General : Coming Soon to Virgin TV (2023)

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2018

The 2 Eurosport channels won't become TNT Sports until a later date supposedly after the Paris Olympics.

Good point. Ultimately, I think it will come down to five TNT but will happen in two stages.

[ozsat]

There are four full time BT Sport channels and six occasional - all are in BT's own EPG.

BT Sport 5 is active most days but not all day. This went HD on Virgin last week but strill red button access.

I suspect that you'll end up with 4-5 live linear channels and the rest will be via apps and red button.

There are far more BT streams available at times than just the 10 accessed on Sky and Virgin. Quite a lot of live Eurosport streams at times.

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Nope. WBD will probably squeeze the four BT and two Eurosport channels into five TNT channels in July.

In the meantime, WBD plan to cancel Score.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footb...avage-29640022

[Legendkiller2k]

Again i've told you what is happening, but what do i know huh?

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Legendkiller2k

Again i've told you what is happening, but what do i know huh?

I should have said Summer/Autumn not July. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. My main point is that WBD won't be adding a new BT Sport linear channel to VM any time soon. Just a prediction based on need to make the service profitable by reducing content.

When they all come under the TNT Sport brand in the UK, the linear channels are likely to be reduced in number, probably to five.

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

Are Warner Bros Discovery set to launch new BT Sports branded channel soon on Virgin?

epsilon did post the following on April 6th on DS Forum:



NOTE: BT Sport 5 was on the same stream as other Red Button (from Sky and BT) Sports channels before April 6th.

As far as I know, the HD flag is still missing which is "fun". Discussion about this elsewhere has concentrated on the form of delivery of the sport red button channels. It seems a little dated and messy to reserve capacity on "broadcast" capacity for part time services although, I guess, the same could be said for BT Sport Ultimate. The consensus seemed to be that, rather than switching these streams to HD transport streams, IPTV streams would be a more up to date solution. Something similar to how extra streams are made available on France 24.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I should have said Summer/Autumn not July. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. My main point is that WBD won't be adding a new BT Sport linear channel to VM any time soon. Just a prediction based on need to make the service profitable by reducing content.

When they all come under the TNT Sport brand in the UK, the linear channels are likely to be reduced in number, probably to five.

But Eurosport UK will not rebrand until September 2024.

Only the BT Sport branded channels will be TNT Sports from July.

But I can also see the following happen to the Warner Bros Discovery Entertainment Channels from July:

Freeview Channels:
*Quest Sports or TNT Sports Extra (using Really slots)
*Quest (But now showing male base shows that was shown on Really)
*Quest Red (But now showing female base shows that was shown on Really)
*DMAX may rebrand as Quest Style
*Food Network
*HGTV

Pay TV Channels:
*TLC
*ID
*Animal Planet
*Discovery Science
*Discovery History

New Channels?
*Quest Sports HD or TNT Sports Extra HD
*Quest Red HD
*Food Network HD
*HGTV HD

Channel to close:
*Really
*Discovery Turbo

[ozsat]

Although BT Sport 5 is not full-time it is active with programming most days - and a lot more than Ultimate.

Originally Posted by epsilon

As far as I know, the HD flag is still missing which is "fun". Discussion about this elsewhere has concentrated on the form of delivery of the sport red button channels. It seems a little dated and messy to reserve capacity on "broadcast" capacity for part time services although, I guess, the same could be said for BT Sport Ultimate. The consensus seemed to be that, rather than switching these streams to HD transport streams, IPTV streams would be a more up to date solution. Something similar to how extra streams are made available on France 24.

[Legendkiller2k]

Premier league bidding rights are coming up DAZN, Apple, Amazon and Google are all interested amongst the usual culprits.
Google is the surprise there for me.

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by ozsat

Although BT Sport 5 is not full-time it is active with programming most days - and a lot more than Ultimate.

Yes, scrolling through the listings for the next couple of weeks, BT Sport 5, 6 & 7 have content at some point. With nothing showing for 8, 9 & 10. I guess the justification for BT Sport Ultimate is that it is recordable. The discussions were mainly around the red button services not being recordable, so could easily be replaced with IPTV streams.

