Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2011) Vol. I.

[efc85]

Never mind the HD ,buy a decent japanese plasma and you wont be fussed.Still no red button!!!!!At the time of the agreement people on here were saying august,then the start of the champions league,then the new year now april.Doubt this is going to happen at all,we're missing content here not just marginally improved picture quality.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by efc85

Never mind the HD ,buy a decent japanese plasma and you wont be fussed.Still no red button!!!!!At the time of the agreement people on here were saying august,then the start of the champions league,then the new year now april.Doubt this is going to happen at all,we're missing content here not just marginally improved picture quality.

In fairness to VM it wasn't them that said red button would launch in August 2010, it was the same people who said SSN HD and Sky1 HD were launching in August 2010. Just rumours.

It has been confimed by staff that a lot of technical work has been carried out both by VM and Sky to provide the red button (if anyone has seen the service on Sky they will realise it is a very sophisticated application, far more so than anything we have now) so hopefully it will be here soon.

Sky themselves have also said it will launch in 2011.

---------- Post added at 05:38 ---------- Previous post was at 05:28 ----------

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Nope.

At time Virgin sold they channels to Sky - the only HD Channels own by Sky was:

Sky Movies HD (bar Sky Movies Classic HD)
Sky Sports HD (bar Sky Sports News HD)
Sky 1 HD
Sky Real Lives HD
Sky Arts HD Channels

So Virgin need to sign an new deal with BSkyB to carry the following Channels:
Sky 3 +1,
Sky Atlantic SD and HD,
Sky Livingit HD,
Sky News HD,
Sky Sports News HD and
Sky Movies Classic HD.

Sky News HD fully launched on the day of the election, 6 May 2010. The deal to sell VMtv was announced 4 Jun 2010 but I assume all the work would have been done well before that date.

I don't think anyone knows whether the deal only covered the existing channels or if there was an option for future channels, only top level staff seem to know and of course they are not telling, more's the pity!!

[denphone]

Why are we waiting, why are we waiting.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by denphone

Why are we waiting, why are we waiting.

Patience, patience!

I am the first to have a go at any big company but if we think about what we have got in the last 12 months it must be around 20 HD channels, 100mb broadband is rolling out and of course increased upload speeds too. Some 3D content is now available with a bit included for XL customers and very soon the Tivo box which although it dosen't appeal to me personally is very exciting for a lot of people. Also red button is on it's way too so there's quite a lot going. And the NGTV upgrades must have been a massive undertaking, huge in fact. And they have changed to a totally new encryption system to stop the tea leaves so they have been pretty busy and they need to with such strong competition from you know who and other existing and upcoming alternatives.

On the downside there dosen't appear much going on regarding new HD channels at the moment but we get them (non premium) at no extra cost so they can't just add them willy nilly like a certain provider. However it's now high time Sky Arts HD made an appearance purely because VM have said it is launching, around 6 months ago. A delay for a brand new application like red button is totally understandable but why this channel is taking so long is anyone's guess.

However I have read that Sky are creating Sky LivingIt HD which to me just seems like creating a HD channel for creation's sake.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by borrissey

Someone said it was free no monthly charge with XL TV (premuims)

No you must have XL tv in order to get TiVo and you will pay £3 per month for the service.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by Masque

No you must have XL tv in order to get TiVo and you will pay £3 pe month for the service.

It isn't too bad cost wise in my opinion but having to have XL together with the £3 charge and of course the install/activation charge in addition to a no doubt new contract is why I don't think there will be a stampede for it from the average subscriber (and probably many of the 75% of customers who don't yet have V+), but those higher tier customers who are happy to pay a premium will hopefully go for it, in fact I am sure a fair few will.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by mersey70

It isn't too bad cost wise in my opinion but having to have XL together with the £3 charge and of course the install/activation charge in addition to a no doubt new contract is why I don't think there will be a stampede for it from the average subscriber (and probably many of the 75% of customers who don't yet have V+), but those higher tier customers who are happy to pay a premium will hopefully go for it, in fact I am sure a fair few will.

New technology is the draw and the will probably be a large take up at launch.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by Masque

New technology is the draw and the will probably be a large take up at launch.

