An email from Neil Berkett re: VM HD Channels

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Herbert Schongle

Does it need to be an active line though?

Some of the discounted options (such as multiroom) require that the box dial in every so often just ensure that you aren't using it at a different address than they have registered it.

Other than that, the phone line is used for some interactive stuff and Pay Per View . So, for a basic service, you don't need it.

When i've spoken to Sky in the past, they have always told me i "must" have BT, but i find them to be very expensive, whilst virgin media seem to be cheaper.

Would it be possible to get Sky for the HD but keep VM for broadband and the phone line?

As Chris says, any phone line should be OK.

[Phil-ntl]

well i guess this thread is as good as any for a first post.
Having read through all the hype regarding hd channels i decided to email Mr Berkett myself just out of curiosity and this is the cut and paste of the reply received:

Phil

We are finalising negotiations as we speak and intend to launch at least 6 channels in July.

Neil Berkett | Chief Executive Officer
Virgin Media
D: +44 1256 754***

I guess its a waiting game again although I for one wont be holding my breath

Phil

[Mobes]

Welcome

I'm a sceptic by heart lol... but 6 channels by July is cropping up again and again so does seem promising... but then we thought April was too... meh!

We'll see i guess.... ican't actually believe they will fook us over twice in a row... there will be a riot LOL

Originally Posted by Phil-ntl

well i guess this thread is as good as any for a first post.
Having read through all the hype regarding hd channels i decided to email Mr Berkett myself just out of curiosity and this is the cut and paste of the reply received:



I guess its a waiting game again although I for one wont be holding my breath

Phil

[Arthurgray50@blu]

We were told this in December last year, so they must be waiting for the ink to dry on the contract, thats as long as the M25.

I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Phil-ntl

well i guess this thread is as good as any for a first post.
Having read through all the hype regarding hd channels i decided to email Mr Berkett myself just out of curiosity and this is the cut and paste of the reply received:

Phil

We are finalising negotiations as we speak and intend to launch at least 6 channels in July.

Neil Berkett | Chief Executive Officer
Virgin Media
D: +44 1256 754***
I guess its a waiting game again although I for one wont be holding my breath

Phil

B u t
h e
s p e a k s
v e r y
s l o w l y

[PtolemyIV]

BBC HD iplayer now up - 18.5mbps stream apparently - only a small selection for now.

What I also want desperately is for us to be provided with dolby digital audio stream on sky movies channels (sky customers get it for SD)

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

B u t
h e
s p e a k s
v e r y
s l o w l y

a r e
y o u
s u r e
h e
d o e s n t
s p e a k
w i t h
f o r k e d - t o u g u e.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by akki007

I sent this to Neil Berkett today at 15:52:

"Mr Berkett,

In early December 2008 you announced “To date our HD content is limited, we only have a couple of HD channels today and we will be launching four channels over the next three months.�

Please could you clarify whether or not you were in fact referring to 4 non-HD channels being launched in the three month period following this announcement. I assume this is what you were referring to as the three month period has now passed and to date the only HD linear channel available on the Virgin Media platform is BBC HD.

I look forward to your response coming soon.

Kind regards

Aaron Atkinson
Loyal and long standing Virgin Media customer."

At 16:35 I received this:

"No I was referring to HD channels which was absolutely our intention. We are negotiating as we speak and will be launching 6 or seven channels at once shortly

Neil Berkett | Chief Executive Officer
Virgin Media"

I did post this in another thread but it is mangled in with other info and I thought it deserved a thread of it's own for discussion.

How things change! Now it seems to be the balance on the number of HD channels is starting to move in Virgin's favour. Is this a trend that will continue, I wonder? Seems an extraordinary move to me.

https://www.a516digital.com/2019/01/...-sky.html#more

A+E Networks UK has pulled the HD version of the female-skewing lifestyle and entertainment*channel Lifetime.

Sky viewers will now only be able to access the standard definition version of the channel, which appears on channel 164. Until Thursday 24th January 2019, the HD channel will temporarily reside on channel 838 before disappear altogether.

TVPlayer, Virgin Media UK and BT TV continue to promote an HD option for the channel.

[muppetman11]

It will be interesting to see what happens with the catch up content for that channel.

Sky has ITV Be only in SD but carries HD in catch up for this channel
Sky dropped Vice HD with only the SD channel remaining but carries HD in catch up

Careful, you’ll be getting OB excited .... it’s starting to look like HD is becoming the preserve of on-demand streaming ...

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Seems an extraordinary move to me.

SD is more popular than HD, yet HD costs a lot more to broadcast. So if you want to cut costs, drop the HD.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

SD is more popular than HD, yet HD costs a lot more to broadcast. So if you want to cut costs, drop the HD.

Not looking good for UHD, then!

---------- Post added at 07:20 ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

Careful, you’ll be getting OB excited .... it’s starting to look like HD is becoming the preserve of on-demand streaming ...

You said it, not me!

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

SD is more popular than HD, yet HD costs a lot more to broadcast. So if you want to cut costs, drop the HD.

Is this because a lot of ppl cannot afford HD?

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

Is this because a lot of ppl cannot afford HD?

I don't think it is as, even in households where a free HD variant is available, people tend to choose channels 1-5 in SD.

I think it's more a question of convenience and that (as has been done recently with BBC2 HD on VM, when/if the various platforms put the HD versions on channels 1-5, they will pick up more viewers.

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I don't think it is as, even in households where a free HD variant is available, people tend to choose channels 1-5 in SD.

I think it's more a question of convenience and that (as has been done recently with BBC2 HD on VM, when/if the various platforms put the HD versions on channels 1-5, they will pick up more viewers.

Not quiet sure why people watch SD when HD is available, especially on bigger TV's. The difference in quality makes all the difference.