Virgin Media UK Upgrade to Hub 5 Broadband Routers on All TV Bundles
New customers looking to join one of Virgin Media’s broadband and TV bundles may like to know that the ISP has recently made some further hardware updates, which means that all TV packages now include a Hub 5 router (Flex ‘service’ is excluded). Previously, some bundles still included older routers, like the now somewhat dated Hub 3.
In addition, all TV packages should also now be coming with a Flex (Stream / Apollo) Box instead of the TV360 box, which is a continuation of the gradual phasing out of TV360 that we reported on again last month (here).
“All new TV customers will receive an Apollo box and a Hub 5 on all broadband tiers including M125. Flex is excluded,” confirmed a spokesperson for the provider to ISPreview. One downside of this approach is that the Stream/Apollo box (sometimes also called a ‘Flex Box’, but this confuses it with the ‘Flex service’) lacks a recording function in the UK. This isn’t quite as important in the modern on-demand world, but some people will miss the PVR feature.
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Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Sure enough, when added to basket and then checkout, its a Stream/Flex box.
Only the M125 has the box pictured, and the other bundles before you add to basket make no mention of it being a Stream/Flex box and you can’t record on it.
They must use a fixed term for the TV subscriptions on these bundles, because Flex normally has monthly rolling for Entertainment package and Sky Cinema and Sky Sports.
Until this is fixed, expect new customer complaints to light up the VM user forums….
In FTTP areas they’ve only been supplying the stream only boxes for TV.
I have read on reddit though that apparently some have still been able to get TV360 at an additional charge (£50?).
Still, being stream only is off putting.
They can only supply IP Flex/Stream boxes in XGS-PON areas because there is no DVB-C infrastructure so it’s all IP.
Why only new customers? What about existing customers still using hub 4s?
How Does BT/EE TV able to offer recording when Virgin can’t?
Virgin could, even over IP (which they’re in the middle of switching to instead of QAM over co-ax). They’re just choosing not to. Sky and Virgin will eventually be all non-recording boxes, and (most) people, especially the younger generations probably won’t notice or care. For Sky there will be a hard cut-off when they decide to finally end their satellite distribution contracts / they expire without renewal. For Virgin they will be replacing all HFC plant with fibre. At that point then they too will be all non-recording boxes. Either could choose to implement cloud recording (dedicated space on a server for each customer – a cloud hard drive if you will – as opposed to bookmarking items from various on-demand services and / or recorded by Sky / Virgin to simulate recording), but they likely won’t. Legal constraints may also stop this in the longer term as programme providers try to direct people to their apps.
I was one of those customers who switched to virgin expecting the recording box ( even rang customer service first to check) but ended up with the streaming box instead. Had a nightmare trying to cancel the TV element with customer services.
Also the router was not compatible with my tado heating so had to buy an adapter whereas the sky router worked fine with it.
too late everyone moved to youfibre ,,,,, which has an ms of 4 !!! the same uplaod speed as the downlaod .1gig to 8gig..starts at £25 RIP virgin media
I moved away in Feb 2024, saved a lot of money and hassle. VM were far too costly, awful upload speed and once contract had finished they almost tripled my internet prices. Ther telephone landlines were only to other VM customers (free and re-dial after 60 minutes) and “tech” support.. all in india who did not anything. Everyone should leave them.
I am glad it works for you but there’s a lot of people who don’t have YouFibre in their area. P.S., Shilling for business only works if you put a referral code – how else will YouFibre know about the hundreds of people you’re sending their way from your post? 😉
Trust me, I wish a half decent alt-net that isn’t VM/Nexfibre was available in my area.
‘Everyone’?
To everyone on an ALTNET thinking you are away from Vermin Media.
VMs wishlist is to buy the ALTNETS as soon as they struggle to erase competition. Unfortunately, our so called regulators are asleep at the wheel. They’ve already tried to get Cityfibre, but price was too high at the time, and they bought UPP.
They are hoping the expansion of Nexfibre new customers will enable their buy up strategy.
Agree totally, VM is such a large corporation it can afford the number of people leaving it. For how long? I left them last year and so far so good. More people subscribe to the alt nets the better it is for them and the BB / phone profits the alt nets make. Then they can stand on their feet and openly say… we made an enormous difference. Prices due not being on BT / VM are far lower and connection speeds are so much faster.
Yes “everyone” should leave.