Just seen the announcement of Sky Sports+.
Doesn't seem to mention Virgin Media anywhere. Curious if there's going to be an update regarding this for us customers paying for Sky Sports on Virgin.
First press release I have seen about Sky Sports + outside of Sky.
“Available from August”
“It works on Sky Glass TVs, Sky Stream, Sky Q, NOW apps & Virgin TV boxes”
https://www.gbnews.com/tech/sky-sports-plus-release-date-price
To avoid any further confusion; Sky Sports+ will only be available on Virgin TV 360 and Stream at launch.
There is an existing red button functionality on the older boxes with reduced functionality, that will continue to be available but it wont have the full amount of streams available to customers with Sky Sports+
Like may others I have a VM package including Sky Sports and V6 boxes but don't wish to "upgrade" to 360 due to the many reported issues, loss of all recordings etc. Will Sky Sports + be available to VM customers who have Sky Sports in their package via their laptops, tablets, mobiles etc? I previously always watched EFL matches through I-Follow on my windows laptop using the sky sports app and hope this will continue for Sky Sports + streams. Is that the case?
Hi. I have Sky Sports in my Virgin Media bundle and was hoping very much that I'll get SkySports+ automatically as my team in in the championship. From what I can gather - I should. I saw this on the Sky website: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=skysportsplus May 2024
Is Sky Sports Plus on Virgin?
Sky Sports+, the upcoming streaming-based expansion of Sky Sports, won't be limited to just Sky subscribers. We can now confirm that the newly announced service, set to launch in August 2024, will also be available to Virgin Media and EE TV customers who have access to Sky Sports through their respective platforms
I just wanted to pick up on your concerns about upgrading to a 360 box - I notice you mentioned various reported issues, including loss of all recordings. I had a 360 when they were first rolled out a few years ago (I now have 2) and apart from teething problems such as locating some functions which have moved, I've never had any issues at all.
There are one or two minor niggles that no longer seem to be available (such as investigate this show/cast list - which are not show-stopping, just irritating) but there are a number of new functions available.
As for losing all recordings - do you mean any you have on your old box(V6, TiVO?). Yes unfortunately you won't be able to keep/or transfer these over to the 360 ..... so watch them now! .... but I've never experienced a loss of anything recorded on my 360.
My partner has the old box and I have to say - mine is superior! (Obvs my opinion 🙂 )
Hope this post helps ............
Slight error in my previous post. What I meant was I previously was able to watch live sky sports programmes on my Windows PC or laptop using the sky sports app and my Virgin login. My question is will this still be possible for Sky Sports + live matches? I would rather do that than upgrade my V6 boxes to 360s.
Hi countyexile
It looks like we'll be able to watch the linear Sky Sports + channel (which replaces the Sky Sports Arena channel) on computers using the Sky Sports Player app the way have in the past, but not the additional Sky Sports + streams. To me the Sky Sports Player app is different to the actual Sky Sports app as in previous seasons we couldn't access the red button streams on computers and I don't see that changing.
There is new info which I've copied below from an interesting article published today on
/rxtvinfo.com/2024/new-sky-sports-channel-launching-8th-august/
While the new Sky Sports+ linear channel will give subscribers extra coverage options, the accompanying streaming service will have the ability to offer up to 100 concurrent live streams in HD.
For traditional TV viewers, the Sky Sports+ linear channel – replacing Sky Sports Arena – will act as an additional outlet for live sport.
Sky Sports+ is fully launching at 6pm Thursday 8th August with a preview of the EFL season.
On the first night of the EFL 2024-25 season on Friday 9th August, Sky Sports Football will show Blackburn Rovers v Derby County. But Sky Sports+ linear will offer Preston North End v Sheffield United as an alternative.
Sky Sports+ also adds extra coverage of PGA Tour Golf and ATP/WTA Tennis Tours in addition to Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Tennis during its opening weekend.
For streaming TV users, including fans using the Sky Sports app, Sky Sports+ will offer extra live streams. This means multiple events can be shown at the same time, similar to how events like the Olympics are streamed.
*** Fingers crossed this will mean VM customers using the Sky Sports app on a mobile or tablet will be able to stream the additional games in the same way we've had access to the red button championship games in the past, but I don't think this will include the Sky Sports Player app on computers .***
It’s an evolution of the former red button service. However, because it’s delivered via streaming, not satellite, Sky can offer more options.
For example, on Friday 9th August, while the Sky Sports+ linear channel offers live coverage of Preston North End v Sheffield United, Sky Sports+ will offer an extra streaming option with EFL League One coverage of Barnsley v Mansfield Town.
Then on Saturday 10th August and Sunday 11th August, the streaming service will be the only place to access every opening weekend EFL game live. (A selection of games will be picked to be also shown on traditional platforms.)
For Sky Q, Sky Glass, Sky Stream and NOW users, the extra live streams are integrated into the service.
Older non-Sky Q satellite receivers are not compatible with the streaming element. This means it won’t be possible to select a live match if it’s streaming only. The only option will be to watch games shown on an existing traditional Sky Sports broadcast channel. *** This to me is the problem with the V6 based VM boxes and why it won't be available at launch. Reading between the lines, if Sky aren't going to adopt Sky Sports+ for their older boxes then I don't think they'll do it for V6 boxes ***
To get around this, switch to Sky Q (hybrid satellite TV and streaming). Alternatively, Sky Stream or Sky Glass (all TV streamed via broadband) offer every match option.
Sky Sports+ linear will replace Sky Sports Arena. It is launching on 8th August.
