[Khearts]

Hi Guys,

Im considering buying Virgin Media, but would like to know everything I can about it before so. So I have some questions. Im looking to buy the best Virgin media box deal, V+ Xl or whatever it is, lol. So heres some questions.

1. Why is virgin media better then Sky+ or Sky HD. I know it can record 2 programs at once and on demand anything else?

2. How many HD channels are there?

3. Im a bit confused with the demand tv stuff. I thought in the ads it says you have a choice of many series and seasons, along with movies. Seems like you have to pay for the movies, do you have to pay for the tv series too?

4. and is only 1 episode available per series for a certain amount of time.

"Take your pick from loads of top shows like The O.C., Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case, Spooks and One Tree Hill. Each episode is available for 15 days. So you can dip in and dip out when you like. We'll constantly be updating the channel with more episodes, so you'll never have to wait long for your next fix."

5. Is there more music channels then sky? and sports is very important for me.

6. With the recording, if i choose a programs, will it record all the episodes automatically afterwards if I want. Sometimes Im away, so i like to record alot.

Sorry for not making much sense, in a rush to go work.

Hope you guys can help

Thanks

[sotonjoe]

Hi Guys,

Im considering buying Virgin Media, but would like to know everything I can about it before so. So I have some questions. Im looking to buy the best Virgin media box deal, V+ Xl or whatever it is, lol. So heres some questions.

1. Why is virgin media better then Sky+ or Sky HD. I know it can record 2 programs at once and on demand anything else?record two channels at once and on demand services and broadband

2. How many HD channels are there?one

3. Im a bit confused with the demand tv stuff. I thought in the ads it says you have a choice of many series and seasons, along with movies. Seems like you have to pay for the movies, do you have to pay for the tv series too?everyone pays extra per movie. the other content is free if you have the xl tv package

4. and is only 1 episode available per series for a certain amount of time.

"Take your pick from loads of top shows like The O.C., Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case, Spooks and One Tree Hill. Each episode is available for 15 days. So you can dip in and dip out when you like. We'll constantly be updating the channel with more episodes, so you'll never have to wait long for your next fix."no, they put whole series up, or a batch of episodes at a time.

5. Is there more music channels then sky? and sports is very important for me.there are less music channels than sky although you do get music videos on demand. I'd say VM's pricing isn't good for sky sports. although xl tv customers do get setanta included free of charge

6. With the recording, if i choose a programs, will it record all the episodes automatically afterwards if I want. Sometimes Im away, so i like to record alot.you can select to record just the episode or the whole series, it's up to you.

Sorry for not making much sense, in a rush to go work.

Hope you guys can help

Thanks

[Badger0-0]

Originally Posted by Khearts

Hi Guys,

Im considering buying Virgin Media, but would like to know everything I can about it before so. So I have some questions. Im looking to buy the best Virgin media box deal, V+ Xl or whatever it is, lol. So heres some questions.

1. Why is virgin media better then Sky+ or Sky HD. I know it can record 2 programs at once and on demand anything else?

2. How many HD channels are there?

3. Im a bit confused with the demand tv stuff. I thought in the ads it says you have a choice of many series and seasons, along with movies. Seems like you have to pay for the movies, do you have to pay for the tv series too?

4. and is only 1 episode available per series for a certain amount of time.

"Take your pick from loads of top shows like The O.C., Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case, Spooks and One Tree Hill. Each episode is available for 15 days. So you can dip in and dip out when you like. We'll constantly be updating the channel with more episodes, so you'll never have to wait long for your next fix."

5. Is there more music channels then sky? and sports is very important for me.

6. With the recording, if i choose a programs, will it record all the episodes automatically afterwards if I want. Sometimes Im away, so i like to record alot.

Sorry for not making much sense, in a rush to go work.

Hope you guys can help

Thanks

1) it isn't better than VM, if you want HD. I'd say from what I've heard, that the V+ box is slightly more reliable.

2) One. BBC HD and that's it. The rest is "On Demand".

3) You can get all sorts on "On demand".
The only problem is they show what they like, as and when. You will almost certainly not be able to go straight through a series. Indeed, some will start at "episode 3" etc.
Most of that stuff is free.

An HD movie will cost you the best part of £4 for 24 hours.

4) I can't comment, as IMO, it's a pile.
I can't even get Eastenders sometimes

5) Again, I can't comment really, but I'd say there are too many music channels. As said, you get Setanta if you're on the top jobby.
This is a big plus, IMO.

6) Yes, it does "series record".

[nialli]

Hi Guys,

Im considering buying Virgin Media, but would like to know everything I can about it before so. So I have some questions. Im looking to buy the best Virgin media box deal, V+ Xl or whatever it is, lol. So heres some questions.

1. Why is virgin media better then Sky+ or Sky HD. I know it can record 2 programs at once and on demand anything else?
The V+ upscales better than the Sky HD +, which kinda compensates for the lack of HD channels

2. How many HD channels are there?
BBC HD. There's quite a bit of BBC HD in the On Demand section, and a selection of US HD stuff too - all free to XL customers.

