The Virgin Media Television thread

AJB39

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122564604#Comment_122564604

It’s back next week by the looks of it. I wonder when Virgin Media will stop airing it permanently? No new episodes have been made of it since July 2021.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122566615#Comment_122566615

When you're roaming, you're still using your home provider's internet service so you're on an Irish IP.

TAFKAlawhec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122566615#Comment_122566615

That'll likely be down to your mobile data connection being tunnelled back to Ireland, meaning that VMTV will think that you're at "home" rather than "overseas".

dulpit

But we have roaming now of local services? So if you have a Netflix account and you go to somewhere else in EU you still get irish Netflix?

I was in Portugal a few years ago and rte player worked (as well as the rte player ever worked) on local WiFi as well as mobile.

icdg

The difference may be that VMTV Play lacks a system to verify that you are an Irish resident temporarily abroad, who is entitled to avail of the Portability Regulation, as opposed to a resident of the country concerned, who isn’t.

iseegirls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122566885#Comment_122566885

I can see them showing Judge Judy in the exact same slot for the next 10 years. It's been there since 1999, same double bill same time. Quite something. VM1s daytime schedule has remained static for years too. The Chase double bill has remained at 1pm for over 6 years now.

spot555

Have seen the tagline on different ads on the VM channels, "Celebrating 20 Years of Public Service Broadcasting" or something similar… lol

TAFKAlawhec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122567927#Comment_122567927

Your data connection when mobile roaming gets tunnelled back to your home operator. I recall back in 2008 when I was out in Australia with my 3 UK mobile roaming on the then local 3 AU network that doing an IP address locator brought back results that said I was in the UK even though I was nearly half the world away from it. It also meant that I could also listen to UK-only geo-restricted content.

As a more recent example, I'm currently an O2 UK pay-monthly/billpay customer - any time I roam on to a southern network, be it 3, Vodafone or Eir, my IP geolocation still shows me as being in the UK & I can (for example) watch stuff from the BBC iPlayer as if I was back in the north.

deezell

Oops wrong thread

galtee boy

Anyone able to get the new Virgin Play to work on a Firestick today ? When I go to update it via the old app, it just says something when wrong, try again later, the new app isn't available in the appstore , the old app still is, but now says unavailable to download.

Rick_

The VM Play website blocks you if you're in the North, but the direct stream links a few pages ago work perfectly fine in VLC Player. Are there similar links for RTÉ Player & TG 4's live streams (if their catch-up apps offer it?)

deezell

I couldn't change to the Play app either on a Sony Android, but vmplayer is not broken, so I might leave the old player there for now. My current issue is the demise of RTE player on the other set, A Samsung Qled, 'her' TV. It's looking like RTE and Samsung are leaving anyone with Samsung smart TV from up to 2017/18 in the lurch. You have to have a set with 'Tizen 4 upwards' they said in email reply. Good look with finding that info out easily. Player is dead, she's furious, TV obsolete after little over 6 years.

deezell

I've just selected my almost forgotten Apple TV box, I haven't watched anything through it some time, but it's integrated player apps are both working and up to date, with RTE player delivering Live and Catchup, while the VMplayer has automatically updated to VM Play, with VM 4 now available as a live channel. It's odd how Rteplayer on my Sony android-for-tv has no live function, and VMplayer won't update to VMPlay. I might move this box to the Samsung which now has neither Rteplayer or VMplayer, nor will their browser versions work through the TVs crummy internet browser anymore. That little Apple TV box is just as sharp as a razor, and you can change everything using the TV remote if the TV has the hdmi data connection,

doney84

About a day or so after the Autumn schedule press release I read online that VM Play would be available on iOS, Google, Roku, Samsung & LG tvs. When I went back to look for this article I couldn't find it. Anyway VM Play officially launched yesterday so I tried the app store on my LG tvs and the older version of the player is available for download. I downloaded it to both a 2018 & 2022 LG TV and the on demand stuff works but live TV just plays the pre roll ads and then fails to load the stream. The home screen does give an option to update to the new VM Play but when I click it it just fails. Hopefully they are working on pushing the updated version of the app to LG tvs.

galtee boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122577917#Comment_122577917

Doing exactly the same on my Firestick, hopefully it will sort itself in a day or two.

deezell

I think the problem is new security protocols embedded in the new players which can't be implemented on older OS in LG and Samsung without substantial changes to the firmware or even hardware.

