The Virgin Media Television thread

iseegirls

icdg wrote: »

So the terms of TV3’s Heineken Cup deal become clear - they will be showing the same games as Channel 4, with only two of five pool stage games (final weeks fixtures are tba until closer time) involving Irish sides, Munster v Gloucester and Leinster v Tolouse. Maybe it was a take it or leave it affair, but they are now committed to showing three fixtures with no Irish involvement on one of their FTA stations.

Looks like Channel 4 and TV3 have only been given just the 1pm Saturday games, judging by the fixture list announced. What a weird deal. First match on VM1/VM Sports is Bath v Toulouse.

lertsnim

So we have another situation where many FTA viewers will be watching the British coverage due to the awful PQ of TV3 on Saorview.

Sam Russell

lertsnim wrote: »

So we have another situation where many FTA viewers will be watching the British coverage due to the awful PQ of TV3 on Saorview.

Ch 4 is SD on satellite (Freesat).

flazio

Sam Russell wrote: »

Ch 4 is SD on satellite (Freesat).

Channel 4 HD is available on Astra (Sky boxes under "other channels")

Tigerandahalf

Sam Russell wrote: »

Ch 4 is SD on satellite (Freesat).

The HD can be tuned in on the non-freesat section and it is there then. Just a case of switching between freesat and non freesat mode.

Sam Russell

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

The HD can be tuned in on the non-freesat section and it is there then. Just a case of switching between freesat and non freesat mode.

I'll try that.

lertsnim

Sam Russell wrote: »

Ch 4 is SD on satellite (Freesat).

OK. Channel 4 HD is FTA on channel 16 on my non Freesat box.

icdg

They had a row with Freesat. But ultimately Freesat is just an EPG and a common specification for set top boxes, it doesn’t “carry” any channels, and you can still tune Channel 4 HD in.

Meanwhile, confirmation (if any was needed) that these Heineken Cup fixtures will air on Virgin Media One, not exclusively on the Sport channel:
http://www.epcrugby.com/2018/08/17/2018-19-heineken-champions-cup-and-challenge-cup-fixtures-announced/

(Starred bit in italics at the end of the body of the press release)

deezell

Expect Virgin to make a serious bid for the Ireland fta matches in the 2019 rugby world cup, Eir sport have the Irish rights but having no fta network in ireland they have to flog them off. Thank b2 cheesus for ITV having the full rights in UK. If Sky or others had nailed it there would have been no fta of matches where the home nations were uninvolved.

Tigerandahalf

deezell wrote: »

Expect Virgin to make a serious bid for the Ireland fta matches in the 2019 rugby world cup, Eir sport have the Irish rights but having no fta network in ireland they have to flog them off. Thank b2 cheesus for ITV having the full rights in UK. If Sky or others had nailed it there would have been no fta of matches where the home nations were uninvolved.

I wonder would eir sport ever launch on saorview? Even an SD channel would be very powerful advertising for their product. A lot is often said how BBC3 (which is online only) gets great advertising from the main bbc channels on fta.
Given that eir's competitor Virgin/tv3 is on the platform already it would be interesting especially if the Saorview Connect box offered its full hd channels through a streaming app (if you have its fibre broadband). Would it not make sense for Virgin to also do likewise? Offer their hd channels through streaming?

deezell

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I wonder would eir sport ever launch on saorview? Even an SD channel would be very powerful advertising for their product....

Very valid case alright, the entire fta channel acts as a teaser for their subscription channels. Expect to see a lot of that on VM1

iseegirls

The schedule for both VM2 and VM3 are absolutely awful for their relaunch on Thursday 30th August.

VM2 has 3 hours of Jeremy Kyle, 3 hours of Tipping Point, 2 hours of The Chase, 2 repeats of Emmerdale and Coronation Street, 2 episodes of Graham Norton and Steve Wilkos.

VM3 had 4 episodes of Babushka, 2 episodes of Judge Rinder, Jeremy Kyle USA, Poirot, Doc Martin, Prime Suspect US, Heathrow doc.

So much ITV programmes. The soaps have moved over to VM2 and Late News at 10pm. VM3 keeps the Kids shows. VM2 has Celeb Big Brother, while VM3 has Celeb Big Brother BOTS.

There is zero clear identity for either VM2 or VM3 now, and is just a vehicle to show as much ITV repeats as they can.

VM1 stays the same, with Judge Judy back on that day. New series of The Tonight Show, and documentaries from David McWiliams' Back To The Future and Ireland's Deadliest Feud. News at 8 moves Emmerdale to 8:30.

Elmo

VM1 stays the same, with Judge Judy back on that day. New series of The Tonight Show, and documentaries from David McWiliams' Back To The Future and Ireland's Deadliest Feud. News at 8 moves Emmerdale to 8:30.

Strange to move Coro St and Emmer repeats back to VM2, perhaps the expect news and those repeats to improve 3e’s audience level, but they then end up depleting be3’s.

Either come to an arrangement with ITV that you get to broadcast Emmers at 7:30 on Thursday night or broadcast the Thursday news at 7:30.