3. Im a bit confused with the demand tv stuff. I thought in the ads it says you have a choice of many series and seasons, along with movies. Seems like you have to pay for the movies, do you have to pay for the tv series too?
New movies are £4-ish, older movies £2-ish. 500 movies and you start them whenever you want.

4. and is only 1 episode available per series for a certain amount of time.
No. Normally at least half a dozen at any one time. BBC iPlayer shows pretty much everything from all the BBC channels from the last seven days. Again, free. There are the ocassional programmes not on iPlayer: some sport and Heroes doesn't appear on iPlayer.

"Take your pick from loads of top shows like The O.C., Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case, Spooks and One Tree Hill. Each episode is available for 15 days. So you can dip in and dip out when you like. We'll constantly be updating the channel with more episodes, so you'll never have to wait long for your next fix."

5. Is there more music channels then sky? and sports is very important for me.
There's less. But all the music videos are free and there are hundreds of them, regularly refreshed

6. With the recording, if i choose a programs, will it record all the episodes automatically afterwards if I want. Sometimes Im away, so i like to record alot.
Yes. Series link the same as Sky+.

Sorry for not making much sense, in a rush to go work.

Hope you guys can help

[Khearts]

Thanks guys sounds good.

Could I have a bit more info on what I can watch, when I went? Is it just series or anything. Sometimes I like to watch the cooking programs on uk food, but at 5am theres hardly anything on.

I got a mixed anwser for that question.

Badger0-0 saying

3) You can get all sorts on "On demand".
The only problem is they show what they like, as and when. You will almost certainly not be able to go straight through a series. Indeed, some will start at "episode 3" etc.
Most of that stuff is free.

4) I can't comment, as IMO, it's a pile.
I can't even get Eastenders sometimes



and sotonjoe saying

4. and is only 1 episode available per series for a certain amount of time.

"Take your pick from loads of top shows like The O.C., Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case, Spooks and One Tree Hill. Each episode is available for 15 days. So you can dip in and dip out when you like. We'll constantly be updating the channel with more episodes, so you'll never have to wait long for your next fix."no, they put whole series up, or a batch of episodes at a time.

Just wondering what I can watch, because I watch alot of late night tv, like 5am and not much is on, especailly with Big brother hoggings e4, lol

[sotonjoe]

There are two types of on demand service offered and people often get confused by the two...

There is catch up tv which allows you to revisit the 'best' of the week's tv shows. Here you can only view the shows that were aired and you're limited to what is on offer.

However, Virgin's On Demand service also carries a back catalogue of tv content called TV Choice. Here you will find a range of shows across all sorts of genres. Episodes are generally uploaded in batches, occasionally a whole series will come or frustratingly on rare occasions, just a single episode.

The On demand service also carries films and music videos. As already said, everybody pays extra per film, although subscribers to the XL TV pack get all the other OD content free.

There is also a channel which repeats the week's best shows that everybody can view for free so this can be a useful alternative to the Catch UpTV offerings if you're not an XL subscriber.

My experience of the OD catalogue TV and music wise is that it's limited. The TV back catalogue stuff seems to be diminishing in favour of things like BBC iplayer.

Additionally, the bbc iplayer interface is separate to the usual OD interface and is very slow. I wouldn't subscribe to VM on the strength of their OD offering alone.

[nialli]

That's a pretty accurate summary. Most of the On Demand programming is from the BBC, Channel 4 or Living/Virgin1 stable - there's no ITV or UK-originated Five stuff (although CSI is listed).
I disagree that it's not a reason to plumb for Virgin: a number of my friends have signed up just for the On Demand content. Every episode of Peep Show, Shameless, Teachers, IT Crowd, all included in your sub? If that's your taste, it's a pretty compelling proposition.
There's a site that used to list all of the On Demand stuff here. It's not been updated this year, but it gives you a flavour of what's available. I'm not aware of any online listings for the On Demand service that are kept up to date now that this site is dormant.

[sotonjoe]

Originally Posted by nialli

That's a pretty accurate summary. Most of the On Demand programming is from the BBC, Channel 4 or Living/Virgin1 stable - there's no ITV or UK-originated Five stuff (although CSI is listed).
I disagree that it's not a reason to plumb for Virgin: a number of my friends have signed up just for the On Demand content. Every episode of Peep Show, Shameless, Teachers, IT Crowd, all included in your sub? If that's your taste, it's a pretty compelling proposition.
There's a site that used to list all of the On Demand stuff here. It's not been updated this year, but it gives you a flavour of what's available. I'm not aware of any online listings for the On Demand service that are kept up to date now that this site is dormant.

I agree the service is a plus, but the content isn't varied or substantial enough to make it the huge drawer that some people might think.

When I signed up in December, I was pretty excited about being able to see every episode of Peep Show etc, but 8 months on, those series are still up and I don't think there has been anything that great in addition. I still think that with the recent addition of BBC iplayer, which is unbearably slow to use and I've no idea why it has to function via its own interface, the tv choice on demand has been neglected and the overall volume of content in this section seems to have reduced. It's a shame as it could be good.