The Virgin Media Television thread

I can’t believe the number of people who watch these channels (outside of the soaps). Pure tripe in poor quality and endless repeats. They must literally watch anything!

Not to mention people who still call it TV3. Arrgh!

VM know their market at least and people quite happy to lap it up.

Their legitimate argument against HD terrestrial streams always was and will remain cost. Before digital TV, TV3 and 3e occupied two entire analogue channels, 8Mhz bandwidth, on the UHF spectrum. With digital technology, it was possible to fit multiple SD standard definition, HD definition and sub SD definition channels onto a single analogue channel bandwidth or Multiplex (Mux) as its now known. TV3 weren't at all pleased with the massive increase in transmission cost for even the SD steam for their two channels, let alone the HD, given that they had occupied two entire mux for less cost with Analogue. They even had the HD studios and kit lined up, but instead subscribed to the lowest data rate they could get away with, a sub SD offering, and the rest is history. RTE networks were left with their unwanted HD channels, TV3 put out sub SD onto the terrestrial Saorview network, and hid their actual HD content behind the Sky Astra paywall, and with VM, behind their cable and broadband delivered service. RTENL greed done them a favour.

Terrestrial HD 1440x1080. Rte1, 2, TG4

Terrestrial SD 704 × 576 (nominally Analogue res) Rte News Now

Terrestrial Sub SD 544 x 576. All VM, +1 channels, RTEJunior.

The combined pixel count from all 4 VM channels, 1.25 Mp, is less than a single HD channel, 1.55 Mp, though this is an oversimplification of quality seen, as bitrate has a defining effect.

Except that the contributors get aged, haggard and irrelevant eventually. I've let go of the TV3 res thing for a good while now. If you find yourself watching the 6 nations on a phone stream, you realise that its a different media world to the analogue days, which was only 2012. I still remember the excitement as a kid when I retuned the old black and white TV from 405 line RTE to 625 line transmission, razor sharp images it seemed. No-one in the house even knew the choice existed. So it is with VM. Phone quality images with YouTube quality programs. Its not going to change, you have to.

The only thing I try to watch on Virgin Media channels is sport. I am not a subscriber, never will be, so no HD. I try to endure the awful picture, but no way would I ever subscibe to such a crap network.

It seems to be still there. I don’t have it but listings online

It’s still showing ITV dramas before they reach the other Virgin Media channels. It’s also showing new dramas from ITVX.

I will always go back to the complaint made by TV3 when UTV Ireland were due to be added to Saorview, this complaint mainly because UTV Ireland had bought up the rights to ITV programming. The minister signed off on the addition giving it "Public Service" status of some kind, as per the broadcasting act 2009. However the complaint pretended that it was just about the sucking up of ad revenue from local broadcasters.

It is strange that VMTV THREE (which is effectively the new name for UTV Ireland) has no real public service requirement even though its addition to saorview is based on that required, while I don't think the current minister signed off on either VMTV FOUR or SKY NEWS airing on Soarview.

The Dept seem to think that because Sky News isn't a new channel the minister would have no role and it would come under the acts idea that RTÉ should exploit some commercial grounds... but then how does that work for VMTV FOUR?

I see no value to the audience for VMTV channels, they don't compete with RTÉ and because of this we are a stuck with RTÉ2 as it currently stands.

I can’t go back months but this week Virgin Media More is airing ITV 1 and ITV X dramas “The Walk In”, “Litvinenko”, “The Suspect” and “Tell me Everything” before they have aired on any other Virgin Media channel. “The Walk In” and “The Suspect” did air on ITV 1 some time ago but Virgin Media cable viewers don’t have access to ITV 1.

Yeah, I think it was mainly launched to handle those ITV X programming. There was probably an agreement set that they can't show those programmes on their FTA channels, but can put it behind their own platform VM More, until such a time that ITV1 and ITV2 show them.

