TV Drive
Encyclopedia
V+ is a set-top box
for Virgin Media
's Virgin TV
service, which provides personal video recording
(PVR) and high definition
(HD) functionality to customers who subscribe to the service. Virgin TV have taken a different approach to rival Sky's
Sky+ HD service, by implementing a rental scheme for the V+ Box. When Virgin TV was launched, there was an installation charge (waived under certain circumstances) and a monthly charge for all customers with a discount for XL customers. On 1 June 2007 pricing was revised, with all customers paying a one-off set-up fee and TV M and L customers paid a monthly charge, while TV XL customers had no extra charges. Various deals to lower the set-up fee have been made available to all customers in order to compete with rival Sky.
The V+ set-top box is technically on lease, still owned by Virgin Media, who provide technical support for it free of charge if a problem occurs for the life of a contract. Should the customer downgrade from the V+ service, the recording functions of the V+ box and access to all high definition channels and on demand content will be blocked, effectively acting as a standard V Box. As of Q1 2010, there are a total of 939,900 V+ customers, representing 25% of all Virgin TV subscribers.
The V+ Box derives from Telewest's silver TVDrive, and was initially only available to Telewest cable customers. The TVDrive began roll-out on 1 December 2005 on a commercial pilot basis before a full launch in March 2006, becoming the first HD service in the UK. Due to the merger between NTL and Telewest, the TVDrive was made available to NTL cable customers in the Teesside and Glasgow areas on 16 November 2006, in turn NTL ceased development of their MPEG-4 compatible HD PVR, the Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8450DVB. In January 2007, NTL:Telewest began renting the set-top box nationwide and since the licensing of the Virgin Media name, it became officially available in all areas with the new V+ branding and the colour changed from silver to black.
On 24 November 2009, Virgin Media entered into a strategic partnership with TiVo
. Under the mutually exclusive agreement, TiVo developed a converged television and broadband interactive interface to power Virgin Media's next generation, high definition set-top boxes. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. TiVo became the exclusive provider of middleware and user interface software for Virgin Media's next generation set-top boxes. Virgin Media became the exclusive distributor of TiVo services and technology in the United Kingdom. Virgin Media first TiVo co-branded product was released in 2010.
video via HDMI
and component output and is capable of upscaling
SD video to HD resolutions. The copying of some programmes may be restricted by using HDCP
. The set-top boxes also support Dolby Digital
5.1 surround sound
, which is currently broadcast on some HD channels and video on demand
(VOD) content. Both set-top boxes support DVB-C
transmission using MPEG-2
compression, the standard used by Virgin for both SD and HD video.
Currently only two models of V+ have been released, the original Scientific-Atlanta
Explorer 8300DVB and the newer Samsung
SMT-H3110, which was released on 3 March 2009 on a trial basis followed by a full launch on 3 August 2009 after a 1 year delay.
There have been five remote control models, the type 7 which was replaced by the type 8 during the V+ branding exercise, both are manufactured by Philips
. The type 9 was released during September 2009, followed by the type 10 both are manufactured by Ruwido
using their 'r series' remote controls. On 22 March 2010, Ruwido announced that Virgin had gone for Ruwido’s ‘Unified’ remote control for their new type 11 and 12, only the latter is available with the V+.
The Explorer 8300DVB set-top box from Scientific-Atlanta, uses two 250 MIPS 32-bit RISC processors, 4 tuners
(3 video, 1 data), a DOCSIS 1.x cable modem, a full graphics engine, 2 HD and SD video decoders, dual audio decoders and contains one Western Digital or Maxtor 160GB PATA hard disk
, capable of storing up to 20 hours of HD Content or up to 80 hours of SD
content.
For connectivity the Explorer 8300DVB box has 1 HDMI
output, 1 YPbPr HD Component
output, 2 Scart
Outputs, 1 optical
audio output, 1 dual channel analogue phono
output and an RF
input and output. There is also an Ethernet
socket for Internet
access, a powered USB port and an eSATA port which are currently disabled but may be enabled in the future for external storage.
