Virgin EPG auto-loads by default on terrestrial digital

Well, I am wondering if I can sue Virgin for a new
Hi-Fi. Fortunately my speakers are stage monitors
and cut-out if over-loaded and I resent the erosion
of courtesy the US-style malicious-claim culture
has led to here, so I shan't be.

Anyone does, post here to keep us apprised though.

Yes, that's right, Virgin have taken over the EPG
for terrestrial digital television in some parts of the
country.

I nipped out today to go pick up the supplements
to the papers that Menzies had not got to the
newsagents in time whilst Countryfile was airing
and when I got back and booted up the box, ooh,
there's a message saying "new software has been
downloaded, would you like to install it?"

In all fairness, if you have an older digibox then it
updates you with a Picture-in-Picture function so
the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) can be
browsed whilst gasp watching the programme
you're watching.

On the downside, if you bought even a bog-standard
cheapy box from a supermarket in the last 18 months
the chances are you already have a P-in-P feature
on your EPG and the chances are the P-in-P screen
will occupy a more generous and easy-to-view window
in the screen furniture than Virgin give you, what with
all that advertising they cram around it and all.

It's nice to have a browsable EPG that allows me to
watch the programme I'm already watching. I may
still go out and buy an up-to-date box anyway so I
can get one without the advertising.

I really don't like the bombardment of my senses that
is Virgin's approach to brand profiling.

What next? Blur-effect billboards that can be read from
trains-on-the-move alongside the tracks that Virgin
services operate on?

A free pack of mentos with each bottle of Virgin cola
and associated tie-in book detailing Brainiac-style fun
science that can be done with it?

Yes, the EPG is a quick and dirty appropriation of the
ROM-coded EPGs that boxes come with these days,
crammed full of advertising.

But if you already have a browsable EPG with P-in-P
for the channel you're already on, then I recommend you
keep it.

I can see I'm going to end up liaising with some techy
mates, coding my own, and tweaking the DAB version
of the iPod in-car transmitter to download it...

....then I can go spend 9 months sitting silently in a new
pub scrutinising all the regulars in intense detail without
actually ever saying anything and expect to be considered
somehow polite.

G DAEB
COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SIPSTON
--

FCS wrote in news:bb9b2a03-9249-43e5-bfd6-
:

Well, I am wondering if I can sue Virgin for a new
Hi-Fi. Fortunately my speakers are stage monitors
and cut-out if over-loaded and I resent the erosion
of courtesy the US-style malicious-claim culture
has led to here, so I shan't be.

Anyone does, post here to keep us apprised though.

Yes, that's right, Virgin have taken over the EPG
for terrestrial digital television in some parts of the
country.

I nipped out today to go pick up the supplements
to the papers that Menzies had not got to the
newsagents in time whilst Countryfile was airing...etc.

[Reams of more randomness sipped]

WTF are you talking about and what does it have to do with your Hi-
Fi??!?!

--
____________________________
Moley

On Feb 3, 6:55*pm, Moley wrote:
FCS wrote in news:bb9b2a03-9249-43e5-bfd6-
:

Well, I am wondering if I can sue Virgin for a new
Hi-Fi. Fortunately my speakers are stage monitors
and cut-out if over-loaded and I resent the erosion
of courtesy the US-style malicious-claim culture
has led to here, so I shan't be.

Anyone does, post here to keep us apprised though.

Yes, that's right, Virgin have taken over the EPG
for terrestrial digital television in some parts of the
country.

I nipped out today to go pick up the supplements
to the papers that Menzies had not got to the
newsagents in time whilst Countryfile was airing...etc.

[Reams of more randomness sipped]

WTF are you talking about and what does it have to do with your Hi-
Fi??!?!

I am talking about the fact that Virgin have reprogrammed
my box so the EPG is now an advertising billboard for them
that returning it to factory settings does not work and that
because I take the line-out from my box through a mixer into
an amp the *******s would've blown my speakers by resetting
the unit's volume to maximum and cranking up the output from
low-Z phono levels to high-Z line levels, all by default, all
without a hint.

I don't ususally bother with swearing but they are bunch of
creepy, presumptious, ****-for-brains ****ing *******s and
I am going to be taking this up with OFCOM as it was presented
merely as a upgrade to the software, which I thought might
prove useful.

I have since deleted their channels from my box.

--
____________________________
Moley

G DAEB
COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SIPSTON
--

FCS wrote:

Yes, that's right, Virgin have taken over the EPG
for terrestrial digital television in some parts of the
country.

