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.

[spankysmagicpian]

What are VM doing? My contract is up and I have been with them since 1998.
Got a good deal on the chat last time.
This time.... more expensive then Sky and a lot less channels too.
Might be time to jump ship

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by spankysmagicpian

What are VM doing? My contract is up and I have been with them since 1998.
Got a good deal on the chat last time.
This time.... more expensive then Sky and a lot less channels too.
Might be time to jump ship

Forget chat, try ringing 020 3743 6947

[vincerooney]

Originally Posted by 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.

shame that my mum likes the channel.

their twitter page is still posting daily schedules without any mention of it...poor staff

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by vincerooney

shame that my mum likes the channel.

their twitter page is still posting daily schedules without any mention of it...poor staff

I believe it's still available on Sky & Freeview if she has access to either of these.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I could happily live with that, but wish they'd make an effort to deal with the other missing TiVo features.

If they are patented, they can’t.

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:37 ----------

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?

Well, some of us prefer the 360, Richard. This really shouldn’t bother you so much - it’s our choice.

You’ll have to face it sometime, technology moves on and old technologies die off. There comes a point where new technologies are incapable of being incorporated in older devices and you will be forced to get rid of it anyway because it doesn’t work any more. You just have to adapt.

You haven’t been forced to ditch your TiVo yet and maybe you never will. When the channels disappear (likely in 2035 at the latest) we will all have to move over to streaming anyway to watch the content we want.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

If they are patented, they can’t.

True, but not all of the missing features can be as other boxes have them eg undelete, QuickView etc. They could also take measures to get around this as they have done with Suggestions.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by spankysmagicpian

What are VM doing? My contract is up and I have been with them since 1998.
Got a good deal on the chat last time.
This time.... more expensive then Sky and a lot less channels too.
Might be time to jump ship

That surprises me, spankymagicpian. I saved a lot of money with my new deal, which gives me just what I wanted. It might be worth speaking to them again, assuming you haven’t already signed up to the more expensive deal.

[spankysmagicpian]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

That surprises me, spankymagicpian. I saved a lot of money with my new deal, which gives me just what I wanted. It might be worth speaking to them again, assuming you haven’t already signed up to the more expensive deal.

I phoned up for the second attempt and they offered me the same as I am getting now for £10 less than I am paying now thankfully.

I was tempted to go to Sky as the original offer was more expensive and I didn't want to go down the route of stream boxes (I know that Sky Q is possibly still available but for how long and I knew it would be a fight to get one)