TV 360 - A Step Backwards

[Libanese]

I've now had the TV 360 for a week and a half and, although there are a couple of good things, such as voice control, too many things are just a step backwards from Tivo 6 -

1. No quick TV guide available, just the full guide or single channel display at the bottom of the screen
2. Features that used to be one or two button presses away now need 4 or 5 presses. Accessing recordings being a case in point
3. Not being able to specify new recordings only. After 10 days, my hard drive (single, see next point) is 23% full, mainly with repeats I didn't want after setting up series links
4. On that note, my storage space has been reduced by half, thanks to there being no drive in the mini box
5. Not being able to pause live TV on the mini box for more than 2 minutes. Then, once it starts playing, you can't pause again until you've caught up to Live TV. I mean, what is the point of that?
6. No quick access to programme info. Even when you do access it, you get a full screen promo image which completely covers what it is you're watching
7. With Tivo 6, after rewinding it was easy to go straight back to Live TV by pressing the Stop button. With 360, you have to fast forward until it tells you you're watching Live TV
8. Speaking of the remote, the shapes and textures for main buttons are nowhere near pronounced enough. It's almost impossible to use without looking directly at it

Before answering, assuming you are so inclined, please consider this. I do not accept "it's early days" as an excuse. The software is v4.26, which implies it's been through 3 major revisions and dozens of sub-versions. Basically, it should be much better than it is. I don't see Virgin reducing my monthly cost if they are considering me a beta tester. I also don't see them reducing the cost after giving me a botch job of a second box when I had 2 fully functioning Tivo 6 boxes up to last week.

I suppose I should expect Virgin to have made a pig's ear of it, just like they always do, but I thought that, maybe this time, they had it right. I should have known better

[Libanese]

Yeah, that's hardly the biggest issue here, is it?

You've also removed all the radio stations, so I assume you're going to lower the price I pay

[BenMcr]

Radio stations are available on the 360.

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Virgin-Media-TiVo-service/Upgrade-Tivo6-to-Tivo360/m-p/4442456#...

[Libanese]

Something else pushed into an app, when they worked perfectly well on the 900+ channels.

You all really need to see TV 360 for the awful, low-grade mess it really is from a customer point of view. The whole thing is a huge backwards step, and yet you want us to cough up the same money.

[BenMcr]

They're really only on the 900+ channels because of the old V boxes that have been decommissioned, and as a way to replicate the even older FM feeds that use to exist back in the analogue days.

With internet connected boxes there is no need to have radio as audio only TV channels, as other access methods can be used.

I'd think it's also much more efficient to use other delivery methods as it allows more radio stations to be available on the box than could ever be available via the EPG.

And excluding the current technical problem, Radioline exists as an app on the V6 boxes too.

[Libanese]

I've just tried the Radio Line app, and it's terrible. Put it on an app, of you need to, but at least make it usable.

This is another example of legacy being the better option. But, look, that's just one of a big list of awfulness about 360. I'm now 2 weeks in, and I feel no more affectionate towards it than I did the day after it was installed

[BenMcr]

Radioline is for additional radio stations. The 'built in' option is when you press Home on your remote and go to the Guide option. There is a radio option on the right icon.

[lennyv]

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@DJ_Shadow1966 wrote:

Hello

As the box isn't released for everybody in the UK at this time there is no manual

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I don't really think that's good enough. I can appreciate there not being a full and final manual yet if this is just a pilot programme (not that we were told it was), but the information that Virgin have made available to the UK customers they offered the box to is, well, fairly non-existent.

[BenMcr]

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@lennyv wrote:

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@DJ_Shadow1966 wrote:

Hello

As the box isn't released for everybody in the UK at this time there is no manual

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I don't really think that's good enough. I can appreciate there not being a full and final manual yet if this is just a pilot programme (not that we were told it was), but the information that Virgin have made available to the UK customers they offered the box to is, well, fairly non-existent.

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This is the response from staff in this thread yesterday

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Virgin-TV/TV-360-A-Step-Backwards/m-p/4448525#M197213

There is definitely a manual and you should have got one.  I'll get someone to contact you about it. 

A lot of the shortcuts you're looking for can indeed be found using voice control

What won't yet be available is the detailed online help that Ireland now have for their version. But everyone getting the 360 box should have a guide to get them going with their new box.

[lennyv]

I got the document that Virgin are sending out with the box, but what's really missing at the moment is any information about what's different between whichever box you currently have and the 360. Without that it's really difficult to work out whether 360 will work for you or not.

[JerryButtery]

I completely agree with Libanese. The 360 is a step backwards. Can I go back to the previous system? I'm even tempted to look at other providers, who may even be cheaper! Doesn't Virgin realise it is jeopardising its customer base? And I have been a loyal customer for 20 or more years.