As far as satellite and cable television, the three main competitors within Britain are probably Sky, British Telecom and Virgin Media. The last addition to these illustrious names came rather late to the party, as it were, but has wasted no time in catching up on their rivals. In just a few years Virgin Media has grown to become a reputable and successful provider of cable television and their packages are excellent, especially those that come with a TiVo.
Whereas Sky has Sky+ and BT has BT Vision, Virgin Media boast the TiVo box. The TiVo is a digital system that allows for the recording of many hours of television, as well as having the capacity to pause and rewind live TV. Something that was revolutionary only a few years ago has now become so standard as to be demanded by almost every customer.
But, there is no point in having this great equipment if there is nothing any good worth watching or recording, and this is where the Virgin Media packages come in. They come in three basic categories. The first one is called M+, for Medium, and this gives you TiVo box with 75 basic channels, absolutely free! Whilst this is of course a great deal, you should not just take it as there isn't as much choice there as with other packages.
The next package up is called L, for Large, and this gives, with 115 channels, adding in more entertainment and documentary channels too. Finally, the XL package, which boasts a full complement of 175 channels, includes the big channels such as Sky One, National Geographic and Eurosport.
Now, these are your basic packages, and there are other special channels you can choose to add on for an extra monthly fee. These include the Sky Sports package, which comprises Sky Sports channels 1, 2 and 3 as well as Sky Sports Xtra. Through these you can view a wealth of exclusively live sport from around the globe, including football, rugby, tennis, darts and cricket.
For the movie fans, you can also add on the movie channels, and bring the cinema into your front room. In short, the wealth of channels available is huge, including Sky Movies Premiere, Sky Movies Indie and Sky Movies Action to name just a few; so there should be something for everyone! Other packages exist too, including Asian language channels, kid's channels and adult channels - which can be built on request.
With the Virgin Media TiVo box, you get a whole range of catch-up TV, including 4OD and BBC iPlayer, as well as stored programmes for all sorts of channels for you to watch on demand. There is also an on demand music channel where you can select and pick music videos to enjoy. All the TV packages can be bundled with broadband and phone to make a massive saving too.
So, all in all, whether you want a basic package or the full works, Virgin Media can offer up a selection to suit both your tastes and your pocket.
