What a load of bollocks - UKTV/Virgin row (1 Viewer)

Otis

Well-Known Member
From today, you can no longer get 10 UKTV channels, including Dave (so no Taskmaster), Gold, W etc.

Dave is free to watch on Freeview, free to watch on Freesat and free to watch online. 75% of UKTV channels are free, but they are now saying Virgin has to pay for those channels because it is a pay to view channel.

Surely that's bollocks. Yeah, sure, make Virgin pay for the channels that are not free, but how can you make Virgin pay for channels that are free to watch everywhere else?
 

SkyBlueScottie

Well-Known Member
Isn't it something to do with on demand content? Either way, it damages Virgin Media and their TV offering. It's ironic though as Virgin Media used to have a 50% stake in the company.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
How I read it was that some of the channels are chargeable and virgin wanted those for free, the problem with media in this country is that it’s either bearded shit at virgin or evil Bond villain at Sky.

My wife is so pissed off as they are the only channels she watched and I renewed a couple of months ago and the replacements are crap.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Isn't it something to do with on demand content? Either way, it damages Virgin Media and their TV offering. It's ironic though as Virgin Media used to have a 50% stake in the company.
Yeah, but just saw the UKTV chief and Virgin chief on TV and the Virgin bod asked the UKTV bod on air can you at least say on air right now that we can have the free channels that are available everywhere else? And the UKTV guy said no in so many words.

Daft at best and children's playground stuff at worst.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Because there is a dispute over the price Virgin need to pay for the chargeable content, UKTV have thrown their toys out of the pram and said right, we are denying you access to ALL the channels, including the free ones.

Bottom line is, the free ones are free everywhere. You don't have to pay for them. How can Virgin be denied access to free channels?
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Because there is a dispute over the price Virgin need to pay for the chargeable content, UKTV have thrown their toys out of the pram and said right, we are denying you access to ALL the channels, including the free ones.

Bottom line is, the free ones are free everywhere. You don't have to pay for them. How can Virgin be denied access to free channels?

There’s no mystery. Virgin want the chargeable elements and the seller distributed them as a package including the free terrestrial ones - it’s within its rights to withdraw all and I’d do the same
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
By paying UKTV's asking price for its chargeable content .
Yeah, but isn't it a bit like a kid saying I don't want to play with you anymore, but I'm taking the ball away too.


Virgin asked this morning (quite rightly) can they just have the 5 free channels that are free to everyone while they negotiate on the others.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
There’s no mystery. Virgin want the chargeable elements and the seller distributed them as a package including the free terrestrial ones - it’s within its rights to withdraw all and I’d do the same
Free to everyone else though. That's the key factor.

Have no problem with the withholding over the pay to view channels, but the other ones are free to everyone else anyway.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Free to everyone else though. That's the key factor.

Have no problem with the withholding over the pay to view channels, but the other ones are free to everyone else anyway.

Sky I assume pay a more acceptable price for the pay channels. Why should they give them to a cable provider that they are in dispute with? They don’t have to
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
No, I know they don't.

Just find it weird that everyone else can have the free channels for free.

It's at an impasse now. Virgin are saying just let us continue with the free channels while we negoiate. Sounds a sensible enough stance to me.

i have Freesat as well anyway, so I won't suffer, but I see many viewers are not at all happy.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
The key point you're missing here is that the channels you are saying are free are sold by Virgin as part of a package. Technically that doesn't happen with any other service. You can get them free via Freeview, Freesat (so no Sky subscription needed), BT, Talk Talk or pretty much any other service without paying a subscription.

Virgin are now saying to UKTV they don't want to pay a similar amount to past deals. UKTV have said no. Its their product and totally up to them. No reason they should give it away to Virgin to sell on.

Not like anyone with Virgin can't watch those channels, just stick an ariel in the back of your TV or watch them for free online.
 

Ccfcsj

Well-Known Member
Currently out of contract with Virgin and toying over whether to move to Sky - saving a mere £9 p/m including BT Sport
Not sure how good the broadband will be (looking at Sky Fibre Max - currently have VM's 200Mbps)
Also, wondering how BT Sport works with a Sky Q Mini Box

Has anybody swapped? If so, is it worth it?
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
The key point you're missing here is that the channels you are saying are free are sold by Virgin as part of a package. Technically that doesn't happen with any other service. You can get them free via Freeview, Freesat (so no Sky subscription needed), BT, Talk Talk or pretty much any other service without paying a subscription.

Virgin are now saying to UKTV they don't want to pay a similar amount to past deals. UKTV have said no. Its their product and totally up to them. No reason they should give it away to Virgin to sell on.

Not like anyone with Virgin can't watch those channels, just stick an ariel in the back of your TV or watch them for free online.
No, not missing the point, Dave. All I am saying is I agree with Virgin in asking to be allowed the 5 FREE channels WHILE they negotiate the new deal.

No deal, withdraw the lot.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
No, not missing the point, Dave. All I am saying is I agree with Virgin in asking to be allowed the 5 FREE channels WHILE they negotiate the new deal.

No deal, withdraw the lot.


