Wimbledon in 4k Ultra HD and HDR

Us Virgin Media TV subscribers will be able to watch Wimbledon in 4K Ultra HD and HDR when it starts on Monday July 1. BBC viewers can enjoy Wimbledon in 4K on most 4K TVs via iPlayer or red button, but with the Virgin V6 it will be both UHD and HDR.
The Sky Q subscribers still don’t have the ability view HDR content anywhere although it’s been promised for a while now, much like Sky Q over the internet. Don’t hold your breath.

Amazon Prime on Virgin TV launching "soon"

And here's an interesting line on the Press Release: 

And because Prime Video will be fully integrated into TiVo®, you can search without even going into the app. Just select Search & Discover from the Home menu and type in the name of the show or movie you’re after.

More information (but no actual date) can be found here. 

Virgin to show French Open in UHD with HDR

Virgin Media is to become the first UK TV platform to broadcast an event in 4K Ultra HD (UHD) with High Dynamic Range (HDR) with Eurosport’s coverage of the French Open from Roland Garros.
Virgin Media will utilise Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) technology to broadcast all matches that feature on the renovated Phillipe Chatrier court in 4K UHD with HDR on its V6 set top box.
Viewers need to press the red button on their remote control while viewing Eurosport 1 HD or Eurosport 2 HD.

Amazon Prime coming to Virgin Media - OFFICIAL

Amazon Prime is coming to Virgin Media’s V6 boxes this summer. Here’s the press release from parent company Liberty Global:

Liberty Global, the world’s largest international TV and broadband provider, today announced a multi-year deal with Amazon to make the best content and viewing experience available to 4 million Virgin Media TV customers in the UK.
Virgin Media will be the first of Liberty Global’s European operations to integrate the Amazon Prime Video app within its Ultra HD V6 set-top box.
The launch adds award-winning and critically-acclaimed Amazon Originals The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Grand Tour and the highly-anticipated Good Omens starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant, as well as Premier League coverage offered by Prime Video to Virgin Media’s extensive offering of broadcast and on demand programming across its multi-device TV service. Virgin Media customers will also have access to a range of Ultra High Definition (UHD) and HDR TV shows and movies.

New Sky/Virgin development?

There was a story in The Telegraph this week that caught my eye. It says that Liberty Global is considering opening it’s fibre network to other ISPs, including Sky (which has a fraught relationship with its current suppler, BT Openreach).

Story here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/04/08/race-faster-broadband-prompts-virgin-media-consider-opening/

This line caught my attention

Liberty Global might hope to gain reciprocal benefits in the supply of Sky Sports and other channels for Virgin Media’s cable TV service.

Before you punch the air screaming “Yes! Sky Atlantic and 4K channels!”, there’s a more cautious postscript:

“sources said there are fears that Sky may only be flirting to put pressure on Openreach, which is currently developing its pricing plans for full fibre in talks with Ofcom”

From Tuesday 19 February, some BBC HD channels Virgin Media will have new channel numbers. So look out for these:

BBC Four HD moves to CH 107

BBC News HD moves to CH 601

CBBC HD moves to CH 701

CBeebies HD moves to CH 702This should happen automatically and your SeriesLink+ is unaffected. So, while the HD channels are in a new place, it won’t stop you watching and recording shows on these channels.

TiVo replacement on its way?

Virgin Media's parent company Liberty Global unveiled its next-generation TV entertainment platform, Horizon 4, late last year.
The new Horizon 4 suite of products includes a superfast set-top box with 4K Ultra HD picture quality, a remote-control with voice capabilities and an upgraded version of the operator’s 'GO' mobile app, which works together with the set-top box to deliver a seamless viewing experience. The platform will be introduced over the coming months to selected customers in The Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium, with a wider rollout in these and other Liberty Global markets expected to follow. No mention of Virgin Media adopting the Horizon platform yet though
The Horizon 4 set-top box has already been introduced as the ‘V6 box’ in the UK, where nearly 2 million customers are already using it of course with TiVo software. The new platform to be rolled out in non-Virgin Media companies in the coming months combines this set-top box with the new Horizon 4 user interface instead, which includes enhanced features. Could the days of TiVo be numbered? You can read more about the new Horizon 4 suite here.
(My thanks to IrishManc for the alerting me to this news. Cheers, fella!)

StarzPlay now available on Virgin Media

After a delay of six weeks, StarzPlay has now launched on the Virgin Media platform. Virgin Media customers need to pay a StarzPlay add-on subscription (costing £4.99 per month) and you can't do it via the TV but have to ring Virgin Media up to add the service. Disappointingly, the seven-day free trial Amazon Prime customers get before paying for the service doesn't appear to be extended to Virgin customers. I'm assuming it's an HD service rather than 4k offering but there's nothing in the VM press release.
It's all somewhat underwhelming, to be truthful.
The streaming service is the exclusive UK home to the Stephen King adaptations Mr. Mercedes and Castle Rock. Future Lionsgate owned Starz original series will also be available exclusively on StarzPlay. The launch on Virgin Media comes just after StarzPlay sealed a deal with ITV for the exclusive rights to Hulu’s period drama Harlots, after it was dropped by ITV in the wake of the closure of ITV Encore. The show’s first season launches on Friday January 18th, with season two following on Thursday February 14th.
Still no word on Sky Atlantic coming to Virgin Media (yawn)...

UKTV HD channels all move around

In addition to the BBC shuffles above, Virgin Media has shuffled the UKTV channels and there are changes to the BT Sports listings, too. I've tried to keep the listing on the right up to date but it's like playing Whack-a-mole at times...

BBC channel number changes