General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2018)

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by fox35

This may sound silly, but in the case of channels that simulcast in both SD and HD, then why do the broadcasters and providers show both? Surely it makes sense just to broadcast the HD only version of a particular channel and so the the viewers TV or box will show a downgraded SD version of the same picture to viewers without an HD subscription or equipment on the same channel number, and also freeing up space? and so obviously HD viewers will receive the full HD variant also on the same channel number....?

I have a FreeSat HD box set up to make use of the downscaling in certain scenarios. If the HD monitor is being used for the computer a spare CRT is hooked up to it via SCART so TV can be watched at the same time. The box downscales the HD channels to the 14 inch CRT. The likes of NHK World is only in HD and it shows fine (read:perfectly watchable) downscaled via SCART.

I also used to occasionally use a wireless video sender via the SCART on the Tivo which downscaled nicely.

These aren't/weren't regularly used scenarios but if I wasn't in a position to watch any HD I'd be fine with them until I was in a position to buy new equipment which was able to display it as intended.

[fox35]

Yes, NHK World HD is a good example, it downscales to a decent looking SD picture on my 2nd TV in the bedroom which is an old but otherwise perfect CRT 21", as do all the other HD channels. So then. just why do they broadcast both?? Proves my point that non HD subscribers will receive a downscaled version of the same HD output on the same channel number. Very odd.

[vincerooney]

Originally Posted by Ultimate.Conj

And so they should....SD has no place in this world now lol

Never seen the problem with SD. Its tv. I watch it. I view it. It goes into my brain. I acknowledge it. I still mostly by accident watch things in SD. If people say "OMG i can't watch things in SD" i usually take a step by and stroke my chin wondering if they watched tv in the 90s

I like HD. I prefer HD. But i won't purposely hunt things down in HD as i'm not that focused up on watching Gary Sparrow or Gary Lineker in HD blasting at me as the content is still the same. As someone who has a HD only tv i'm not that fussed at speeding up towards UHD or XHD or XXHD which will come after it. The product doesn't change. Do we need to see Lineker sweat a bit more or have the skin on his face show up more clear? Nah we don't. We really don't.

There is a youtube video of tv manufacturers discussing how to get people to buy more tvs now we've hit HD. They mention UHD. It appears a large majority of this forum have fallen for the need to buy new merchandise hook, line and sinker.

[heero_yuy]

Quote from vincerooney:


There is a youtube video of tv manufacturers discussing how to get people to buy more tvs now we've hit HD. They mention UHD. It appears a large majority of this forum have fallen for the need to buy new merchandise hook, line and sinker.

Yep, they all rushed out to get 3D TVs, Windows 10 upgrades and the latest Apple wallet drainer.

Funny how food banks are so busy.

[Raider999]

I suspect the HD charge will be absorbed into the standard charge should SD come to an end.

If you think it will mean a reduction you are having a larfff as they say

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by fox35

This may sound silly, but in the case of channels that simulcast in both SD and HD, then why do the broadcasters and providers show both? Surely it makes sense just to broadcast the HD only version of a particular channel and so the the viewers TV or box will show a downgraded SD version of the same picture to viewers without an HD subscription or equipment on the same channel number, and also freeing up space? and so obviously HD viewers will receive the full HD variant also on the same channel number....?

If the user has a box that is capable of only decoding SD, both need to be provided. VM will be phasing out the remaining SD-only boxes over the next couple of months, so you may see more channels going HD-only.

Originally Posted by vincerooney

i usually take a step by and stroke my chin wondering if they watched tv in the 90s

In the 90s they had a smaller TV.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by denphone

Some won't touch HD no matter what whether its with Virgin , Sky or any other platform as my estimate of those without HD is well into the millions.

https://www.barb.co.uk/tv-landscape-...y-tv-platform/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...great-britain/

Isn't that sheer laziness, though, rather than a deliberate decision not to watch HD? I mean, many people just use channels 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 out of habit, not because they would rather watch in SD.

Many people on their small TV screens say they can see no difference in PQ. If HD was the only option, they would use that option.

The only real problem is with people who do not have HD TVs, and whilst I think that in the broader population there are still many viewers without an HDTV, there will be a much smaller proportion of VM viewers in that position. Most non-HD people I think are those who are not prepared to pay for their TV channels.

---------- Post added at 20:15 ---------- Previous post was at 20:12 ----------

Originally Posted by denphone

Some don't like the costs involved with HD and don't see it offers them any value as they see it as too expensive and some don't like new technology and l am pretty sure they are others reasons as well.

It won't be long now until HD is no longer chargeable. The premium charge will be attached to UHD instead.

---------- Post added at 20:17 ---------- Previous post was at 20:15 ----------

Originally Posted by oliver1948uk

. . . Except as I have already stated many of us like the local news not available on the HD versions of BBC1 and, I think, ITV1

That will change before long.

---------- Post added at 20:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

I have a FreeSat HD box set up to make use of the downscaling in certain scenarios. If the HD monitor is being used for the computer a spare CRT is hooked up to it via SCART so TV can be watched at the same time. The box downscales the HD channels to the 14 inch CRT. The likes of NHK World is only in HD and it shows fine (read:perfectly watchable) downscaled via SCART.

I also used to occasionally use a wireless video sender via the SCART on the Tivo which downscaled nicely.

These aren't/weren't regularly used scenarios but if I wasn't in a position to watch any HD I'd be fine with them until I was in a position to buy new equipment which was able to display it as intended.

