V-Flyer

Well, looks like the gloves are off between Murdock's Sky empire and the new Virgin Media brand. In summary, negotiations between Virgin and Sky have broken down because, according to Virgin, Sky are demanding double the fee for their basic channels (Sky One, Two, etc).

Branson has, apparently, written to customers saying he thinks Sky are doing it to force consumers onto the satelite platform, and Virgin are more than ready to play hard ball with the dominate player. Rumours have it that Sky will pull their basic channels from Virgin Media next month.

Personally methinks Sky need to be careful about coming across as the bully in the fight. I'm a Sky customer, but like most of us (I'm sure), don't think Sky One is really much to write home about. They've got only two big shows - Lost & 24 - and everything else (and all their other basic channels) are just repeats and cheap imports. Not much of a bargaining chip.

Flip over to Virgin Media, and they have LivingTV, Bravo, Trouble, FTN and 50% (with the BBC) of the huge UKTV network. If they wanted to retaliate, and pull those from the satelite platform (but obviously leaving them on digital terresteral, which interestingly now has a larger share than Sky anyway), and I think satelite customers may be looking at a very "light" selection of basic channels.

Virgin says if Sky does pull their channels, they'll make up the difference to its customers. Possibly that means cheaper TV, or more services in the basic package.

Now I'm a Sky customer, but if this goes ahead, I'd be tempted to phone Sky and tell them were to shove it. I don't think they've playing with much of an edge over Free-To-Air channels these days, and Virgin Media's offerings are looking more and more tempting. If only they gave Flying Club Miles!

Pete

We have Virgin Media, and to tell the truth I am not bothered about losing Sky one etc...

Pete,

You have me confused now, there are programmes on Sky?

I flick through the hundreds of channels and can hardly ever find anything to watch, well aside from Top Gear and I get that anyway via my TV Licence.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by pixuk
.... If only they gave Flying Club Miles!

Pete

Yes you could build up an even bigger stock pile of point that you can't use of the MCO route.

Sorry wrong thread I know, but I couldn't resist:D:D

To be honest (and I admit to be blinkered here) I have only just started to see Virgin Media ads and didn't even know they offered TV. How do you receive the signals? Do you need a set top box and a Digital Capable Aerial (Of which I do not own the latter).

Paul

Well, yes Richard, sarcasm aside I have to agree the choice on the multi-channels is thin to say the least. The terresteral channels seem to have the edge, maybe with the exception of Heroes, and Sci-Fi picked up that (although I think most people in the UK seem to be up to date with the American show already, thanks to bit torrent...!)

and the bus driver was....

Originally posted by p17blo
[br
To be honest (and I admit to be blinkered here) I have only just started to see Virgin Media ads and didn't even know they offered TV. How do you receive the signals? Do you need a set top box and a Digital Capable Aerial (Of which I do not own the latter).

Paul

They bought Telewest/NTL cable services - hence the battle with Sky as you now have a choice of cable box or satellite box(or a more simple freeview decoder).

Originally posted by p17blo
To be honest (and I admit to be blinkered here) I have only just started to see Virgin Media ads and didn't even know they offered TV. How do you receive the signals? Do you need a set top box and a Digital Capable Aerial (Of which I do not own the latter).

All you need is to be in an area where you can get Cable TV (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websale ... ability.do) type in your postcode and heyho welcome to the world of Virgin Media. If you don't live in a cable TV area then you can still get Virgin Broadband via ADSL, Virgin Phone and Virgin Mobile.

As for the fallout I don't watch Sky One hardly anyway and as long as I have Sky Sports still then I'm not worried. If SRB wants to make up the difference then they can do this by cutting prices by a few quid and give us Broadband customers faster speeds sooner rather than later [}:)]

Just read the statement on the Virgin Media website and the following channels will be affected if Sky pulls them from Virgin Media...

Sky One, Two, Three
Sky News
Sky Sports News

So no-one will notice they've gone then?

As an existing Virgin Broadband and Virgin Mobile customer I have been considering potentail benefits of switching from Sky.

However, I can see no mention throught the Virgin Media blurb that HD is currently on offer[:0] Whilst there are still some scraps to be had in that field to be had, I am not ready to jump ship just yet.

That said, I agree that Sky is coming across as the bully boy[V][V]

Sunday Times today even has an advert/letter from SRB detailing the reasons behind the spat and why Sky are doing what they are doing!!

Im sure it will sort itself out because ultimately they are both going to need each other.

