Sky vs Virgin Media

[pinkhelmets]

With the recent ongoing news regarding the heated atmosphere between Virgin Media and Sky, who do you feel is more in the right?
See news thread- http://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=114556

Is Virgin right to make a stand on the charges Sky are demanding? Or should they just pay the bill and pass on the cost to customers that want Sky channels via cable?
Is Sky right to ask for more money since their channels are so popular and highly invested in, so deserve the extra premium?
Who sounds like the bully? Who sounds like they are trying to get more from the deal than is reasonably fair?

To add...... I dont want to sound biased but basic facts are- the viewing figures/subscribers for these channels on cable have dropped yet sky are asking for approx double the previous contract figure.
Regards.

 

[yomeh]

to be honest i think that sky have the right to ask for more money but i see where virgin are coming from and not wanting to pay more money for the channels maybe it's best if they just drop the channels but some customers will miss the channels such as me i love sky one with the simpsons and dream team sh*t happens eh

 

[Rat]

totally disagree m8 sorry Sky are robbing gitz and its not just Virgin there going to stuff by the sounds of things,there aso planning on taking there channels off freeview,like they did in the begining give something for free then get u hooked then charge for it
Grrrrrrr

 

[digidude]

i think someone from virgin should subscribe to sky, then take the box and card to work and hook it up to the feed, job done for 40 quid a month lol

sky ARE bullying and overpricing, but they can as theres no competition. theyre now doing the same with freeview. the monopolies comission SHOULD step in and sort something out but sly will bung them a few million quid to mind their own business as usual

 

[joe516]

Virgin are right to not agree the higher price

 

[jammoboss]

i remember those days

All you had to do was buy the white amstrad dish with the srx 100/200, 16 channel receiver. All channel free. Sky was making there money through sales of the dishes which rocketed in the late 80s. Low and behold the beloved decoder came along, then the newer 32 channel receiver with built in decoder, prices slowly started to increase and now there just rip of prices for packages.

sky are just greedy

 

[daz2712]

Isn't it funny how Sky agreed a reduction of 75% in price to show cable channels on their service on the 8th Feb and then now decide to shaft VM for Sky One etc. 2 weeks later.
Decided to play hardball after their own reduction.
Pull those fecking channels of sky and see how they like it.

Get sky in negotiations,rip the agreement up and tell them to shove it up their arse!

 

[audiobookman]

Isn't it funny how Sky agreed a reduction of 75% in price to show cable channels on their service on the 8th Feb and then now decide to shaft VM for Sky One etc. 2 weeks later.
Decided to play hardball after their own reduction.
Pull those fecking channels of sky and see how they like it.

Get sky in negotiations,rip the agreement up and tell them to shove it up their arse!

I couldnt have said it any better myself!!!, the one good thing about this is normal ppl not just us on the board and other groups, just every day joes are reading about the underhandedness of sky on tv and in the papers (evening standard had a segment tonight which didnt put sky in good light). I hope this crap loses more customers than it gains though these dirty tricks. They have showed there hand to the country, if thats all they have to play with then fook em, last count there was around 100 usable channels on cable, yes i will miss 24, simpsons.... wait a min no i wont as i download them of the net, i think were on the verge of some good old fashoned price war, and its about bloody time as well. My money goes on the GOOD GUY.

 

[jasperconran]

Virgin are right in Not paying Up.. And tbh I will Not Miss sky 1 or sky 2...

 

[digidude]

ive got 7000 channels of the stuff, and 95% of what i watch is downloaded lol i agree that the competition will do the paying public good, its about time someone with big enough balls gave sky a slap

 

[pinkhelmets]

yep i think sky see their channels as far more popular than than really are. I am sure if they shut down completely tomorrow life would carry on and we'd all still get the tv we'd want to watch. Sky1 & 2 viewing ratings arent exactly a massive audience share, Sky just live in a dream world where they rule a bunch of sheep with too much money. One day consumers in the uk will speak, Virgin just may be the voice. With these channels i do think they have the balls required-
Living TV
Living TV2
Bravo
Bravo 2
Challenge
Trouble
FTN
UKTV Gold
UKTV G2
UKTV Bright Ideas
UKTV Documentary
UKTV Drama
UKTV Food
UKTV Gardens
UKTV History
UKTV People
UKTV Style
Bid-Tv
Price-drop TV
Speed Auction TV

I think sky will back down, but i soooooooooooooooo hope Virgin say 'stick it' we dont want the channels now.

