Forum Discussion

unisoft's avatar
unisoft
Super solver
6 months ago

VM New Customer TV Bundles

As of this morning, TV bundles now have the HUB5 and come with a Flex box not TV360 (for those HFC and RFoG areas of VM, the majority).

The product bundle web pages do not indicate it will be a Flex box without ability to record programmes. When you add to basket and checkout, it is then listed as a "Stream Box". The only TV bundle to show a picture of the Flex bos is the M125 bundle. The rest do not show anything.

New customers might sign up not being aware - expecting new customer complaints soon in this forum as a result.

VM, I think you need to make this clearer to your new customers before they add to their basket and checkout to avoid disgruntled customers later....

Biggest Combo NOT showing Flex:

M125 bundle Showing Flex

Actual Checkout of Biggest Combo:

News of Flex replacing TV360:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/04/virgin-media-uk-upgrade-to-hub-5-broadband-routers-on-all-tv-bundles.html

 

13 Replies

  • leskerr's avatar
    leskerr
    On our wavelength
    9 hours ago

    Thanks again @newapollo  (how do you get the user link, I expected to be able to select your name after @ )

    That link is perfect, I did a lot of digging for info previously without finding it. Hopefully it will be useful to others who come across this thread.

    As far as I can see, the actual specs of the new Humax box are unknown at this stage, so I'm hoping it will be announced soon, and will have third party apps such as Discovery+ and NowTV. If it an Android based box like some of their other devices, this could be a possibility, and if so, it might be good enough for me.

    Another negative against Virgin Stream is only one remote can operate the box. My wife and I have separate sofas, and have used 2 remotes for years. It would be a real pain to have only one remote.

    I actually looked at the EE TV Pro early this morning, and it looks like a realistic option. Not on a par with the Tivo or my current Sky Q, but might be good enough if I can get the right deal. However, I have noticed a lot of negative reviews, so will be digging deeper.

    I'm also looking to see if streaming only can work for us, my daughter is going to lend me her Apple TV box to try it. The hurdle I have to overome is my wife - she's a bit of a luddite and can't get her head around not having her programs available as recordings. But recording would also be useful if the internet is down...

    Thanks for all your help on this thread...and other threads to, I see your name popping up regularly with helpful information.

     

    • newapollo's avatar
      newapollo
      Very Insightful Person
      8 hours ago

      Hi again leskerr​ 

      Sorry but the @ user link is only available to forum staff and VIP's such as myself.

      I honestly don't think that the  Humax Freely-recording-box will have the third party apps such as Disney+, Prime, Netflix, Discovery+, Now etc.  I hope I'm wrong.   I think it will be more of the PSB apps such as  BBC iPlayer, ITVX, C4, C5, Great Player, U, Watch, possibly Talking Pictures Encore (although maybe the red button service instead) and possibly YouTube.

      It might be a good idea to look at something like an Amazon Firestick which has all of the apps. There's a sale on them at present and for the price would make an ideal "teaser" for the wife to get used to streaming.

      Regarding only one remote for the Stream boxes, the workaround would be to download the TVGo app on a mobile or tablet and use that as a secondary remote. TVGo  can also be used as a second screen to carry on where you left off on the TV on those devices, and if using the web browser version on a computer could be plugged into another TV via HDMI for another additional screen.

  • leskerr's avatar
    leskerr
    On our wavelength
    3 days ago

    Hi,

    I'm wondering if anyone has any more clarity on what is available now?

    Background: 3 years ago I moved house. I previously had 3 x V6 boxes. In my new address, VM is available on the other side of the road, at houses up the street from me, and at houses down the street from me. I live on a private road (of 7 houses) that runs parallel to the main road, literally less than 10 yards from it. At the time, I talked in depth to the right people at VM, who basically said that there was no budget currently available to install the infrastructure at my address.

    After 3 years of Sky service, I have found through the checker that VM is now available to me. But there is no mention of  TV360, and when I partially go through the order process, it mentions Stream. I do not want Stream, I wouldn't go back to VM if local recordings are not possible.

    So have VM stopped providing TV360? Or could my offering be architecture related - could they be offering me service via RFoG, even though the rest of the street is HFC?

    • newapollo's avatar
      newapollo
      Very Insightful Person
      3 days ago

      Hi leskerr

      The Stream (Flex) box became the default TV choice for all of VM's new customers around 6 months ago. 

