TiVo : Poor choice of Channels

[denphone]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

After reading this thread I feel educated I've now been brought in line with the 'Real World'.

What eloquent words from the one and only.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Top banana

So, the question is, do want to pay for HD and get more channels as they would be able to afford more, or stay as you are with a great selection without all the tat and Atlantic. But as said before they are gaining more subs than sky without Atlantic, so internally that must be a dillema.

If ESPN pulls out of the UK in the summer Virgin will suddenly find themselves with a budget to play with. BT Sport into the XL package seems to be a no go, based on press releases from BT stating their future intentions for the channel. I’d like to see Virgin re-invest the money into securing as many HD channels as possible for the XL package. More HD channels without pushing up the subscription price would be nice. People wanting to access BT Sport can pay the £10.00 or so subscription each month, just like I do currently for Boxnation.

I've set up a poll to see what people would like Virgin to do if ESPN pulls out.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11...o-if-espn.html

[andy_m]

ESPN is free on xl because Virgin came under intense pressure to continue to offer free Premier League football on it's top tier when Setanta collapsed. If there is any money freed up by the future withdrawal from the UK by ESPN then it should be used as much as possible to lessen the impact on customers who value not having to pay extra for top quality sport. Virgin already have free hd as a usp, they risk losing another one and should be concentrating on keeping it, rather than shoring something up which doesn't need it. IMO.

[Safcftm21]

Originally Posted by Top banana

Ok so what do you want. Sky have about 40% of their base taking HDTV, that brings them in 40 million pounds per month or 480 million per year.

Virgin have about 60% of their customers (as its free to the majority) bringing in virtually nothing. Btw the sky pay hd stuff makes them hardly anything.

So, the question is, do want to pay for HD and get more channels as they would be able to afford more, or stay as you are with a great selection without all the tat and Atlantic. But as said before they are gaining more subs than sky without Atlantic, so internally that must be a dillema.

That's a bit of a myth though as you need to pay VM £7 a month if you want Sky movies and sports in HD

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by Safcftm21

That's a bit of a myth though as you need to pay VM £7 a month if you want Sky movies and sports in HD

only because sky force it so not VM's doing

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Safcftm21

That's a bit of a myth though as you need to pay VM £7 a month if you want Sky movies and sports in HD

That is an option for those with Sports & Movies. For everyone else HD is free.its not a myth at all.

[dlc]

But HD isn't really free, is it. For example if you subscribe to M+ you get channels Sky 1 and E4 but in order to get the HD versions you need to upgrade to XL. So just like Sky, you pay extra to get HD channels.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I do agree with most members, and especially with Dlc. But l think the directors of VM should have a good look at themselves over this, they were offered Atlantic several months ago but said it was too expensive.

This channel should have been in with the negotiation team, but there again the directors are so thick to understand there are channels out there to get but don't bother. Why on earth did they go after +1 channels is beyond me as we now have a 'recording' button on the boxes.

Even IF VM put the prices up say £1.00 per month on the XL, they could still cover the extra channels, Many members won't pay the extra fee, but there again you cannot have 'your cake and eat it'.

[andy_m]

How do you know that £1 per xl subscriber will pay for Atlantic?

He doesn't - as in most things, he's making it up as he goes along....

[Doug P]

Originally Posted by dlc

But HD isn't really free, is it. For example if you subscribe to M+ you get channels Sky 1 and E4 but in order to get the HD versions you need to upgrade to XL. So just like Sky, you pay extra to get HD channels.

This is a point that is right on both sides of the coin but to me the package you have is a choice and there are varying numbers of HD channels that come "free" with that fee for that package.

They are free in one way but not in another. Doubt this one will ever be resolved as the full HD lineup will not be in all packages.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Hi Andy and Hugh, How amny customers does VM have, must be thousands, if each customer paid an increase of say £1.00 per month on top of there existing payment - l am not saying it would pay for Atlantic.

When Sky offered VM the channel, it was at a 'reasonable' offer, VM turned it down.

What l am saying is that surely if VM went for Atlantic with other channels, then l would not grumble. Remember what l have said before Sky is a business and not a charity.

[Itshim]

I would NOT want to pay an extra penny for Atlantic or any other channel that is not part of my package ( XL). Of channels that are on satellite at the moment I want NONE of them. How ever I do find +1 great. I think its next Tuesday I have had to use it due to a wanting to try so many shows at around 9pm ! The BBC I player is so untrustworthy in my area that I would go for +1 & not use it unless there is no other way - then it would be via the Wii or Freeview both mean moving bits about.

[MutleyF]

I do not wish an increase to pay for more channels when I cannot watch all the ones I have now!

I seem to remember (but correct me if wrong), that when Atlantic started it was billed as carrying the best programs from the other side of the Atlantic (hence the name)

Last time I looked, there were several UK programs showing!

Also, if Virgin ever did carry it, I am sure Sky would just create a new channel, move the best programs over, and make it another sky exclusive,

Agree with itshim - +1 channels may not be to everyones taste, but they do prove useful at times

Originally Posted by Safcftm21

That's a bit of a myth though as you need to pay VM £7 a month if you want Sky movies and sports in HD

What does parapraph 2 say?