New shows this week include last series of Wentworth, A Year On Planet Earth, Litvinenko, Spectacular Spain with Alex Polizzi, Americas Got Talent Xtreme, the Voice USA, Seachange, Tell Me Everything, Bad Chefs, Impossible Engineering, Showtrial and The Girl Before.

Note that there are no adverts on VM More either. Just mainly VM promos during tiny breaks.

According to Medialive, 157,000 for Harry and Meghan on VM1 last night, which was behind Dancing With The Stars, Room To Improve, and Fair City - IIRC, didn't the Oprah interview get around four times that on RTE Two?

I will post up RTÉ press release on those viewing figures, I question medialive more and more.

Very badly highlighted by VM for that interview IMO.

I'd assume that VMTV ONE/TV3 comes under the section that applies to the national commercial broadcaster (Section 70) AFAIR C6/3E/VMTV TWO was brought under this license.

Is sky news even licensed here? I assume VMTV THREE remains a section 71 license, and that VMTV MORE and FOUR come under this, I suspect MORE and FOUR replaced VMTV's sports channels rather then having new licenses with the BAI.

I would still think it would need a public service designation as per the act, as would VMTV FOUR. Though I don't think it means much considering what VMTV have done to UTV IRELAND/3BE

Virgin Media TV back to the start of the Jeremy Clarksons era of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire from 2018 this weekend during prime time.

I’m not surprised that Jeremy Clarkson will be removed from the who wants to be a millionaire show. He can be very cutting. Can’t find the masked singer new thread on here.

I enjoy it when nothing much else on there is only so much other things to watch on a sat night! I think James authur is defo rhino in the current new series. It’s easier guess the singer but the dancer one is a lot harder to guess. The masks can be class but wacky too.

I wonder if the regulator would have said anything TBH. In fairness to TV3/VMTV they changed the schedule quickly, I think they would have got those complaint in anycase, regulated or not, the BAI have largely said that broadcasting should be 50:50 Regulated and Self-regulated, the complaints process insures that it is even more likely to be self-regulated.

The BAI as a regulator of content should look at finances and the power of the service do determine the amount of local content required on a TV service. I don't think you need red-tape stopping people setting up a TV service. Do we honestly think that VMTV TWO, THREE, FOUR and MORE are managed by more than 10 - 20 staff members. (I am being generous).

Only after people complained. I'd wonder if VMTV/TV3 knew what they were showing, or where even watching.

What would be in a Carry on film from '78, a flash of bottom/boobs maybe, usually idiotic rather then erotic. No one would have blinked an eye, even in Ireland of 1999. If it was run in '78 Ireland, it would have been eviscerated anyway, but would still have had the Bishops screaming. Actually a good table quiz question. When was the first 'curse' on Irish telly, in order of offence, i.e, Jesus, Jaysus, sh*t, sh*te, or f**k, either variant, and of course, the unspeakable c word. Follow that with the first nudey, in order of gravity.

Question 1, I'm guessing... maybe the Dubliners, Brendan Behan, Lee Dunne, all the way to Fr. Ted, Gob Beldoff, and the Sopranos. Question 2? There must have been at least an Arse shown before 'The Spike' in '78 practically caused an emergency. And Gay, of course, the dirty scut.

RTE2 used to show arthouse films in the late 70's/early 80's. I remember a young bollock naked Eastern European lad shagging a pillow one Friday night.

If that happened nowadays, the phone calls would go unanswered

technically it was Radio 3, RnaG was set up in 1972, while Radio 2 started in 1979. Wouldn't say much of the working practices have changed much since :)

@An Ciarraioch one of 3 options, a new RTÉ Channel, a commercial service and/or BBC One NI.

Looks like Virgin won't show Coronation Street tomorrow at 9pm as ITV1 and keep it until usual Friday 8pm slot.

I was referencing to the amount of times the Chase is on VM and maybe they might reduce the amount of episodes now

Virgin Media currently has rights to Series 13 & Series 14 of The Chase. S11 and S12 stopped on VM on the 30th Oct 2022.

Looks like Challenge have Series 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11 this week, so probably all series' between 1-11/12?