Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Virgin Media, the relaunched company combining NTL-Telewest and Virgin Mobile, has already started signing up customers for its new 'Very Impressive Pack'.

The new bundled package, costing £85 a month, includes the landline call packages Talk Unlimited, Talk International, and Talk Mobile; 'XL' size broadband of 10Mb downstream; the 'XL' TV package plus all Sky Sports and Movies channels. The equipment provided includes a V+ high-definition personal video recorder and a second standard set top box for another room.

Virgin claims that customers will save around £37 a month compared to the cost of buying each component separately.

Talk Unlimited (24 hour calling)
Talk International (cheap international calls)
Talk Mobile (Cheap mobile calls)
Broadband Size: XL (10Mb)
TV Size: XL (Family/Supreme Pack)
All Sky Sports (1,2,3,Extra)/Movies (1-9/10)
V+ HD Box (TV Drive)
Second standard STB

The package will be officially unveiled along with the new Virgin Media brand at a press conference in central London tomorrow (Thursday) morning.


http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a42498/virgin-offers-vip-pack-for-gbp85-a-month.htm

I have sky which cost £42.50 per month(living room),BB 10mb £35,tv size L with phone 11.50,
£89 without phone calls(with calls about £30-40pm)
total about £130 pm,and seperate bills and bill dates,which is a pain in the butt
i tell you what i am thinking about this deal
any one got this deal yet and can confirm

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

some ppl already have. Its true!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I'm on the phone to them as we speak, the sales dept. said the package exists and have transferred me to another dept. to get me upgraded to the the VIP pack. I'm now on the phone and they are adding everything. I asked him a question about 20meg and he laughed and said it wasn't 20, it was 50 and it's coming VERY SOON?!

Edit: I think very soon to him means months, but within 6 months...?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

VIP - £85:
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/webs...ct.do?id=11029

VIP Complete - £125:
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/webs...ct.do?id=12558

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yeah i saw that whilst surfing on the phone to them. I didn't get charged any extra for the V+ box install either even though i already had 2 boxes and they said i am getting a free HDMI cable too. Some of you might already know all this info, but i was pleasantly surprised to hear it!

Thought you might all be interest on the 50mb news even though there is nothing concrete about it.

Very impressed so far, getting a V+ HD box thrown in at no extra cost, movies thrown in at no extra cost, upgraded tel. at no extra cost, talk mobile at no extra cost and with the almost guaranteed extra broadband speed at some point in the near future.

Awsome.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

hi is there any deal they are doing couse i got the broadband i got the phone and i got the tv but i thinking of get the v+box
becouse i got all that is there any deal

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I am being told I am not allowed this package so i have to keep on paying over £120 a month for less than what this pack gives!! as i dont have talk unlimited or talk mobile....here we go again!...sometimes I think freeview is a quick easy and hassle free option

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I'd ring again, I rang this morning and was upgrade straight away

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

why cant you just add talk unlimited and talk mobile?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

well i could add them which would push the bill up even more as i said i am paying over £120 a month already without those, yet this offer includes all that. So I dont get why I should pay more when the packages are there to be taken by any customer new or old of ntl etc?

---------- Post added at 12:59 ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 ----------

talking to someone different who seems to know what they are doing now...just one thing he mentioned the V+ HD box is this the same as the V+ box? confused with all these name changes

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I signed up this morning, my bill is usually about £110 PM, that's without the movies or 10M BB, or talk 24, so i'm well chuffed, good old Richard. :D

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yeah i would call again and tell them to look at their own website!

Just got unlucky i think!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I got this arranged this morning it took 10 minutes on the phone, i now have an engineer booked to relocate old box upstairs and supply me with a new shiny V+ box (albeit black) Woohoo! another remote to lose down the back of the sofa.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

hi is there any deal they are doing couse i got the broadband i got the phone and i got the tv but i thinking of get the v+box
becouse i got all that is there any deal

does any one know

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yes - you posted in the thread discussing the VIP "deal"!

All the bundles and deals can be found here:
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/webs...ervice.do?id=4

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Given that according to the link V+ is part of the VIP Standard deal and V+ HD part of the VIP Complete deal I'd say not.
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/bundles/vip.html

Edit: Although they just list the V+ on the individual pages so who knows?

