20 May 2009

Virgin 1 goes 24 hours, +1 launched

Virgin 1+1 has launched on Freeview, and Virgin 1 will be broadcasting for 24 hours a day from today. Viewers will need to rescan their receivers to receive both new channels in their correct slots, for while the main channel remains on channel 20, it's actually changed multiplexes behind-the-scenes (from D to A). The timeshifted channel now occupies the original, 12-hour slot but can be found on channel 35.

Update: Virgin 1 is only available between 06:00 and 19:00 in Wales, because it's using the vacant slot originally occupied by Bid TV. Hence there are now ten streams being carried on the mux in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but still only nine in Wales:

Wales
1. Five
2. Five USA
3. Fiver / Television X
4. Setanta / Top Up TV
5. GOLD / Top Up TV...
6. Bid TV
7. Virgin 1 / CNN...
8. S4C Two / QVC
9. S4C
Rest of the UK
1. Five
2. Five USA
3. Fiver / Television X
4. Setanta / Top Up TV
5. GOLD / Top Up TV...
6. Bid TV
7. CITV / CNN...
8. QVC
9. Smile TV 2
10. Virgin 1