Virgin Media Tivo threat

MandarkMandark Posts: 47,930
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What is Sky planning to do to tackle the VM Tivo threat? They blustered something about an equivalent service coming soon at the time of the Tivo announcement but I've not heard anything since.

I'm not getting the HD box if something smarter is just around the corner. Or is there just going to be some sort of software upgrade. Any news or ideas folks?
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Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18,132
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    I don't think the appreciation of TIVO on some VM hardware will ever hit a level that would worry SKY, the increase in HD via VM, the never ending broadband speed tit for tat and VOD are far more critical to maintaining and increasing the subscriber base.

    It'll certainly be interesting to see how it's implemented and managed when compared to the US where TIVO themselves have been under the hammer from "generic" and proprietary PVR's.
  • masona2masona2 Posts: 819
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    No,

    Sky need not worry about VM TiVo.

    A VM spokesman claimed in their latest TiVo statement, it will be better than YouView.

    Strange to mention a rival future up and coming service provider in a future VM product launch statement.

    No, it's not VM TiVo Sky need worry about...

    It's YouYiew.
  • masona2masona2 Posts: 819
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    Sorry,

    I meant YouView.

    (too late to edit).
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 804
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    masona2 wrote: »
    No,

    Sky need not worry about VM TiVo.
    They'd be fools not to. Virgin is already the market leader in its serviceable areas for broadband, basic pay tv, tv on demand and bundled services. TiVo is the gold standard for PVR software with its friendly user interface, intuitive search and season pass capabilities. It will fully integrate traditional linear and VOD with broadband video delivery including HD and 3D VOD which combined with Virgin's superior broadband capabilities will deliver a breadth of content that rivals can't match.
    A VM spokesman claimed in their latest TiVo statement, it will be better than YouView.

    Strange to mention a rival future up and coming service provider in a future VM product launch statement.
    Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett said "It will be a superior product to Sky’s codename Darwin, it will be a better product than Canvas."
    No, it's not VM TiVo Sky need worry about...

    It's YouYiew.
    YouView does not pose a threat to Sky's pay TV dominance but TiVo's superior technology combined with Virgin Media's cable network will ensure Virgin maintains its market lead.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    flashdisk wrote: »
    YouView does not pose a threat to Sky's pay TV dominance but TiVo's superior technology combined with Virgin Media's cable network will ensure Virgin maintains its market lead.

    What 'market lead' would that be?.
  • omnidirectionalomnidirectional Posts: 18,796
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    What 'market lead' would that be?.

    The one mentioned in his first paragraph, I think.
    Virgin is already the market leader in its serviceable areas for broadband, basic pay tv, tv on demand and bundled services.
  • wgmorgwgmorg Posts: 5,020
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    A stagnant company with a stagnant user base ...

    http://www.barb.co.uk/facts/multiChannelDevelopment?_s=4

    They need something to spin with ... and TiVo is the ultimate in spin.
    The one mentioned in his first paragraph, I think.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    The one mentioned in his first paragraph, I think.

    Not much of a 'market lead' then :p

    Specifically they include 'Video On Demand', which Sky don't offer - and even when they do, it's only going to be a poor imitation. VOD is cables strong point, they should push it more.

    Personally I would expect a 'market leader' to at least be a viable business, and not struggling to survive with mountains of debt.
  • wgmorgwgmorg Posts: 5,020
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    You must admit VM are a market leader for content thieves ... especially with the way they defend the right to content theft ... ;)

    A big selling point for their super fast fibre BB.
    Personally I would expect a 'market leader' to at least be a viable business, and not struggling to survive with mountains of debt.
  • TechnixTechnix Posts: 2,571
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    wgmorg wrote: »
    You must admit VM are a market leader for content thieves ... especially with the way they defend the right to content theft ... ;)

    It's better than bulk selling your customers details when the evidence against them is questionable and very unreliable.
  • michael37michael37 Posts: 2,622
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    As long as VM can only supply their services to less than 50% of the UK's population they are no threat to Sky.
  • Tony RichardsTony Richards Posts: 5,742
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    michael37 wrote: »
    As long as VM can only supply their services to less than 50% of the UK's population they are no threat to Sky.

    Quite true. Anyway I'm quite happy with my Sky+ HD and would not see any further benefits from an enhanced PVR. I don't believe many non technical viewers would be persuaded to change to VM for this.
  • gagdegagde Posts: 3,868
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    Not much of a 'market lead' then :p

    Specifically they include 'Video On Demand', which Sky don't offer - and even when they do, it's only going to be a poor imitation. VOD is cables strong point, they should push it more.

    Personally I would expect a 'market leader' to at least be a viable business, and not struggling to survive with mountains of debt.