I agree, but only from a certain group of customers.

Probably not Average Joe who currently possibly dosen't even require XL or V+ but I really hope it's a great success for competition's sake because my word we need it. If VM and YouView can really get their acts together I think between them they can hit Sky because a lot of people will really see the benefit of a catch up service that Sky don't seem interested in offering. Let's remember that between them the networks still have a massive share of any available audience, a huge share in fact. The Freesat boxes with catch up are selling really well too so it's a feature VM should really promote to hook in new customers.

[DaMac]

Originally Posted by Masque

New technology is the draw and the will probably be a large take up at launch.

I certainly wont be taking it up untill the 3rd tuner is active, i may be prepared to leave it till i can access its recorded content on the cisco box upstairs, this will probably be the only attaction for me.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by DaMac

I certainly wont be taking it up untill the 3rd tuner is active, i may be prepared to leave it till i can access its recorded content on the cisco box upstairs, this will probably be the only attaction for me.

Thats called choice I will take from the start , mainly for the UI and the larger recording capacity , plus I had remote record with Sky so would like that feature. I hope the remote record is released on all phones not just Apple ( mainly because I'm an Android user LOL :-) )

[Felim_Doyle]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

=== February ===
1st. LIVING, LIVING HD and LIVING +1 will be rebranded as Sky Living, Sky Living HD and Sky Living +1 on Virgin Channels 109, 110 and 111.
1st. LIVINGit and LIVINGit +1 will be rebranded as Sky Livingit and Sky Livingit +1 on Virgin Channels 112 and 160.
1st. LIVING Loves will be rebranded as Sky Living Loves on Virgin Channel 159.
14th. Media Boy EXCLUSIVE: FIVE, FIVE HD and FIVE AD will be rebranded as Channel 5, Channel 5 HD and Channel 5 AD on Virgin Channels 105, 150 and 855.

One has to ask why, in these difficult financial times, Five are spending money on re-branding to their original name simply because they are 'under new management'. Personally, I see it as a retrograde step anyway.

Presumably, MB, something similar will be happening to Fiver, Five USA and Demand Five etc.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia - Channel 5 (UK)

Channel 5 is a television network that broadcasts in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1997, it is the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue network to launch. Originally called Channel 5, the station rebranded itself as Five in 2002. After his purchase of the station from RTL on 23 July 2010, Richard Desmond announced plans to invest more money in programming and return to the name Channel 5 with immediate effect, prior to an official relaunch.[2] Since this announcement, the on-air identity has retained the 'Five' logo and digital on-screen graphic (DOG) but continuity announcers have referred to "Channel Five".[3] The official new identity as Channel 5 will be reflected on-screen from January 2011 with the new logo replacing the present branding.[4] Prior to the launch of the new on-screen look in 2011, the new "Channel 5" logo was used in publicity material appearing in Desmond's publications such as the Daily Express before its appearance on the TV network.

[lawe]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Thats called choice I will take from the start , mainly for the UI and the larger recording capacity , plus I had remote record with Sky so would like that feature. I hope the remote record is released on all phones not just Apple ( mainly because I'm an Android user LOL :-) )

I second that. Having remote record on Android would help me alot.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by Felim_Doyle

One has to ask why, in these difficult financial times, Five are spending money on re-branding to their original name simply because they are 'under new management'. Personally, I see it as a retrograde step anyway.

Presumably, MB, something similar will be happening to Fiver, Five USA and Demand Five etc.

I hear that Demand Five will be rebranded later next month.

Fiver and Five USA will be rebranded in March.

[Doug P]

Originally Posted by denphone

A typical answer from Neil Berkett very vague and not answering the question.

It does answer the question in some way and VM answer questions far more than many firms.

[Harlow CM20]

Originally Posted by Masque

No you must have XL tv in order to get TiVo and you will pay £3 per month for the service.

Will this be £3 per STB like those premium HD Sky channels or will it be £3 for the service to be active on all STB's.

We have 2 V+HD and 1 regular V SD STB all subscribed to the XL tier, just wondering what the deal is gonna be and will this be for existing subscribers or is it only available for new customers?