Edit again: I do! On this link it states that V+ supports HD
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html...lus/index.html

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

think i phone about this

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I get the impression it's the same as he said an engineer would bring along the HDMi cable with the V+ box.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yes the V+ box is HD-capable. There is no non-HD version.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

It should not be this painful!!

Trying to order the VIP Standard package and have currently been on the phone for 39 minutes. In that time I've managed to order the new cable modem (very well handled), spoke to someone in CS who appeared to do nothing, waited on hold for approx 10 minutes for the V+ team and have now spent about 15 minutes trying to get the V+ box ordered.

The poor lady (Scottish I think) is really struggling. Seems to have heard of the VIP package, but keeps asking me if I know that it will cost £10 to rent the V+ box and another £5 to keep the existing box etc etc. Has spent the rest of her time talking to her "manager" because she has "never raised one of these before". Also wants to put me through to Virgin Mobile for my 4th service ?? Must think I want the £125 package.

---------- Post added at 09:08 ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 ----------

Reached 55 minutes.

More hold, more talks with managers punctuated with:

"Would you like a scart lead?"
"No but I do need an HDMI lead"
"I don't have that option, just a standard scart lead"
"Let's hope that's the right one then hey!" :td:

She's doing her best and being as helpful as she can, but they are obviously completely unprepared for this.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

yes i have the deal, i had telewest tvdrive already and they changed my package to the vip last week.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

1:15 in the end, still wasn't finished and I hadn't spoken to V Mobile which I did want to do, but hey ho. The HDMI issue did get sorted though which is good.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

just been put on the 'VIP' pack today

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

This sounds like a cracking deal. We pay over £90 a month on our bills, Don't get 10MB connection or movie/sports channels! Def signing onto this. :tu:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

It is best thing i have ever done

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Have been moved over to this but have come across the one minor draw back. On going to 10mb BB our cable modem started playing up. Its a terayon tj210 and looking on here and other places shows its not up to the job. After a long time talking to the script following indian call centre people I am getting a new BB modem installed next week.

So... If you have a tj210 modem and take this offer be prepared for a small battle to get the modem upgraded.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

It's the same thing. Was told when placing my upgrade order this morning that the V+ is HD - and movies etc will be in HD, and one HD channel, though no more than that at the moment. Really pleased as this deal is only £11 a month more than I'm paying already and has so many extras! I figured just getting the new V+ box would be an extra 15 a month, so this is even better! Had trouble getting through to the right place, but once there the CS guy was one of the best I've dealt with so 2Thumbs up!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

If you struggle through my post I think you'll find I came to the same conclusion. ;)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Just signed up for the VIP pack myself, called VM this afternoon to find out about it, currently paying 89.99 + phone charges, and only have 2meg internet.

Their sending 1 tech a week next tuesday to install a cable modem and another in the afternoon that same day to install a V+ box. Seems to be a VERY good package (we shall see i guess).. Looking forwards though to the 10 mb internet
:)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Hmmm i'm getting the V+ installed next thursday, my question is do i need a router? atm i'm connected via my Samsung STB (4M), been reading on here that people are getting router then V+ installed at different times!!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

They booked an app't for me at the same time to get Stand Alone Cable Modem installed rather than using the STB any more.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

how does this offer compare to other providers ie. sky, talk talk etc.....

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

You only need a router if you are trying to connect more than one computer to broadband. That's entirely separate to the V+ installation.

I suspect you are confused with the modem. If you currently have broadband via Set Top Box, then you should ask for a cable modem to be installed. Even if you retain the existing STB, in addition to the new V+ STB, you'll be getting that relocated, and no doubt to somewhere inconvenient from your broadband connection.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Hmm, this VIP Package looks very interesting!!

I wonder if anyone (from VM or anywhere) can tell me a few things?!

Firstly, our bill currently comes in at £90 or thereabouts! This includes 2 EXTRA STBs.

If I were to change from our current package to this - would the cost simply be £85 + £15 (for the third STB)? I see that the £85 price tag includes a V+ box and a normal STB. I see that in some instances, the charge for an additional box had decreased.

Secondly, will I be charged if I dont want to keep the STB being replaced by the V+ Box??

Finally, the Talk Unlimited plan for phone - what exactly is this?? Is this a case of all calls to landlines are free for up to an hour?? I saw somewhere that there was a 6p connection charge for all calls.

