Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Well said, nialli, I was beginning to think it was only me welcoming the news of the new V6.

Sure, there are some disappointments, such as the absence of a 2TB box, but the 4k content that we have to look forward to (and I have not heard anywhere that Virgin Movies won't be offering this), the 6 tuners and the fast speeds, as well as the ability to stream between boxes, is all welcome stuff.

We should not be expecting much 4k content initially, but this will come with time, and I dare say VM are busily trying to put together new deals for such content as we speak.

I fully expect a better range of apps to start appearing as well before too long; after all, the new box is designed for apps and this is completely in keeping with the direction of travel.

The main problem I think will be in wresting 4k content from Sky and BT, although it may become available to us after the first year.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

I assume one will need to sign up for another 12 month contract to avail of the new V6 at the £50 price? My contract (Full House XL) expires at the end of March.... I would happily pay the £50 to get a new box as my current TiVo one is so frustratingly slow. I'm not too bothered by 4K etc. yet as I don't have a 4K telly, although it is on my wishlist for the New Year. However, I don't know if I want to lock myself into another 12 months just to get a faster box...

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

I Rang up today to see if i can get V6 box but was today ring again in January and keep in touch with My Virgin Media too so not getting it for xmas

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

It's a fair question! :)

As a 28 year cable TV customer (United Artists -> Telewest -> Virgin, maybe some other names I've forgotten!), who finally gave up on it. As someone who has no love for Sky - I hate what Sky Sports has done to sport and the accessibility of sport in the UK. As someone who would love some competition pushing forward TV and stuck by cable through promise after promise over the years. As someone who kept Virgin Broadband and would love to come back to Virgin TV for a genuinely competitive offer:

- The main thing is the content - 4K sport (football and next year F1). 4K movies, on subscription with Sky Cinema and Pay per View. 4K TV drama, limited at the moment, but at least there.

- From a pure tech spec point of view - 12 tuners, not 6 like the 2013 TiVo Roamio. Allowing simultaneous recording of 4 shows, plus live TV on 5 devices (3 TVs and 2 tablets), plus extra tuners to "next gen" the interface (live channel previews for example). I don't think the ability to use more tuners for recording, but then not available for viewing, will benefit many, if any users.

- Mini boxes which can do just about everything the main box can do - watch live TV, recordings, on demand - with no need for anything other than a mains socket - and which TiVo themselves have had for years.

- An interface that is still in development and far from perfect, but just "feels" current, compared to the TiVo. It's genuinely UHD. Live previews are impressive. It is identical (adjusting to screen size) on all devices - main TV, Mini boxes, tablets and phones and at home on them all. It feels a modern interface, for those used to smartphones and tablets. All of this is subjective, I grant you, but it just felt like a breath of fresh air to all my family, coming from TiVo, even after the latest update.

- I hesitate to mention the Sky mesh network, which is genuinely "next-gen", but at the moment maybe a bit too cutting edge and possibly flaky! It is a supposed to build a more reliable home network by interconnecting all Sky devices, using multiple paths, over wifi and by built-in Powerline, for both video streaming and normal WiFi for home devices. Personally, I have it all disabled! My boxes are all connected by Ethernet, which works well with my Virgin broadband :). But there is no question it's aspirations and technology is "pushing the envelope".

Now all of this may be uninteresting to some/a lot of people, and fair enough, but I think it's enough to claim "next-gen" in a way the V6 simply cannot.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

In my humble opinion the V6 is only likely to retain the VM customers who are maybe fed up with the Tivo (like I was) and thinking of moving on. In it's present form I cannot see it pulling customers away from Sky or even challenging the Sky Q on a like for like basis.

No 4K content (free of pay per view) and providing no other significant advantage, will surely limit any new take up from other providers.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Sorry, I have to link this article from 2010 once again! http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/cable...ng-apps-to-tv/

What happened to that? I'll tell you what I think. It was next to impossible to get people to build apps for the TiVo, unless funded by Virgin.

And I would argue the need for such a facility is far less now than it was in 2010. Almost all modern TVs have slick app capability themselves. Almost all the apps Virgin will have will already be available on them. This is certainly true of Netflix and YouTube, the only 4K ones so far. If people do not want or cannot use their TV for apps there are numerous, cheap, far more feature-rich boxes that are really built for apps - Roku, Amazon Fire TV etc. I find it hard to see how the V6 will win in the app market against these other solutions with almost certainly a far greater range of apps available, more frequently updated.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

I think VM's offerings will develop over time so I will judge them properly in a year's time.
I can't see the point of VM not making its standard boxes 4K compatible bearing in mind they will last about five years plus if they're to sign up customers in Project Lightning homes, they need a box that's fast and the current Tivo isn't.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

I think many people are not thinking much about "4K tv", until there is a 4K tv channel. Not just the occasional red button stuff that sky offers. When 4K tv channels come along, that will be when 4k starts to register more in most peoples minds.

