Virgin v Sky

[Giraffe]

You decide

 

[surrey jim]

Virgin by a country mile.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Sky gets Sports Channels etc in HD but, hey, I'm not that bothered.

Virgin + lets you record two channels whilst watching a third, far superior.

 

[surrey jim]

Sky gets Sports Channels etc in HD but, hey, I'm not that bothered.

Virgin + lets you record two channels whilst watching a third, far superior.

According to the other thread, Sky Sports HD will soon be on virgin

link
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/news/a217495/sky-sports-1-2-hd-coming-to-virgin-media.html

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I was wondering this the other day. Have had Sky for 10 years, but reading all the bumpf from Virgin lately, it looks like a much better service, with HD (without monthly payment), TV on demand (not sure how good that is, but sounds interesting), plus you don't "own" the hardware, so faults can be fixed/replaced without charge - all this for a cheaper mothnly price. What's not to love.

So, are there any downsides to Virgin over Sky ?

 

[surrey jim]

I was wondering this the other day. Have had Sky for 10 years, but reading all the bumpf from Virgin lately, it looks like a much better service, with HD (without monthly payment), TV on demand (not sure how good that is, but sounds interesting), plus you don't "own" the hardware, so faults can be fixed/replaced without charge - all this for a cheaper mothnly price. What's not to love.

So, are there any downsides to Virgin over Sky ?

If you subscribe to Sky Movies via Virgin they are not broadcast in surround sound - minor irritation. Catch up TV on demand is much like aky anytime however much more content is added and TV on demand is great, tonnes of shows on there.
Virgin also let you record two simultanious channels while watching a third

 

[pasty]

We've always tried to avoid the "all eggs in one basket" approach but we've recently dumped BT and Sky in favour of a single provider for t'internet/phone/tv in Virgin. Bloomin glad we did now. We've saved about £50 a month for a start! Virgin customer service is also very good, not in India, and so far everyone I've spoken to apperars to have English as their native language, and TV on demand is great for catching things you've missed.

Only slight downside I've found is that with Virgin, the tv guide only shows that day - you can't look ahead, nor set series reminders etc like you can on Sky. (if anyone knows different, please tell me how)

Oh, and bloody page up/page down buttons on the remote are the other way round so I keep going the wrong bloody way.

 

[beardosh]

Don't get the option where I live so it has to be Sky.

 

[Mr Everyone]

Virgin by an absolute mile!! I've had both in recent years and the service I receive from Sky is poor. When I press the red-button on BBC, the service frequently freezes or logs off.

Virgin has on-demand. This is the best invention since colour television.

The only downer to Virgin is that it is not installed in all homes; including newbuilds and even small towns like Belper up the road!

 

[surrey jim]

Only slight downside I've found is that with Virgin, the tv guide only shows that day - you can't look ahead, nor set series reminders etc like you can on Sky. (if anyone knows different, please tell me how)

Virgin +?? If so the blue button (I think from memory will check when back later) goes +24hours with Yellow -24 Hours

With regards to series reminders I you can set the programmes on series record then add the reminder

 

[Paskman]

Has to be Sky for me, you can get it anywhere - to get Virgin you need to be in a fibre optic area, which we are not

 

[Easy 10]

Sky.

Believe in better.

 

[sjamesb3466]

I live in a fibre-optic area so its Virgin by a long way for me as you can get far superior broadband. Sky may offer up to 20MB broadband but most phone lines can't handle anywhere near that so its a load of rubbish. I have 20MB virgin cable broadband and even at peak times get an average of 18 MB. Job done.

 

[fire&skill]

I was wondering this the other day. Have had Sky for 10 years, but reading all the bumpf from Virgin lately, it looks like a much better service, with HD (without monthly payment), TV on demand (not sure how good that is, but sounds interesting), plus you don't "own" the hardware, so faults can be fixed/replaced without charge - all this for a cheaper mothnly price. What's not to love.

So, are there any downsides to Virgin over Sky ?

When you book make sure you are crystal clear about what you want. Don't assume they know what you mean when you say you've got the Sky Family Pack, Sky+ and one other box in the house. They don't and will send you the bog standard pack that needs immediately upgrading and therefore costs you more.

That said, when my wife and kids are getting their fix of 'Emmerdale' and Simon Cowell's latest offering of tat, and I've had my fill of reading about the best pie at an away ground on here, Virgin does allow me to watch old episodes of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' which Sky doesn't.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Have had both. Switched to Virgin a year ago because it was cheaper, but not been a happy boy since. Slow response from remote control, live pause is inferior to SKY's, Virgin + promises so much, but is utter shite. Doesn't record properly, misses off chunks of programmes, system crashes more often. And the Wifi / internet access is god-awful, too. Soooo slow.

So, Virgin is pretty terrible, really. Only good thing is the On Demand facility, when it decides to work reliably.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Only slight downside I've found is that with Virgin, the tv guide only shows that day - you can't look ahead, nor set series reminders etc like you can on Sky. (if anyone knows different, please tell me how)

It can be done, but only by females, my wife knows how!

 

[eastlondonseagull]

I live in a fibre-optic area so its Virgin by a long way for me as you can get far superior broadband. Sky may offer up to 20MB broadband but most phone lines can't handle anywhere near that so its a load of rubbish. I have 20MB virgin cable broadband and even at peak times get an average of 18 MB. Job done.

Same here, supposedly. But a 56K modem would be faster, sometimes. All this fibre optic bollocks is crap.

 

[Tomnorthi]

Virgin for broadband.
Sky for tv.

 

[Mortdecai]

Sky for me, but that is because I live in Finland and can get everything except beeb 2 with my 2.4 metre satellite dish.

 

[The Ringleader Returns!]

I was wondering this the other day. Have had Sky for 10 years, but reading all the bumpf from Virgin lately, it looks like a much better service, with HD (without monthly payment), TV on demand (not sure how good that is, but sounds interesting), plus you don't "own" the hardware, so faults can be fixed/replaced without charge - all this for a cheaper mothnly price. What's not to love.

So, are there any downsides to Virgin over Sky ?

It's bloody brilliant.