Horizon UI
 

hello all i just read that the horizon ui will be coming to the v6 box in the uk i have had this confirmed by the tech team at virgin media and on web chat but no eta just wondering what you all think and if you know anything ??;)

Re: Horizon ui
 

The web chat team wont have a clue about stuff like this, they are sales based. VM has said nothing publicly about this, there is currently no alpha or external trial for a new UI and I'm not aware of one in development. Read into that what you will ;)

Re: Horizon ui
 

it was announced publicly here is the link where i read it http://vmhd.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/t...-for-tivo.html

Re: Horizon ui
 

Yes, this was mooted over a year ago. From memory, I think we were told that the new V6s would be launched with the existing UI, but that the Horizon UI would replace this in about 2 years.

Re: Horizon ui
 

cool thanks for the reply :-) i spoke to the tech team on the phone today they confirm its in the works but not ETA as of yet :-)

Re: Horizon ui
 

No, but it'll be..........coming soon
:D

Re: Horizon ui
 

awesome thanks man :-)

Re: Horizon ui
 

You can work out that it's going to happen simply because Liberty have the same hardware (already running?) that UI in other countries. Can't think of a reason they would choose to have differences, over time.

Re: Horizon ui
 

Yes, I was told yesterday that it will be an updated Horizon user interface but using new Tivo technology which Liberty have signed to lease with an extension to their existing Tivo contract. Also, FYI, Sky uses leased Tivo tech in its Q boxes, so I think the Horizon UI on the V6 offering will be similar to that as regarding the technology used.

Re: Horizon ui
 

interesting i cant wait to see what they manage to cook up as im just coming back to virgin after a year as the broadband is worth the money and really the tv is just added bonus but with a new ui in the pipe line its going to look and fee so much better

Re: Horizon ui
 

I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you.

Re: Horizon ui
 

You will find the V6 an amazing improvement over the old Tivo. I much prefer this to Sky Q, to be honest, but the UI definitely needs updating.

Re: Horizon ui
 

I love the V6 (maybe not its looks but it's small and unobtrusive). It's everything the original Virgin Media TiVo promised to be (and wasn't). I have to agree that the UI is looking dated. To my mind it's the weak spot in the V6 software package. A new UI, if it doesn't break any of the existing functionality, would be welcomed by me.

Re: Horizon UI
 

https://youtu.be/kp5Gy9prVU0

The UI may have changed slightly since this video as it was posted a good few years back , although to be fair the UPC Polska version doesn't look vastly different.

Re: Horizon UI
 

That was six years ago, surely we should have something a bit more modern!

Re: Horizon UI
 

Even six years ago, the Horizon UI looked more modern than the text based UI we have now! I'm sure the modern Horizon UI will be a big improvement on what we have at the moment..

Re: Horizon ui
 

That is not a public statement but a media report about a comment made at a media conference. I repeat my statement that VM has not made a public statement about this and anything is just pure speculation at the moment.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Though that video shows it to be glossy it doesn't look particularly good to use. It seems to be fancy transition animations for the sake of it being doable and attention grabbing. Rather have current V6 software, though it needs a tweak here and there, than that.

Ultimately I want a user interface that is fast, clear, intuitive, logical.
Large fonts with hardly any options on screen at a time is just as bad as cramming too many options on one screen. I don't want lots of graphics.

The trend for having a screen full of DVD box set covers is the wrong way to go in my opinion. These images tend to me cluttered and they all have different types and sizes of fonts and when the screen is full of them I just can't concentrate on one area.

I'd rather all writing in the user interface was limited to one, easy to read, system-wide font. That's partly why I change the channels from their logos to text in the Tivo EPG options.

Re: Horizon ui
 

Tom Mockeridge has more or less confirmed that we will transition over to the Horizon UI. I don't really think there is much room for doubt as to which way we are going with this.

http://www.multichannel.com/blog/bau...-report/418549

Re: Horizon ui
 

I think anything that CEO Tom Mockridge said on this subject publicly knowing it will be reported is certainly NOT speculation. The only thing that is not certain is the time frame.

Yeah exactly I'm guessing it's almost 2 years since launch of V6 now not 100% sure but I wonder if it could possibly be the anniversary update for the V6 as virgin have always been useless at providing and ETA

Re: Horizon UI
 

Apart from that video been 6 years old, it is also on a different box (Samsung) and for a different market. I should imagine the V6 implementation of Horizon will be a somewhat more updated 2018/19 version and to take advantage of the V6 capabilities, but also incorporating the more advanced bits of Tivo tech. And of course, twinked for the UK market with VM branding and colours.

