Virgin Media 2013 Annual Report Download - page 8

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I - 6
Television
Our digital cable platform includes access to over 195 linear television channels, advanced interactive features, and a range
of premium subscription-based and pay-per-view services. As of December 31, 2013, we provided digital cable services to
approximately 3.7 million residential subscribers.
In addition to our linear television services, which allow our customers to view television programming at a scheduled time,
our digital cable customers also have access to a broad range of digital interactive services, including one of the most comprehensive
digital cable-on-demand services in the U.K. See “Virgin TV On Demand,” below. We also offer what we believe to be one of
the most comprehensive cloud-based entertainment services in the U.K. with “Virgin TV Anywhere.”
We also offer interactive “red button” applications from the British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC, and other commercial
broadcasters. “Red button” functionality in the U.K. permits television viewers to press a red button on their remote control handset
to receive additional interactive services, including multiple alternative broadcasts. The BBC reinvented their “red button” service
in December 2012; “Connected Red Button” was first launched in 1.2 million Virgin Media customer homes as part of the innovation
partnership we share with the BBC.
TiVo and Digital Cable Recorders
We offer two of the most advanced digital cable recorders in the U.K. Set-top boxes equipped with digital cable recorders
digitally record television programming to a hard disk in real-time, which allows customers to play back, pause, fast forward or
rewind the program at any point during or for a period after the broadcast.
Under a strategic partnership agreement entered into in 2009, TiVo is the exclusive provider of user interface software for our
next generation set-top boxes, which provide converged television and broadband internet capabilities, and we are the exclusive
distributor of TiVo services and technology in the U.K.
The Virgin Media TiVo service was launched in December 2010 with mass distribution commencing in mid-2011 and continues
to evolve and be enhanced. This “next-generation” entertainment set-top box is available in both 1TB and 500 GB sizes, with the
1TB version recording up to 500 hours of television, and brings together television, digital cable-on-demand and web video services
through a single user experience and features unique content discovery and personalization tools. The TiVo box is high definition
(HD)-enabled and has three tuners, allowing viewers to record three programs while watching a fourth they previously recorded.
The TiVo service, combined with the existing digital cable-on-demand service, makes available television shows, movies and
music videos in addition to supporting web video services such as Netflix, which was added to the service in November 2013, the
BBC iPlayer and YouTube. As of December 31, 2013 we had approximately 2.0 million TiVo customers.
The previous Virgin Media digital cable recorder, called the “V+ set-top box”, was available to our digital cable customers
and is gradually being phased out in favor of TiVo boxes. The V+ set-top box has 160GB of hard disk storage space (up to 80
hours of broadcast television), is HD-enabled and has three tuners. As of December 31, 2013, we had approximately 1.0 million
V+ set-top box customers.
Virgin TV On Demand
Our digital cable-on-demand service, Virgin TV On Demand, provides our customers with instant access to a wide selection
of premium movies, television programs, music videos and other digital cable-on-demand content including live pay-per-view, or
PPV, events. Content is available in broadcast standard definition (SD), HD and in three-dimensional (3D). Our HD content is
available to all of our digital cable customers who have a HD box, at no additional charge. Viewers can watch programs instantly,
without the need for buffering, and can freeze-frame, fast-forward and rewind the content at will. This gives our customers increased
control over the content and timing of their television viewing. Additionally, our cable network enables us to provide digital cable-
on-demand content to our customers separately from their high-speed data services, thereby maintaining their broadband speed.
The primary categories of content available within Virgin TV On Demand are television programming, movies (on a PPV and
premium subscription basis) and music videos. A selection of content, including our “catch-up” television service, is available
free of charge to all of our TV customers. The BBC iPlayer is the largest catch-up TV service we offer, enabling viewers to view
more than 700 hours of BBC programs. Our Catch-Up TV also includes content from 4od, Demand Five and ITV Player.