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

[theone2k10]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Maybe only Virgin Media UK deals with both QVC and NDTV are up right now.

For all we know the channels that are broadcasting on Freeview (Your TV, Tru TV and so on) are asking far to much for just one new channel to be added on Virgin Media.

Or vm are asking too much?

[OLD BOY]

Well, judging by the content, they can't be worth much.

They would have to pay me to watch those channels!

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I don't know why not. At least you wouldn't lose your programmes if you had to change your box.

As long as they are retained for long enough, you are not restricted to the number of shows you can bookmark and you don't have to watch the commercials, I would be happy.

One thing that I don't like about some VOD services is that you can't see the programme whilst FFing. I like to know where I am in a programme whilst doing this.

I also record some programmes with the full intention of FFing the recording to check if there is anything or anyone of interest to me.

Originally Posted by Horizon

I suppose the simplest solution would be for VM to say how long we can access "our" recordings in the cloud. After that time, you would either have to download them to your own box or they'd be deleted. Seems the only fair way I can think of how it would be done.

This would be a fair compromise.

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Maybe only Virgin Media UK deals with both QVC and NDTV are up right now.

For all we know the channels that are broadcasting on Freeview (Your TV, Tru TV and so on) are asking far to much for just one new channel to be added on Virgin Media.

Originally Posted by theone2k10

Or vm are asking too much?

True, I imagine that Spike etc want paying to be on the platform, whilst the shopping/foreign channels probably pay to be on there.

I know someone who wanted to put a country music radio station onto cable. He was hoping to be paid for it, but would have settled for a cost neuteral arrangement.

In the end he didn't go ahead as they wanted him to pay them for the privilege of having it on their system!

His stance was that he was enhancing their offering and was prepared to waive any expected fees, their stance was that they would be doing him a favour by having the station on their platform with the increased advertising revenue.

No agreement was reached, so I imagine it's the same scenario.

Would eg Spike be able to cover any cost that they have to make to VM by increasing their advertising rates due to the relatively small increase in exposure to the channel? I doubt it.

It's also very short sighted of VM. By not accomodating such channels, customers may seek them on Freeview or Freesat as I have done and found the FTA offering to be much better than expected.

This is now encouraging me to downgrade from XL and may encourage others to quit Pay TV altogether.

[Horizon]

On the Liberty webcast last week, MIke Fries said that equipment procurement, product development etc is being centralised across Liberty's cablecos. I think in Amsterdam. Perhaps that may be the same with carriage agreements. Liberty will do deals with studios/programme rights holders on behalf of all of their cablecos, rather than each cableco doing their own individual deals.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Horizon

On the Liberty webcast last week, MIke Fries said that equipment procurement, product development etc is being centralised across Liberty's cablecos. I think in Amsterdam. Perhaps that may be the same with carriage agreements. Liberty will do deals with studios/programme rights holders on behalf of all of their cablecos, rather than each cableco doing their own individual deals.

Well spotted, I guess that doing this will achieve economies of scale in the administration side of carriage negotiations and achieve a better deal for LG by bulk buying content.

Maybe this is why VM have been reluctant to enter into any new carriage deals lately (apart from QVC which Malone has an interest in and minor channels for a niche audience).

In the long run this could be good for customers too, some channels that would not have been financially viable to carry may become so as well as other channels that could be picked up during an international deal that would otherwise not be carried in the UK.

[jobbie8]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Well spotted, I guess that doing this will achieve economies of scale in the administration side of carriage negotiations and achieve a better deal for LG by bulk buying content.

Maybe this is why VM have been reluctant to enter into any new carriage deals lately (apart from QVC which Malone has an interest in and minor channels for a niche audience).

In the long run this could be good for customers too, some channels that would not have been financially viable to carry may become so as well as other channels that could be picked up during an international deal that would otherwise not be carried in the UK.

Is this how H2 HD came about?
I seem to remember the channel launching on all of Liberty Global's Cable Networks? Which might explain why the UK didn't get the other missing channels like History HD at the time?

[Aguero9320]

If NDTV India is a VM-exclusive news channel, what is the fate of NDTV 24x7, which broadcasts the same content?

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Well, judging by the content, they can't be worth much.

They would have to pay me to watch those channels!

Same here OB, we are being offered absolute dross!

Originally Posted by Mad Max

Same here OB, we are being offered absolute dross!

Of all the channels on offer they got this rubbish

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I don't know why not. At least you wouldn't lose your programmes if you had to change your box.

As long as they are retained for long enough, you are not restricted to the number of shows you can bookmark and you don't have to watch the commercials, I would be happy.

I think that's an important point you raise. I can see ITV saying "You can have these recordings available for X months as long as you ensure that viewers can't ad-skip or you can have them available for £££££ with ad-skip."
The issues I see are:
- Immediacy. Will each "recording" be available to watch as soon as the programme starts so you can watch it eg five minutes after it starts.
- Longevity. How long will cloud recordings last when organisations like BBC Worldwide and NBC Universal make huge Christmas boxset sales?
- Non-catch-up recordings. Films etc are not always available as catch-up due to licensing restrictions. Will there need to be a hard disc for this type of content or will there be industry-wide negotiations to permit this content to be stored in the cloud?
- Adskipping, as above.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by jobbie8

Is this how H2 HD came about?
I seem to remember the channel launching on all of Liberty Global's Cable Networks? Which might explain why the UK didn't get the other missing channels like History HD at the time?

Well, it would make sense as to why this anomaly exists

I wonder if we'll still have to wait until carriage agreements expire before new channels are normally added?

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I wonder if we'll still have to wait until carriage agreements expire before new channels are normally added?

I don't think it should but it may depend on the importance of the channel. Certainly, for BT Sport Europe, VM didn't wait until the original contract expired.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by Aguero9320

If NDTV India is a VM-exclusive news channel, what is the fate of NDTV 24x7, which broadcasts the same content?

It look to us as Virgin Media UK will carry both as Virgin Media UK broadcast:

-Al Jazeera in English and Arabic
-France 24 in English and French

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I don't think it should but it may depend on the importance of the channel. Certainly, for BT Sport Europe, VM didn't wait until the original contract expired.

Well instead of the foreign news channel or additional shopping channels, why don't virgin media ask what the customers want

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by andrewstevenson

Well instead of the foreign news channel or additional shopping channels, why don't virgin media ask what the customers want

The problem with that is we all want different things! For example, some want prices pegged as low as possible while others want more channels at any cost. Plus, you have content providers like Sky who dictate terms.

My view is that VM should continue to strive to provide the best possible choice at the best possible price, but also provide us with the means to watch content from as many of the missing channels as possible (eg through Amazon and Now TV). That way, VM subscribers can choose to pay for additional content without impacting on those who are not interested.

Yes, I know we can do this anyway by other means, but it would prefer to be able to access through one box, not a multitude of boxes and streaming sticks, which all cost extra and are less convenient.