    Virgin are doing quite well its just a shame not to see what would have happened if cable had been managed properly years ago i said it when i was a sky customer cable should have been wiping the floor with sky.
  • wgmorgwgmorg Posts: 5,020
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    Especially for active content thieves ... having their ISP actively encouraging any type of activity is a great moral lead. :rolleyes:

    Technix wrote: »
    It's better than bulk selling your customers details when the evidence against them is questionable and very unreliable.
  • wgmorgwgmorg Posts: 5,020
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    But you could have the functionality to record what the PVR thinks you want ... and ads from valued partners they think might be interested in ... clogging up your HDD... :D:D:D:D:D
    Quite true. Anyway I'm quite happy with my Sky+ HD and would not see any further benefits from an enhanced PVR. .
  • MandarkMandark Posts: 47,930
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    flashdisk wrote: »
    Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett said "It will be a superior product to Sky’s codename Darwin, it will be a better product than Canvas."
    Any more info on Darwin?!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 804
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    Not much of a 'market lead' then :p
    They have more broadband customers than BT, Sky and TalkTalk combined in their serviceable areas and unlike some they don't have to give it away for free or feel obliged to sell their customer details to anyone that asks with no concrete proof of wrongdoing, thus exposing their names, addresses and often bank or credit card details on the web.

    Their tv service is in more homes than Sky in their serviceable areas, they are 2nd only to the national incumbent for fixed line telephony and enjoy an unrivalled uptake of triple & quad play services. As such they enjoy a higher customer spend and lower "voluntary" churn (excluding those moving off-net) than both Sky & BT.
    Specifically they include 'Video On Demand', which Sky don't offer - and even when they do, it's only going to be a poor imitation. VOD is cables strong point, they should push it more.
    I included VOD since it is significant. They are 2nd only to Youtube and that's available to over 18m UK broadband homes Vs 4m cable tv homes. They offer the most popular (and most advanced) TV on Demand service outside the US and they do push it heavily which is why they enjoy such a strong uptake. Even with the the launch of Sky Anytime+, Virgin will still enjoy a strong market lead in its serviceable areas.
    Personally I would expect a 'market leader' to at least be a viable business, and not struggling to survive with mountains of debt.
    They are not struggling to survive. Their ability to deliver strong long-term free cash flow, along with the recent completion of their refinancing, enabled them to announce a £375 million share-repurchase plan without compromising further investments in the business. They face no major debt maturities until 2016 and Goldman Sachs recently reiterated it's 'Conviction Buy' raising estimates and price targets naming Virgin Media as the leading beneficiary of increasing consumer demand in the UK triple play market. As if to echo this optimism, Moody’s Investors Services also raised its outlook on Virgin to "positive" (from "stable") citing the cableco’s ability to operate in a "resilient" fashion despite the UK’s tough trading conditions. Moody’s said Virgin had performed well in spite of an economic slowdown and intense competition. Noting the company also has a strong cash position and improved debt profile.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 337
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    You sound like you've copy and pasted VM's press releases.

    Just saying.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 804
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    You sound like you've copy and pasted VM's press releases.

    Just saying.
    Why would you even post such a worthless reply? If you dispute any of it them say so, if you have nothing to say them perhaps it's best to keep quiet.
  • Young TurksYoung Turks Posts: 3,262
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    michael37 wrote: »
    As long as VM can only supply their services to less than 50% of the UK's population they are no threat to Sky.


    Errr, if anyone can take 50% of business from any where I would say this a big threat.

    They might only cover 50% of UK but they seem to be selling their products to more homes than Sky in their service area. This must be a threat to Sky or any other company that offers same sort of service.

    TIVO is the best PVR out there and I wouldn't hesitate one second to drop Sky+HD, in favour TIVO, if I lived in cabled area and it is not just the PVR but also the broadband as well.

    What fibre optic cable broadband offers is far superior to the average ADSL ISP.

    Unfortunately most of us can't get cable broadband.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    flashdisk wrote: »
    They have more broadband customers than BT, Sky and TalkTalk combined in their serviceable areas and unlike some they don't have to give it away for free or feel obliged to sell their customer details to anyone that asks with no concrete proof of wrongdoing, thus exposing their names, addresses and often bank or credit card details on the web.

    I would expect them to have superior numbers of broadband customers in the small areas they cover - but it's far inferior for the entire country :D

    It;s like saying VM are doing better on a single street! :p

    I would also suggest you look in to all the complaints about VN providing customer details to all and sundry who have been persecuting VM customers for alledged illegal downloading for a long time now.
  • MandarkMandark Posts: 47,930
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    Mandark wrote: »
    Any more info on Darwin?!
    Answered my own question. It seems like Project Darwin is actually Anytime +. That's not an intelligent system like Tivo but most people would probably see it as a bonus.
  • masona2masona2 Posts: 819
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    I would expect them to have superior numbers of broadband customers in the small areas they cover - but it's far inferior for the entire country :D

    It;s like saying VM are doing better on a single street! :p

    I would also suggest you look in to all the complaints about VN providing customer details to all and sundry who have been persecuting VM customers for alledged illegal downloading for a long time now.

    Not being a VM customer, I know nothing about VM providing customer details, nor have I heard anything on the news.

    Whats all this about?
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    masona2 wrote: »
    Not being a VM customer, I know nothing about VM providing customer details, nor have I heard anything on the news.

    Whats all this about?

    It was all over these forums over the last year or so, with VM providing details of customers who were supposedly downloading copyrighted programming.

    Today was the first I've ever heard of Sky doing anything similar, but it is of course an ISP issue, and it's possible they are obliged to? - but VM were the first I ever heard about.
  • masona2masona2 Posts: 819
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    Hi Nigel,

    1, You mean like watching Stargate Universe or other TV content over the internet?

    2, Whos banging the drum for service providers to provide this info?

    Sounds like a 1984 police state and an invasion of privacy.
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