[ozsat]

BTtv has all 10 in their EPG in SD and HD.

I don't see why Virgin can not put Red Button 5 in EPG even if part-time. Sky don't have it in their EPG but do have lots a part-time channels that go completely off air for hours, or even weeks.

Sky use streams for much of their Red Button coverage. You get SD from satellite but the SkyQ box switches to a stream and provides HD for the same programme.

Originally Posted by epsilon

Yes, scrolling through the listings for the next couple of weeks, BT Sport 5, 6 & 7 have content at some point. With nothing showing for 8, 9 & 10. I guess the justification for BT Sport Ultimate is that it is recordable. The discussions were mainly around the red button services not being recordable, so could easily be replaced with IPTV streams.

[epsilon]

Originally Posted by ozsat

BTtv has all 10 in their EPG in SD and HD.

I don't see why Virgin can not put Red Button 5 in EPG even if part-time. Sky don't have it in their EPG but do have lots a part-time channels that go completely off air for hours, or even weeks.

Sky use streams for much of their Red Button coverage. You get SD from satellite but the SkyQ box switches to a stream and provides HD for the same programme.

BTtv uses IPTV by default so the efficiencies are already there. I mentioned the missing HD flag. It is an EPG flag, so isn't critical for a red button service. Having said that, there are quite a few off-EPG services which do have the HD flag.

I won't suggest that Virgin should switch to broadcast HD streams for part time red button services but HD IPTV streams would be nice (as with SkyQ).

[Media Boy UK]

Will Virgin Media finally move BBC THREE HD to Channel 113 in Scotland and Wales.

As Virgin did launch some channels on a Tuesday after Easter Bank Holiday Weekend in past years.

---------- Post added at 18:14 ---------- Previous post was at 18:12 ----------

Originally Posted by ozsat

BTtv has all 10 in their EPG in SD and HD.

I don't see why Virgin can not put Red Button 5 in EPG even if part-time. Sky don't have it in their EPG but do have lots a part-time channels that go completely off air for hours, or even weeks.

Sky use streams for much of their Red Button coverage. You get SD from satellite but the SkyQ box switches to a stream and provides HD for the same programme.

Originally Posted by epsilon

BTtv uses IPTV by default so the efficiencies are already there. I mentioned the missing HD flag. It is an EPG flag, so isn't critical for a red button service. Having said that, there are quite a few off-EPG services which do have the HD flag.

I won't suggest that Virgin should switch to broadcast HD streams for part time red button services but HD IPTV streams would be nice (as with SkyQ).

I feel Virgin may give BT Sport 5 a EPG Channel number - like they do with BBC Red Button 1 is on Channel 991.

[Media Boy UK]

News just in:

My Sources has revealed that:

*BBC Three HD in both Scotland and Wales is set to move on April 12th from Virgin Channel 157 to Virgin Channel 113.

*Also the Paramount + app should make an appearance on April 12th. Customers notes Parmount + is NOT on TiVo Boxes and will cost the following:

^£6.99 subscription for all customers wanting to take the service. It isn't included for free with Sky Cinema like it is on Sky.

All information on this post is still subject to change.

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

News just in:

My Sources has revealed that:

*BBC Three HD in both Scotland and Wales is set to move on April 12th from Virgin Channel 157 to Virgin Channel 113.

*Also the Paramount + app should make an appearance on April 12th. Customers notes Parmount + is NOT on TiVo Boxes and will cost the following:

^£6.99 subscription for all customers wanting to take the service. It isn't included for free with Sky Cinema like it is on Sky.

All information on this post is still subject to change.

Not long to wait then MB. Thanks.

[RichardCoulter]

Hmm Virgin customers lose out to Sky yet again.



I can see why Sky would want to keep the Paramojnt! Perk for their own platform, but this is obviously also being used as an incentive for take up of the flagging Cinema channels, so you'd think that they'd also allow this on Virgin to boost take up of Cinema.



Maybe Virgin simply wouldn't cough up for any subsidy required??