Personally I prefer the ability to record more channels at once. In my view, why would anyone want to watch a top rated tv show or a decent film on a tiny little screen on a tablet. I only watch this stuff on a big screen with decent sound, i'm sure many people are the same.

Mini boxes, the V6 is pretty mini in it's self. Also I doubt a little bit of extra size bothers most people. And usually the people who can afford top packages, and who have all the best equipment sky or virgin have available. Those folks wont be living in a small pokey places, they will have decent space available.

Personally if a interface is fast, I know Tivo have had problems with slowness on and off ( my Tivo is now fast since the last software update ). But if it's fast and looks decent enough, and it's straight forward enough to navigate and use. I don't really care beyond that. After all, it's only a means to get you to what you want to watch. The content is the main course not some super flashy interface.

Underneath the marketing, overall there really isn't much between sky and virgin these days.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Well said. I've just posted similar sentiments over on the VMHD blog: http://vmhd.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/r...virgin-tv.html

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

The v6 may be small, but still requires a coax feed in whichever room you want to use it. The Q minis can just be plugged into the mains and used in whatever room you like. Much less hassle than having extra cables installed..

Q will be able to record 6 programmes at a time next year, so will match the v6 capacity.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Extra cables that are hid well by the installers. One man's hassle is another man's no big deal, no problem. Many people still don't want a dish up on their house. Horses for courses.

Personally I don't see a couple of guys here for a couple of hours as hassle. Once it's done it's done.

That's coming soon then. lol

:D

---------- Post added at 15:19 ---------- Previous post was at 15:14 ----------

Nice blog. I've read your blog on and off for years. As can be seen been a member of this site for years. Used to post years ago, then went to just reading now and again. Thought i'd post again now though, since it's V6 time. lol

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Well guys, you are of course entitled to your opinion, but you will see quite a few here and a few of the early reviews, that are not just rewrites of the press release, disagree.

I get that a lot of people are not "4K ready", technologically or emotionally, but there is little doubt it is "next-gen". And "occasional red button stuff" does not really adequately describe the ability to watch and record in your absence 4K sport, or the ability to watch some Sky Atlantic shows in 4K/UHD at the time of first broadcast.

Mini boxes with no HDD are cheaper, more suited to quiet environment, like a bedroom and need no cabling. it is these things, not the size, that gives them the edge over a whole 2nd box.

Using the same size HDD as 6 years ago is odd.

Interfaces are a personal thing, I accept.

If you have no interest in these or the other things I listed that's fine, there may indeed be little noticeable difference to you. V6 will I am sure be good enough and, as you say Nialli, it sure is a step up from the 6 year-old TiVo!. But for those who are looking for a next-gen TV box the V6, with it's largely dated specification (4K "capability" aside) is not it and there is a lot more difference to those that do care for Sky Q's capabilities than "marketing".

ps. Do you really ever find yourself needing to record more than 4 things simultaneously? I know it's possible but....!

pps. I too read and have sometimes commented on your blog Nialli. It's been really useful over the years. Thanks for your service to the community :)

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

I've posted any problems that i've encountered in an honest way, but overall I am pleased with the V6 as it currently suits my needs.

This was a problem that I encountered which I posted about, had no idea it had affected others though.

Free YouTube 4K content & pay Netflix 4K content are available.

A source of a member in the Coming Soon thread has stated that 4K content is coming to VM in the first quarter of 2017.

He thinks this will be in the form of PPV movies and Discovery content.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Yep, until you decide you want to move the box to another part of the room, or even another room altogether.. Then you need Virgin out again.

The v6 looks to me just like an incremental update to the current Tivo box, fixing some of the performance issues. The 4k support seems a bit of a '"well, the chipset supports it, so might as well use it" feature.

The Q update has apparently started staff beta testing already, so seems on target for early next year.

Does the v6 support split screen at all? Q can show multiple views on Sky Sports. For example, I can watch a live football match and, alongside it, replays of major incidents. Or F1 race control lets me choose 2 of about 6 feeds to display side by side - can be in car views, timing screen, etc.

Re: Virgin Media V6 - Powered by TiVo(new STB)
 

Good extra point. Another use for all those tuners other than recording 6 shows at once! Of course it's just "marketing" if you're not interested ;)