General : Changes to Virgin TV (2020)

[SonicMaster]

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

JJ20X on Forum Box has posted that the pack code for Virgin Media Ulta HD Channel has changed to M/Player and Above.

I can confirm that Channel 999 is now not greyed out for me, so it looks like all VM TV customers are getting access to it now. JJ20X said it was a pack code change rather than an override, so that bodes well, in my opinion, for it being more likely to be permanent. I'd imagine VM themselves will confirm that if it is the case.

---------- Post added at 15:58 ---------- Previous post was at 15:53 ----------

I forgot, JJ20X specifically said 4K versions of those tiers. So maybe not all customers have this pack code flag on their TV account.

VM's own Guide says 'Virgin TV Ultra HD available to all 18th Dec - 2nd Jan'.

It's a great bonus for non-XL / Full House TV customers with cult films in UHD every night including:

The Big Lebowski
Born on the Fourth of July
The Breakfast Club
Psycho
Rear Window
Vertigo
The Birds
The Sugarland Express

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

There aren't 4K or non-4K versions of TV packs.

Access to 4K content is dependent on whether you have a V6 or 360 box or not. Older TiVo boxes can't decode the channels at all.

I didn't say there were 4K packs/tiers, neither did they. Packs and pack codes/flags being different things.

---------- Post added at 17:48 ---------- Previous post was at 17:46 ----------

Originally Posted by SonicMaster

VM's own Guide says 'Virgin TV Ultra HD available to all 18th Dec - 2nd Jan'.

It's a great bonus for non-XL / Full House TV customers with cult films in UHD every night including:

The Big Lebowski
Born on the Fourth of July
The Breakfast Club
Psycho
Rear Window
Vertigo
The Birds
The Sugarland Express

Thanks SonicMaster. I found it.

https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-t...-no-extra-cost

[vincerooney]

Glad to be in the top ten list again with wonderful chiefs and gaffers. Thanks Media Boy again for your work.

What do we think 2021 will bring? I'm going for:

1) That right wing news channel will launch but wont be as funny as Fox News due to UK Broadcasting laws

2) Sky Atlantic will finally appear on Virgin Media because no one really wants it anymore and there really isnt anything that good on it anymore.

3) All the city channels will go bankrupt and go off air as regional channels dont work in the UK....they work in America because ......its a lot, lot bigger...

4) The new premier league deals for 2022 onwards are awarded. Sky and BT keep their packages at roughly the same level but Amazon take another package as more games are removed from 3pm and shunted across two blocks of saturday evening games and 3 blocks of sunday evening games.

5) European rights are up in the air for germany and italy and sky and BT don't bid for them even though they put their prices up

6) No further apps arrive on virgin media and the confusion about the horizon interface on tivo v6s is still not confirmed.

Whats everyone elses predictions for "coming soon...."?

[Aguero9320]

Originally Posted by vincerooney

Glad to be in the top ten list again with wonderful chiefs and gaffers. Thanks Media Boy again for your work.

What do we think 2021 will bring? I'm going for:

1) That right wing news channel will launch but wont be as funny as Fox News due to UK Broadcasting laws

2) Sky Atlantic will finally appear on Virgin Media because no one really wants it anymore and there really isnt anything that good on it anymore.

3) All the city channels will go bankrupt and go off air as regional channels dont work in the UK....they work in America because ......its a lot, lot bigger...

4) The new premier league deals for 2022 onwards are awarded. Sky and BT keep their packages at roughly the same level but Amazon take another package as more games are removed from 3pm and shunted across two blocks of saturday evening games and 3 blocks of sunday evening games.

5) European rights are up in the air for germany and italy and sky and BT don't bid for them even though they put their prices up

6) No further apps arrive on virgin media and the confusion about the horizon interface on tivo v6s is still not confirmed.

Whats everyone elses predictions for "coming soon...."?

I mostly agree with you, Vince. However, I think DAZN will pounce on increasing numbers of major UK sporting rights, especially with their launch earlier this month.

[Legendkiller2k]

All i can say is a lot of big big irons in the fires for 2021.

[Tricky Trevor]

Originally Posted by vincerooney

Glad to be in the top ten list again with wonderful chiefs and gaffers. Thanks Media Boy again for your work.

What do we think 2021 will bring? I'm going for:

1) That right wing news channel will launch but wont be as funny as Fox News due to UK Broadcasting laws

2) Sky Atlantic will finally appear on Virgin Media because no one really wants it anymore and there really isnt anything that good on it anymore.

3) All the city channels will go bankrupt and go off air as regional channels dont work in the UK....they work in America because ......its a lot, lot bigger...

4) The new premier league deals for 2022 onwards are awarded. Sky and BT keep their packages at roughly the same level but Amazon take another package as more games are removed from 3pm and shunted across two blocks of saturday evening games and 3 blocks of sunday evening games.

5) European rights are up in the air for germany and italy and sky and BT don't bid for them even though they put their prices up

6) No further apps arrive on virgin media and the confusion about the horizon interface on tivo v6s is still not confirmed.