Uktv needed to hold something back while Virgin have tried to force through their wishes ( not the wishes of virgins customers) now we have to suffer the new rubbish and a free sports channel for two months and no doubt after two months they will try to charge for that. I am waiting till tomorrow and will try to break my contract and move to sky
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Uktv needed to hold something back while Virgin have tried to force through their wishes ( not the wishes of virgins customers) now we have to suffer the new rubbish and a free sports channel for two months and no doubt after two months they will try to charge for that. I am waiting till tomorrow and will try to break my contract and move to sky
'Hold something back?' Is that the layman's term for blackmail.' ;)

The Virgin chief this morning asked the UKTV chief live on air if as a goodwill gesture he would at least allow Virgin customers access to the 5 free channels for the time being while they try and thrash out a deal and the UKTV chief said no.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
'Hold something back?' Is that the layman's term for blackmail.' ;)

The Virgin chief this morning asked the UKTV chief live on air if as a goodwill gesture he would at least allow Virgin customers access to the 5 free channels for the time being while they try and thrash out a deal and the UKTV chief said no.


As a gesture of good will virgin be reducing my bill no they won’t be.

Virgin have obviously been negotiating this for months and have thought pushing it to the last second will get a better deal and it hasn’t worked.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
As a gesture of good will virgin be reducing my bill no they won’t be.

Virgin have obviously been negotiating this for months and have thought pushing it to the last second will get a better deal and it hasn’t worked.
Is that the truth, or just an assumption? ;)
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
Is that the truth, or just an assumption? ;)

Would you think they spoke for the first time yesterday? It will have taken weeks/months to get these new channels sorted.

It is no longer the package I ordered what if had happened it’s sky sports not to worry here’s Eurosport to replace it
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
No, not missing the point, Dave. All I am saying is I agree with Virgin in asking to be allowed the 5 FREE channels WHILE they negotiate the new deal.

No deal, withdraw the lot.
So if UKTV provided those 5 channels free of charge to Virgin Media you would be able to access them via a Virgin Media without paying a subscription?

Because you can’t currently and that’s my point. The only way to get free channels via Virgin is to pay a monthly subscription.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
So if UKTV provided those 5 channels free of charge to Virgin Media you would be able to access them via a Virgin Media without paying a subscription?

Because you can’t currently and that’s my point. The only way to get free channels via Virgin is to pay a monthly subscription.


What they want is everything for free and then charge us top dollar typical of all the scumbag virgin companies
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
As the Beeb have just pointed out now though, this impasse means both companies lose out. UKTV have said they need the Virgin money to fund original programming. They will now be getting absolutely nowt.

Virgin also lose out too. They have said UKTV offer all the boxsets of the UKTV librrary to Netflix as part of that package, but none of the boxsets to Virgin.

Not sure this will be solved soon. As I say, both sides lose out this way.
 

Ranjit Bhurpa

Well-Known Member
So, Virgin Media customers can now only receive maybe 190 channels instead of 200?
Perhaps it's a good opportunity to rely less on the tv and spend more time on pastimes and perhaps take up a hobby such as basket weaving or whittling?
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
So, Virgin Media customers can now only receive maybe 190 channels instead of 200?
Perhaps it's a good opportunity to rely less on the tv and spend more time on pastimes and perhaps take up a hobby such as basket weaving or whittling?
I tend to whittle while I work.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
That's commendable Otis.
Can we expect to see say a replica model of Highfield Road anytime soon?
No, everything I've been carving ends up looking like a big penis.

Well I think so anyway. Every time my missus walks past and sees me whittling away she always mutters 'what a dick!'
 
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torchomatic

Well-Known Member
I didn't know this was happening until Saturday as to be honest we never watch Dave, Alibi, etc. We tend to watch Gold but only really at Christmas. So, although this doesn't really impact my TV viewing I'm a little annoyed as they shouldn't be taking channels AWAY and still charging us the same. At least they should keep the free-to-air channels. I have sympathies with boths sides in this, but they have to sort it out or I'm off back to Sky after five years.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I didn't know this was happening until Saturday as to be honest we never watch Dave, Alibi, etc. We tend to watch Gold but only really at Christmas. So, although this doesn't really impact my TV viewing I'm a little annoyed as they shouldn't be taking channels AWAY and still charging us the same. At least they should keep the free-to-air channels. I have sympathies with boths sides in this, but they have to sort it out or I'm off back to Sky after five years.
Yep, agree. The only one I do really watch is Dave. I like Taskmaster and Dave Gorman.

I do have Freesat though, so won't miss out, but won't be able to record to watch later.

As you say, they need to sort it out. Both sides are losing out as it stands.
 

Badger

Well-Known Member
I only have Virgin and do not have an aerial. I like Taskmaster and was looking forward to trying the new Romesh Ranganathan programme they have been advertising.

How do I get the Freeview channels without an aerial? I looked at Sky and save a few quid with the BT sports channel added
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Freesat. Or you get an aerial that will accommodate Freeview, or go for something like NowTV.
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
I don't think so, they're on Quest, aren't they?
 

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