Re: Horizon UI
 

so we can all agree that since Tom Mockridge basically said its coming at a press conference ( publicly ) horizon ui is on its way hopefully at somepoint this year :-)

Re: Horizon UI
 

Why fix something that isn't broken?

Re: Horizon UI
 

It's just dated.

Re: Horizon UI
 

and ?

Re: Horizon UI
 

What? Do you not understand that if you allow your product to be outdated, you will lose relevance?

We all rely on VM pricing and choice to be competitive. If they lose customers big time because they don't keep up, we will all suffer with a reduced level of service and/or increased costs.

That would not go down well with Arthur!

PS - they would definitely lose my custom!

100% agree with what you said the UI is outdated and it will eventually put customers off if not updated so it has to happen also the windows version of the virgin go app pops up as horizon go and the program guide looks better on that not sure if it's anything to go by but the colour we have now on the V6 is gone i know web version but just maybe a sign of things to come

Re: Horizon UI
 

Profit - cheaper to have one common UI across LGI.

Re: Horizon UI
 

That also makes a great deal of sense, Andrew.

So when do you all think we will see the new horizon ui on the V6 box ? This year or 2019 😂

Re: Horizon UI
 

Think maybe the tech people still working on how to implement the best bits from Tivo across onto the Horizon system. So I'd guess next year for a full roll out with possible beta trials very late on this year.

Re: Horizon UI
 

In your opinion but we are perfectly happy with it.

---------- Post added at 19:41 ---------- Previous post was at 19:39 ----------

How many times have you repeated that comment before OB.;)

Re: Horizon UI
 

I don't doubt that, Den, but what of the wider audience?

You really notice that the current UI is oudated after using Sky Q and Amazon Fire for an evening, and then go back to the Virgin platform. It looks ok, but as I said, it's outdated. I think younger people would be put off Virgin for this reason, and Virgin need as many customers as possible to keep our service running while continuing to invest in infrastructure and content.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Often interfaces need to adapt to what they are viewed on, hence websites have different versions for browsers and mobile and often can resize and adjust appropriately.

For people like us with smaller (28") screens one method may be better that those with silly big screens dominating their rooms.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Big is beautiful, tweetiepooh, when hanging on the wall!

Re: Horizon UI
 

lol, depends what you call a silly big screen.

Re: Horizon UI
 

You mean a few perennial malcontents of Cable Forum.;)

Re: Horizon UI
 

:D:D

Re: Horizon UI
 

Well we think 28" is fine for our front room. It's watched from 0.5-3m distance, usually 2-3m. Using the latter many sites suggest something bigger but it would then dominate the room too much and it would be hard to get it on the wall and still visible from a wide range of angles.

To my mind 32" would be fine for most front rooms in the UK, we don't tend to have huge rooms. But I know many would disagree and that's fine too.

Re: Horizon UI
 

:rolleyes:

Re: Horizon UI
 

I agree, I use the streaming services for watching movies only and so when I switch back to the V6 box for general TV it noticeably looks clunky and dated. I think visual imagery is now the acceptable standard now for all the main TV and streaming providers, with the exception been Freeview but even they are trying to implement change. I think text should really be kept to the settings sub menus and more imagery used for general TV inc the Box Sets/Catch Up menus with as little text as possible, just click and view!

Re: Horizon UI
 

They'd never do it, but I wish they'd have an option to switch between a predominantly text menu system and a glitzy graphical one depending on the user's preference.

The assortment of different logos/fonts (and sometimes cast photos) makes it difficult to make out the show names on folders and the like, and it's nothing to do with screen size, it's bad or poorly thought out design.

Re: Horizon UI
 

But the existing Horizon user interface is already more imagery and graphical. All they are planning on doing, I believe, is incorporating the best bits from Tivo (Series Link+, etc) into it albeit with more imagery.

