Virgin Media has relaunched its on-demand films package as Virgin Movies, a new-look service that lets you access over 500 movies online or through your Virgin Media TV.
The on-demand service was always a staple feature of the Virgin Media experience, but now the doors have been thrown open to anyone else with a broadband connection.
Virgin Movies is pricing films at £1.99-£3.99 on a pay-as-you-go basis. Most movies tend to stray towards the £3.99 region but there’s also a selection of movies going for lower-than-normal prices of 99p and £1.49.
As well as standard definition films, there will also be HD and 3D titles to rent, including Avengers Assemble which touches down on Virgin Movies next Monday, the 17th of September.
Titles available to rent now include The Hunger Games, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, American Pie Reunion and John Carter.
Virgin Media TV customers also get the added bonus of being able to access the revamped Virgin Movies on their TV, as well as downloading movies from the likes of Film4 HD and all the Sky Movies channels. This includes all 22 of the James Bond channels that will come to Sky with the launch of Sky Movies 007 in October.
Recombu Digital also understands that promotional codes providing free access to movies on demand will be given away to Virgin Media subscribers along the way, as has been done in the past.
There’s also a Virgin Movies TiVo app in the pipeline which will showcase trailers, promote the latest films as well as forthcoming movies. This’ll sit nicely next to the Star Trek and The Dark Knight Rises apps and give you something to do while waiting for the next set of blockbusters to arrive.
Virgin Movies is available online right now and will be available via the Virgin Media Anytime apps once they’re out.
September 13, 2012
What is Virgin Movies?
Virgin Movies is 500-strong library of on-demand movies that are available to stream and download on a pay-as-you-go, non-subscription basis.
Virgin Movies is available both online and via Virgin Media TV. You don’t have to be a Virgin Media subscriber to access the online service – anyone can register an account and watch movies online.
Streaming via TV is only available to Virgin Media TV subscribers however.
How much does Virgin Movies movies cost?
Virgin Movies charges you on a pay-as-you-go/pay-per-view basis, so you only pay for what you watch when you watch it – there’s no monthly subscription and no obligation to pay.
Prices for films range from as little as 99p to £3.99. Most of the films we’ve seen so far are priced in the £3.99 region but there’s a brace of new titles that are going for 99p, £1.49 and £1.99. These can be found in the Special Offers section of the Virgin Movies site.
Newer titles and Best Sellers tend to be more expensive but we’ve seen some going for £2.99, £3.45 and £3.75.
What’s on Virgin Movies?
Right now there’s a good number of new blockbuster hits, independent and world titles.
Popular recent hits include The Hunger Games, Battleship and American Pie: Reunion with Avengers Assemble coming soon. There’s also Once Upon A Time in Anatolia, The Lives of Others and Kevin MacDonald’s Marley.
Can I watch Virgin Movies in high definition?
Yes – titles will be available to stream and download in both HD and 3D.
How fast does my broadband connection need to be for Virgin Movies?
3Mbps is the minimum download speed needed for a standard definition stream. If you want to stream any HD or 3D titles you’ll need to have a speed of at least 6Mbps.
How much of my broadband will Virgin Movies use?
The size will vary depending on the length of the film, but typical sizes for streams are: 4.4GB for DVD quality and compressed HD movies.
For downloads, a compressed standard definition movie will make a 700MB dent while HD movies will use 1.4GB.
Can I download Virgin Movies movies to watch later?
Yes, films can either be streamed or downloaded to watch later. Once downloaded you’ve got 30 days to watch the film and a 48 hour window once you’ve started watching.
Can I watch Virgin Movies on my PC or Mac?
Yes, on both. You can stream and download titles from Virgin Movies on your PC or Mac once you’re all set up and registered.
Can I watch Virgin Movies on my iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch?
Not yet, though it looks as though downloads on iOS devices will be enabled on Virgin Movies in the future.
Subscribers also ought to be able to watch films via the forthcoming Virgin Media Anytime app that’s headed to iPhone and iPad soon.
Can I watch Virgin Movies on my Android phone or tablet?
Again not yet, but it looks as though there’s some Android-related fun in the pipeline. As with iOS devices, once the Android version of Virgin Media Anytime is live, you should be able to watch Virgin Movies on your Android phone and tablet.
Can I watch Virgin Movies on my Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii?
There are no immediate plans to launch Virgin Movies apps for any of the current generaton of games consoles, though Virgin Media told us that they wouldn’t rule this out.
Can I watch Virgin Movies on my smart TV or set-top box?
Virgin Media TiVo customers will be able to access movies as well as watch trailers and previews of upcoming rentals through their Virgin Media TiVo box.
Aside from this there are no plans yet to launch Virgin Movies on other smart TVs or connected Blu-ray players and set top boxes.
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