[Technology] Sky vs Virgin Media - any views/experiences ?

[Guinness Boy]

On Virgin at the moment and actively looking to move back to Sky. Those initial deals don’t last and in a year’s time Virgin will be more expensive. The UI and programme recording are inferior as mentioned and the broadband is iffy as anything. Been waiting a month for a new router as well.


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[Beach Hut]

Been with Sky since it was £1.99 per month for the first Premier League season.

Not bad in my view but a bit miffed my monthly charges went up at the end of last month as current deal expired and also a bit pi$$ed off that I have been paying for Kids channels for neigh on 10 years I have never watched.

Aside form that next bill will be even cheaper than two months ago so not too bad, have sports, HD but not films

 

[Weststander]

At different homes since the mid-90’s, we’ve had Virgin TV (or its predecessors). Never had any problems at all, brilliant HD TV quality and I’m fine with the price including Sky Sports and BT Sports.

We use an independent ISP (using the BT landline) for all things internet and email, so have no idea about internet through Virgin.

 

[dazzer6666]

Useful replies, many thanks..........been exchanging messages on and off with Sky.....have so far agreed an immediate £50/month approx reduction, and likely upgrade to Sky Q (still arguing over the cost of additional boxes so not quite committing to that yet). Still a bit more expensive than the VM offer but avoids the hassle of changing and will review again in a year.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Virgin broadband is very reliable - I've had it in various forms since NTL back in 2003. Only issues are that the routers can have wifi issues but if you buy your own router then they disappear.

I recently switched back to Sky for TV after quite a while with Virgin. My reason for changing was the UKTV debacle where they dropped channels without warning, without lowering the cost and just after a price rise. To be honest, with hindsight I should have waited but I got a good deal from Sky.

Having used both systems, I prefer the VM TV system - it is better to use than the Sky Q stuff. I have had a new dish in a new location so I wait for the onset of winter to see if I get the old Sky issue of breakup in heavy rain - something VM doesn't suffer with.

I hope nobody shares this thread with Mrs DCH though as I have to show that I am very happy with Sky and didn't just rush into a change in a fit of pique!

 

[LamieRobertson]

Have had Virgin Media since it was NTL and had no real problems apart from occasional dropouts that any service gets. Free speed upgrades on internet connection too and, as they retain the ownership of the equipment, free repairs too if their equipment is at fault (I know that this wasn't the case in the past with Sky, don't know about now).

Had them since the cables were installed in Shoreham then under the ownership of Nynex....happy with the product happy with the service

 

[B-right-on]

Changed from Sat to VM a couple of years ago. Dish kept being blown out of alignment and at £65 a pop, was expensive to re align each time. Happy with VM pkg. Cheaper than sky, saves a bit over a year.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Sky are 100 x better than Virgin Media. It is a no contest

 

[Weststander]

Virgin broadband is very reliable - I've had it in various forms since NTL back in 2003. Only issues are that the routers can have wifi issues but if you buy your own router then they disappear.

I recently switched back to Sky for TV after quite a while with Virgin. My reason for changing was the UKTV debacle where they dropped channels without warning, without lowering the cost and just after a price rise. To be honest, with hindsight I should have waited but I got a good deal from Sky.

Having used both systems, I prefer the VM TV system - it is better to use than the Sky Q stuff. I have had a new dish in a new location so I wait for the onset of winter to see if I get the old Sky issue of breakup in heavy rain - something VM doesn't suffer with.

I hope nobody shares this thread with Mrs DCH though as I have to show that I am very happy with Sky and didn't just rush into a change in a fit of pique!

As well as using an independent ISP, we own a quality dual band wireless Netgear router. The last Netgear router lasted about 7 years! Enabling the simultaneous use in different rooms of Netflix, Amazon Prime via a firestick and FIFA gaming, all with no issues.

 

[Weststander]

Sky are 100 x better than Virgin Media. It is a no contest

Perhaps they’re rubbish in Newhaven?

Faultless for us in Brighton for 24 years.

 

[DJ NOBO]

As a Sky user that swapped to VM fpr a year,the VM tv interface is awful. The killer for me though is that recordings record to a set time, not the program like it does on Sky. So if a program starts late, the VM recording starts on the set time and finishes on time set.

You can set the recording to start a few minutes before the programme is due to start .

 

[Drumstick]

I’ve had Virgin for 9ish months now and very pleased with it. That said I had talk talk for tv/broadband and switched both to Virgin.

Overnight by internet speeds went from 14Mbps to 217Mbps.

I also have a V6 box in the lounge and the bedroom. I can record in one and watch him another. Or watch, pause and resume in another room. Compared to the old talktalk box it’s brilliant.

I have the full package, BT Sport, Kids, Sky Cinema just not Sky Sports as I wouldn’t watch it enough.