Thanks for your help!!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Great deal!!!:D Signed up and I now have the pleasure of ringing Sky in the morning to cancel my multi room subscription and other services. :)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Talk unlimited from what i gather is talk for 60 mins for free, and after 60 mins its regular price, but you can just redial every 60 mins and it will be free (if your call is going to be longer than the 60 minutes)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

As I understand it, all calls to landlines are free for 59 minutes, all the time. A call to any other kind of number (mobile, international, premium, 0845 etc etc) is chargeable.

Only calls that are chargeable are subject to the 6p connection fee.

I believe (and hope, given that I signed up today) that that is right.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

We had two normal STB and they came and changed one to a V+ box without charging.

As to the other question about the charge for the 3rd stb I think I read somewhere that the charge for an extra STB when on the XL TV package (which the VIP is) is now 10 pounds. Could be misremembering though.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Ok I''m a bit confused here. I would really like to get the VIP package except that I don't want the movies in the TV package. Is that possible and also is that cheaper?

Also is the internet still ehernet or are they switching to ADSl? (because the switch would be a MAJOR pain in the ass seeing as how I just bought an ethernet router )

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I would suggest that the internet connection will still be ethernet.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Don't think you will be able to change the VIP pack. Virgin Media still use ethernet, so your router should work.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

So i can't say no i don't want the movies at all and they'll force me to pay for it if I opt for the VIP?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

When you sit down and look at the figures, it does appear that you are getting the Sports and Movies channels ( I assume all of them) for free!!

The terms and conditions relating to the offer state:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

It says when you order online you get a £10 discount. Does this mean that it will cost me £75 per month if I order it online? or, Does the £85 VIP deal already have the £10 discount?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

looking at the terms it says .......
The £10 web discount is only for online purchases of Broadband, TV, Phone and Mobile services on a 12 month contract.
This web discount will be deducted from your first monthly bill.
so i assume its a one off discount on your first bill.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I have just got off the phone having spent an impressive 42 minutes trying to upgrade to the £85 VIP package, but it is done! Unfortunately the install date is not as impressive - 6 March, was hoping for a bit sooner but never mind!

J.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yeah i had to wait quite a while for mine too and spent a while on the phone similar to yours (while he was adding all the various elements). The TV Drive is proving very popular it seems and all slots for the next few weeks were taken!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Does anyone know if they start billing you for the new services immediately - for example I am upgrading phone package but do not have broadband currently, for example, until they come and install it.

Cheers.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I've just called myself. The first time they said broadband wasn't included! I tried again and they said it was which is better news!

It was nice and quick to set things up with them. At the moment, I get BB through an STB so they are going to mail be a cable modem. Apparently, I can install this myself. My installation date for the V+ box is the 5th March. According to the CS guy, the account doesn't become active until you either activate the CM or the V+ box is installed.

In all, it took 15-20 minutes from dialling to finishing the call

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

That's odd, I thought an engineer had to install the cable modem.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I did too - otherwise where are you going to plug the cable modem into?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I think it goes into the same place as where the STB is plugged in.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Did you?? Did you not get the engaged tone?? :D

Sorry, funny half hour here!!! :erm:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Just spoke to a great guy called Darryl who upgraded my bb insatantly and gave me a installation date for this Thursday. Very impressed. Answered the phone within 5 minutes and upgraded package all within 15 minutes.
Well done darryl. I know he`s on this forum cause he told me :)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

That's what I thought too but I can apparently do a 'Quickstart' installation as detailed here - http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html...uickstart.html

I'll get the modem tomorrow or the next day so I'll let you know what's in the box. To be honest, I'm not going to try and install it until the day before the V+ box is installed in case it kills my signal. I know my signal levels are on the edge right now so I'm not taking any risks, the Mrs will kill me!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Thanks, that's great. :)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Just ordered the VIP package. Was on the phone for 15minutes and it was so easy. They have upgraded my broadband speed from today but will not change my package until the v+ is installed on the 27th Feb, this includes phone. I was also told that i will recieve 2 bills. One for tv and telephone service and the second for broadband. But both adding up to £85. I think broadband was £35 and the rest £50.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Hi all

New to the forum, have been on it for a while now but have decided to register.