The Explorer 8300DVB has been criticised for having blurred menus when set to 1080i, inability to record radio and its slow response to changing channels.
hard disk, capable of storing up to 20 hours of HD Content or up to 80 hours of SD content.
Unlike the Explorer 8300DVB, the on-screen display and subtitles are output on the VCR Scart, when set to standard definition it is impossible to watch another channel during the archiving process and there is also the ability to record radio. MPEG-4
compatibility has also been included for future use.
and ITV HD trial channels. ITV HD was removed from the network after the completion of the trial on 30 November 2006. On 1 December 2007, BBC HD was transformed into a full service.
During 2009, Virgin launched FX HD
, MTVNHD
, National Geographic HD
, Channel 4 HD, ESPN HD
and Living HD. Living HD represented the first HD channel to be made exclusively available to Virgin TV.
In 2010, Media added E4 HD, Sci Fi HD, Discovery HD
, Eurosport HD
, ITV1 HD, STV HD, Five HD, Film4 HD
, ten Sky Movies
HD channels, Sky Sports
HD1 and HD2, Sky1 HD, Comedy Central HD
, UTV HD
and BBC One HD
. Both Film4 HD and UTV HD are exclusive to Virgin TV.
In 2011, Virgin Media added Sky Arts 1 HD
and 2 HD, Eurosport 3D
, Sky Movies Classics HD, Dave HD and Watch HD
.
and Wild Weather, pay-per-view episodes of Lost
and Desperate Housewives
from Channel 4
, a small selection of documentaries from the History Channel, Metropolitan Opera Live in HD's The Magic Flute
and pay-per-view films from FilmFlex
.
On 8 October 2007, Virgin Media announced that they had struck a deal with Channel 4 that enables them to offer a selection of Channel 4 programming in HD via their TV on demand service.
On 8 January 2009, it was announced that ITV Player
would be added to Virgin Media's digital cable TV service. A selection of ITV’s High Definition programming was supposed to be made available on demand as part of the deal. 12 March 2010, it was announced that some of ITV1 HD's content will be available on demand via ITV Net Player on Virgin Media's TV platform.
On 16 April 2009, the BBC announced that they would offer HD content through BBC iPlayer
, with a Virgin Media spokesperson adding "We're working closely with the BBC to make this service available on our platform as soon as possible." HD content, including Robin Hood, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
and Later... with Jools Holland, became available on 1 May 2009.
On 29 June 2009, Virgin Media announced that from July the PictureBox
movie service would be made available to Virgin Media’s 3.6 million TV subscribers providing a broad selection of 28 films at any given time, with seven new titles being added to the line-up each Friday. Most of the PictureBox films are available in HD and many will not yet have been seen on free-to-air television in the UK. It marks the PictureBox’s first UK platform to present films in HD.
On 17 September 2009, Virgin Media announced an agreement with Disney
, securing the rights for three TV channels (Disney Channel, Disney XD and Playhouse Disney), TV on demand content including HD programming and on demand content to be to made available online. The deal also includes the rights for Virgin Media to air Disney XD and on demand content from Disney XD via the mobile.
On 10 February 2010, Virgin announced that Discovery Networks would make HD on demand content available, such as Deadliest Catch
and Miami Ink
, during Spring 2010 as part of a deal to add Discovery HD. On 15 March 2010, Virgin Media and NBC Universal Global Networks
announced that they would also look to make HD content available on demand where possible, as part of the deal to add Sci Fi HD.
On 5 August 2010, Virgin Media announced that popular Comedy Central HD programmes available on demand from 1 September 2010. HBO content such as The Sopranos
were removed on 14 October 2010, following HBO's exclusive deal with Sky, which lead to the creation of Sky Atlantic
.