What are they calling the news programme?

lertsnim

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I wonder would eir sport ever launch on saorview?

Only if they do something like Freesports in the UK I'd say.

Elmo

lertsnim wrote: »

Only if they do something like Freesports in the UK I'd say.

eir would also want to be in Virgin EPG, madness that they let go of the 107 slot.

Anyone know if Virgin Media THREE is moving?

icdg

The whole affair was and still is madness, but eir thought selling broadband subscriptions was more important than selling standalone eir Sports subscriptions.

Elmo

icdg wrote: »

The whole affair was and still is madness, but eir thought selling broadband subscriptions was more important than selling standalone eir Sports subscriptions.

As do Virgin Media. I don’t know why Virgin Media want exclusive rights to Virgin Media Sports.

icdg

I personally think they’re missing a trick by not at least offering it free to their own phone and broadband customers. When you’re trying to get people to watch a sports channel with no exclusive content you want eyeballs on it. Because at least that way you can sell advertising.

iseegirls

Elmo wrote: »

What are they calling the news programme?

The 10pm bulletin on VM2 is called Late News. VM1 just says News At 12.30, News At 5.30 and News At 8. No idea whether that will change name closer to the date.

Elmo

iseegirls wrote: »

The 10pm bulletin on VM2 is called Late News. VM1 just says News At 12.30, News At 5.30 and News At 8. No idea whether that will change name closer to the date.

Could they not have called News at 8, Evening News!

dublinman1990

I observed a site called Presentation Archive which has all of the pre launch idents for Virgin Media One up there.

All I can say by looking at them is mother of god; the TV3 faces in them look bloody miserable.

Will you lighten up folks. You're presenters at a TV station not at a funeral home.

Elmo

dublinman1990 wrote: »

I observed a site called Presentation Archive which has all of the pre launch idents for Virgin Media One up there.

All I can say by looking at them is mother of god; the TV3 faces in them look bloody miserable.

Will you lighten up folks. You're presenters at a TV station not at a funeral home.

Pre-launch... I worry these are launch!

Maz2016

dublinman1990 wrote: »

I observed a site called Presentation Archive which has all of the pre launch idents for Virgin Media One up there.

All I can say by looking at them is mother of god; the TV3 faces in them look bloody miserable.

Will you lighten up folks. You're presenters at a TV station not at a funeral home.

The old logos are so much better

Elmo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59rEOq4jI8c

political analyst

TV3/VMI's ratings probably will drop like a stone when Red Rock fans realise it has been axed.

iseegirls

political analyst wrote: »

TV3/VMI's ratings probably will drop like a stone when Red Rock fans realise it has been axed.

There's only been 13 episodes in about 16 months of Red Rock on TV3. There is no reliance on Red Rock, and has not been the ratings winner they had hoped - especially when they regained Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

mikeym

iseegirls wrote: »

The schedule for both VM2 and VM3 are absolutely awful for their relaunch on Thursday 30th August.

VM2 has 3 hours of Jeremy Kyle, 3 hours of Tipping Point, 2 hours of The Chase, 2 repeats of Emmerdale and Coronation Street, 2 episodes of Graham Norton and Steve Wilkos.

VM3 had 4 episodes of Babushka, 2 episodes of Judge Rinder, Jeremy Kyle USA, Poirot, Doc Martin, Prime Suspect US, Heathrow doc.

So much ITV programmes. The soaps have moved over to VM2 and Late News at 10pm. VM3 keeps the Kids shows. VM2 has Celeb Big Brother, while VM3 has Celeb Big Brother BOTS.

There is zero clear identity for either VM2 or VM3 now, and is just a vehicle to show as much ITV repeats as they can.

VM1 stays the same, with Judge Judy back on that day. New series of The Tonight Show, and documentaries from David McWiliams' Back To The Future and Ireland's Deadliest Feud. News at 8 moves Emmerdale to 8:30.

Jeremy Kyle USA was already shown by UTV Ireland when it launched.

Nobody wants to watch old shows.

Wise up Virgin Media.

iseegirls

mikeym wrote: »

Jeremy Kyle USA was already shown by UTV Ireland when it launched.

Nobody wants to watch old shows.

Wise up Virgin Media.

It was also shown on TV3 and 3e three times before UTV Ireland showed it. Have no idea why they're going to show the one and only series he made there yet again. 4 episodes of Jeremy Kyle between 9:30 to 14:30 over VM2 and VM3 every weekday. Ridiculous and lazy.

StaticNoise

Elmo wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59rEOq4jI8c

I really want to wish the Ballymount gang success in their rebrand and rehaul, but that piece relies too much on the rugby coverage, and the song brought nothing but misery to what should be an exciting, energetic promo. And that's coming from a die hard rugby fan.

They should have given that a real bang. You'd swear that was something from a channel wind-down as they were closing for good.

PS. Please don't give that bellend James Kavanagh airtime.

lertsnim

Jesus that promo would make you want to forget it quickly. Awful cover of that song.