I haven’t had any issues with the UI on the box either I’m not sure what a lot of people problem with it is.

The app is also pretty decent.


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[Chicken Run]

Just did a speed check (results below) on my mobile using WiFi with router down one floor, no way could sky or bt compete with that !

Download: 193.68 Mb/s Upload: 13.03 Mb/s https://itunes.apple.com/app/speed-checker./id658790195

 

[Nitram]

I’d use it as a bargaining tool. Get an upgrade to Sky Q full package should aim to be at £50 a month excluding broadband. If you do a deal with BT and have sport you will reduce your total out goings. If happy with Sky use BT offers as bargains tool. Be prepared to cancel though as generally unless you cancel and go to retentions department you won’t get best deals. Don’t like the interface on Virgin although broadband speeds can’t be beaten.

 

[GOM]

As a Sky user that swapped to VM fpr a year,the VM tv interface is awful. The killer for me though is that recordings record to a set time, not the program like it does on Sky. So if a program starts late, the VM recording starts on the set time and finishes on time set.

You can set the recording to start a few minutes before the programme is due to start .

Indeed you can and after, but you are setting 'times' to record on a channel, look on the schedule, you are not recording a program. With Sky you record the program whenever it starts until it ends, even if delayed.

 

[Bad Ash]

Whatever you go for make sure you phone up and haggle. I noticed my initial 12 month deal had ended and I was paying ~£95 a month for TV alone. A quick call to cancellations reduced this to £51 for the next 18 months.

For reference I have SkyQ with the full TV package (Sports HD, Movies, Kids & Boxsets) + an additional miniQ box (which is £12 included in the £51 and they wouldn't budge on). I don't have BT Sport (or internet).

 

[dazzer6666]

Just did a speed check (results below) on my mobile using WiFi with router down one floor, no way could sky or bt compete with that !

Download: 193.68 Mb/s Upload: 13.03 Mb/s https://itunes.apple.com/app/speed-checker./id658790195

I get about 65mb with Sky Pro (as good as it'll get through a telephone line as the last few hundred yards are copper wiring), but to be honest that's fast enough for anything I need (including very regular video calls when working from home)

I’d use it as a bargaining tool. Get an upgrade to Sky Q full package should aim to be at £50 a month excluding broadband. If you do a deal with BT and have sport you will reduce your total out goings. If happy with Sky use BT offers as bargains tool. Be prepared to cancel though as generally unless you cancel and go to retentions department you won’t get best deals. Don’t like the interface on Virgin although broadband speeds can’t be beaten.

Yep, this (plus broadband pro and telephone)

Whatever you go for make sure you phone up and haggle. I noticed my initial 12 month deal had ended and I was paying ~£95 a month for TV alone. A quick call to cancellations reduced this to £51 for the next 18 months.

For reference I have SkyQ with the full TV package (Sports HD, Movies, Kids & Boxsets) + an additional miniQ box (which is £12 included in the £51 and they wouldn't budge on). I don't have BT Sport (or internet).

..and this

Have settled on a reduction in price on existing package for now of about £50, with possible upgrade to Sky Q as and when they offer me a decent price on additional miniboxes - not paying £99 each for the extra 2 I'd need. Apparently there are regular offers through the 'VIP App'.

 

[Lush]

Reasonably pleased with Virgin service, but they will put your bill up by £3.99 - £4.99 every six months or so, justifying it with some waffle about investing in faster broadband. It doesn't take long for your bills to start looking a bit hefty. Apparently they've been told by Oftel that this is unreasonable, and effectively means that they've nulled your original contract, so if you're still under contract and want to move, you can if you point this out.

Also boo to Richard Branson for Virgin Care and suing the NHS.

 

[Weststander]

Reasonably pleased with Virgin service, but they will put your bill up by £3.99 - £4.99 every six months or so, justifying it with some waffle about investing in faster broadband. It doesn't take long for your bills to start looking a bit hefty. Apparently they've been told by Oftel that this is unreasonable, and effectively means that they've nulled your original contract, so if you're still under contract and want to move, you can if you point this out.

Also boo to Richard Branson for Virgin Care and suing the NHS.

Their increased charges are often due to Sky or other providers upping the charges to them.

 

[Pantani]

VM broadband speeds are far superior when it works, recently I came close to leaving VM for Sky but the third engineer in as many months finally it seems has sited my BB out , I have 2 v6 boxes and can watch my lounge recordings in the bedroom now too!

About a month ago I proper kicked off with Virgin about my broadband. It had been dropping out around 20 times a day (I kept a log) and was threatening to leave. The next morning they dug up my whole street and replaced the cables

Obviously a coincidence, but still it was nice to pretend my complaining actually made a difference.