On 25 October 2010, Virgin Media announced a deal with NBC Universal Television Distribution
for the video-on-demand rights in the UK to a broad selection of NBC Universal
series. Under the terms of the agreement, these titles will be offered as new content across Virgin Media’s three entertainment platforms; TV, online and mobile. From 1 December, Virgin Media customers were able to access past seasons of shows such as House
, Heroes
, The Office and 30 Rock
, in HD through TV On Demand.
On 11 November 2010, Virgin Media announced a multiscreen deal with Channel Five
to bring programming from all of Five’s linear TV channels to its TV, online and mobile video on demand platforms, with some shows also available in HD.
The V+ has access to video on demand: current HD providers include BBC
, FilmFlex, FX, History, National Geographic Channel and PictureBox programming. Notable content includes Planet Earth
and Dexter
.
compatible as displayed in Virgin Media's Oxford Street
store using polarised glasses and trialled over a private video on demand network using a HD stream interlaced with two pictures.
In March 2010, during the Ideal Home Show
at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
, Virgin Media showcased a reel of 3D content - including sport and video games - as a taste of its plans for 3D television. Virgin confirmed plans to start offering 3D content to subscribers via its on-demand platform rather than launching a static channel. The demo used active glasses but Virgin Media said that its 3D service would also support passive glasses.
On 28 September 2010, Virgin Media announced the launch of 3D Movies On Demand – the first commercially available 3D TV service in the UK. All Virgin Media TV customers, with either a V HD, V+ or TiVo box, 3D TV and glasses, are able to experience 3D Movies On Demand. The launch of 3D Movies On Demand, powered by FilmFlex
, initially featured StreetDance 3D
, Garfield’s Pet Force 3D, A Christmas Carol 3D
, Step Up 3D and Despicable Me 3D
. Virgin Media also announced an exclusive 3D TV partnership with Samsung Electronics
which would see Samsung 3D TVs featured in Virgin Media stores as well as other joint 3D showcases and marketing opportunities.
Virgin Media will also be investing in producing original 3D content. “We can confirm we’re looking at producing original content in 3D…. it makes sense for us to look at things like live music with the Virgin Media V Festival
,” Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said. Going on to explain that movies in 3D would remain available on a paid-for basis, but Virgin Media customers would be able to access other 3D content, such as TV shows, for free. She confirmed that the company has already secured the rights of a couple of TV programmes to be shown in 3D, but could not name them yet.
Between 22 May and 5 June 2011, Eurosport 3D
was broadcast exclusively on Virgin Media for the 2011 French Open
. Selected 3D matches were also available on demand.
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...
for Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
's Virgin TV
Virgin TV
Virgin TV is a cable television service in the UK, owned by Virgin Media. Its origins come back from NTL and Telewest, two largest cable operators in the country, of which the two companies merged on 6 March 2006...
service, which provides personal video recording
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
(PVR) and high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HD) functionality to customers who subscribe to the service. Virgin TV have taken a different approach to rival Sky's
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
Sky+ HD service, by implementing a rental scheme for the V+ Box. When Virgin TV was launched, there was an installation charge (waived under certain circumstances) and a monthly charge for all customers with a discount for XL customers. On 1 June 2007 pricing was revised, with all customers paying a one-off set-up fee and TV M and L customers paid a monthly charge, while TV XL customers had no extra charges. Various deals to lower the set-up fee have been made available to all customers in order to compete with rival Sky.
The V+ set-top box is technically on lease, still owned by Virgin Media, who provide technical support for it free of charge if a problem occurs for the life of a contract. Should the customer downgrade from the V+ service, the recording functions of the V+ box and access to all high definition channels and on demand content will be blocked, effectively acting as a standard V Box. As of Q1 2010, there are a total of 939,900 V+ customers, representing 25% of all Virgin TV subscribers.
