virgin media
Latest
Virgin Media now offers all Sky Sports channels in HD
If you have Virgin TV hooked up in your home and you're equally obsessed with sport and pixels, you might find a couple of surprises the next time you reach for the remote. To celebrate the New Year, Virgin has just added Sky News HD and Sky Sports News HQ HD to its channel lineup, giving viewers higher clarity headlines, highlights and, of course, make-up smeared newsreaders and pundits to ogle at. The new additions also mean that, for the first time, Virgin is able to offer all Sky Sports channels in high-definition. While the two news channels are available as part of Virgin's regular TV packs, you'll still have to pay extra for Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Sky Sports F1. They're available for £17 per month, or as a collection for £27.25 per month, should you be craving some extra live kick-offs on your tellybox.
Netflix is now much better on Virgin Media TiVo boxes
It's been more than a year since Netflix first came to Virgin Media TiVo boxes, and in that time the experience has remained largely the same. However, with Christmas fast approaching, the quad-play provider has finally decided to take some action. It's snuck in a new update that gives you many of the features you may already enjoy on your smartphone, tablet or set-top box. These include profiles, which support up to five individual users, recommendations from your Facebook friends, the ability to play a previously-watched film or TV episode from the beginning (instead of just resuming) and an option to view all episodes from all seasons of your favourite programme in a single list. Virgin Media also says the app is a touch faster, letting you slip between live TV and streaming a touch faster than before (if you have an account, that is).
Virgin Media customers can now access the Sky Movies Android app
While Virgin Media customers have been able to access Sky Movies and Sky Sports on their iPhone or iPad for over three months now, Android users have been left twiddling their thumbs. Luckily, that wait is now over, for film fans at least, after a new update to the Sky Movies Android app unlocked access to the broadcaster's bumper collection of motion pictures. If you subscribe to the M+ Virgin TV package or above, then you should be able to log in with your Virgin account details. However, if your device is running Android 5.0 Lollipop, then you'll have to wait until early next year to get your streaming on. There's currently no word on when the Sky Sports Android app will get the same treatment, but Virgin Media says it's "working hard" to get it ready.
Ofcom probe could lead to more live Premier League matches on TV
Less than half of all Premier League matches are broadcast live in the UK, and Virgin Media believes that simply isn't good enough. After filing a complaint in September, Ofcom has agreed to investigate whether the low number of televised fixtures is breaching competition law and leading to higher prices for customers and broadcasters. At the moment, the Premier League sells live TV rights for 154 games (out of 380 each season) through a handful of different match bundles. Sky used to dominate this bidding war, but in recent years BT has muscled in by spending big on a couple of the League's key packages.
TalkTalk ditches Vodafone to offer 4G plans with O2's help
As one of the UK's only quad-play providers, TalkTalk offers mobile plans alongside its TV, phone and internet packages. Since 2010, the company relied upon Vodafone's infrastructure to underpin its own network, but it's now decided it wants to try something new. In a joint announcement, TalkTalk and Telefónica (UK) today publicised an agreement that will see the UK media company switch across to O2's network, allowing the carrier to provide 3G and 4G services for its customers. With Virgin Media bundling mobile plans with its traditional home bundles and Sky thought to be readying the public launch of its own network (with Vodafone's help), TalkTalk now faces significant competition in the battle over low-cost tariffs. However, considering 9.5% of its total customer base already own one of its SIMs, the provider is already off to a pretty decent start. Update: Chatting with Bloomberg, TalkTalk's CEO said the partnership with Telefónica will go beyond simply using the latter's mobile network. With help from its new friend, TalkTalk wants to outfit its customers with femtocells (akin to small, indoor mobile masts), so they'll never have to worry about spotty mobile signal at home.
Virgin Mobile customers get free access to thousands more UK WiFi hotspots
Since Virgin Media and Sky extended their partnership by another five years, cable subscribers have been able to enjoy additional perks, like being able to use Sky's sport and movie apps. From today, some Virgin customers will gain an additional benefit from a Sky-owned company: free access to 22,000 WiFi hotspots across the UK. It comes from The Cloud, by way of a separate agreement, which lets Virgin Mobile customers use an app called WiFi Buddy to connect to its access points, on top of the 3,000 public Arqiva hotspots located in some of Britain's biggest airports and hotels.