Re: Horizon UI
 

I want more text based. That's why I was saying I'd like the option in the Settings, but they'll never do it, all the TV tech companies are obsessed with graphics and slick animations.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Also found this new listing on the virgin community forum :-) http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...3688575#M33663 it all sounds good soon we will have a beta ( EDIT) just off the phone with the v6 team about a netflix issue so i mentioned the horizon update they said it is pilot testing all is going well better than expected im in the beta and the update should be with us in the next month or two not the beta but the horizon update lets hope the v6 team know what they are talking about

Re: Horizon UI
 

There will likely be an update to V6 soon but it certainly won’t be anything to do with Horizon.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Indeed. The current pilot firmware is for an update to both the V6 and older TiVo with a new version of the TiVo system.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Will there be any new features with the V6 update, Ben? The one I have wished for ever since I got mine is the ability to manage recordings from either of my two boxes on the other box.

Re: Horizon UI
 

There are no new features like that, but you can already do it to a limited extent. Go into the other box in My Shows, select a recording, and then go down to Explore This Show. From there on you can navigate to Cast or "If you like this" and set more recordings on the other box.

You can also delete recordings from the other box by highlighting them and pressing Clear.

So all sings point to a horizon hi TiVo features hybrid I for one can't wait to see what they do as they have to compete with the sleeker skyq ui

Re: Horizon UI
 

It's not Horizon. It's an existing TiVo code update.

Re: Horizon UI
 

I keep saying this but I'd be more than happy with the Hydra TiVo update rolling out to our V6 boxes. Clean and modern, much better than what I've seen of the Horizon UI.

Re: Horizon UI
 

I frequently use my V6s this way but I would love the option of choosing which box I want to record to and not just the one I am using at that moment. It would also be very useful to be able to view my planned recordings from one box on the other.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Both of those features would be good, particularly the ability to see planned recordings from one box on the other.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Of course, if you want to manage two or more TiVos or V6s from a single device, the best solution is the Virgin TV Control app.

Re: Horizon UI
 

Exactly. I really can't see full control of one box from another ever being developed.

Re: Horizon UI
 

It would be useful, though. Due to the limited space available for HD recordings on the 1TB box, I have to run upstairs to set the balance of recordings I wish to make each week. It's obviously not essential that this is simplified, but it would certainly help!

Re: Horizon UI
 

It'll keep you fit, OB! :D

Re: Horizon UI
 

Fit? I'm exhausted!

:D

Re: Horizon UI
 

Really wish that VM would just work with TiVo to bring this UI to the V6.....

https://youtu.be/AApbxS0kIGI

According to everyone even complaints and I even emailed head office horizon ui is coming to the V6 box this year it is in testing within virgin tests are going good there is no need to beta test on consumers due to the V6 being a take on the horizon box

Re: Horizon UI
 

So now Liberty Global has sold its media business in the rest of Europe to Vodafone and leaving it pretty much with only its Virgin brand in the UK ( and Ireland bolted on to the side). So what is the future for the Horizon interface now that Vodafone will be using the new Tivo Hydra, like they already are in Spain.
Looks like, as it stands now only Ireland will be using Liberty's Horizon as pretty much the whole of the main European markets will be staying with or moving to Tivo (Virgin UK) /Tivo Hydra (Vodafone Europe).
With only Virgin Ireland using the aging Horizon after the Vodafone/ Tivo Hydra transition in the other European markets, will still moving Virgin UK to the Horizon platform be a forward step??

Re: Horizon UI
 

With that news it's better they go to TiVo hydra any time I ask about the horizon ui they say it's coming soon it's being tested in house I questioned TiVo hydra also they where reluctant to comment on that coming so it looks like we will be getting horizon ui mixed in with TiVo features but do we ever really know what VM have planned ����

Re: Horizon UI
 

LGI are only selling German and some Eastern European operations to Vodafone. As well as Ireland, there will still be Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, and the other bits outside Europe.

Re: Horizon UI
 

I hope you're right. I've been banging on about the new TiVo Hydra UI for a while and it always seemed like a much easier upgrade path for VM as well as a better transition for customers. I personally like the look much better than what I have seen of the Horizon UI too, it's much cleaner and more modern.

Fingers crossed for Hydra! :D

Re: Horizon UI
 

Sorry to drag up an old thread but just read this about limited trials of Horizon starting.

Re: Horizon UI
 

As long as we do not lose any existing features on our V6s, I welcome this for the improved UI alone. I would not mind recording to the cloud per se, but I would not be in favour of those recordings being lost after a relatively short defined period.

Re: Horizon UI
 

I wonder when this happens will all be sent new remotes with the voice control function? knowing Virgin they would probably expect to use the old TiVo remotes still.