History
On 24 November 2009, Virgin Media entered into a strategic partnership with TiVo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
. Under the mutually exclusive agreement, TiVo developed a converged television and broadband interactive interface to power Virgin Media's next generation, high definition set-top boxes. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. TiVo became the exclusive provider of middleware and user interface software for Virgin Media's next generation set-top boxes. Virgin Media became the exclusive distributor of TiVo services and technology in the United Kingdom. Virgin Media first TiVo co-branded product was released in 2010.
Technical specifications
The V+ Boxes have three video tuners, allowing the user to record two programmes to the hard drive while watching a live programme which can then be paused. V+'s main competitor on the British market, the Sky+ HD box, has two tuners. As with all other Digital set-top boxes from Virgin Media. The set-top boxes support 720p and 1080i high definitionHigh-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
video via HDMI
HDMI
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
and component output and is capable of upscaling
Video scaler
A video scaler is a device for converting video signals from one size or resolution to another: usually "upscaling" or "upconverting" a video signal from a low resolution to one of higher resolution A video scaler is a device for converting video signals from one size or resolution to another:...
SD video to HD resolutions. The copying of some programmes may be restricted by using HDCP
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection is a form of digital copy protection developed by Intel Corporation to prevent copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across connections...
. The set-top boxes also support Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
5.1 surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
, which is currently broadcast on some HD channels and video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
(VOD) content. Both set-top boxes support DVB-C
DVB-C
DVB-C stands for Digital Video Broadcasting - Cable and it is the DVB European consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital television over cable...
transmission using MPEG-2
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
compression, the standard used by Virgin for both SD and HD video.
Currently only two models of V+ have been released, the original Scientific-Atlanta
Scientific-Atlanta
Scientific Atlanta Inc is a Georgia-based manufacturer of cable television, telecommunications, and broadband equipment.Scientific Atlanta was founded in 1951 by a group of engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and was purchased by Cisco Systems in 2005.-Products:Scientific Atlanta is...
Explorer 8300DVB and the newer Samsung
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics is a South Korean multinational electronics and information technology company headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul...
SMT-H3110, which was released on 3 March 2009 on a trial basis followed by a full launch on 3 August 2009 after a 1 year delay.
There have been five remote control models, the type 7 which was replaced by the type 8 during the V+ branding exercise, both are manufactured by Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
. The type 9 was released during September 2009, followed by the type 10 both are manufactured by Ruwido
Ruwido
Ruwido is an Austrian based broadcast electronics company that manufactures input devices for television, specialising in universal remote controls, set-top boxes, IPTV platforms and keyboards that use multi-touch navigation and infrared technology to operate digital television and digital media...
using their 'r series' remote controls. On 22 March 2010, Ruwido announced that Virgin had gone for Ruwido’s ‘Unified’ remote control for their new type 11 and 12, only the latter is available with the V+.
Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8300DVB
TV tuner card
A TV tuner card is a kind of television tuner that allows television signals to be received by a computer. Most TV tuners also function as video capture cards, allowing them to record television programs onto a hard disk much like the Tivo digital video recorder does.-Variants: The interfaces for...
(3 video, 1 data), a DOCSIS 1.x cable modem, a full graphics engine, 2 HD and SD video decoders, dual audio decoders and contains one Western Digital or Maxtor 160GB PATA hard disk
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
, capable of storing up to 20 hours of HD Content or up to 80 hours of SD
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
content.
For connectivity the Explorer 8300DVB box has 1 HDMI
HDMI
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
output, 1 YPbPr HD Component
YPbPr
' is a color space used in video electronics, in particular in reference to component video cables. is the analog version of the YCBCR color space; the two are numerically equivalent, but YPBPR is designed for use in analog systems whereas YCBCR is intended for digital video. cables are also...
output, 2 Scart
SCART
SCART is a French-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual equipment together...