London's Tube is now home to 150 WiFi-connected stations
While full mobile service on the Underground may still be a pipe dream, Virgin Media has helped connect travellers by serving London's Tube stations with glorious free WiFi. The company has steadily brought more locations online since it launched the service more than two years ago, but today it took to Twitter to celebrate an important milestone in that rollout: 150 connected stations. Wimbledon, Richmond, Morden, East Ham, Barking and Upminster are the latest terminals to offer free WiFi to Virgin, EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three customers, meaning that more than half of the Tube's 270 stations are now online. Passengers can't get enough, either, with more than 2.5 million devices now registered on the network and more than 3 terabytes of data downloaded each day. Waterloo and Kings Cross are the busiest hubs -- no doubt helping overground commuters get their internet fix as they head beneath the streets in order to get to work.
Virgin Media's TiVo design makeover begins with an updated iOS app
For the first time in four years, Virgin Media is going to give its TiVo user interface a much-needed facelift. Gone is the rich red that previously adorned menus, replaced with a new "plum" colour (purple to the untrained eye), that's expected to reach set-top boxes in October. As we noted last week, Virgin is bringing its TV Anywhere apps in line with the new UI, and luckily for iOS users, that rollout begins today. While you'll first notice the colour change when you update, Virgin Media has also made a couple of tweaks to the interface to fall in line with the iOS 7/iOS 8 aesthetic. Those aging rounded buttons have have swapped gradients for a flat white design and the updated menus help give the app a more modern feel. Unfortunately for Android users, Virgin says the revamped app is still a few months from completion, but the company has released a small update to include support for more Android 4.4 (KitKat) devices.
Virgin Media's biggest ever expansion to bring cable to 100,000 London homes
Not content with upping the top speed for many of its existing broadband customers, Virgin Media is also working hard to bring new subscribers into the fold. That's why the company today announced that as part of its biggest ever expansion, it'll extend its cable network to 100,000 more London homes. Virgin is focusing solely on East London, with broadband work already underway in Bethnal Green, the Isle of Dogs, Newham and West Ham. Homes in Stratford, Stepney, Poplar, Bow and East Ham are also down for future upgrades. With cable running to their properties, residents will enjoy the benefits of competition, allowing them to choose between Virgin Media 152Mb broadband speeds or BT's fibre-optic network, which delivers speeds of up to 76Mb and counts Sky and TalkTalk as wholesale suppliers.
Apple news bites for Tuesday, August 5, 2014
It's been very, very quiet in the world of Apple the past few weeks, but that doesn't mean that there's nothing happening out there. Here are a few little snack-sized bits of news that we've picked up this morning: Did you break the screen on your iPhone 5s? Just walk into your local Apple Store soon and you will be able to have it repaired on-site. AppleInsider reports that as of yesterday, Apple Stores are doing iPhone 5s screen replacements in as little as one hour. Previously, damaged screens meant that your iPhone 5s would need to be sent offsite for servicing, a process that could take up to five full days. Dutch Apple fans who live in Den Haag (The Hague), Netherlands can attend the grand opening of the new Apple Store in that city this upcoming Saturday (August 9) at 10 AM local time. Grab me a t-shirt if you go to the opening, OK? The Apple website lists the address of the new store as Passage 39, 2511 AB Den Haag. Apple has been granted more patents ... totally unsurprising considering the number of patents that are applied for each year by the company. There's a patent for a "magnetic resonance power system" that could eliminate the need for batteries in keyboards and mice, another for a "microwave frequency communication system covering a wireless disposable wristband," and one for "backside iPad gaming controls." As usual, none of these patents may ever see the light of day in a future Apple product. UK Virgin Media users who are also subscribers to Sky Movies or Sky Sports can now watch those channels on their iPhones and iPads via the Sky Movies and Sky Sports apps. The Sky Sports app provides "second screen" capabilities when you're watching football games, cricket matches, or Formula 1 races on the big screen, while the Sky Movies subscription lets you watch all 11 channels or over 800 on-demand films on the go. The Mac Observer's Jeff Gamet reports that Apple has a social media secret weapon in the form of Musa Tariq. Mr. Tariq was hired as Apple's retail Digital Marketing Director, coming from Burberry (where he was a marketing director working with new Apple retail VP Angela Ahrendts) and Nike, where he was the social media director.