 

[digidude]

virgin should say stick it, and we're taking our channels back as well and slam them all out on freeview. their advertising revenue would go up as more people would be watching and sky would lose most of its 45+ age group subscribers which is a lot of people

i think we should all stick up 4 virgin roud: (had to be carefull there lol)

 

[mas123]

I think a lot of people may be leaving Virgin Media. I am certainly considering it.
There See, Speak, Surf packages look really attractive.

I currently have the following with Telewest / Virgin Media:

1. Cable (Essential TV Package, No Sky Sports or Movies) = £10.50
2. Broadband (4MB) = £25.00
3. Phone (Unlimited UK Calls) = £25.00

All together that comes to £60.50.

Sky are offering:

1. Digital (6 Mixes + Sky Sports + Sky Movies) = £43.50
2. Broadband (16MB) = £10.00
3. Phone (Unlimited UK Calls) = £5.00

This comes to £58.50

Faster broadband and much better channels for less than I was originally paying. This looks like a really attractive deal.

What do you guys think?

 

[GaryM]

I think it depends on how good their ADSL2+ LLU enabled broadband is and how far from your local exchange you are / quality of wires and connections. I contemplated the same option, Sky's 16MB (up to) service but in the end I don't think i'm ready to give up Virgins 10MB connection just yet. Its rock sold compared to any ADSL connection.

A while ago I was with Zen on an up to 8MB connection and got 1.5MB. I lasted 3 months with them before moving to NTL. I also live only 460m from my local exchange.

Sky wouldn't give me any guarentees's of speed and wouldn't give me a get out clause if it didn't match my expectaions so that was that.

Broadband speed and reliability was too important to me.
You get what you pay for.........

 

[pinkhelmets]

.....Sky are offering:

1. Digital (6 Mixes + Sky Sports + Sky Movies) = £43.50
2. Broadband (16MB) = £10.00
3. Phone (Unlimited UK Calls) = £5.00

This comes to £58.50

Faster broadband and much better channels for less than I was originally paying. This looks like a really attractive deal.

What do you guys think?

You have not included the BT line rental that you will have to pay if you go for the sky option. You dont pay that with Virgin do you? Sky are usually more expensive but they are just good at hiding costs and tricking the public, thats what i think .
Yes maybe many people will leave Virgin, but I think Virgin will not just sit back and say 'oh well such is life', I believe they will invest in getting more content on their own channels, or offer more benefits, and will eventually gain more customers than they lose.

 

[ant1]

allso dont forget your having to pay for line rent using a bt line aswell as the price of the sky adsl and bt line rent is not cheap

 

[jammoboss]

the £26.99 deal sky are doing isnt to bad

all 6 sky packages, free weekend and evening calls, 8mb broadband

plus the £9.99 line rental, plus you have to include £25 installation fee.

 

[Steve_M]

Existing NTL/Virgin Media subscribers can get a package called Bundle 3 which is:
Talk Unlimited (24 hour calling)
Talk International (cheap international calls)
Talk Mobile (Cheap mobile calls)
Line Rental
Broadband Size: M (2Mb)
£19.95 a month.

I have been quoted this so called 16Mb from Sky but when I check, my exchange is 2 miles away and I will get 2Mb which is what I have now. I think Sky take some beating with their Sky+ but for telephone and broadband NTL/Virgin win hands down.

 

[fatspanner]

I think a lot of people may be leaving Virgin Media. I am certainly considering it.
There See, Speak, Surf packages look really attractive.

I currently have the following with Telewest / Virgin Media:

1. Cable (Essential TV Package, No Sky Sports or Movies) = £10.50
2. Broadband (4MB) = £25.00
3. Phone (Unlimited UK Calls) = £25.00

All together that comes to £60.50.

Sky are offering:

1. Digital (6 Mixes + Sky Sports + Sky Movies) = £43.50
2. Broadband (16MB) = £10.00
3. Phone (Unlimited UK Calls) = £5.00

This comes to £58.50

Faster broadband and much better channels for less than I was originally paying. This looks like a really attractive deal.

What do you guys think?

Give them a call and say your going to leave and mention SKY. They'll put you through to retensions and give you a better deal. Works every time

 

[scott]

7000 Channels where do you find that many about lol!