Sky TV vs. Virgin Media - which one is best?

[Eric_Collins 11]

virgin basic package then get a better box off ebay...cough cough

 

cough cough eurocough box cough

[Ghozer 112]

The best deal is Virgin phone and internet, with Sky+ TV, best 'quantity/quality vs price' ratio I find.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Ghozer

[Ghozer 112]

Virgin's broadband is very good. Better than ADSL IMO

 

As for the TV, Sky has more HD choice, but Virgin has On-demand which Sky doesn't, despite what it's salespeople say (I offered to draw one a network diagram to back my point up)

 

And they do have on demand, but its only certain newer boxes that support it (due to hardware speed and software limitations) but then, it's the same with Virgin, only the newest boxes support it...

[Mr&MrsRadish 10]

HThis is a hard one but lets have a go

 

Sky currently have more HD channels

Sky have a better way of prviding channels (6 mixes)

Sky BB is limitied to upgraded exchanges and its ADSL

 

VM Just added 4 HD channles

VM you get ESPN free with TVXL (top package)

Vm have thousands of hours of on demand and everyone get 7 days OD

VM haveup to 50MB bbi

Telco compairable with SKY

 

O sky on catchup is limited to the 40GB n chard drive.

 

so its all about what you need. Fast internet? flexible channels ??

 

I like th elook of virgin and know many people who have it and they are happy but then the same goes for sky lol.

[pem123 10]

And they do have on demand, but its only certain newer boxes that support it (due to hardware speed and software limitations) but then, it's the same with Virgin, only the newest boxes support it...

 

No they don't.

 

The boxes may be able to record a selection of programmes, but the key difference is that a Sky system stores stuff on it's hard drive.

 

Virgin boxes can play programmes from Virgin's own servers on demand. This means many times more choice

[mr craig 10]

TV-Sky

Interwebs-Virgin

[Preacher Man 10]

I'm with virgin and they have realeased a service where you have online storage on their severs as backup which I like.

 

Upload photos and they will print and post you out 25 a month for free!

 

And don't go by the prices you see for either, ring customer services and barter..

[Ghozer 112]

No they don't.

 

The boxes may be able to record a selection of programmes, but the key difference is that a Sky system stores stuff on it's hard drive.

 

Virgin boxes can play programmes from Virgin's own servers on demand. This means many times more choice

 

yes, they do, it's called "Sky Anytime" and if you press your RED button on the TV Guide (if your box supports it) thats how you access it.

 

read.. http://mysky.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/mysky/article?contentid=5224210

 

and as for the 40GB limit stated above by Mr&MrsRadish, this again depends on the box you have, my mum has a 160GB, and you can get 80GB ones too.

[pem123 10]

yes, they do, it's called "Sky Anytime" and if you press your RED button on the TV Guide (if your box supports it) thats how you access it.

 

read.. http://mysky.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/mysky/article?contentid=5224210

 

and as for the 40GB limit stated above by Mr&MrsRadish, this again depends on the box you have, my mum has a 160GB, and you can get 80GB ones too.

 

All the Sky version can do is record certain programmes and store them on your hard drive.

 

Therefore it can't offer anywhere near as much stuff as Virgin, where you can just access programming directly on the network

[Ghozer 112]

All the Sky version can do is record certain programmes and store them on your hard drive.

 

Therefore it can't offer anywhere near as much stuff as Virgin, where you can just access programming directly on the network

 

No, it doesnt record them, that is Sky+-, Sky Anytime is basically Sky Ondemand, you select a program from the catalogue to watch, and you watch it, pretty much like Virgins

 

Sky has had this for about a year now, read this article. http://informitv.com/articles/2007/01/31/skyanytimetv/ - yes it uses part of the hard drive, but that is just like a PC uses the RAM or hard drive for streaming meadia, and Virgin media does the same, it 'caches' what you have selected to play it without problems.

[pem123 10]

No, it doesnt record them, that is Sky+-, Sky Anytime is basically Sky Ondemand, you select a program from the catalogue to watch, and you watch it, pretty much like Virgins

 

Sky has had this for about a year now, read this article. http://informitv.com/articles/2007/01/31/skyanytimetv/ - yes it uses part of the hard drive, but that is just like a PC uses the RAM or hard drive for streaming meadia, and Virgin media does the same, it 'caches' what you have selected to play it without problems.

 

So you are saying that when you select a programme, the sky box requests it from sky's servers and it's then transmitted to you and you alone?

[Ghozer 112]

So you are saying that when you select a programme, the sky box requests it from sky's servers and it's then transmitted to you and you alone?

 

not quite, they have a catalogue of programs they are transmitting constantly on sky anytime, its done the same basic way that the interactive services are, but yes, you select a program and watch it.... It's not the exact same method as Virgin as its a different technology, but the result is basically the same.