The majority of Brits are disabling government-backed porn filters
Don't be too shocked, but the UK government's porn filter isn't proving very popular. A new report from communications regulator Ofcom reveals that just one in every seven customers are letting the big four UK ISPs guard them from porn and other online nasties. While tiny minorities of users at Virgin Media (four percent), BT (five percent) and Sky (eight percent) opted to keep the filter, TalkTalk ranked as a significant outlier: it reports that 36 percent of customers enabled the government-mandated filters on their home router. TalkTalk puts it down to the fact it pre-ticks the selection box, meaning more customers are likely to keep the option enabled on their account.
Virgin Media customers to get Sky Sports and Movies access on their mobiles in August
As part of its expanded alliance with Sky, Virgin Media said its customers would be getting easier access to movies and sport on the go through Sky's mobile apps. Today, the cable company's shed some more light on how the process will work, announcing that you'll be able to log into Sky's Sport and Movie apps using your existing Virgin Media credentials from next month (if you're already a TV subscriber). At launch, only Sky's iOS apps will support this login option, meaning you'll have to wait for a future update to enjoy the same content on your Android device. Virgin, however, recently added more HD sports channels to its TV listings and enabled access to Sky's entertainment channels (not including Sky Atlantic) from its TV Anywhere app, keeping you sweet until that update comes.
Virgin Media rolls out more Sky Sports HD and entertainment channels
If you're a Virgin Media customer who enjoys Sky content both at home and on the move, we have some good news. Following the announcement that they'd expanded their existing content deal back in May, Virgin Media has today begun rolling out new Sky Sports channels, adding Sky Sports 3 HD, Sky Sports 4 HD and Sky Sports F1 HD to customer set-top boxes. The new Sky Sports 5 channel will also take its place in the lineup, delivering football from Europe's top leagues in high-definition when it launches in the coming weeks.
Sky goes it alone for its latest fibre broadband trial
Currently at the mercy of BT, Sky has indicated that it wants to build its own fibre-optic broadband network for some time. Having partnered with providers to deliver TV broadcasts over cables and teamed up with TalkTalk to supply gigabit (1000 Mbps) broadband to select customers in York, the company has decided to go it alone for its latest fibre trial. In Basingstoke, Sky's building its own fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network that's capable of delivering speeds of up to 950 Mbps over an ethernet connection (150 Mbps over WiFi), far outstripping those offered by rivals BT and Virgin Media (which currently top out at 300 Mbps).
Sky Sports 5 launches as a dedicated channel for European football
Sky may have lost its crown jewels to BT Sport, but the company isn't prepared to sit idly by in its last year as the UK's top football dog. The broadcaster is launching Sky Sports 5, with an offer of two years free broadband to any and all Sky Sports customers. The seventh Sky Sports channel will be geared towards European football, including the Champions League, Spanish and Italian domestic cups, as well as the Dutch Eredivisie. The channel will launch on August 12th, and will also be available to customers who subscribe through Virgin Media. What was it they said about "the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"
Virgin Media's TV Anywhere app now works on the latest Android devices
Virgin Media's TV Anywhere Android app has been available since November, but its rollout has been hampered by limited device support. After the company opened the app to Nexus 5 owners earlier this year, it's finally made the streaming service available to most powerful Android smartphones and tablets that money can buy. If you own Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 or HTC One (M8), you'll now be able to stream over 90 channels and remotely control your TiVo box while on the move. There is a minor catch, however: the company notes that while the new devices can download TV Anywhere from the Play Store, they're not officially supported. In the company's own words: "We expect them to work, we have not been able to test all of them due to the large number of Android devices available." The list of supported devices is updated regularly, though, so for now, check out the list below to see if your Android smartphone or tablet makes the grade.