I'm thinking there's a new secure layer to limit re-streaming or video capture. I noticed recently on my android phone that screen capture of an Rte news episode on player was forbidden. This protocol is built into android to prevent remote screen capture when invoked by the app, especially banking apps, or ticketing apps. If you jailbreak the phone to overcome it, the app in question, say, Revolut, simply won't load or run Even some crummy fast food apps with ten minute vouchers won't let you screen grab them, it's use them or lose them.

If LG webos or Samsung Tizen can't provide this authorisation, then no can see Live TV, though those VM stream links are (currently) unsecured to an app.

It remains to be seen which OS will support the new apps, but there was never a VM player for my Samsung OS.

iseegirls

The browser version doesn't seem to as nicer as the previous version. The catch-up split between the channels seem a bit unnecessary nowadays, seeing there is very difference between what the 4 channels are playing.

My Chrome adblocker doesn't seem to work it (unlike the previous version) so I'll have to look bit further into that - unless others have any advice.

Gold7

The Virgin Media player app from the 360 boxes hasn't been updated yet to Virgin Play when you go to the guide info.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122580228#Comment_122580228

Maybe search in the 360 app store or whatever it uses to make apps available. The VM player app upgrade icon when clicked was giving a ' somethings gone wrong' message on my Sony Bravia Android TV, but a search of the app store showed the Virgin media Play app, while the VM Player app is also still listed. When the Play app was selected, the icon was titled 'Upgrade' rather than 'Install' , and a click later it was up and running, four live channels in excellent HD, plus the usual catch up and streaming series. Still nothing for the Samsung set though, their rubbish internet browser app can't resolve and display the new RTE and VM players, so no access to any Saorview Catchup on this relatively modern and premium Samsung Qled TV.

galtee boy

Virgin Play now up and running on Firestick, I have to say, the picture quality on the live streams of the four Virgin channels is superb and the app itself seems very slick and user friendly.

Gold7

The Virgin Play app is now up on the VM 360 guide since on Wednesday Morning,

iseegirls

VMTV seem to be restricting their live matches for the Nations League. Their TV guide is at odds about which games are live on VM More. Some guides had Scotland match live tonight, but they didn't air it. Wonder will same be for tomorrow's Wales match and the daytime matches on Saturday and Sunday.

icdg

I’m surprised they didn’t air Scotland v Poland tbh, given the huge Polish expat community here (and there’s be a bit of interest in Scotland too). I guess it might have had to do with the doubts over whether there’d be any TV coverage at all until yesterday. Was ITV4’s coverage blocked on VM cable?

Clitheroekid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122587039#Comment_122587039

Neither of the games on ITV 3 and ITV 4 were blocked on Virgin Media

deezell

Despite the new VM Player, it's refreshing to have the familiar VM EPG mystery tour with us, no doubt they'll list a match from last night or a future round for tonight's outing, part of the charm at this stage.

VM Play HD was very sharp, the studio pundits Damien and Keith even wore extremely fine crosshatch pattern jackets to test it. I had occasional frame and audio jitter and skipping, I'm putting that down to my miserable and worsening 17mbs not-so-broad band while I await fibre, but I'd be curious if others noticed it, as it can be a server demand issue too. I think its at my end. It's an excuse to yell out the door to the other half, 'Get off YouTube, I need the data. Watch a fkng soap or something!' 😷

iseegirls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122587039#Comment_122587039

Gets even odder today on VM More, with them showing the entire Wales v Turkey and Scotland v Poland matches today. Tomorrow looks to have the full Faroe Islands v North Macedonia, Monday they're showing Georgia v Czech Republic and so on. So despite them having a commentator sorted for the game, and those games showing as live in schedules last week - they're only showing them 1 day delayed on their channels. Very strange.