Whats everyone elses predictions for "coming soon...."?

Yeah,Virgin will announce that Sky UHD will launch in 2022

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by Legendkiller2k

All i can say is a lot of big big irons in the fires for 2021.

We've heard that a few times mate.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by vincerooney

Glad to be in the top ten list again with wonderful chiefs and gaffers. Thanks Media Boy again for your work.

What do we think 2021 will bring? I'm going for:

1) That right wing news channel will launch but wont be as funny as Fox News due to UK Broadcasting laws

2) Sky Atlantic will finally appear on Virgin Media because no one really wants it anymore and there really isnt anything that good on it anymore.

3) All the city channels will go bankrupt and go off air as regional channels dont work in the UK....they work in America because ......its a lot, lot bigger...

4) The new premier league deals for 2022 onwards are awarded. Sky and BT keep their packages at roughly the same level but Amazon take another package as more games are removed from 3pm and shunted across two blocks of saturday evening games and 3 blocks of sunday evening games.

5) European rights are up in the air for germany and italy and sky and BT don't bid for them even though they put their prices up

6) No further apps arrive on virgin media and the confusion about the horizon interface on tivo v6s is still not confirmed.

Whats everyone elses predictions for "coming soon...."?

Some well thought-through predictions, Vince.

I think 2021 will be an appy new year - Disney+, DAZN and Discovery.

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Some well thought-through predictions, Vince.

I think 2021 will be an appy new year - Disney+, DAZN and Discovery.

Discovery have a 12 month exclusivity with Sky, so that would be right at the end of 2021

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

Discovery have a 12 month exclusivity with Sky, so that would be right at the end of 2021

Phew! Didn't want my predictions ruled out the same day I had made them!

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Phew! Didn't want my predictions ruled out the same day I had made them!

LOL

Funnily enough, I thought that as I typed. "Glad that doesn't mess the prediction up" I thought.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

We've heard that a few times mate.

It's Groundhog Day every year on here with predictions for next year.

The DAZN one is an interesting one. Very much in 'last throw of the dice' mode trying to get a foothold in more markets with an obvious loss leader at £1.99 a month in the UK. That said - they are getting some rights elsewhere such as Germany.

However, we know from Setanta Sports and Eleven Sports that the UK market is a tough nut to crack. BT have arguably not seen the returns from sport it would expect and while I don't foresee them intentionally exiting the market I doubt they intend to go all out in bidding wars.

A standalone boxing channel has been tried and largely failed. While Boxnation still exists with wholesale arrangements with BT and Premier Sports keeping it afloat with almost no new content. While Eddie Hearn would argue that his stable of boxing would be more appealing than that of Frank Warren whether that would remain the case longer term without the free advertising that is Sky Sports News is an unknown.

[ScottishSteve]

Following on from recent posts here in Scotland

When tuning into BBC Alba 161
There is a message saying
BBC ALBA IS ON THE MOVE
On 4th January will move to 120 in Scotland

ITVBe+1 120 says
ITVBE+1 IS ON THE MOVE
On 4th January this channel will move to 162 in Scotland

I personally find it crazy that such a low viewership channel (even in Scotland) is given such prominence in the rule books.

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by ScottishSteve

Following on from recent posts here in Scotland

When tuning into BBC Alba 161
There is a message saying
BBC ALBA IS ON THE MOVE
On 4th January will move to 120 in Scotland

ITVBe+1 120 says
ITVBE+1 IS ON THE MOVE
On 4th January this channel will move to 162 in Scotland

I personally find it crazy that such a low viewership channel (even in Scotland) is given such prominence in the rule books.

This backs up what JJ20X has been reporting elsewhere. Thanks ScottishSteve. I agree to an extent. That particular swap is an improvement though.

For those unaware, various PSB channels are getting rearranged on several different platforms due to new OFCOM rules requiring them to be in at least Top 24 (sometimes Top 8) in EPGs. Sky had to move one of their own channels in Wales on satellite recently to get Channel 4 into Top 8. FreeSat recently moved a few things. The whole Freeview EPG got shuffled down a place to get BBC4 to 24 in Scotland. The rules come into effect in January 2021, so VM is leaving it even later than other platforms.

The stranger thing is they didn't use 113 as I believe it's free everywhere following ITV going HD-Only recently on 103 (STV did that a while back).

[ScottishSteve]

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

The stranger thing is they didn't use 113 as I believe it's free everywhere following ITV going HD-Only recently on 103 (STV did that a while back).

Maybe ITV have plans for 113 nationally and had to make a choice which one to push down the list. Might as well be a lower rate +1 service that takes the hit than a higher position.

Don’t know if you have seen the Freesat EPG in Scotland but what a waste of good numbers

1-5 in usual spots
106 BBC Scotland HD
107 BBC Four HD
108 BBC Scotland SD
109 BBC Alba
110 BBC One SD
111 STV HD

Within the first 11 channels 3 are duplicates due to SD/HD