Virgin Media to soon offer access to Sky Sports and Movies on mobile
Virgin Media might be locking horns with Sky in a battle over broadband and phone lines, but when it comes to programming, cable customers have enjoyed the results of a content truce. Having delivered many of its channels for a number of years, Virgin today announced it has extended its deal with Sky by another five years, ensuring that it can deliver more content in high definition and also bring some Sky channels to its mobile streaming apps for the very first time. To begin with, subscribers already paying £7 a month to access to Sky's high-definition content will see Sky Sports 3 HD, Sky Sports 4 HD and Sky Sports F1 HD added to their set-top box, with Sky Sports News HD and Sky News HD set to follow later. Virgin customers will also be able to access Sky's entertainment channels (not including Sky Atlantic) via the TV Anywhere app and, perhaps more importantly, will be given access to movies and sport via Sky's dedicated apps in the coming months. Best of all, as long as you're already paying for Sky content, you'll soon get more stuff in more places for no extra cost.
ISPs will send warning letters to illegal downloaders from next year
If you're suspected of naughtily downloading copyrighted content, then expect the most savage of punishments: a letter asking you to stop. BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk have signed a deal with the music and movie industries whereby the ISPs will send out "educational" missives to pirates from next year. The deal is the culmination of four years of negotiation between the big four and the lobby groups, the latter of which wanted much stronger action and access to a database of serial torrenters. Thankfully, the internet companies won out, so the odd letter asking you to re-think your ways is the only thing you've got to deal with... for now.
Virgin Media bundles mobile, landline, TV and broadband into new 'quad-play' packages
Virgin Media has operated as a virtual mobile operator for some time now, but had never combined smartphone plans into the cost of its TV, phone and broadband deals. That's all about to change, however, after the company confirmed today it will launch a new range of bundles that will form the first true 'quad-play' packages in the UK. The packages will start at £35 with a mobile SIM (also excluding line rental) and are marketed under names like Big Kahuna and Big Bang. You'll get unlimited calls and texts but not data -- that's only applicable to VIP Tariffs, which do not come as part of the new bundles. Before today, it looked like BT was going to become the first provider to go all in, after it signed a deal with EE to provide connectivity for its own-brand 4G network. While the telecommunications giant is expected to roll out consumer packages later this year (returning to the mobile industry after it sold Cellnet back in 2001), it will now come to market some time after one of its major rivals. It could even be pipped to the post by Sky, which is rumoured to be exploring a deal with Vodafone. Virgin's quad-play packages are now available to existing customers and will roll out to the rest of the UK in June.
Sky looks to fibre-optic networks to bring you TV without the dish
Sure, Sky's been quick to embrace streaming, but the broadcasting giant has relied upon the humble satellite dish to bring TV to your home for almost two decades. However, there may soon be a conspicuous absence of those little black dishes in some parts of the UK after the company confirmed it'll soon start using fibre-optic networks to deliver its TV, broadband and telephone services. To facilitate this, Sky's teamed up with British network provider GTC to integrate its service into new-build homes, opening access to its TV packages, landline phone service and up to 300Mbps broadband in the process. The deal takes Sky into Virgin Media territory, where its rival offers similar packages over cable networks. It could end up stifling Virgin's own expansion plans in those areas, although the reach of Sky's commandeered fibre-optic network will be relatively small. Sky can't seem to shake it's reliance on traditional over-the-air broadcasting though, as the TV signal is actually being fed from a large, centralised satellite receiver. Right now, Sky taps BT's fibre-optic infrastructure to deliver super-fast broadband to homes across the UK, but limits TV content to online on-demand services like Sky Go and Now TV. Does this mean Sky is about to drop the satellite dish in favour of super-fast fibre for the whole of the UK? Not just yet, but one thing's for sure, Virgin Media will be watching with a keen interest.
