| Virgin Media |
Virgin Media Inc. is a provider of television, telephone and broadband internet services to domestic and business customers in the UK, delivered primarily through its fibre-optic cable network. The company was formerly known as ntl:Telewest following the merger of NTL Incorporated with Telewest Global, Inc.).
A further merger with Virgin Mobile's UK arm in 2006 created the first "quadruple-play" media company in the United Kingdom, bringing together television, Internet, mobile phone and fixed-line telephone services.
As the only major cable company in the United Kingdom, it competes primarily with the other major pay-TV operator, satellite-based British Sky Broadcasting which currently has more channels than any other provider in the UK , and with Freeview, the free-to-air terrestrial service. While US-headquartered, Virgin Media only operates in the United Kingdom, with headquarters in Hook, Hampshire and its financial base in Bradford.
Virgin Broadband in cabled areas is marketed as "fibre optic broadband". However, it is actually a FTTN network, where fibre optic trunk lines are used to connect the area's headend to cabinets on the street.[citation needed] It is not a fibre to the home service like Verizon FiOS; instead, the link between the cabinet and the customer uses DOCSIS 3.0 over coaxial copper cable. |
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| Website: Virgin Media |
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| Virgin Television |
Virgin Television, the digital cable television service from Virgin Media, currently[update] ranks as the UK's second largest pay TV service, having 3.6m subscribers, compared to BSkyB's 8.2m as of Q3 2007.
Virgin's digital cable television currently uses the Nagravision 1 conditional access system, although it is currently in the process of switching to the Nagravision 3 conditional access system.
Currently around 55% of UK households potentially have access to Virgin's network, Virgin plans to expand availability in the rest of the UK using DSL technology. It plans to do this both by signing a contract with another telecoms company and by installing its own equipment in BT exchanges.
As of 2008 Virgin Media functions as a single company; however, it continues to rely on three existing infrastructures: the Langley-based NTL, Bromley-based Cable and Wireless and Knowsley-based Telewest platforms. However, as part of the Next Generation Television network, the infrastructure is being consolidated into a single super headend at Langley, while Knowsley will serve as a backup. |
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| Virgin1 |
Virgin1 is the flagship television channel operated by the British broadcaster Virgin Media Television. The channel was launched on 1 October 2007 at 9pm on Freeview, Virgin Media and Sky Digital, replacing Ftn. The channel is broadcast 24 hours on cable, satellite and Freeview complemented by timeshift channel Virgin1+1.
Programming on the channel includes acquisitions such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Chuck, The Riches and The Unit along with commissions such as Caribbean Cops and Take Me To The Edge. |
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| Virgin central |
| Virgin Central is a TV channel launched on the Virgin Media platform on 20 February 2007. It is based on the video-on-demand system. The service was launched on the Virgin Media platform on 20 February 2007. Viewers press the red button on their remote controls and are presented with a list of television series, episodes of which they can watch at any time they like during the week[8]. The programmes are all free to watch, and do not have any adverts in them. The viewer can also use their remote control to pause, fast forward, rewind and stop the programme at any time[8]. The service currently features shows from distributors such as the BBC, Buena Vista and Alliance Atlantis. |
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| Living |
| Living and Living +1, formerly affiliated with UK Gold as UK Living and then known as LIVINGtv. It is the main channel from Virgin Media Television and usually has the highest ratings, recently better than that of Sky1 which strengthens its bid to become "the 6th Channel". It originally launched in 1993 as UK Living, but the channel later changed its name to Living in 1997, to disassociate itself from the UKTV network that launched that year. In a bid to appeal to a more male audience, the pink colour scheme was dropped and new types of programming came to the channel, but at the same time not losing its female audience. Shows include the likes of the CSI franchise, Close to Home and Boston Legal, the channel is now broadening its audience reach to other key demographics such as men aged 18–45. The most watched shows on Living are Ghost Whisperer, America's Next Top Model, Grey's Anatomy and Most Haunted Live!. Living in 2006 launched a specific version of the channel for the Republic of Ireland. Available on Sky Digital, Magnet Networks, SCTV and UPC. The channel airs specific advertising for the region. Living have also used outdoor advertising within the country. |
| Livingit and Livingit +1 is the sister channel of Living which was launched on 13 December 2004. The channel mainly shows highlights of programming from Living, along with extended coverage of its reality programmes, such as I'm Famous and Frightened Extra! and Most Haunted Live!. However, the channel has gained the American Reality TV Show, the Amazing Race. The channel also shows more lifestyle and health related programmes than Living such as, Baby ER, Birth Stories, Downsize Me and Wedding SOS. There is also a programming slot called Baby Zone, in which programmes related to pregnancy and birth are shown. |
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| Bravo |
| Bravo was launched in 1985. The channel also has a one hour timeshift named Bravo +1. The channel mainly broadcasts a multitude of exclusive crime documentaries and factual entertainment both from a variety of archive programming, such as Knight Rider and MacGyver, and original productions. Its target audience is currently men in their late twenties to early forties. On 28 August 2005, the channel started showing Serie A Italian football, bringing back the Channel 4 format Football Italia. However, poor viewing figures saw Bravo cancel first the weekly Gazetta Football Italia show, then announce it would stop showing Italian Football altogether after 23 December 2006. The network airs an Adult Swim block nightly at around midnight. Recently the channel has acquired rights to show Blade: The Series and The Kill Point. |
| Bravo 2, formerly called Player, launched on 2 March 2006. It originally replaced the Player late night slot on Challenge. On 28 September 2006, Player relaunched as Bravo 2 and became a sister channel of Bravo. The channel's content consists of gambling and sports programmes. The ident for Player was the same as that of the original slot. Recently, as Player, Bravo 2 added exclusive coverage of the FIA GT Championship to its portfolio of sports events. The channel also carries a limited amount of Serie A matches under the production of Bravo. From January 2007 Bravo 2 started broadcasting Total Nonstop Action Wrestling programming and is the only channel in the UK which has the exclusive rights for TNA Wrestling Programming which consists of a two day delay for the American broadcast TNA weekly show "TNA Impact!" and a three day delay for the TNA Monthly Pay Per Views.] Bravo's contract with TNA Wrestling Programming is an 18 month contract and was distributed by RDA TV. |
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| Challenge |
| Challenge and Challenge+1, launched as The Family Channel on 1 September 1993 as a family orientated channel but relaunched as Challenge in February 1997. The station relies heavily on game shows taken from a variety of sources although most are repeats of programmes acquired from the terrestrial channels' archives. The channel also has interactive features for digital cable and satellite viewers watching certain shows, enabling them to play along at home. Challenge now broadcasts 24 hours a day. In its early years, it timeshared with The Children's Channel and then later with TV Travel Shop. During this, Challenge would begin at 5pm and run until around midnight, with a teleshopping service filling up the early hours when both them and either TCC or TV Travel Shop weren't broadcasting. The main slogan of the channel is 'Saturday night, every night'. |
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| Challenge Jackpot |
| Challenge Jackpot launched on 1 July 2008 as a 24 hour interactive gaming channel, run in collaboration with Two Way Media. It is available on Virgin Media cable & Sky Digital but is also available on Freeview via Virgin 1 and Bravo 2 simulcasts overnight. On cable, an interactive application developed by Two Way Media that enables viewers to play along with live programming on the channel; alternatively, viewers may participate on the channel's website. It shows Face Up Hold 'Em, Get Set Roulette, Hot Shot Keno and Roulette Nation gambling programmes with presenters such as Jeff Brazier. |
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