Virgin adds more HD On Demand

From the Virgin Press Release: "Virgin Media today announced a deal with NBC Universal International Television Distribution for the video-on-demand rights in the UK to a broad selection of NBC Universal series. Under the terms of the agreement, these titles will be offered as new content across Virgin Media’s three entertainment platforms; TV, online and mobile. From December 1st Virgin Media customers will be able to access past seasons of shows such as House, Heroes, The Office (U.S.) and 30 Rock, whether in HD at home through its TV On Demand service or via its online and mobile ‘Virgin Media Player’ services."
I'm surprised that the announcement makes no mention of us getting the Universal HD channel (previously known as "Hallmark") - maybe that will follow?

BBC One HD launches November 3rd

Here's the BBC press release

The BBC today announces that BBC One HD will launch at 7pm on Wednesday 3 November across all HD platforms: Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

The new high definition (HD) channel kicks off with a series of programmes made in true HD: The One Show, followed by Wallace And Gromit's World Of Invention, the new series from award-winning Aardman Animations, as well as some food for thought with Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers and Jimmy's Food Factory.

The Apprentice and Film 2010 will also show in HD that evening.

It is also announced today that the BBC's award-winning continuing drama EastEnders will broadcast in HD for the first time on Christmas Day, allowing viewers to catch all the drama in Albert Square in even more vivid detail.

EastEnders follows Holby City, which made the move to HD on 18 October. It will be shown on the BBC's existing HD channel, until BBC One HD launches in November.

The new HD channel will simulcast a network version of the BBC One schedule, with the majority of peaktime programmes in HD, including The Apprentice, Strictly Come Dancing, Children In Need, Antiques Roadshow, Countryfile, The Graham Norton Show and The Royal Variety Show.

Spotify coming to Virgin Media?

Not sure exactly how this is going to manifest itself, but according to the Telegraph:

A source close to Spotify revealed: “Spotify and Virgin Media are close to concluding a partnership deal. The finer details are not yet known, but Spotify will be offering new tools and content exclusively to Virgin customers as part of the arrangement."
A Virgin Media spokesperson declined to comment on any of its deal negotiations, or shed any more light on when its own music service would launch, but said: “Virgin Media is forging new ground in music and whilst we are currently in talks with numerous parties, we want to ensure that any service provides a truly compelling offering for both consumers and industry."

BBC One HD testing on Virgin Media

BBC One HD is testing in some areas on Virgin Media. Channel scheduled to launch in around a month. BBC HD will subsequently screen programming from BBC 2, 3, 4, CBeebies and CBBC. May include some BBC News programmes too.
Incidentally, Virgin Media's Q3 results are at the end of the month: expect announcements of service improvements over the next couple of weeks as a precursor. ITV 2, 3 and 4 HD? TiVo? A 1Tb V+ ? Sky Atlantic carriage? Sky Arts HD? Sky News HD? 100mb home broadband? Anyone's guess.

The 1Tb V+: maybe December?

I haven't been able to confirm the availability of the 1Tb V+ with anyone at Virgin - BenMcr over on Cable Forum says that it's not launching until December, which would appear to be borne out by this news item from What Satellite

Virgin’s TiVo-powered PVR will have three HD tuners, terabyte storage and could host iPhone-style apps.
The successor to Virgin’s V+ PVR is scheduled to launch by the end of 2010, and will use the much-lauded TiVo operating system to combine broadcast, on-demand and internet TV services.
It will have its own broadband modem, drawing bandwidth from Virgin’s cable network independent of customer broadband connections, and able to deliver three HD channels at once.
Virgin said user-available storage will be ‘on parity’ with other high end PVRs like the 1TB Sky+HD, in addition to hundreds of hours of HD on-demand, including BBC iPlayer’s hi-def stream.

Which seems to contradict what Allan and Kathy have heard from Virgin Media.  

1TB V+ launching?

Allan has commented on this blog:

Just been told yesterday by Virginmedia that the 1TB boxes will be available this month

Can anyone verify this?

Support for Big Red

Cable Forum for me is the best of the online forums for discussion on Virgin Media, but some people there have seen it their right to abuse our friend Big Red because ITV 2 HD didn't launch on October 7th.
Pathetic. Big Red has good, reliable sources but even the best can sometimes get information that is subject to change by VM (or the channel providers). Holding him personally responsible for a channel launch is pathetic, much like that slagging off of Neil Berkett a while back which bordered on defamation of character - no-one deserves some of the abuse served up ocassionaly on the Digital Spy forums and it's disappointing to see similar on Cable Forum.
I sincerely hope Big Red doesn't stop posting - Media Boy and I have had similar snide remarks in the past. I've learned to live with it and I'm sure MB has too. And as for Mr Berkett, he has surely proven his critics wrong this year with the delivery on his promise of 30+ HD channels.

UTV HD arrives for Northern Ireland

The press release:

Virgin Media has today announced that its customers in Northern Ireland will now be able to enjoy UTV in stunning high-definition. Available at no extra cost to all HD enabled Virgin Media digital TV customers with a V+ HD or V HD box, UTV HD will be available on channel 113.
UTV HD is the latest HD channel to launch on Virgin Media's TV platform, and follows the launch of Scottish regional channel STV HD. Virgin Media is currently the only TV service providing these regional HD channels to its customers.
Virgin Media has launched twenty-two HD channel's this year with BBC 1 HD also due to launch in the coming months.

No official confirmation on ITV 2 HD yet.

Google TV preview in the US

Interesting, and probably more than a little similar to Virgin Media's forthcoming TiVo interface. I'm a little sceptical that it will take off - the Apple TV service has been around for years and has had little success in Europe or the US for that matter. If it has no PVR capability or broadcast integration it won't be a Sky/Virgin Media challenger, especially if the content is premium priced, only from the services of Netflix/Amazon/Android Market and heavily dependent on fast broadband connectivity.

More new HD series on their way

America's Next Top Model 
Mon, Oct 11 9pm Living HD
Chuck 
Thu, Oct 14 10pm Living HD
Eastbound & Down
Thu, Nov 11 10pm FX HD
Family Guy
Thu, Nov 4 9pm FX HD
Haven (New)
Thu, Oct 7 10pm Syfy HD
Nikita 
Thu, Oct 7 9pm Living HD
The Walking Dead (New)
Fri, Nov 5 10pm FX HD
Vampire Diaries
Tue, Oct 5 9pm ITV2 (HD channel launched Oct 7)
Whitechapel
Mon, Oct 11 9pm ITV1 HD