Virgin Media UK Launch Next Gen TV 360 Platform and Box UPDATE

Cable broadband ISP Virgin Media UK (Liberty Global) has today officially taken the wraps off their new next generation TV 360 platform and set-top-boxes (STB), which combine 4K and HDR with the ability to access your channels and content either at home or wherever there’s a WiFi or Mobile Data (4G, 5G) connection.

The new setup feature two STBs, which includes a main box with a hard drive for personal video recording (this is running their new Horizon 4 software) and a mini-box without a hard drive. Customers will also receive a new remote control, which supports voice search.

Virgin states that “customers can continue to record six programmes while watching a seventh, watch on demand programmes and live TV in one room, pause and continue in another room seamlessly through a Virgin TV 360 box or a Mini box.”

The new platform also includes an updated image-based User Interface (UI) and the ability to create individual user profiles, enabling more personalisation. You’ll also be able to share video recordings on all STBs for easy multi-room viewing. The existing Virgin TV Go app has also been “revamped” and offers viewing on the go via mobile phones and tablets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SwYSfKZmFU

Summary of New Virgin TV 360 Features:

Voice Search & Control – a new remote allows customers to use their voice to find the telly they love, open apps, pause, skip forward or back and breeze around content quickly.

Profiles – families can now create their own profiles so that they can control their own pause points, select their favourite channels and receive personalised recommendations.

Startover – lets customers skip back to the beginning of live programmes, even if they’ve already started.

New Mini box – recordings only need to be made once and can be shared across multiple set top boxes which allows for seamless Ultra-HD multi-room viewing throughout the home.

Upgraded Virgin TV Go app – offers a boosted on the go experience that allows customers to pause a programme on one set top box and carry on watching it on their tablet in another room or on the move.

From launch, all new customers taking one of Virgin Media’s TV and broadband bundles can expect to receive Virgin TV 360 as standard. Existing customers don’t currently have an easy upgrade option, although there is an exception. Existing customers who take the Ultimate Oomph bundle (costing from £79.99 per month), or who upgrade to Ultimate Oomph, will also be able to get Virgin TV 360 later this year and “at no additional cost.”

David Bouchier, Virgin’s Chief TV & Entertainment Officer, said:

“Virgin TV 360 is our most impressive TV service to date, providing one of the most complete and comprehensive viewing experiences available in the UK. Backed up by our ultrafast broadband, our new service allows TV lovers to watch all of their favourite channels, apps and on-demand content in one place or on the move. This really is game-changing TV and we know our customers will love it.”

We’re current trying to get some extra details on the new STB hardware, although it’s interesting to note that these will deliver “regular overnight updates straight to the box … [so] customers will be able to enjoy new features as soon as they’re ready.” In the meantime, we’ve posted a picture of the new box and mini-box below, although for some reason they’ve only put out low-resolution images and at different angles (not ideal for a side-to-side comparison).

UPDATE 11th November 2020

We had to get this confirmed before writing about it, but the “new” 360 box is fundamentally the same hardware as the existing V6 boxes, although Virgin TV 360 boxes are built by different suppliers and the user experience as a platform is very different under Horizon. The Virgin TV 360 Mini box is the same hardware as the 360 box without the hard disk, offering a smaller second or third box for the home.

Despite this it may seem strange that, from launch later this year, existing customers who choose to upgrade to Virgin TV 360 will have their current V6 box swapped out for a Virgin TV 360 box and mini box. However, from early next year, customers with a V6 box who choose to upgrade to Virgin TV 360 will instead be able to get the software update over the air.