Virgin Media UK Launch First Dedicated 4K Ultra HD TV Channel
Cable broadband ISP and TV network Virgin Media has today announced the launch of a new dedicated Ultra High Definition (4K UltraHD) TV channel, which will be exclusively available for Virgin TV Full House and VIP customers with a V6 set-top-box from Monday 17th September 2018 “at no extra cost“.
The channel will carry a mix of popular dramas, documentaries and concerts. Some of the example TV shows being touted are ‘Start Up’ with Martin Freeman, ‘Masters of Sex’ starring Michael Sheen, ‘Shut Eye’ with Isabella Rosselini, ‘The Art of More’ with Dennis Quai and political drama ‘House of Cards’ (Netflix users already get this), as well as wildlife and nature documentaries set in Zambia and Vietnam, plus music gigs from the Rolling Stones, Sting and Imagine Dragons.
Virgin TV Ultra HD will begin to air on channel 999 and broadcast at prime-time until the early hours. The channel will start broadcasting from 8.20pm on launch night.
David Bouchier, Virgin Media’s Chief Digital Entertainment Officer, said:
“With the launch of Virgin TV Ultra HD we’re giving our customers the ultimate entertainment viewing experience with must-see shows in incredible, crystal-clear picture quality.
From epic dramas and stunning documentaries to the front row feeling of a rock concert, our customers will get closer to the action than ever before – with four times the picture quality of HD. It really is the next best thing to being there.
We’ve shown some of this year’s biggest sporting events in Ultra HD, such as the Champions League and Wimbledon finals and we’re now giving entertainment the Ultra HD treatment. It’s all part of our ongoing investment to give our customers the best way to watch the best TV.”
At present nearly two million Virgin TV customers already have a V6 box in the UK, but if you’re on one of the relevant two package types then obviously you’d also need a 4K capable TV set in order to experience the best quality content (otherwise the channel will simply downscale what it displays to HD for older TV sets).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
« ISP Sky Broadband UK to Sell Openreach G.fast and FTTP Broadband
Latest UK ISP News
- FTTP (5576)
- BT (3527)
- Politics (2550)
- Openreach (2309)
- Business (2282)
- Building Digital UK (2251)
- FTTC (2050)
- Mobile Broadband (1989)
- Statistics (1797)
- 4G (1679)
- Virgin Media (1637)
- Ofcom Regulation (1472)
- Fibre Optic (1406)
- Wireless Internet (1399)
- FTTH (1382)
Pointless, cos VM won’t be using any Sky Sports, BT Sport in UHD 4K anyway
BT Sport UHD 4K is already available on VM.
Yep 4K BTSports has been on Virgin since june/july time. Another inaccurate post by the regular on VM items.
also the V6 box doesn’t support HDR / Dolby Vision. The v6 box was already 2 years behind the times at launch.
LOL NO providers box supported UHD/Dolby Vision at launch mainly because when the current BT box, VM and Skys first came out UHD was not even a thing in TV.
Fortunately the chipsets were capable via simple firmware upgrades.
Come on VIRGIN why not HDR support in V6 box, it lest i know where v6 comes from 2016.
it is 3years behind in technoly.
The V6 does support HDR – it was enabled via a software update earlier this year.
You need to get the normal service running first.
Had no tv for 2 WEEKS now!!
Idle promises.
I’ve a suspicion that it’s not the same people working on this as would be fixing whatever your issues are.
Any chance I can claim my free 4k TV as I have been a full package customer for many many years, wish you would appreciate loyal customers more
It’s a 4K TV channel they’re introducing, not a TV set. The latter you have to buy in a store first as Virgin are selling a service for a display, not the display itself.
They’ll give you the v6 set top box free of charge. They want customers using that rather than the old kit and are happy to help with it.
Obviously they won’t give you a free TV set any more than Netflix or Sky would.
“It’s a 4K TV channel they’re introducing, not a TV set.”
LOL, some have shall we say high expectations 😉
Why when watching 4k Bt sports the display on the V6 box only displays 1080p and not the required 4k output as it is all greyed out. Don’t promise 4k output when you only get HD
Try having a TV which supports it.
So.lets.get.sky.cinema.sky.sports.in.4k
No u poof
Ads in 4k!
Well done Virgin, I’m finally getting use from my 4k TV. Keep it up.
Well your not – you aren’t even getting 4K!
“you’re” <<< wrong in more ways than just that one.
Say hello compression. Virgin media HD channels are bad quality at the moment, so I guess 4K will just be HD. I wish there was a minimum bit rate for providers for HD and 4k.
upscaled grainy 4K?? I’ll keep my Sky Q thanks.
You’ve seen the channel already and know it’s not native 4k but just upscaled on the box? Cool.
There I was thinking and indeed being told by their engineering staff that all the time and money VM have spent getting rid of MP2 to free up multiplexes and overbuilding some networks was, in part, to provide the capacity 4k video needed.
Glad someone on the Internet knows the real story.
His comment makes no sense in the first place.
I imagine he was trying to claim its upscaled from HD to 4K… If it was just “upscaled 4K” then that would mean you have taken 4K footage and upscaled it further. Or short version he has no clue like all his whines on all VM items.
VM cannot offer HD across all channels on their FUN package, time to upgrade with no extra costs?
NO TV provider offers every channel in HD or better. Half the Freeview content which all providers carry still do not have a HD channel for starters. Virgin, BT or Sky can not control that.
Does anyone know if v6 box issues a chroma subsampling 4:4:4 signal? TV manufacturer claims that as their 4k pure direct option is greyed out, the v6 is not transmitting that signal.