Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

my elderly neighbour will be upset if he is forced to get a new box as he record to VHS via scart from his box :(

I don't think he'l appreciate the advantage of hdmi lead to connect to tv, he'll just be confused about how he can record, and keep programmes :(

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

All technology changes, unfortunately that's the way of the world. And after the changes it may not suit everyone.

The same happened when ntl and Telewest closed their analogue services. There were people relying on the 1-5 analogue TV broadcasts via the coax and didn't want to lose that.

But as then, some of the way people have the existing kit set up may not work with other TV platforms either.

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

he got a letter last week, box is being delivered tomorrow so I have the joy of setting it up and showing him how to use it tomorrow evening.

I've tried to explain the advantages of tivo, let's hope once he uses it he'll see how great it is, at least he's got a couple of months to get use to it before the football starts again, which is all he really cares about :)

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

Ben what will happen if someone has V Box and v+ Box?

Can their keep the V+ Box (if yes can they ask for it to be moved)?

Or will they get two new TiVo boxes?

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

Try to keep it simple so he can understand. Don't try to cram too much in all at once. The EPG, the recordings and how to change channels should be the focus first of all. Don't tell him anything else for a few days until he's digested it all and has grown familiar with the basic operation of the box. Hopefully, he will get there in the end. Remember to tell him that if he gets lost, the 'Home' button is his friend.

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

Only V-Boxes are being replaced at the moment. V+ and V-HD boxes are unaffected.

If you have a manned install, ask nicely if you want the boxes moved. Or just move them yourself afterwards,

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

I wouldn't even bother with the recording side at first. Also switch off suggestions
;)

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

good point, suggestions will confuse him, he'll want to record to VHS just in case he wants to keep it

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

VHS - really??

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

yep, it's what he knows and loves :(
he has a couple of Panasonic freeview VHS DVD recorders (one in living room with Tv and cable, one in dining room which just has tv aerial for freeview)

he has loads of tapes going back years he won't part with, i gave up trying to explain the advantage of the dvd recorder.

he's confused by the idea of the machine recording to a hard drive, I've explained I love it, but is worried that if it goes wrong and Virgin have to repair box he'll lose programmes, which is true, I've had that and it is a right PITA. there's also advtange that he can use VHS to record in living room, and watch in dining room.

He'd be the first to admit he's a stubborn old man that doesn't want to move with them times, he just wants to watch/record his football :) hopefully when he finds out he can record 2 matches at once, or if there's an overlap can watch, pause, rwd while its recording he'll come round :)

I occasionally go round there to watch the footy, and it's quite painful watching it on his nice 40" LG LCD TV plugged in via scart to old cable box :(

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

Reasons to change to DVD

VHS tapes seriously degrade over time.

VHS tapes stretch, break when used time and again.

Are New VHS tapes even available now - can't remember when I last saw them in shops.

Recording to DVD no more likely to fail than recording to VHS.

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

lol, he was worried that shops would stop doing them so he has loads! he also took loads of my old ones when I was going to tape them to the tip.

he's a creature of habit, he knows where is copying tape to tape, removing adverts etc, he doesn't want to learn how to do all that with DVD.

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

I phoned to downgrade my package today. Spoke to retentions, i wanted to have the TiVo discontinued as was only keeping it to watch old recordings. Was told I had to have the V+ removed as the system wouldn't let it through. Also insisted the V+ would be discontinued in 2 months anyway?. I have not received any information on this. Would I be offered a V6 when the V+ is removed as i have a TiVo?

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

phase 1 of operation box swap is complete!

the box is plugged in, set it to record the Pompeii thing on 5 for him the next few days, and left the TV on 3 so he could watch the soaps this evening!

Poor bloke very confused that he doesn't have to change what he's watching to record what he wants, he was worried about running out of "tape" so I explained it like having 50 tapes inside the Tivo box.

we're going to go through watching what's been recorded at the weekend when he's had a few days to play with the guide at his own pace. i think he'll be ok with the concept of that, as it's not disimilar to the freeview one on the panasonic vhs/dvd-r and he happily sets the guide to the program he wants to record on that.

turned off suggestions, thanks for that, he would have got even more confused about the box recording things he didn't tell it to.

the main thing he was happy about, was that when he pressed whatever he pressed for sky sports, it still went to that, then the same for Yesterday and bbc4 :)

Transferring to vhs I may have to get him to leave the house so he doesn't rabbit it on at me, and I can just remind myself how to do it ;)

now the old box, had to scart sockets, one to the tv, and one to one of the video recorders.

the new box has 1 scart socket, which to do things this evening quick and easy i connected to tv.

if i remember correctly,I played with this on mine a long time ago, if you connect the tv to the tivo box with hdmi lead, if you want to transfer to external recorder, you have to go through menus to do that don't you?

so, if i don't use the hdmi lead, but have the scart going into back of tv from cable box, and from other scart socket on tv into VHS, can he record what the tv is currently watching? i.e. it's only any use to record something he's watching but wants to keep, or a football match he's watching but may miss the end if he falls asleep ;) actually i suppose i'd be better off scart from tivo to vcr scart scocket 1, scart socket 2 on vcr to tv, but then he can't copy vcr to vcr! He'll have to use dining room VCRs for that :)

I think I'm going to have to get him used to recording to the tivo box, and then "backup" to vhs only if he really has to.

i started to explain to him, how he'll love it when he gets the hang of it, and he can record 2 shows at once, or not worry about them overlapping, or pause/rwd live tv, but he was keen to put off learning anything else till weekend at risk of overload :)

Re: Virgin Media UK to axe V Boxes from August
 

Admars running a scart from the TV to VHS only outputs from VHS in direction towards the TV i.e. you can play videos on the TV.

Use the HDMI to output to the TV and connect the VHS's 2nd scart to the Tivo. When he wants to playback videos it will play via 1st scart which goes from VHS to scart on TV.

The menus to transfer to DVD was the V+ I think (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). As far as I recall you just playback the show you want and simultaneously press record on the VHS.