Outputs, 1 optical
TOSLINK
TOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connection system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable," its most common use is in consumer audio equipment , where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as MiniDisc, CD and DVD players, DAT recorders, computers, and modern...
audio output, 1 dual channel analogue phono
RCA connector
An RCA connector, sometimes called a phono connector or cinch connector, is a type of electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals...
output and an RF
RF connector
A coaxial RF connector is an electrical connector designed to work at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range.RF connectors are typically used with coaxial cables and are designed to maintain the shielding that the coaxial design offers. Better models also minimize the change in transmission...
input and output. There is also an Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
socket for Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access, a powered USB port and an eSATA port which are currently disabled but may be enabled in the future for external storage.
The Explorer 8300DVB has been criticised for having blurred menus when set to 1080i, inability to record radio and its slow response to changing channels.
Samsung SMT-H3110
The SMT-H3110 set-top box from Samsung Electronics, has 1 HDMI output, 2 Scart Outputs and 1 optical audio output. There is also an Ethernet socket for Internet access, a powered USB port, an exhaust fan at the rear and a Western Digital 160GB SATASerial ATA
Serial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives...
hard disk, capable of storing up to 20 hours of HD Content or up to 80 hours of SD content.
Unlike the Explorer 8300DVB, the on-screen display and subtitles are output on the VCR Scart, when set to standard definition it is impossible to watch another channel during the archiving process and there is also the ability to record radio. MPEG-4
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC...
compatibility has also been included for future use.
HD channels
At product launch the only HD channels available were BBC HDBBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
and ITV HD trial channels. ITV HD was removed from the network after the completion of the trial on 30 November 2006. On 1 December 2007, BBC HD was transformed into a full service.
During 2009, Virgin launched FX HD
FX (UK)
FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25...
, MTVNHD
MTVNHD
MTV Live HD is an international 24-hour HD music and entertainment television network that is operated by Viacom International Media Networks' subsidiary MTV Networks Poland...
, National Geographic HD
National Geographic Channel (UK)
The National Geographic Channel is a television channel that features documentaries produced by the National Geographic Society. It features some programming similar to that on the Discovery Channel such as nature and science documentaries. The channel was launched in Europe in September 1997 and...
, Channel 4 HD, ESPN HD
ESPN (UK)
ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...
and Living HD. Living HD represented the first HD channel to be made exclusively available to Virgin TV.
In 2010, Media added E4 HD, Sci Fi HD, Discovery HD
Discovery HD
Discovery HD is the international name of the high-definition television channels from Discovery Communications.The international Discovery HD first launched in Korea on February 2005 as a programming block...
, Eurosport HD
Eurosport HD
On 25 May 2008, a HD simulcast version of the main channel launched - the first event covered in HD being the 2008 French Open at Roland Garros.-Launch:...
, ITV1 HD, STV HD, Five HD, Film4 HD
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
, ten Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies is the collective name for the premium subscription television movie channels operated by Sky Television, and later British Sky Broadcasting. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV in the UK and Ireland...
HD channels, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
HD1 and HD2, Sky1 HD, Comedy Central HD
Comedy Central (UK)
Comedy Central in the United Kingdom and Ireland is a localised version of Comedy Central which first began in the United States in the 1990s. The television channel is available through the Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk TV in the United Kingdom, Sky Ireland, UPC Ireland and Magnet Networks in the...
, UTV HD
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
and BBC One HD
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. Both Film4 HD and UTV HD are exclusive to Virgin TV.
In 2011, Virgin Media added Sky Arts 1 HD
Sky Arts
Sky Arts and Sky Arts HD is the brand name for a group of art-oriented television channels offering 18 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music...
and 2 HD, Eurosport 3D
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
, Sky Movies Classics HD, Dave HD and Watch HD
Watch (TV channel)
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:...
.
HD on demand
At product launch, Telewest's Teleport service included a modest selection of on demand HD content including episodes of BBC nature documentaries Pride, The Blue PlanetThe Blue Planet
The Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001.Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of...
and Wild Weather, pay-per-view episodes of Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
and Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
from Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, a small selection of documentaries from the History Channel, Metropolitan Opera Live in HD's The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
and pay-per-view films from FilmFlex
FilmFlex
FilmFlex, is a UK pay-per-view movie service, which is a joint venture between Sony and The Walt Disney Company.- Virgin Media :FilmFlex makes up part of Virgin Media's "On Demand" video on demand system. FilmFlex has been available on Virgin since January 2005 and saw over 11 million films watched...