Ah, yes, the Scartists. Now they are a different proposition altogether!

[Chloé Palmas]

Originally Posted by Raider999

I suspect the HD charge will be absorbed into the standard charge should SD come to an end.

Yeah and that is assuming that anyone in this day and age still has an SD set top / cable / satellite box.

Does anyone (VM / BT / Sky etc) even sell them? To new customers I know that it is pretty much a no go but I suppose some people still have old SD boxes, but are those even supported?

I will probably never get Q so I wonder how long support for the HD boxes on Sky will even be. I know you can't purchase them anymore as a new customer.

Also I assume at some point that 4K will become the only format of streaming available, too - that does not require a change in hardware to buy the product but I assume that they will bake the cost into the subscription price rather than lower it for lower resolution formats.

Though most portable devices (laptops / tablets / phones etc) are not at 4K quality yet, are they?

[Media Boy UK]

The BBC Red Button channels (2 to 6) was broadcasting in Media Boy HQ for about two hours last night.

We can confirm they will sit beside BBC Red Button 1 at Channels 992 to 996.

---------- Post added at 12:10 ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 ----------

Originally Posted by Lozenge

Not really coming soon news as its already happened, but I noticed last night (when flicking) that the picture on Bloomberg looked very good (nice and sharp) like it was HD. Sky have carried the HD version for a few months now and it seems Virgin do aswell now as this morning the channel logo on the epg has changed to Bloomberg TV HD (still labelled as 'Bloomberg' on Tivo and V6 but as 'Bloomberg HD' on other boxes, maybe due to character limit).

I wonder if this indicates that they might be the latest channel to go HD only and that Virgin have had to take the HD feed to keep carrying the channel.

JJ20X is reporting on DS Forum that Bloomberg HD was added overnight on Monday (Early Tuesday).

We can confirm that anyone with V Boxes has lost Bloomberg on their box.

UPDATE: The onscreen logo on TiVo Boxes has been updated.

[SonicMaster]

There is a possibility that Virgin Media might be getting Paramount Network after all, unless Virgin Media has made a mistake... they have added a folder for Paramount to Virgin TV Go: https://virgintvgo.virginmedia.com/e...amount-tv.html

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by SonicMaster

There is a possibility that Virgin Media might be getting Paramount Network after all, unless Virgin Media has made a mistake... they have added a folder for Paramount to Virgin TV Go: https://virgintvgo.virginmedia.com/e...amount-tv.html

If Paramount is coming maybe Viacom has ask Virgin Media UK to drop 5USA +1 or 5Star +1.

TiVo listing are still showing EPG for both +1 channels as of June 27th for after July 4th.

The last Viacom deal with Virgin Media was signs in Summer 2016.

https://mediaboyblog.blogspot.com/20...-new.html#more

https://mediaboyblog.blogspot.com/20...gin-media.html

---------- Post added at 23:07 ---------- Previous post was at 21:40 ----------

Rugby AM (An show on Freesports) has posted on Twitter that FreeSports UK will launch on Virgin Media from late July.

Story thanks to Rugby AM, Twitter, Digital Spy Forum and omnidirectional

https://forums.digitalspy.com/discus...-channels/p134

https://twitter.com/RugbyAM?ref_src=...hannels%2Fp134

[Media Boy UK]

JJ20X is reporting on DS Forum that France 24 English HD has been added to Virgin UK Channel 624.

For France 24 English HD to launch Virgin Media UK has drop France 24 (English) to launch.

[ozsat]

All the Red Buttons are now on VirginMedia from 990 to 996.

Originally Posted by Media Boy

The BBC Red Button channels (2 to 6) was broadcasting in Media Boy HQ for about two hours last night.

We can confirm they will sit beside BBC Red Button 1 at Channels 992 to 996.[COLOR="Silver"]

[Ultimate.Conj]

Originally Posted by vincerooney

Never seen the problem with SD. Its tv. I watch it. I view it. It goes into my brain. I acknowledge it. I still mostly by accident watch things in SD. If people say "OMG i can't watch things in SD" i usually take a step by and stroke my chin wondering if they watched tv in the 90s

I like HD. I prefer HD. But i won't purposely hunt things down in HD as i'm not that focused up on watching Gary Sparrow or Gary Lineker in HD blasting at me as the content is still the same. As someone who has a HD only tv i'm not that fussed at speeding up towards UHD or XHD or XXHD which will come after it. The product doesn't change. Do we need to see Lineker sweat a bit more or have the skin on his face show up more clear? Nah we don't. We really don't.

There is a youtube video of tv manufacturers discussing how to get people to buy more tvs now we've hit HD. They mention UHD. It appears a large majority of this forum have fallen for the need to buy new merchandise hook, line and sinker.

SD is blurry as hell lol

I guess it depends on your TV (size and model will have a difference) which I would say you have a decent TV is SD is watchable...but if you are paying VM hundreds of pounds a year for the privilege of having HD channels on your subscription, why would you not watch your favourite shows on them?...I know not all channels have HD variant, but those that do, I always make sure I watch or record using them.

Plus the V6 now has an update reminding customers of the HD variant and with the click of the blue button it will take you there. Is that also a sign that SD's days are nearly up?

[Media Boy UK]

Virgin Media Ireland has confirmed that TV3, 3e and be3 will be rebranded as Virgin Media One, Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Three from August 30th.

Virgin Media Ireland will also launch an new channel called Virgin Media Sport.

http://www.tv3.ie/xpose/article/news...dia-Television