[annemcgowan]

I have just gone in for Sky+ and following a sales gimmick, saying that they have much more than V+ l cconfirmed the order,

v+ is much better, with the Sky+ on the AnytimeTv, l can only get a few progs, compared to whole series and progs on V+ l cannot get any docs, or films, kids stuff or music like it says, whereas on V+ you can get the lot, is there something wrong my new box, or is that you get, or have l been conned by Sky.

[pmalexander]

Originally Posted by annemcgowan

I have just gone in for Sky+ and following a sales gimmick, saying that they have much more than V+ l cconfirmed the order,

v+ is much better, with the Sky+ on the AnytimeTv, l can only get a few progs, compared to whole series and progs on V+ l cannot get any docs, or films, kids stuff or music like it says, whereas on V+ you can get the lot, is there something wrong my new box, or is that you get, or have l been conned by Sky.

Bless, I have just switched from Sky to Virgin Media, their XL package offers a better package all round, compared to the 6 packs you can have with Sky.

The only thing Sky offer you more than you can get via Virgin Media, is all the extra HD channels. But if you want all of the extra HD channels, e.g. sports and movies, you gotta pay for it, including the Sky + HD box, the extra tenner subscription, etc, etc.

The catch up stuff is excellent, rather than the pathetic Anytime TV Sky offer. Having been a Sky customer for the past 7 years, moving to VM at this moment in time, was the correct move. Sky's Sky + box is a little dated in its features now!!

[Jarrak]

As always do some research yourself and never believe marketing or salesmen, both VM and SKY say a load of tosh about the other and if you have the choice compare the two services and choose which is best for you.

[platelet]

Anytime downloads 2 to 3 programs a night. It will slowly fill up with a range of programs including docs and kids stuff etc but never offer much in the way of the selction your used to. You'll also find Anytime leans heaviliy towards the movies channels which unless you subscribe to will be no use to you.

The only way sky+ offers more than v+ is in the simple number of channels and number of timeshifted channels (+1/4, +1/2, +1, +1.5 type of channels)

If you have decent broadband and a media centre pc then sky's version of iplayer offers a lot more VOD

http://skyplayer.sky.com/vod/page/de...Skyplayerworld

And it comes as part of your subscription.

Sky are playing/piloting VOD over the net, but will only ever deliver that to the HD boxes and then this will possibly be limited to those with sky BB as the likes of BT have made noises about the amount of traffic involved.

[Mark Hewitt]

Oh Sky+ is awful compared to V+. Sky+ is a technology at least 5 years behind V+ and it shows.

With Sky you basically get minimal on demand content whereas with Virgin you have iPlayer, 4oD, ITVPlayer, and a big selection of saved programmes and music etc etc etc. Plus you can record 2 programmes and watch a third and have 80 hours recordings. It's just a vastly superior platform.

I just wish I lived in a cabled area!

[Young Turks]

Originally Posted by Mark Hewitt

Oh Sky+ is awful compared to V+. Sky+ is a technology at least 5 years behind V+ and it shows.

With Sky you basically get minimal on demand content whereas with Virgin you have iPlayer, 4oD, ITVPlayer, and a big selection of saved programmes and music etc etc etc. Plus you can record 2 programmes and watch a third and have 80 hours recordings. It's just a vastly superior platform.

I just wish I lived in a cabled area!

So do I! would be nice to have cable broadband as well iPlayer, 4oD, ITVPlayer and free ESPN HD.

On sky we have to pay for SD version let alone free HD version Virgin offers.

[snapey999]

Do the latest Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes have an ethernet port? If they have I assume that means that VOD is technically only a firmware update away, Whenever that happens

I suppose nothing is going to happen until we get suitable broadband speed and coverage and ISP's quit whinging about people downloading too much on Iplayer, etc. Somebody tell ISP's thats their job! I remember seeing ClaraNet on tommorows world many years ago selling us broadband with the promise that we would watch TV over it.

