Sky channels return to cable

Sky still won?

Even though Virgin seem to have won in both cases, this had the desired effect for Sky in that (a) They got tons of new subscribers at little cost and (b) prevented Virgin getting a content partner that would have caused Sky some issues around the original TV

So what was the deal?

Come El reg, tell us about the deal that was brokered. How much did VM splash out for the Sky channels return. When will the channels return.

Virgin on the desperate

VM/NTL really need to boost subscribers, their loan repayments start next year. Unless they re-re-negociate

future battle royal

In the blue corner there is the old Microsoft evil empire - run by a bio genetically engineered Bill Gates.

In the red corner, there is a 10,000 year old Rupert Murdoch who now holds 3 dozen nationalities.

Who will win? There can be only one.

as homer would say

WOO HOO simpsons are coming back oh how i missed thee if it wasn't for the kick arse broadband i'd have switched too!. oh and sky sports news the two most watched channels in my house disappeared the day they started there spat now they are back something else to watch other than DAVE

No Sky Sports News for you! You come back 1 year!

I'm a Sky subscriber and cannot get Sky Sports News without upgrading to the News mix package. I can however get Setanta Sports News.

However, Freeview users can get Sky Sports News for free, so if I want to watch Sky Sports News, I have to switch off my Sky box and use the tuner built in to the TV.

Where's the logic in that?

Hmm two years...

I found VM to be pants at most things when i was a customer and also the change in contract meant i could get out of the contract which was convenient for moving.

I then got sky at the new place, way better than VM in my experience (although i know that is not everyone's experience).

They also managed to provide phone and internet too so i still got a 3 in 1 bill.

One thing to remember though .. and its the IT angle....

Sky don't cripple my internet in the evening!!!! Same speed all day, all night and all day again.

Sky coming back?

I never really noticed they disappeared. Pretty much anything worth watching was available elsewhere.

You'd think....

.. that considering their abysmal/capped broadband service that is alledgedly their "bread and butter", they'd make some effort to sort out that mess before making their TV offerings worse!

It's all crap

I live about 2 miles from a Telewest/NTL/VM in Basildon and our whole estate doesn't have cable, even though the rest of my town does.

So, I have Sky and the broadband is not bad. I only took the SkyTV because it was the same cost for the broadband+SkyTV as I was previously paying BT for just broadband.

A friend had cable but he switched to Sky due to repeated connection problems since Vm took over Telewest/NTL.

He's pretty happy now.

As for the TV, well, from what I've seen you have a choice of hundreds of channels of shite on VM, or thousands of channels of shite on Sky.

Personally I watch motor-racing (F1, MotoGP, WSB, BSB), TopGear, and the rest of my viewing is "filler" mostly taken from the Documentary channels. The Missus watches BBC1 & ITV and could mostly care less about the rest of the shite.

So, what has the TV "revolution" brought me then?

Well, I can now watch the bike racing on TV.

That's it, nothing else.

From my point of view the whole "revolution" has been a total waste of time, money and resources.

About time Sky!

About time Sky stopped being such a tit...

But as said, either way Sky have won this battle with Customers switching.

Now for Sky One to come to Freeview?

When I clap my hands, you'll wake up feeling refreshed.

The greatest trick the Devil, err I mean Murdoch, ever pulled was convincing the world that Sky One was worth watching.

Seriously people, but for a couple of US imports, it's complete dross. Step back and think about it for a minute.

(The guy criticising Virgin One's lineup can't have failed to realise that it's identical to Sky One ... or did he?)

The channels of adverts are back then???

Oh - I get the channels that I didn't really watch back.

I got fed up of having to watch adverts with a bit of TV programme every so often and way too much plugging of their own programmes.

Then again - it'll be fun to laugh at the Sky News sensationalism again.

@Pete

Quite agree, Sky1 and SkyNews going never really bothered me so didn't notice it going. Suspect we will notice it coming back when VM announce increase in charges justified by a bunch of "new" channels.

It's too little, too late....

Virgin are coming round to mine to remove their equipment next week, after being a customer of them since those exciting days of United Artists Cable in 1994, through Telewest Communications, Telewest Broadband, ntl:Telewest and now Virgin Media. With every re-brand, they have become slightly worse (IMHO).

BT have already installed a new phone line, and I have put an 8-way LNB on the pre-existing satellite dish (from a previous occupant), so I can have SkyHD in the main room and a couple of FreesatHD boxes in the bedrooms. Yes, I know I need to pay for those boxes, but even FreesatHD has more linear HD content than VM, so it is worth it in my books.

Who knows, maybe my relationship with BT/Sky will be just as rocky, but there is only one way to find out.

Mine's the one with the effigy of Richard Branson in the pocket.

option C

I get topuptv its like cut price sky i dont line Rupert Murdochs pockets and get a constant stream of star trek thanks to Virgin 1 (blessed art the geeks in their programming dept)

although if they had bothered to lay cable in my new street then it would be a different story

skull and crossbones - well if you have to ask...

Price Hikes Ho

I agree, I am going to kick off big time about the whole of virgin media services - I certainly dont see why I should pay more because of the new channels. When the channels were removed the prices weren't reduced. When my broadband connection gets limited after downloading 1GB of LEGAL stuff I didnt get a price reduction.

Secondly - following a broadband outage a week or so ago which as far as I am aware was only regional - how is it that I suddenly got 3MB/s download only to see this drop to 800kb/s as all of the other cable modems popped back into action around the region.

Virgin has oversubscribed its network, it regularly and consistenly shits on its customers and then has the cheek to ask for more money for doing so.

Well the moment they put the price increase into force (which they will) I will be making sure that they dont get it easily from me - I have plenty of ways of costing them more than their price rise will be - they should take heed from their customers and just quit taking the piss.