General : Virgin TV (2026)

[Carth]

This 'watching TV' malarkey is quite complicated isn't it

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by gunner45

It's Liberty Global in charge if the boxes, and as the TV 360 is being phased out, there is zero chance of it being enhanced just for TiVo features. However, as this box shares the same Horizon 4 middleware as the Stream box, then any middleware enhancements come to both.

I'm surprised that they bothered with the 360 at all tbh. Wouldn't it have been easier (and probably as cheap) to pay the TiVo licensing fees for a little longer and then start pushing customers towards their streaming box?

[1701-e]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I'm surprised that they bothered with the 360 at all tbh. Wouldn't it have been easier (and probably as cheap) to pay the TiVo licensing fees for a little longer and then start pushing customers towards their streaming box?

Cheaper. Why pay a US company for each STB when you already have a decent (faster) more modern one which is already in use throughout Europe which you can develop/enhance in house.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by 1701-e

Cheaper. Why pay a US company for each STB when you already have a decent (faster) more modern one which is already in use throughout Europe which you can develop/enhance in house.

That would make sense long term, were it not for the fact that they're going to get rid of it in favour of a streaming box.

[1701-e]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

That would make sense long term, were it not for the fact that they're going to get rid of it in favour of a streaming box.

.... which is a Horizon box.... If/when the time comes I'd guess they could disable the recording software rather than replace boxes

[RichardCoulter]

Closure of That's TV has now been brought forward, now on 10th July at 23:55, not seen that before.

Haven't paid their monthly EPG fee to Virgin, so they've brought it forward??

Planned closures are usually at 05:59.

[gunner45]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I'm surprised that they bothered with the 360 at all tbh. Wouldn't it have been easier (and probably as cheap) to pay the TiVo licensing fees for a little longer and then start pushing customers towards their streaming box?

Liberty Global has its Horizon 4 team in Amsterdam, doing development work for LG's boxes in multiple European countries. The last thing LG needs is to keep paying licence fees to TiVo. So, the Virgin Media TiVo and V6 boxes are just being maintained pending replacement. Actually the TV 360 box is also on its way out and after a while it will only be Stream boxes remaining.

---------- Post added at 22:25 ---------- Previous post was at 22:00 ----------

Originally Posted by Carth

This 'watching TV' malarkey is quite complicated isn't it

Ah, except that it's no longer 'TV'. We've now also got IPTV, some of which is linear (FAST channels) and catch-up and on-demand delivered by multiple ways including apps, channels and Virgin Media's hosted content. Virgin Media now believes it's in the entertainment business, which comprises traditional TV and IPTV. Viewers now have a lot of options they never had. Of course, for nerds like me it's all fascinating.