General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2019)

[jfman]

I’m stunned that with nothing worth watching on linear television you require a 2 full V6 boxes and streaming just to consume all the television you desire on the Virgin Media platform.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by jfman

I’m stunned that with nothing worth watching on linear television you require a 2 full V6 boxes and streaming just to consume all the television you desire on the Virgin Media platform.

As ever contradictions are at the heart of his opinions...

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Any reason why, Richard?

I use both methods to keep my recordings down. The only disadvantage seems to be that on demand dictates that you watch programmes over a limited time period, although stuff like 'Click' and 'The Film Review' tend to remain on the i-Player for a year before being removed.

As you say, some programmes are time limited, plus I like to use Quickview which isn't available with streaming. I've recently got Now TV to watch Westworld and it's now really odd to watch something at normal speed!

Also, I've found that subtitles aren't available on non BBC shows.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by jfman

I’m stunned that with nothing worth watching on linear television you require a 2 full V6 boxes and streaming just to consume all the television you desire on the Virgin Media platform.

And when I look at my list, most of these are films and programmes I have recorded from BBC1,2 and Channel 4. There is less and less from the pay-tv channels, and that is my point.

I believe that the reason for this is that there are fewer new programmes available to Sky as these are now being earmarked for the streaming services. The terrestrials are bucking that trend only because they are using their own studios to make more dramas, and these are of a better quality than previous years.

My issue is that we are paying a lot of money for pay tv channels which are inferior to the terrestrials and producing less and less good quality content. However, you have to pay for them to watch the minority of stuff you actually want to view.

---------- Post added at 13:19 ---------- Previous post was at 13:18 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

As you say, some programmes are time limited, plus I like to use Quickview which isn't available with streaming. I've recently got Now TV to watch Westworld and it's now really odd to watch something at normal speed!

Also, I've found that subtitles aren't available on non BBC shows.

Yes, good points, thanks.

[RichardCoulter]

I omitted the word 'always' in error inbetween aren't and available in my last sentence, as some non non BBC content does have subtitles.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I believe that the reason for this is that there are fewer new programmes available to Sky as these are now being earmarked for the streaming services.

So both Sky's linear and On Demand service has content from ABC , NBC , CBS , Hulu , Showtime , HBO , Cinemax , Fox as well as it's own productions. I'm not sure what your on about.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

So both Sky's linear and On Demand service has content from ABC , NBC , CBS , Hulu , Showtime , HBO , Cinemax , Fox as well as it's own productions. I'm not sure what your on about.

I’m talking about the quantity of quality programmes. This has gone down over the last couple of years. I’m surprised you’ve not noticed this.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I’m talking about the quantity of quality programmes. This has gone down over the last couple of years. I’m surprised you’ve not noticed this.

There are literally loads of quality shows available in fact if I check boxsets I'm spoilt for choice , if I could be bothered I'd list them both Showtime and HBO put out regular decent shows.

Don’t forget with both Virgin and Sky it’s not just the content you are paying for , the hardware you record with has to be regularly updated with new innovations plus many other costings such as service calls..

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

That's only for certain parts of the country for now. It's Channel 4 London that's changing to HD on 104, so it'll be anyone that gets that version of Channel 4.

Channel 4 for other regions is staying as both SD and HD for now.

My TiVo box has reveal that I have been give an new Channel 4 HD Channel in the last few days - Has to give it an new Thumb up today.

Also Total Channels has gone up by one since Monday Night in my area.

[Media Boy UK]

The web is reporting that the Disney and Fox takeover deal will be completed on March 20th.

[cheekyangus]

Was looking at DigitalBitRate and I see 6 "New" MPEG4 channels without names. They all have resolutions of 544x576 which is basically what a Freeview channel stream that has been crammed into a full multiplex looks like resolution-wise.

Maybe they are just load testing (though weird resolution to pick for that). Or Red Button type streams.

PID1117-1123 on multiplex C034 is what I'm referring to.

In other ponderings, notice the Project 1 and Project 2 below them. Mysterious.

Let the speculation, and maybe ultimate disappointment, begin!

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

They all have resolutions of 544x576 which is basically what a Freeview channel stream that has been crammed into a full multiplex looks like resolution-wise.

That's a very widely used resolution on satellite, which probably gives a clue to the source of these channels.

See http://www.digitalbitrate.com/dtv.ph...ive=69&lang=en for many examples

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

That's a very widely used resolution on satellite, which probably gives a clue to the source of these channels.

See http://www.digitalbitrate.com/dtv.ph...ive=69&lang=en for many examples

Based on that I'll make a guess. 7 of the Sony Pictures Television channels have +1 channels with that resolution. But VM don't have Pop Max so I won't count that +1.

So...
Movies4Men +1
True Crime +1

True Movies +1
Pop +1
Tiny Pop +1

I'm not including Sony Crime or Sony Movies +1s as they are higher resolution.

---------- Post added at 15:32 ---------- Previous post was at 15:11 ----------

Given I mistakenly added True Entertainment+1 above even though it's on VM already and Pop Max is higher resolution, I'll say the 6th is either Chart Show TV, if Sony Pictures Television UK still own it, or the completely nothing to do with Sony, but often requested, Keep It Country.


All these are complete guesses, but there aren't many obvious channels left to add.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

Based on that I'll make a guess. 7 of the Sony Pictures Television channels have +1 channels with that resolution. But VM don't have Pop Max so I won't count that +1.

So...
Movies4Men +1
True Crime +1

True Movies +1
Pop +1
Tiny Pop +1

I'm not including Sony Crime or Sony Movies +1s as they are higher resolution.

Sounds like reasonable speculation to me, though it's been speculated that True Crime is simply a placeholder channel on Sky following the closure of truTV. Having said that, (contracts aside), you'd think that if this was the case that it would have been removed from VM too. If True Crime +1 does start on VM, then this blows this theory out of the water (unless Sony intend to launch a new service).

Last nights Gogglebox recorded correctly on my box, but Recording Hiccups said that it hadn't! Further investigation reveals that this relates to a duplicate of the programme on channel 711

Channel 711 doesn't exist and is in the children's genre anyway. Does anyone know anything about this anomaly? All I can think of is that's something to do with the Channel 4 HD move for London viewers.

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Sounds like reasonable speculation to me, though it's been speculated that True Crime is simply a placeholder channel on Sky following the closure of truTV. Having said that, (contracts aside), you'd think that if this was the case that it would have been removed from VM too. If True Crime +1 does start on VM, then this blows this theory out of the water (unless Sony intend to launch a new service).

Last nights Gogglebox recorded correctly on my box, but Recording Hiccups said that it hadn't! Further investigation reveals that this relates to a duplicate of the programme on channel 711

Channel 711 doesn't exist and is in the children's genre anyway. Does anyone know anything about this anomaly? All I can think of is that's something to do with the Channel 4 HD move for London viewers.

Well 711 was one of the recently moved BBC HD children's channels. The removal of those two channels leave a gap of 4 channel numbers.

Why mention this? Well, massively wild guess, POP, Tiny POP and their +1 versions, if added, make 4, so maybe POP and Tiny POP are about to be moved up the EPG and with their +1s fill in 708, 709, 710 and 711.

Obviously this doesn't explain your recording Richard, but it might explain reference to a no longer used channel number.