No they haven't. Are you mixing up DTT (aka Freeview, aka DVB-T) with Virgin
Media cable TV (aka DVB-C) ?

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

In message
, FCS
wrote

I have since deleted their channels from my box.


If you are so anti Virgin Media why not just ditch their subscription
service and get your TV service from elsewhere.?

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

On Feb 3, 7:13*pm, Mark Carver wrote:
FCS wrote:
Yes, that's right, Virgin have taken over the EPG
for terrestrial digital television in some parts of the
country.

No they haven't. Are you mixing up DTT (aka Freeview, aka DVB-T) with Virgin
Media cable TV (aka DVB-C) *?

Yes, they bloody have. Round here they have anyway.

I have a caravan style UHF aerial plugged into the
back of the box which is SCART-ed up to a VCR and
run out to an old-stlye tube television. There is
no cable in.

Anyway, it gets worse. The channels I had deleted
prior to the forced re-scan, despite showing up as
available from the transmitter, are not in evidence
at all even after two rescans.

The majority are, or rather were, paid for channels,
like Setanta and UKTV Gold, but there's no reason
they should stay paid-for if, say, the broadcaster
goes belly-up.

No, Virgin have tried to be a bunch of cocky clever
*******s and have basically ****ed up the EPROM in
my box irretrievably so far as I can make out.

I will be taking this up with OFCOM.

It's a twenty-odd quid terrestrial digital receiver
box bought from a chain supermarket Dec 2005, I have
installed the whole lot myself, so yes, I am pretty
****ing sure I haven't confused it with a cable system
that the property owner or my parents or whoever has
installed.

When I pull the aerial out I don't get any signal at
all. Coo. Looks like it's terrestrial digital freeview.

I had a feeling they'd be introducing it piecemeal,
hence the "DON'T ****ING DOWLOAD THIS SO-CALLED UPGRADE!!!!!"
posts to the relevant groups.

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

Actually, I'll just follow up to the groups if you don't
mind...

G DAEB
COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SIPSTON
--

"FCS" wrote in message
...
On Feb 3, 7:13 pm, Mark Carver wrote:
FCS wrote:
Yes, that's right, Virgin have taken over the EPG
for terrestrial digital television in some parts of the
country.

No they haven't. Are you mixing up DTT (aka Freeview, aka DVB-T) with
Virgin
Media cable TV (aka DVB-C) ?

Yes, they bloody have. Round here they have anyway.

So just where is here??

Steve Terry

FCS wrote:

[snip load of rambling nonsense]

Let's go back to square one for a moment. Virgin do not, and never have,
managed the software upgrades, nor the EPG data on UK DTT.

Where did you get the idea from that they have ?

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
FCS wrote:


Let's go back to square one for a moment. Virgin do not, and never have,
managed the software upgrades, nor the EPG data on UK DTT.

Where did you get the idea from that they have ?

The fact that the "upgrade" I installed this very morning
My very self is nothing more than an advertising billboard.
For Virgin. this is even to the extent that the channel list
persistently displays Virgin1 on channel 20 at the bottom
of the screen.

Thanks for being so forthcoming on who does and how I can
approach them, by the way.

I shall now have to take some time out to establish whether
or not I can reinstate channels deleted prior to said "upgrade".
Manually.

Even if they didn't post the upgrade for auto-installation
they are, presumably, responsible for the coding (i.e., it's
**** and poorly thought-through.).

You work for them or somet'?

If you know of an available anonymous-uploading FTP
archive I can send you a JPEG of the new EPG screen.

Unfortunately I can't show you a photograph of the old
one as, oddly enough, I never thought to take one.

Loks of red all over the place, lots of Virgin branding,
Separate promotional window in the bottom right with
various adverts for Virgin in it.

Looks pretty much like the Beardy's bunch to me...

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

G DAEB
COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SIPSTON
--

FCS wrote:
"Mark Carver" wrote in message

Let's go back to square one for a moment. Virgin do not, and never have,
managed the software upgrades, nor the EPG data on UK DTT.

Where did you get the idea from that they have ?

The fact that the "upgrade" I installed this very morning
My very self is nothing more than an advertising billboard.
For Virgin. this is even to the extent that the channel list
persistently displays Virgin1 on channel 20 at the bottom
of the screen.

What is the exact model number, and manufacturer of your box ?


You work for them or somet'?

No,


If you know of an available anonymous-uploading FTP
archive I can send you a JPEG of the new EPG screen.

http://photobucket.com/

HTH

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.