You’ll need to be connected to the internet to stream additional Sky Sports+ content, including alternative EFL games.
newapollo wrote:Older non-Sky Q satellite receivers are not compatible with the streaming element. This means it won’t be possible to select a live match if it’s streaming only. The only option will be to watch games shown on an existing traditional Sky Sports broadcast channel. *** This to me is the problem with the V6 based VM boxes and why it won't be available at launch. Reading between the lines, if Sky aren't going to adopt Sky Sports+ for their older boxes then I don't think they'll do it for V6 boxes ***
The older Sky boxes have limited or no internet capability (depending on the model), they are like VM's TiVos and so will get no further development. The case of the V6 is different in that it can get an app for Sky Sports+, although to me it makes little sense when the app is being developed for the 360 and Stream boxes.
Will I see a new app, sitting alongside the Apple and Disney apps? Or will this all be done via red button? If an app, when might I expect to see it? I don’t see one yet.
It will replace the existing red button functionality on 360 and Stream this week
Thanks BlueLou
Cedd - thanks for your reply and I appreciate your comments on your experience of the 360 box so far.
I note what you say about loss of recordings and I realise this is not going to change but it still does remain a major frustration / annoyance for me. I had this forlorn hope that recordings would be like they were in the old days - there to keep and view whenever I wanted to - and not liable to disappear en bloc whenever there was a software upgrade, channel change etc. Having to binge watch everything recorded before losing them whenever VM arbitrarily decides to make changes is far from ideal, to put it mildly!
I support a League 2 EFL football team and have been fortunate to see them play some big cup and Promotion play-off matches in recent seasons. Sadly the recordings of those matches have gradually disappeared (and will lose the rest of them if I "upgrade" to a 360 box) and many of them are not available to watch on catch-up, youtube etc. The crazy thing is I have match recordings (from the tv) on dvd for matches played in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s which I can keep long term but that is no longer possible for more recent games. That is progress?? As long as recordings are for personal viewing only I fail to see why recordings can't be taken from programmes I have subscribed to and paid to watch! Like I said earlier I know this won't change but that still doesn't make it any easier to accept.
I had a first experience of Sky Sports + (live stream) for a match last night and it was pretty much as newappollo intimated in a previous post. No stream available on tv without upgrading to 360. Unable to access the live stream on my Windows PC or laptop. I could, however, view on my android devices using the sky sports app via my VM login.
Regarding upgrading from V6 to 360 on reading through various threads here and elsewhere what does come across is that it is difficult to get definitive answers from VM with a different answer to the same question depending on who you speak to. Questions I have seen different answers to include:-
1) I have 2 V6 boxes and if I understand it correctly on "upgrading" to 360 one will become the main box and the other a mini box and that mini boxes do not have separate storage capacity. Does this mean on conversion my current 2TB storage (1TB on each box) will be cut in half?
2) The email I received referred to it as a free upgrade but on the VM website the 360 information refers to one box being free but any additional mini boxes would be charged for. I currently have 2 V6 boxes as part of my contracted package. So on upgrade would I be facing new charges for the 2nd box?
3) I have also seen comments that this free upgrade would constitute a new contract, meaning I would be tied in to a further 18 months contract from the date of the "upgrade". Is that correct? Furthermore if it is classed as a new contract will that give VM the opportunity to slip in additional charges, make other changes to package, remove channels (I am aware that some customers have already had TNT Sports arbitrarily removed mid-term despite it being part of the contracted package)?
4) One of the advertised new features of 360 is Startover where you can watch a programme from the beginning if you switch on after it has already started. Does this apply to all channels and programmes or just a select few?
Sorry to have rambled on at length but before clicking on the "free upgrade" button to be able to access Sky Sports + streams I need to know what I would actually be signing up for and there is precious little information about terms and conditions in the invite email and contradictory responses from VM when others have posed some of the questions.
countyexile wrote:
1) I have 2 V6 boxes and if I understand it correctly on "upgrading" to 360 one will become the main box and the other a mini box and that mini boxes do not have separate storage capacity. Does this mean on conversion my current 2TB storage (1TB on each box) will be cut in half?
2) The email I received referred to it as a free upgrade but on the VM website the 360 information refers to one box being free but any additional mini boxes would be charged for. I currently have 2 V6 boxes as part of my contracted package. So on upgrade would I be facing new charges for the 2nd box?
3) I have also seen comments that this free upgrade would constitute a new contract, meaning I would be tied in to a further 18 months contract from the date of the "upgrade". Is that correct? Furthermore if it is classed as a new contract will that give VM the opportunity to slip in additional charges, make other changes to package, remove channels (I am aware that some customers have already had TNT Sports arbitrarily removed mid-term despite it being part of the contracted package)?
4) One of the advertised new features of 360 is Startover where you can watch a programme from the beginning if you switch on after it has already started. Does this apply to all channels and programmes or just a select few?
1) If you have two V6 boxes they will both be upgraded to Virgin TV 360 and retain their storage. 2TB for you.
2) The information youu are referring to is related to new customers taking multiple boxes, not existing customers upgrading to 360. You will pay the same as you do now.
3) No new contract or repackage required, just migrate via the method detailed in the email, dont call in to request one as thats where sometimes this confusion can arise if customers end up speaking to retentions whose job it is to retain customers via new deals and recontracting.
4) Startover is a great feature. It's not available on every single channel but nearly all of them via the Virgin TV capability and those offered by the catch up apps from BBC, ITV, etc. In the TV guide if the startover icon is visible you can watch from the start, if it's visible but greyed out its in one of the apps but not yet available (they can take a bit longer to add shows to their apps). Of course it's not all programmes on all channels but the icon helps you to see what is and isnt available.
Thanks for the clarification.
