertainment and Movies passes with Now TV and save money each month, but they are not doing that, are they? People are prepared to pay over the odds for Sky Atlantic in the same way that sport fans pay stupid sums each month for their fix.

These days, people may have given up going on about Sky Atlantic because Virgin do not seem to be listening. It's certainly not that they don't want it.

As for Sky not being prepared to tailor Now TV to offer only one pass on Now TV on Virgin's platform, isn't that exactly what Talk Talk did?

When people cancel their TV, VM usually say they can keep the box to access the M/Player pack on it.

Not sure how the V6 will affect this strategy.

I've even known someone being offered a 50p a month reduction to keep their box!

Presumably this is to improve the churn figures. It will be interesting to see these after the last price rise and the forthcoming one too.