Sky have never been good at customer service. It's the same old story in that all they are interested in is getting you as a customer. After that they dont want to know. The list of problems I've had with them was very long.

The strange thing, from Sky's point of view, is that as an ex-subscriber here, I'm now not able to take up any new customer offers they currently have (not that I'd really want to anyway).

It seems once an ex-subscriber, always to be one and they wont welcome you back. Apparently it's part of your contract you sign (or what ever they call it now) when you are a subscriber, in that you agree that you are unable to re-subscribe again once you cancel.

That doesn't sound like a forward thinking business plan to me, but then again, this is Sky we are talking about.

Just wish I lived in a cable TV area so I could at least think about getting Virgin Media.

Regards

Originally posted by buns4vs
However, I can see no mention throught the Virgin Media blurb that HD is currently on offer[:0]

buns

The V+ service will give you HD channels and it has been on offer for nearly a year now (as TVDrive in the days of Telewest).

Hope this helps [y]

Originally posted by VS075

Originally posted by buns4vs
However, I can see no mention throught the Virgin Media blurb that HD is currently on offer[:0]

buns

The V+ service will give you HD channels and it has been on offer for nearly a year now (as TVDrive in the days of Telewest).

Hope this helps [y]

VS075

cheers[y][y]

Originally posted by mitchja
Sky have never been good at customer service.

..........and of course the rebranded ntl (ie Virgin Media) were[:o)][:o)]. It took me almost 14 months, countless tlephone calls and 2 solicitors' letters to stop them pestering me for payment when I went back to BT as my telephone provider [n]

In case nobody else has noticed the channels affected have been pulled from Virgin TV. Interestingly though Channel 120, which was previously occupied by Sky One, has been replaced by Virgin Central Two.

Originally posted by VS075
In case nobody else has noticed the channels affected have been pulled from Virgin TV. Interestingly though Channel 120, which was previously occupied by Sky One, has been replaced by Virgin Central Two.

And the tongue in cheek Virgin attitude has also been applied with Sky News being replaced on the channel listing with Sky Snooze!!

Hahahaha!!

Spoke to Virgin Media today.

Got £5 per month knocked off the bill and got Sky Movies added at no extra charge(also offered Sky Sports, but since we won't ever watch it, I thought it was fair to tell her not to bother )

I suggest that if you are a VM customer you ring and see what you can get.

Free Phone number is: 0800 052 9403

Be prepared to wait!

Mrs D

Originally posted by Mrs Decker
Spoke to Virgin Media today.

Got £5 per month knocked off the bill and got Sky Movies added at no extra charge(also offered Sky Sports, but since we won't ever watch it, I thought it was fair to tell her not to bother )

I suggest that if you are a VM customer you ring and see what you can get.

Free Phone number is: 0800 052 9403

Be prepared to wait!

Mrs D

You could always pay me your monthly cable fee and we'd come round and educate you... [:p]

Originally posted by RichardMannion

Originally posted by Mrs Decker
Spoke to Virgin Media today.

Got £5 per month knocked off the bill and got Sky Movies added at no extra charge(also offered Sky Sports, but since we won't ever watch it, I thought it was fair to tell her not to bother )

I suggest that if you are a VM customer you ring and see what you can get.

Free Phone number is: 0800 052 9403

Be prepared to wait!

Mrs D

You could always pay me your monthly cable fee and we'd come round and educate you... [:p]

I still have the various History channels - thank you![:p]

And since you are SO young.........[}:)](Looking forward to a copy of the email!!)

Don't even get me started on that!

Originally posted by Mrs Decker
Spoke to Virgin Media today.

Got £5 per month knocked off the bill and got Sky Movies added at no extra charge(also offered Sky Sports, but since we won't ever watch it, I thought it was fair to tell her not to bother )

I suggest that if you are a VM customer you ring and see what you can get.

Free Phone number is: 0800 052 9403

Be prepared to wait!

Mrs D

Ooo now I will be ringing them. Apart from Lost and Sky News I havent really lost much....wasnt happy that Lost went to Sky One in the first place but now I cant watch it I am even more annoyed....ringing VM up right now!

We rang them up this afternoon and we are getting an upgrade to 10Mb Broadband, a V+ box and the Talk Unlimited phone package for just 1p extra a month [8D]

Cheers VM [y]

Cheers Mrs Decker for tipping us off [^]

I called them on Friday about ours, we gained Sky Movies, Sky Sports, Broadband upgraded to 10Mb, Talk International, Talk Mobile, 2nd box (but we don't use that) - all for a £2.50 a month reduction in cost. )