Do you want a V+ with greater capacity?

Time for a quick poll. Sky customers get an option of buying a Sky+ HD box with up to 2Tb (2,048Gb), but us Virgin Customers just get a measley 160Gb in our V+, which equates to just 20 hours of HD recordings. What's more, we can't (legally) install a bigger hard disc as the box belongs to Virgin.
So would you be willing to pay for greater capacity on your V+? A poll has been posted top right on this blog - let me know what you think.

STV HD launches on June 11 (Scotland only)

Thanks to Media Boy for the news.

Avatar and Alice in HD

Two new arrivals on FilmFlex HD in the first week of June:
Alice in Wonderland from 4^th June, and Avatar from 7^th June
Interesting how short the window between DVD/Blu Ray and Filmflex releases is becoming, with Sherlock Holmes (unfortunately not HD) and Alice appearing simultaneously on disc and on demand.

BBC1 HD launching in the autumn

The BBC has confirmed plans to launch a high definition version of BBC One in the autumn.
BBC One HD will offer a HD simulcast of the regular channel and will be available on Freesat, Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media. The channel will operate in addition to the BBC HD channel, which will also extend its regular broadcast hours over the summer from nine to 12 hours a day.
More details in Danielle Nagler's latest blog entry.

News on Sky HD channels coming to Virgin Media

From MediaGuardian:

"BSkyB is understood to be nearing the conclusion of lengthy negotiations to buy Virgin Media Television's successful channels business...the deal could be finalised as early as next week [...]
"As part of the complex deal to sell Virgin Media TV to Sky, the cable operator is expected to cement a long-term carriage deal. This will ensure it has continued access both to the VMTV channels such as Living, once sold off, but also to BSkyB's premium sports and movie channels and high-definition services. Virgin1 is expected to disappear."

Updated: NGTV rollout complete

Pretty much everyone now has Next Gen TV. The three remaining headends (Belfast, Londonderry and Haringey) serve a fair amount of North London (Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Islington, Dalston and Haringey) and the two big Northern Ireland regions, but it's pretty much all done. On schedule if not a little ahead of the original timetable, so well done VM - now for more high def channels, starting with STV (in time for the World Cup) and Film4.
UPDATE: All competed this week.

New HD channel in August: ESPN America HD?

According to a post on Cable Forum, ESPN America HD will be arriving on Virgin Media on August 3rd:

"The ESPN America HD channel will be available to all the our customers from 3 August 2010. It's free of charge for the customers who are on TV size XL"

RIP Gene Hunt

He has been one of the great TV characters of the age, and last night we learned the truth about Gene Hunt in the final episode of Ashes to Ashes. Whilst the finale of Lost will get all the hype, this was an absolute stunner of a conclusion to five series of time travelling fantasy of the highest order. And in HD, too. Anyone confused by what I thought the most breathtaking twist I've ever seen on TV should check out this interview with series co-creator Matthew Graham on the Guardian website. Me? I'm going to sit down and watch the whole of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes all over again.

TiVo = "Intelligent TV"

This thread over on Cable Forum looks like it will be worth keeping an eye on, as it has been started by someone on the "Intelligent TV" trial, aka TiVo.

Lost Finale: Monday at 5am on Sky1

Couldn't stand the idea of waiting until Friday 28th to see the very last episode of Lost when the Americans were seeing it five days earlier? Well Sky1 is showing the last two and a half hour double episode as a simulcast with the US West Coast, kicking off at 5am on Monday morning. Details at MediaGuardian.
Chances are the Virgin Media V+ programme guide won't catch this change, so you'll need to set it as a Manual Recording [update: my mistake - the EPG now has the finale listed for Monday at 5am]. Or get up very early. Or wait for the repeat later on Sky1.
Or put the whole experience down as a bad dream and save yourself the inevitable disappointment of the myriad of unanswered questions that we're going to be left with...