.
On 8 October 2007, Virgin Media announced that they had struck a deal with Channel 4 that enables them to offer a selection of Channel 4 programming in HD via their TV on demand service.
On 8 January 2009, it was announced that ITV Player
ITV Player
ITV Player is an online video on demand service accessible though the main ITV website. The service offers a variety of programmes from homegrown programming to imports across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Some sports programming is available to watch again via the service, the 2010 FIFA World...
would be added to Virgin Media's digital cable TV service. A selection of ITV’s High Definition programming was supposed to be made available on demand as part of the deal. 12 March 2010, it was announced that some of ITV1 HD's content will be available on demand via ITV Net Player on Virgin Media's TV platform.
On 16 April 2009, the BBC announced that they would offer HD content through BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
, with a Virgin Media spokesperson adding "We're working closely with the BBC to make this service available on our platform as soon as possible." HD content, including Robin Hood, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
and Later... with Jools Holland, became available on 1 May 2009.
On 29 June 2009, Virgin Media announced that from July the PictureBox
Picturebox Movies
PictureBox is an video on demand movie service offering a dynamic selection of movies for a monthly subscription. It is available at home through several TV broadcast platform partners or via the internet using the PictureBox Player. The service is currently available in the United Kingdom, Poland...
movie service would be made available to Virgin Media’s 3.6 million TV subscribers providing a broad selection of 28 films at any given time, with seven new titles being added to the line-up each Friday. Most of the PictureBox films are available in HD and many will not yet have been seen on free-to-air television in the UK. It marks the PictureBox’s first UK platform to present films in HD.
On 17 September 2009, Virgin Media announced an agreement with Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, securing the rights for three TV channels (Disney Channel, Disney XD and Playhouse Disney), TV on demand content including HD programming and on demand content to be to made available online. The deal also includes the rights for Virgin Media to air Disney XD and on demand content from Disney XD via the mobile.
On 10 February 2010, Virgin announced that Discovery Networks would make HD on demand content available, such as Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch is a documentary/reality television series produced by Original Productions for the Discovery Channel. It portrays the real life events aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and C. opilio crab fishing seasons.The Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor,...
and Miami Ink
Miami Ink
Miami Ink is an American reality show on TLC that follows the events that took place at a tattoo shop in Miami Beach, Florida. The show premiered in July 2005 and has finished broadcasting its fourth season...
, during Spring 2010 as part of a deal to add Discovery HD. On 15 March 2010, Virgin Media and NBC Universal Global Networks
NBC Universal Global Networks
Universal Networks International, formerly NBC Universal Global Networks, is a part of NBC Universal.When NBC Universal was formed, it owned entertainment television channels in Europe and Latin America...
announced that they would also look to make HD content available on demand where possible, as part of the deal to add Sci Fi HD.
On 5 August 2010, Virgin Media announced that popular Comedy Central HD programmes available on demand from 1 September 2010. HBO content such as The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
were removed on 14 October 2010, following HBO's exclusive deal with Sky, which lead to the creation of Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a television channel owned by British Sky Broadcasting, which launched on 1 February 2011 on Sky in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland....
.
On 25 October 2010, Virgin Media announced a deal with NBC Universal Television Distribution
NBC Universal Television Distribution
NBCUniversal Television Distribution is the television distribution arm of the NBCUniversal Television Group in the United States, and is a subsidiary of General Electric...
for the video-on-demand rights in the UK to a broad selection of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
series. Under the terms of the agreement, these titles will be offered as new content across Virgin Media’s three entertainment platforms; TV, online and mobile. From 1 December, Virgin Media customers were able to access past seasons of shows such as House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, The Office and 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, in HD through TV On Demand.