I have just upgraded to the VIP pack which took about 15 mins as I was on hold for about 6 mins of it. My V+ box will be coming on the 1st March.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

:welcome: to the forum! Glad you decided to register. :)

Good luck with the install on the 1st. :tu:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Thanks, Nikesh. I have never had any problems with installation before, so hopefully it will be a breeze.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Whoo hooo. We finally done it. Movies/Sports are coming in 24hours/less - and 10MB broadband has came. And, V+ box is coming 27th Feb! :D

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2007/02/81.png

Look! :Yikes::D

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I'm just waiting for my modem to be delivered (should be today). When it arrives, I have to ring up to arrange the V+ box to be installed. I presume the modem will arrive with some sort of splitter?

One question (to those who have had the VIP pack installed already)...

When they are fitting the second STB - can this be routed back outside? I was going to have it put in the bedroom directly above the cable outlet where it currently is. We have sanded floors so I would hate to have cables running around the floor and up the stairs.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I acutally had everything already apart from the V+ box, I was paying £125 per month for it all, because I wanted the V+ box I managed to get the VIP package and saving some money

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Called up yesterday to book this but thought, I best ask about the new 12 month contract, as we are due to move some time this year. Advised if the area we moved to didn't support NTL/Virgin they would cancel the BB and telephone but still change us for the TV package for the remainder of the contract.

So it looks like I'm stuck with just digital for now, as I'm not taking the risk. I've tried to get sky, but two separate sky bods have been round and said the trees about a hundred yards from my house are blocking the satellite. Boo Hoo!

Best hurry up and move then I guess.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Does anyone know how long it takes for the movie/sports channels to come on to the service? I've ordered yesterday and there still not there. :erm:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

VIP vs VIP Complete

Strange. VIP package supposedly contains
Broadband Size: XL
TV Size: XL
Phone Size: XL
Sky Sports and Movies
Additional TV outlet ****
V+ set-top box
Talk International
Talk Mobile

whereas VIP COMPLETE contains:

Broadband Size: XL
TV Size: XL
Phone Size: XL
Sky Sports and Movies
Additional V set-top box ****
V+ HD set-top box
Talk International
Talk Mobile
Virgin Mobile
Pay Monthly Mobile
Any handset from our range - including Lobster 700
500 minutes
1000 texts VIP bonus - £60 free airtime voucher

Why does one package come with "Additional TV outlet" and the other with "Additional V set-top box" - are they making a distinction? or is this just the left hand not knowing what the right hand's doing?

"Additional TV outlet" sounds like they'll say - "yeah - if you had one, you could have plugged an additional set top box in there" :dozey:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Well I phoned on monday as said in a previous port. My install date is slated to be the 5th March. I came home last night to find a very nice pack from VM with 'You're in' written all over it which has an appointment card for my install, what to expect, what the engineer will bring and do, what I need to do, etc.

Credit where's it's due, VMs marketing guys certainly seem on the ball!

They also tried to delivery my CM but, as I was out, I got a card through the door from Parcel Force

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

This is exactly what they did with mine. They took a second feed from the box on the outside wall ran the cable up the wall and into the bedroom.

JJ

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

My sister-in-law was at my house on Wednesday and signed up over phone and left my house about 1 hour later for a 30 min drive home. She called to say that when they got home their BB had been upgrade from 1mb to 10mb and the TV package had been upgrade to Sports and Movies. So I would say about 2Hrs max. Give them a call, but I guess it all depends on the person you get through to.

Setch

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yeah, I rang up CS last night and explained the problem. Well, you know. They said that whenever the V+ box gets installed the channels will come on. Now, I'm hoping Virgin don't forget this. I'm really looking forward to the Movie channels! :D

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I ordered this over a week ago now... nothing came back to me. I ordered it again last night (on the website) and they phoned earlier. They're sending out an engineer tomorrow to install the TV services (he'll have an easy job since everything is already set up - he just needs to put the TV/DATA splitter into the walls).

