New year, new VMHD

This blog is now thirteen years’ old! That’s pretty incredible for something I first started to campaign for Virgin Media to carry more than a single high definition channel - how times change.
Last year VMHD was put into hibernation for several months as I concentrated on some other work I was finishing. It was also a pretty lean time for Virgin Media news and discussion so there was little I came across that I felt needed sharing. However 2020 looks like it will be a lot more exciting, and I promise I’m back for good again to keep you informed.
We’ve got Sky Comedy launching later in January, the rumoured new UI on our V6 boxes, Sky’s UHD Sports and Movie channels promised and the inevitable usual round of price increases and carriage disputes to get angry about.
I’ve also simplified the blog’s layout. Out with Virgin’s awful purple, in with a cleaner black and blue theme.

Sky Comedy HD to arrive on Virgin Media, January 27th

We still don’t have Sky Atlantic but Sky’s newest channel, Sky Comedy, is to launch on Virgin Media on channel 121 on January 27th.
From the Press Release:

Sky Comedy will be the home of premium scripted US comedy from HBO, NBC and Showtime, including brand new acclaimed comedies like Mrs Fletcher, starring Kathryn Hahn, The Righteous Gemstones, starring John Goodman, Adam DeVine and Danny McBride, A.P. Bio and Sunnyside.  

This is big news for Virgin customers as Sky Comedy will also air all new series of returning hit US shows that had previously only been shown on Sky Atlantic: Barry, Veep, Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Ballers starring Dwayne Johnson. Top rated US talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will also be featured, as well as comedy titan Saturday Night Live and a library of older shows including 30 Rock, Will & Grace and Parks and Recreation.

TiVo merges with Xperi

TiVo is combining with Xperi — a licensing firm that specialises in semiconductor technology as well as various audio/video brands — in a $3 billion merger, the two companies announced in December (yes, I’m still catching up!).
More details here: https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/19/21029945/tivo-xperi-merger-dvr-rovi-deal-patent-licensing

NOW TV in HD with Boost add-on

(Apologies for being so late with this news - I’ve been busy!)

https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-is-now-tv-boost

What is NOW TV Boost?
NOW TV Boost is the way to enjoy sports, movies and shows with better picture and sound quality than ever before on NOW TV.
Not only that, but Boost also lets you stream on 3 devices at once instead of the usual 2. All for just £3 a month.
What do I get with NOW TV Boost?

• Full HD: Watch all the Sky Sports channels, plus selected shows and movies, in 1080p video quality instead of the usual 720p.
• Smoother sporting action: Two Sky Sports channels – Main Event and Premier League – are available at 50 frames per second (except on LG TV).
• Awesome audio: Got a surround sound speaker system or soundbar? Boost lets you enjoy a fully immersive audio experience with Dolby Digital 5.1.
• An extra stream: Another handy benefit is that you get to stream on 3 devices at the same time. Perfect for families that can’t agree on what to watch!

Rumoured new UI for Virgin Media V6 in 2020?

Happy Christmas!

It's been a quiet couple of months on this blog as I've been tied up with some other writing and haven't been able to spare much time for VMHD.
Hopefully, next year will be more accommodating and I will be able to post more news and views on Virgin Media's television activities.
So, apologies for the silence, please stay tuned for more and I hope all of you regular visitors enjoy a wonderful Christmas and I'll see you in the New Year.
Nialli

Programme Guide renumbering

Virgin Media has shuffled around a number of the HD channel on the programme guide.
121. Universal TV HD
135. Sky Crime HD (new)
137. SYFY HD
139. E! HD
156. Sky Arts HD
169. Quest HD
251. Animal Planet HD
602. Sky News HD

NowTV price hikes

(Not a Virgin Media story, but I know a lot of you also use NowTV services)
Sky is raising the price of its Now TV service.
For October 9th the Entertainment Pass will be going up by £1 to £8.99 a month. It’s the first increase in two years and, if you hunt around, you can normally find some decent discounts if you sign up for six or twelve months’ viewing. (I only use the service to access Sky Atlantic programmes and I have it at £3.99 a month until February thanks to a half price promotion I took up earlier in the year.)
NowTV is also increasing the price of the Sky Sports Day Pass by a further pound - the second increase since February this year. Last year the Sky Sports Day Pass the cost £7.99. Now it’s £9.99.

The short life of Smart TV apps

According to this What Hi-Fi story, a number of Sony AV devices will lose access to Amazon Prime next month.

‘In an email sent yesterday to subscribers of the video service who own an affected device, Amazon said it “will no longer be supporting the Prime Video app on [your] Sony Blu-ray Disc Player / Sony Network Media Player / Sony Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre System / Sony AV Receiver (model year 2010-2013) as of 26 September 2019”. These six-to-nine-year-old devices are supposedly losing the feature due to a Prime Video upgrade that means it can no longer be supported by certain models.’

Now that Virgin’s V6 box supports Amazon Prime Video that’s not the end of the world for VM customers, but it does make me wonder how long Smart TV (and player) apps are going to be around for before they no longer work. My Sony blu-ray player is likely to be one of those affected, and my 2013 Sony TV (pre-Android OS) is also likely to lose the app. I don’t want an Amazon stick - it’s messy enough having to use a Now TV one for Sky Atlantic shows.
Having just renewed my contract with VM (after some negotiation with Retentions on my monthly bill) I’m sitting comfortably for now, but nothing lasts forever and I do wonder what the landscape will look like in twelve months time. Disney+ launches in the US soon and who know, maybe the long-promised Sky Q without a dish or the HD version of Now TV may appear at last. Will I be a Virgin Media customer this time next year? Will you?
Interesting times.

FT interview with the new boss at Virgin Media

An interesting interview from the Financial Times:

https://www.ft.com/content/5e09a9a2-aec6-11e9-8030-530adfa879c2

No mention of the pending price hike though for us loyal customers...