Virgin Media TV explained

Virgin Media offers a huge choice of programming with up to 175 channels available, including the best of Sky, Sky Sports, Freeview, terrestrial channels and on-demand TV. Depending on the package you choose you will receive a V Box, a V+ HD Box, or a Tivo box. Virgin Media's latest deals offer a TiVo 500GB box as standard - allowing hours of intelligent TV recording without any input from you. TiVo learns what you like, and goes ahead and records it!

The V HD box / V+ HD

Using the V HD Box (provided free with all Virgin Media TV deals) or V+ HD Box, you can pick what you want to watch from a massive selection of movies and television. With V+HD you can even record, pause and rewind live TV to make sure you don't miss a thing. Virgin Media is also up-to-speed with the 3D TV revolution too. With a great library of movies and programmes to select from, it really does bring a whole new dimension to in-home entertainment.

Need standalone Virgin Media broadband instead? Compare Virgin Media broadband packages now.

What’s the difference between the V+ HD Box and V HD Box?

Both the V HD Box and the V+ HD Box give you unprecedented control over your TV viewing. However, while the V+ HD Box lets you pause, fast forward and rewind live TV, this is not a feature of the standard V HD Box.

The V+ HD Box also differs from the V Box in that if allows you to store up to 80 hours of TV on its hard drive to watch at your leisure. This is not a feature of the V HD Box. You can even record two channels simultaneously while you’re watching a third. The V HD Box and V+ HD Box are both HD and 3D capable. However, you will need to activate this before you can start watching those programmes. This carries a small one-off charge.

Tivo

The Tivo service from Virgin Media offers all your favourite TV channels, including Sky favourites, Catch Up TV, on-demand movies and shows and internet media content. It allows you to pause and rewind live TV shows, record two channels while watching a third, and manage your recordings from your mobile device or laptop.

The Tivo box, available with either 500GB or 1TB of storage, provides up to 6 times the storage of Virgin Media’s V+ HD Box and can offer up to 500 hours of standard TV or up to 100 hours of HD TV. With 500GB of Tivo storage you can record around 250 hours of standard TV and around 50 hours of HD TV.

With a host of other features, including programming suggestions, wish-lists according to actor or director, and intelligent space management, the Tivo box is a must-have tool for anybody who is serious about their television.

What do I need to get Virgin Media TV?

Getting on board with Virgin Media TV is simple. However, before you can there are two things you must have. Firstly, you’ll need a fibre optic broadband connection. This is because the service is delivered to your home via the company’s highly advanced cable broadband network technology.

If you’re an existing Virgin Media broadband customer, you may already have one of these. If not, that’s no problem. Virgin Media TV bundles include a fibre optic broadband connection as part of the deal.

Unfortunately, because Virgin Media’s network does not currently cover all of the UK, not all homes can get Virgin Media fibre optic broadband.

To check the availability of Virgin TV services in your area, use our broadband postcode checker. Bear in mind that offers and availability change, so always check with the Virgin Media sales team.

Virgin Media 3D TV requirements

To enjoy 3D TV with Virgin Media you’ll first need to check that you have a 3D capable TV, plus some special stereoscopic 3D glasses. You’ll also need a V HD box or a V+ HD Box. And finally, to connect the box to your TV, you’ll require an HDMI cable. This in included free of charge with all Virgin Media TV bundles.

It’s worth noting that not everything you watch will be in 3D – simply because many programmes and movies will not have been made with the technology in mind.

Interested in a Sky TV package instead? Find out more and compare Sky TV deals now.