Mini Boxes Have to be Hard-Wired?

[DiscoGaza]

After waiting months for VM to complete cabling our street with full fibre I was eager to sign-up for Broadband and TV. As an existing Sky Q customer, I wanted to replicate what I already have: a main box and two mini boxes. I was left dumbstruck when the salesman told me that the mini boxes have to be hard-wired. There is no possible way of getting to the two rooms where the mini boxes will be without the cables being visible.

I find it astonishing that in 2022 Virgin Media don't have mini boxes that can be connected via WiFi. I've had Sky Q for 5 years so it's not as though the technology is new.

VM must lose considerable amounts of business due to the lack of WiFi connected mini boxes.

Are there any plans to introduce them?

[DiscoGaza]

How do VM do the transition from FTTH to coax cable? My parents have VM on the original Telewest network that combined coax with copper so I'm familiar with that set-up, but curious as to how they transition from fibre to coax. 

[Roger_Gooner]

VM's legacy network is a hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) network which uses fibre cables all the way to optical node cabinets within approximately 500 metres of their customers' homes. The light to RF conversion is done at the optical node cabinets and sent over stiff coaxial cables to distribution cabinets within 150 metres of the homes and then coaxial drop cables pulled from the distribution cabinets to the homes.

[nodrogd]

---

@DiscoGaza wrote:

How do VM do the transition from FTTH to coax cable? My parents have VM on the original Telewest network that combined coax with copper so I'm familiar with that set-up, but curious as to how they transition from fibre to coax. 

---

There will be a powered ONT installed on your outside wall (fed from a power socket inside) that will convert from Fibre to Coax. The coax cables are then split to go where they are needed.

[robigouk]

I personally agree that in this day and age that both Sky and Virgin should be able to product a box/stick that plugs in and uses wifi only to play recordings from the main box.  The technology is there (look at chromecast, amazon fire stick & Roku) so I'm hoping it's just a matter of time.

[Jmellis]

Good morning, 

From my understanding that is the purpose of the omnibox outside on the wall. It transitions the fibre to coax in that box 😊

[Jmellis]

VM have got the stream service that uses WiFi only much like the firesticks.

[nodrogd]

---

@robigouk wrote:

I personally agree that in this day and age that both Sky and Virgin should be able to product a box/stick that plugs in and uses wifi only to play recordings from the main box.  The technology is there (look at chromecast, amazon fire stick & Roku) so I'm hoping it's just a matter of time.

---

The stream product has been developed ONLY to work with cloud stored recordings, which the broadcasters in the UK & Eire won't currently permit. In Liberty Globals other European operations the equivalent V360 platform is diskless & therefore can be used seamlessly with the new IP only stream boxes as well. SkyQ, Sky Glass & the new Puck devices are all cloud compatible, but Sky has the same issue with the broadcasters.

[robigouk]

I understand the cloud issue but I still think both companies could develop a stick/puck etc. that will stream from the main box in the house (coax cabled in) to any other room on the same wifi etc.  I know sky have pucks but they are not HD/4k I think (not yet but again I'm hoping this will change).

[nodrogd]

---

@robigouk wrote:

I understand the cloud issue but I still think both companies could develop a stick/puck etc. that will stream from the main box in the house (coax cabled in) to any other room on the same wifi etc.  I know sky have pucks but they are not HD/4k I think (not yet but again I'm hoping this will change).

---

LG won't develop a seperate varient for the UK & Eire. The whole idea of releasing these products is to standardise the kit in use in all their operations. Their V6 was only modified to use a hard disk due to having to accomodate the current TiVO operating system VM were contracted to use. Far cheaper for the broadcasters just to change their attitude.

[Roger_Gooner]

VM is working towards delivering broadcast TV over IP as well as broadband and VoIP simultaneously, it's a complicated project and is in no way comparable to relatively simple video streaming you can get with a variety of sticks.