[platelet]

Originally Posted by snapey999

Do the latest Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes have an ethernet port? If they have I assume that means that VOD is technically only a firmware update away, Whenever that happens

HD boxes certainly do they've been playing with it for a while now:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...sky-plans.html

[PudpullerTM]

Originally Posted by platelet

Anytime downloads 2 to 3 programs a night. It will slowly fill up with a range of programs including docs and kids stuff etc but never offer much in the way of the selction your used to. You'll also find Anytime leans heaviliy towards the movies channels which unless you subscribe to will be no use to you.

The only way sky+ offers more than v+ is in the simple number of channels and number of timeshifted channels (+1/4, +1/2, +1, +1.5 type of channels)

If you have decent broadband and a media centre pc then sky's version of iplayer offers a lot more VOD

http://skyplayer.sky.com/vod/page/de...Skyplayerworld

And it comes as part of your subscription.

Sky are playing/piloting VOD over the net, but will only ever deliver that to the HD boxes and then this will possibly be limited to those with sky BB as the likes of BT have made noises about the amount of traffic involved.

It is highly likely that when Sky do start VOD on the platform it will be sky only as you would need to be connected to their video servers. via their new mslams. basically the video and internet are coded together but dont have anything to do with each other.

this would mean all sky boxes with iptv built in would be able to use it not just +/HD.
and on the V+ / HD+ argument the HD box supports better formats (not burdened with Mpeg 2 for its HD) and is a lot better box for HD.
the VOD on NTL has nothing really to do with the V+ box perse and works exactly the same on a normal v box.

With sky you dont get the STM's which could quite easily find themselves onto the VOD service if NTL decide you are using more of your fair share.

[Andrue]

Originally Posted by PudpullerTM

It is highly likely that when Sky do start VOD on the platform it will be sky only as you would need to be connected to their video servers. via their new mslams. basically the video and internet are coded together but dont have anything to do with each other.

Are they using regional servers or just one big farm? Are they using multicasting for Sky player?

Supposedly BT's new WBC/WBMC should make multicasting more practical for wholesale ISPs albeit not at the exchange level from what I remember. I've not heard anything implying take-up or even trialling though.

Unfortunately even if that does go operational it won't help LLU ISPs.

GEA looks like it might incorporate multicasting or even support for separate broadcasting of video/audio if I'm reading this right:

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/prod...ry_present.ppt

That would be remarkably sensible if implemented. It would be yet another advantage of FTTC.

[PudpullerTM]

Originally Posted by Andrue

Are they using regional servers or just one big farm? Are they using multicasting for Sky player?

Supposedly BT's new WBC/WBMC should make multicasting more practical for wholesale ISPs albeit not at the exchange level from what I remember. I've not heard anything implying take-up or even trialling though.

Unfortunately even if that does go operational it won't help LLU ISPs.

GEA looks like it might incorporate multicasting or even support for separate broadcasting of video/audio if I'm reading this right:

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/prod...ry_present.ppt

That would be remarkably sensible if implemented. It would be yet another advantage of FTTC.

they are using local exchange media servers connected to their own backbone

[Sofa King]

Originally Posted by Young Turks

So do I! would be nice to have cable broadband as well iPlayer, 4oD, ITVPlayer and free ESPN HD.

On sky we have to pay for SD version let alone free HD version Virgin offers.

I said the same thing. Really would be nice to have Virgin Media

The roads around my area are clearly cabled and the whole area is "apparently" cabled, but go onto Virgin Media site and no TV for Clacton. Don't see why Clacton-on-sea isn't cabled

It's a damn shame

[Zebs]

According to my bro who changed from Sky+ to V+, the Virgin box beats Sky+ on paper but its clunky and not as nice to use as Sky.
The grass is always greener on the other side, remember!

[Katia Polletin]

Originally Posted by Zebs

According to my bro who changed from Sky+ to V+, the Virgin box beats Sky+ on paper but its clunky and not as nice to use as Sky.
The grass is always greener on the other side, remember!

Yeah, the V+ boxes are clunky and very buggy and you do swear at the thing often. Takes cable years to sort issues out and a slow to implement improvements, they often have good ideas but poorly implemented.

Also note: the V+ should be compared to the Sky HD+ box and not just the Sky+ box, as there is no VM equivalent of the Sky+ box just the Sky HD+ box.