Digital TV News

Virgin Media guarantees HD TV for World Cup kick-off

Thursday 20 May, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Want to watch all the action of the World Cup in super sharp high-definition (HD)? Sign-up to Virgin Media by Friday to make sure your new digital TV service is installed before the tournament begins on 11 June.

Cable TV giant Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) has promised that every customer who signs up for a HD TV package before tomorrow, 21 May, will have their service installed before the 2010 World Cup starts on 11 June.

With all matches from the tournament being shown in HD on BBC HD and ITV1 HD, footy fans are being urged to sign-up to a TV package that includes these channels, such as Virgin Media’s Size XL deal, which offers over 165 channels, including 13 in HD, for £23 a month when you take a Virgin phone line.

A recent study by consumer watchdog Which? revealed that 25% of UK homes are already watching their favourite programmes in HD via Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview or Freesat.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “Should England go all the way at South Africa, a few more homes may wish they’d switched to high-definition in time to see the victory.”

To watch the World Cup in HD you will need a HD ready TV connected to a HD enabled set-top box using a HDMI cable. Virgin Media subscribers can opt for the V HD Box or V+HD Box.

A spokesperson for Virgin Media said the V HD Box (pictured below) offers customers “the full experience of high-definition television with no fuss and no additional HD subscription.”