      When you used the online postcode checker to confirm if VM can provide a broadband service at the proposed installation address https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/postcode-checker  did it offer you a 2 Gig connection amongst the various broadband options? 

      If so then you are in one of the current expansion areas which only supplies a full fibre connection for new customers. In those areas then only IPTV is available via a Stream box.

      VM's recordable TV set top boxes (TV360) only work on the older DOCSIS cable network which uses coaxial copper cables which carry both the linear broadcast TV channels & the DOCSIS internet. A TV360 box (if available) carries a £49.99 activation fee, and can only be ordered by contacting the sales team on 0800 183 1234.  Any additional boxes would be the non recordable Stream boxes.

       

      • leskerr's avatar
        leskerr
        On our wavelength
        18 hours ago

        Thanks, I appreciate your help, though it raises further questions - probably due to my misconceptions. This might also help anyone else searching for informationab out connections.

        • My connection at my old house was there for years and years. I had multiple V6 boxes. I presume this was HFC - I always knew it as fibre. The VM/NTL/Cabletel connection that I had at my old house for many years involved I assume fibre to a cabinet in the street, and I assume co-ax to the house, I recall DOCSIS as the terminology used in discussions. Is this what HFC would have been?
        • For a period of time there appeared to be an option to have the fibre direct to the house, possibly on request. I assume this was RFoG.
        • The only new connections available now are FTTP/XGS-PON (via Nexfibre). 

         

        and

        • Only Stream is available for new installations.

         

        My new house is very close (15m) to pavement chambers. However, it does cross a 5m stretch of public grass verge and a narrow private road (which is part of my property, so no additional permissions). Previously they said they wouldn't install due to budgets. Now installation is available, I suspect it would be via overhead cables (following existing Openreach cable).

        It's really disappointing that there would not be a local recording option, as it is top of the list to keep SWMBO happy. It was bad enough that V6 was being replaced by TV360, with I believe loss of some functionality (I'm led to believe).

        I'll start another thread regarding Stream functionality before I totally rule it out.

        I might hold out for the rumoured new Humax with potentially recording from streams, if this is viable then all ISPs are up for reconsideration.

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    6 months ago

    Does the 'setup fee £0' include the 'activation fee' that new users have complained about? 

    • unisoft's avatar
      unisoft
      Super solver
      6 months ago

      New customers are not supposed to have to pay that......

  • nodrogd's avatar
    nodrogd
    Very Insightful Person
    6 months ago

    There are increasing issues with different areas only supporting certain TV systems. In NexFibre/UPP FTTP areas, only Stream products can be used, as V360 is dependent on traditional copper coax for its live channels & recording capabilities. With VM about to go live with its XGS-PON FTTP overbuild in existing HFC/RFoG areas, this means the TV product they can have will depend on whether the customer is on DOCSIS or XGS-PON technology. Even more confusing. This is more than likely the reason the offering is being streamlined to one that works on both systems, as VM starts to offer migration to FTTP.

    Bear in mind that Sky has also done this, with Sky Stream now being the default offering.

    • unisoft's avatar
      unisoft
      Super solver
      6 months ago

      Not questioning why they are doing it, just questioning why its not made clear its a Stream/Flex box on the bundle page and no recording capability. Traditionally, most expected a recording box such as v6 or TV360. I marked my post as HFC/RFoG too. The M125 bundle was at least indicating a Flex/Stream box.

  • Richardr1's avatar
    Richardr1
    Fibre optic
    6 months ago

    Note that the box is a Stream Box, Flex is a package that includes the Stream box, and is no longer the only package Virgin Media sell with the Stream box [as well as what you say it includes new multi-room boxes for existing 360 customers].

    The story you link to gets confused, but then correctly says:

    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’) ...

    • Adduxi's avatar
      Adduxi
      Very Insightful Person
      6 months ago

      AFAIR the box started as Stream and it was free. Then became Flex at a cost.  Now it is standard.  No recording is possible on the box, just like most streaming sticks and boxes.  The ultimate goal eventually, I think, will be cloud recordings for subscribers, but again only when the channels allow it.

      • unisoft's avatar
        unisoft
        Super solver
        6 months ago

        correct. Stream became Flex. Stream was free, Flex is at least £5 per month.

        https://community.virginmedia.com/discussions/stream/introducing-flex---the-new-name-for-stream-from-virgin-media/5577052