Forum Discussion

stev1eg's avatar
stev1eg
Tuning in
2 days ago

360 upgrade and apps

So, as well as the discussed 'shortcomings' of the supposed 'upgrade' (I wish I could go back to my V6 but apparently you cannot), is there a way to get rid of the 'bloatware' apps? Also, can I add my own apps? Or, are we to just accept that Virgin Media and their owners know better and I am paying for a service that I never agreed to?

i.e. most apps I do not use, and you cannot hide/arrange any of them. Please do not tell me sure your most used apps are at the bottom and if you could just scroll past the stuff they are trying to sell me, or tell me to just speak into the device (I do not want to nor feel I should). Why not put the most used apps at the top? Almost like they want you to waste time/effort in passing apps that I might sign up for - no chance.

I also feel l like I have been 'duped' into the upgrade...subject: "Your TV box needs an upgrade". Also, feel mis-sold on the 'you aren't getting the most out of your services". Is there a way to cancel a contract early on the basis of a degradation of service?

Anyway, its that bad an experience  I will not be renewing when my contract ends in December of this year. 

360
360tv
Apps
Upgrade

6 Replies

  • japitts's avatar
    japitts
    Very Insightful Person
    2 days ago

    Virgin TV boxes are not like smartphones or tablets that have an app store from where you can install/uninstall as you see fit. Apps are pre-installed and configured to connect over VM's network.

    Conversions from TiVo/V6 > TV360 are voluntary except in the specific circumstances where you move to a package with inclusive Paramount+ or Disney+, which are not available on V6. But they are one-way trips - VM will continue to encourage migrations to their own in-house software.

    TV360 is very much geared to the online experience, in comparison to TiVo/V6 which were built as recording boxes and had streaming added. No other UK provider offers TiVo-firmware, the whole TV industry is pushing for a streaming & OnDemand future, where recording is considered outdated.

    • stev1eg's avatar
      stev1eg
      Tuning in
      2 days ago

      Thanks for your response. I am very familiar with apps. So, what you are saying that it is for my own good that Virgin foist these apps with no options for hiding or altering because of,...the service experience. The 'voluntary' aspect of moving was not very clear (I suspect deliberately so). 

      As to the 'online experience', I can get that anywhere else so the value of the upgrade has just been diminished for me and the service offered is now vanilla. Bittorrent it is!

      If you are not familiar with it, I recommend looking it up, as this is the very definition of 'en**bleep**tification'. 

      • japitts's avatar
        japitts
        Very Insightful Person
        2 days ago

        You specifically posted asking "is there a way to get rid of the 'bloatware' apps? Also, can I add my own apps?" and I responded to explain how VM TV boxes don't have an app-store.

        There's never been a way to hide apps, TiVo/V6 has the menu to mark particular ones as favourites.

        I'm sorry that my posts appear to not be to your liking.

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    2 days ago

    From this and other posts, it seems that VM are now telling customers that they 'need' the 'upgrade', rather than just offering it.

    So customers are innocently accepting that they have no choice but to change, and are stuck with the 360 whether they like it or not.  This really is shabby treatment by VM. 

     

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta
    2 days ago

    VM's STBs are not an open ecosystem like Android TV: instead it is a closed system done for various operational and commercial reasons. If you are so distressed by this you'll find no better news when looking at Sky and EE TV as their boxes have similar closed ecosystems, but you can move to TalkTalk as its TV Hub is powered by Android TV (which means it has access to the Google Play Store). Note: you'll need to move your broadband to TalkTalk as well.

  • stev1eg's avatar
    stev1eg
    Tuning in
    2 days ago

    Yep. I agree on the nature of the services offered by others, the attempts to lock down the service, and the continuing erosion of the value of the service. Not just VM and their owners. 

    With the new 'upgrade' offering a degraded service experience, and no differentiation to others now re. tv, I will just go full IP only on open standards and apps.

    As to apps, I guess my question was answered regarding removing/adding: The answer = No. 

    So, we get them all that are supportable and offered in a walled system but yet these cannot be hidden or moved so stuck with these as they are, and you have to navigate to the bottom of the apps screen to get the most frequent accessed.  

    Thankyou for your responses.