I recently did a speedtest and got 9369 down :-)

I hope I don't have to wait for the V+ box, though, booo!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

That was quick! Dang, I want my V+ box right now! :p: :mad:

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Just my experience on the matter

Was originally paying an average of £110 for
Full TV
4MB Broadband & phone

rang up some weeks back and got a slight discount on that by avery helpful adviser who said take a discount now & wait for the Virgin deals. He didn't say what they were but was very insistent to wait (great info):tu:

Just rang up 150 option 5 (talk to us about anything else) and.....bingo

Got the VIP package for £85. New modem required as i am currently linking to Samsung STB in bedroom. Have crappy pace box downstairs.

No mention of your an existing customer and can't do this and that. All sorted & very helpful people, only downside is that installation is March 6th.
Oh well it'll soon pass. I personally think it is a very good package. Are lass will be pleased as she'll get control of the New Box downstairs.

Cheers
Stan
Happy Virgin customer :)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

i spoke to customer services the other day and asked how they would work it out and he said your broadband stays at £35 and tv and phone ect would be £50 makeing the £85.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I got this £85 VIP package installed yesterday:cool: When i was on the phone ordering this on thursday i explained to the rep that i already had 1 standard digi box upstairs, And she told me im getting 2 V+ boxes? I now have 2 of them 1 downstairs and 1 upstairs:cool: And she said it is deffo £85.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Hi,

I currently have a single Samsung STB with what used to be the family pack and I'm looking at the VIP (no mobile) and just wanted to know if you get to keep your existing STB to put in the "Additional TV outlet."

Also I presume the V+ box in the VIP standard, is the same thing as the V+HD box in the VIP complete - do both packages give access to the (currently limited!) HD content?

Virgin need to clarify the package contents IMHO.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Yes and yes!

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Brill!

Thanks :D

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month "Update"
 

Just to let everyone know how my installation went.
Had a 1-6 appointment & he arrived about 16.45
Box open & fitted fairly quickly, punched in some settings & left it updating or something.
Removed the old pace box & then took the New 10mb Modem NTL 250 & fitted it on top of my Samsung STB.
Left the install disc for me but didn't use it. He just went on the computer & set it all up in about 5 minutes. Gave me some details to save & spoke to me about my new email address if i choose to use it.

Back downstairs just as the picture on my telly fired up. Fitted the HDMI lead & set that up. He said it would default to SCART if the box was powerd off. I've been in and changed the settings not to autodetect the scart to try prevent that.
Showed us a few things about the box but said it would take about 15 minutes for the V+ service to start & if it didn't to call his supervisor.
Well 30 minutes later & no V+. So i rang up & got an answer machine. However after 45 minutes a message appeared on the screen to say the V+ service had installed & needed to reboot the box which it did.
And that was it. Wifes playing with the telly & i've downloaded some music at over 10mb......super fast.
So.....so far a still very happy customer:)

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month "Update"
 

Brilliant! Thanks for that - I'm having mine done on Saturday - and the same, they're putting me on a SACM rather than the STB modem for internet.

Where did you change the settings to default the V+ box to go to HDMI cable? That sounds like it was all you had to do?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Home/Settings/Technical stuff, but the engineer did it for me. I had a play when he'd gone :D There's a few other settings in there that you may want to adjust as well.

Hope your install goes well

The HD picture is excellent but i'm not so sure the non hd is as clear as my freeview. It looks a bit pixelated at times.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

AndyCambs. Maybe you can answer this question...
What is the SACM and why are you having this rather than STB modem?

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

It's a STAND ALONE CABLE MODEM & you need one if you want 10meg broadband as the Samsung STB (Set Top Box) modem will only go up to 4meg. Pace STB only do 1 or 2meg i believe.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Thanks Stan.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I ordered the VIP pack today, have to wait until sometime during the first two weeks of April before an install date can be arranged though, due to a short supply of the V+ boxes. :\

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

I didn't get the black virgin box ut an identical unbranded box in silver.

Re: Virgin offers 'VIP' pack for £85 a month
 

Stan is spot on of course. If you had NTL television from a former Cable & Wireless area (Bromley) then the broadband was provided through the set top box. When they increased the speeds from 1MB to 2MB, they swapped my set top box for a Samsung. The other NTL areas (Langley) always had stand alone cable modems. If you order broadband in my area now, they are no longer providing broadband through the set top box, and everyone gets a separate cable modem.
As Stan says, there are limitations with the speeds in the current boxes, and also it's another step to standardise the platforms across the whole company.