On 11 November 2010, Virgin Media announced a multiscreen deal with Channel Five
Channel Five
Channel 5 is a television network that broadcasts in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1997, it was the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue network to launch. The station was branded as Five between 2002 and 2010...
to bring programming from all of Five’s linear TV channels to its TV, online and mobile video on demand platforms, with some shows also available in HD.
The V+ has access to video on demand: current HD providers include BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, FilmFlex, FX, History, National Geographic Channel and PictureBox programming. Notable content includes Planet Earth
Planet Earth (TV series)
Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
and Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
.
3D
V+ set-top boxes are already 3D3D television
A 3D television is a television set that employs techniques of 3D presentation, such as stereoscopic capture, multi-view capture, or 2D-plus-depth, and a 3D display – a special viewing device to project a television program into a realistic three-dimensional field.- History :In the late-1890's,...
compatible as displayed in Virgin Media's Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
store using polarised glasses and trialled over a private video on demand network using a HD stream interlaced with two pictures.
In March 2010, during the Ideal Home Show
Ideal Home Show
The Ideal Home Show is an annual event in London, now held at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The show was devised by the Daily Mail newspaper in 1908 and continued to be run by the Daily Mail up until 2009...
at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
, Virgin Media showcased a reel of 3D content - including sport and video games - as a taste of its plans for 3D television. Virgin confirmed plans to start offering 3D content to subscribers via its on-demand platform rather than launching a static channel. The demo used active glasses but Virgin Media said that its 3D service would also support passive glasses.
On 28 September 2010, Virgin Media announced the launch of 3D Movies On Demand – the first commercially available 3D TV service in the UK. All Virgin Media TV customers, with either a V HD, V+ or TiVo box, 3D TV and glasses, are able to experience 3D Movies On Demand. The launch of 3D Movies On Demand, powered by FilmFlex
FilmFlex
FilmFlex, is a UK pay-per-view movie service, which is a joint venture between Sony and The Walt Disney Company.- Virgin Media :FilmFlex makes up part of Virgin Media's "On Demand" video on demand system. FilmFlex has been available on Virgin since January 2005 and saw over 11 million films watched...
, initially featured StreetDance 3D
StreetDance 3D
StreetDance 3D is a British dance film which was released on 21 May 2010. The film was released in RealD 3D, XpanD 3D, and Dolby 3D with Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini directing it. Britain's Got Talent stars George Sampson, Diversity and Flawless made their debut appearances to the big screen...
, Garfield’s Pet Force 3D, A Christmas Carol 3D
A Christmas Carol (2009 film)
A Christmas Carol is a 2009 film written and directed by Robert Zemeckis...
, Step Up 3D and Despicable Me 3D
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
. Virgin Media also announced an exclusive 3D TV partnership with Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics is a South Korean multinational electronics and information technology company headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul...
which would see Samsung 3D TVs featured in Virgin Media stores as well as other joint 3D showcases and marketing opportunities.
Virgin Media will also be investing in producing original 3D content. “We can confirm we’re looking at producing original content in 3D…. it makes sense for us to look at things like live music with the Virgin Media V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
,” Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said. Going on to explain that movies in 3D would remain available on a paid-for basis, but Virgin Media customers would be able to access other 3D content, such as TV shows, for free. She confirmed that the company has already secured the rights of a couple of TV programmes to be shown in 3D, but could not name them yet.
Between 22 May and 5 June 2011, Eurosport 3D
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
was broadcast exclusively on Virgin Media for the 2011 French Open
2011 French Open
The 2011 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 110th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year...
. Selected 3D matches were also available on demand.
See also
- Virgin MediaVirgin MediaVirgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
- High-definition televisionHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
- High-definition television in the United KingdomHigh-definition television in the United KingdomHigh-definition television in the United Kingdom is available via cable, IPTV, satellite and terrestrial television. The first high-definition broadcasts began in 2006 and the number of channels has grown to 65 ....