Virgin Media Community

[watney]

Hi All,

I see from 12th January until February 9th Virgin are giving us all a few free channels (see https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-tv-edit/tv/new-channels-on-virgin-tv) which include documentary channels like Sky History, Discovery, and Eurosport.

This is great as I don't normally have these channels (I have the old Mix package) but I was interested in the Sky History documentary series History's Greatest Mysteries which is shown on Tuesdays - specifically the episode "Titanic's lost evidence" which was shown on 5th January. I can watch the upcoming episodes about DB Cooper, and Shackleton live and they look interesting but none of them or anything else from Sky History can be seen in catch up. Says "upgrade to watch" in the catch-up menu.

So all have been given the channels temporarily but not the catch-up so I can't see the Titanic one. Is this a mistake or should I, as I suspect, be grateful for the freebie and leave it at that? I thought we did usually get the catch up on these temporary upgrades?

[japitts · Accepted solution]

I suspect, the answer is no.

These are "free to view" and you'll be able to make & view recordings from these channels until Feb 9th - but after that, then unless you're in a package where these channels are included, those recordings will also cease to work.

I suspect the VOD access is restricted to the TV packages where the channel in question is normally available. There's also a side-issue of when a programme is CatchUp vs when it's "boxsets" and only in top-tier XL/Maxit/Full-House.

@BenMcrmay be able to confirm this.

[BenMcr · Accepted solution]

Yup, as far as I'm aware it's only ever the linear channels.

And as mentioned for Sky recordings those only work while the channel is part of the subscription you have.

[watney]

Thanks very much for your insight guys

[watney]

Just to say the catch up now does have this show and others from Sky History available to play for those of us (well me anyway) who were gifted this channel until February 9th. Oddly nothing from Sky History 2!

So not just the linear channels this time and I can watch the one about the Titanic that predates the temporary free upgrade.

Unfortunately it turns to be hardly worth the trouble the content being so greatly padded but I'm still pleased to have caught it.