Equity (Other Transactions) (Details)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended										12 Months Ended																		12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended								12 Months Ended																0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Apr. 26, 2013 Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 26, 2013 Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2013 Telenet [Member]	Apr. 25, 2013 Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 25, 2013 Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Apr. 24, 2013 Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 24, 2013 Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2012 Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 12, 2012 Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 12, 2012 Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Apr. 27, 2011 Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 27, 2011 Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2013 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 VTR [Member] CLP	Dec. 31, 2012 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 VTR [Member] CLP	Dec. 31, 2011 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 VTR [Member] CLP	Sep. 12, 2013 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 12, 2013 VTR [Member] CLP	Feb. 06, 2013 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 06, 2013 VTR [Member] CLP	Sep. 30, 2012 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 VTR [Member] CLP	Jan. 31, 2012 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2012 VTR [Member] CLP	Oct. 31, 2011 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2011 VTR [Member] CLP	Mar. 31, 2011 VTR [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2011 VTR [Member] CLP	Dec. 31, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 26, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 26, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Apr. 25, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 25, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Apr. 24, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 24, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Apr. 27, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 27, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Sep. 12, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 12, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Feb. 06, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 06, 2013 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Jan. 31, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2012 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Oct. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Mar. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2011 Non-controlling interests [Member] VTR [Member] CLP	Apr. 24, 2013 Telenet Share Repurchase Agreement [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 24, 2013 Telenet Share Repurchase Agreement [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Feb. 17, 2012 Telenet Share Repurchase Agreement [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 17, 2012 Telenet Share Repurchase Agreement [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Feb. 17, 2013 Telenet Share Repurchase Agreement [Member] Telenet [Member]	Feb. 01, 2013 Telenet Self-Tender [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 01, 2013 Telenet Self-Tender [Member] EUR (€)	Feb. 17, 2012 Telenet Self-Tender [Member] Telenet [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 17, 2012 Telenet Self-Tender [Member] Telenet [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 17, 2012 Warrant Range One [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 17, 2012 Warrant Range One [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 17, 2012 Warrant Range Two [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 17, 2012 Warrant Range Two [Member] EUR (€)	Oct. 12, 2012 Telnet TO Facility [Member] Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 12, 2012 Telnet TO Facility [Member] Line of Credit [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 17, 2012 Minimum [Member] Telenet Self-Tender [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 17, 2012 Maximum [Member] Telenet Self-Tender [Member] USD ($)
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Share price/repurchase (in dollars per share)																																																																												€ 35.00	$ 48.26
Warrants (in dollars per share)																																																																						$ 18.59	€ 13.48	$ 35.12	€ 25.47
Line of credit borrowing capacity																																																																										$ 1,275,500,000	€ 925,000,000
Current and long-term restricted cash	23,300,000	1,533,900,000									1,507,900,000	1,464,100,000	1,142,500,000
Shares purchased pursuant to repurchase programs (in shares)																																																																		9,497,637	9,497,637	1,449,076	1,449,076
Percentage ownership in subsidiary						57.40%										80.00%	80.00%																																																	58.40%	58.40%
Warrants (in shares)																																																																		3,000	3,000
Use of restricted cash to fund transaction																																																																		454,600,000	332,500,000
Share repurchase, number of share authorized (in shares)																																																																	3,000,000
Stock repurchase, authorized amount																																																													68,900,000	50,000,000	68,900,000	50,000,000
Stock repurchased, amount		60,600,000																																	(2,200,000)																																	60,600,000	45,700,000
Approved distribution payable (in EUR/USD per share)							$ 1.38	€ 1.00	$ 10.89	€ 7.90				$ 6.51	€ 4.50
Approved distribution payable amount																						57,600,000	29,000,000,000	105,800,000	50,000,000,000	41,500,000	20,000,000,000	71,600,000	35,000,000,000	71,900,000	38,000,000,000	121,500,000	58,500,000,000
Dividends payable (in dollars per share)							$ 4.48	€ 3.25
Dividends receivable, amount	542,700,000	351,300,000	418,200,000	73,700,000	56,800,000																													542,700,000	351,300,000	418,200,000	73,200,000	56,400,000
Approved distribution receivable amount							229,200,000	184,700,000	690,300,000	524,100,000				367,900,000	255,800,000																								228,000,000	181,400,000	502,200,000	381,300,000	364,600,000	253,500,000					11,500,000	5,800,000,000	21,200,000	10,000,000,000	8,300,000	4,000,000,000	14,300,000	7,000,000,000	14,800,000	7,600,000,000	24,900,000	11,700,000,000
Noncontrolling interest in company																								20.00%	20.00%
Proceeds from contributed capital																		69,400,000	33,600,000,000	84,800,000	42,400,000,000																								17,300,000	8,400,000,000	21,900,000	10,600,000,000
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																88,700,000	43,600,000,000
Contributions by noncontrolling interest owners to subsidiaries	$ 22,200,000	$ 115,100,000	$ 26,700,000													$ 22,200,000	10,900,000,000