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

[jddb]

Only live streamed though.
Previous V6 enabled you to set recordings (which I used every day)

[TiffanyGreen97]

Once you have been migrated to TV360 you cant go back. Remember TV360 is the future the old Tivo system will be phased out. Also a lot of the functionality that has been lost will come back in time. I feel the look and feel of TV360 is so much better than Tivo. They just need to get the functions we have missing back and iron out all the bugs. This will come in time. They also need to do better software testing before pushing out updates.

[Fox35]

The 360 is most definitely a step backwards in its current form at least, until all the 4.28 bugs on Arris V6 updated boxes are ironed out and the missing basic PVR standards are returned (full Series Link and Bookmarks etc). Pretty pictures and voice control gimmicks doesn't cut it for me, smooth operation, functionality and decent features does!

I am seriously thinking of switching to the new 2020 Youview+ box, which is vastly superior to this awful 360 box, and will add a Roku stick and Now TV for premium content. I already use a Firestick.

I have made numerous calls to VM, messaged on Chat, left messages on their Twitter feed and here, but they're blatantly ignoring the raised issues.

 I have had enough now.

Unless my issues are fixed in the coming days I will be switching before Christmas.

[Gary06028]

I’m with you that how do you go about cancelling as in still in contract with system not fit for purpose 

[TiffanyGreen97]

you would need to speak to the retentions team, on the phone there is an option for leaving us, speak to them 

[vircom]

Thanks for this thread.

We don’t like voice control. Used it on Alexa for years but not a fan.

We prefer text rather than icons.

We prefer recording rather than streaming. Have used NowTV and Prime for years but prefer recording.

Don’t want to loose the extra storage space and extra tuners given by two V6 boxes.

Don’t want to loose recordings and series links. I know it has to happen eventually but will need time.

Don’t like being a beta tester, and it sounds like this software needs more work.

I will delay any change as long as possible, then consider my options. If I am being “encouraged” towards streaming rather than recording, I can get that from my smart TV. As I am out of contract at present, I will definitely not risk getting locked into a new contract. Will watch with interest.

[heavyend81]

When VM emailed me to say I was getting a free upgrade to the new 360 box (which I already have two of them working perfectly fine) and two new remotes are on their way I let out a huge sigh thinking here we go a gain VM have decided to upgrade from 1970 to 1980 technology. We have a long way yet to go until they eventually get there. I wasn't going to bother with the new remotes until I saw that the upgrade would be forced on you so though well if they do it it will definately be a lash up so I did it myself. I don't tend to do much if any recordings but support all the points made here. What I hate about VM (and SKY Q which I had for 4 years) is that they seem to record constantly some random rubbish and series that I never ever even watch or even set to record, which quickly fills the HD up. The big plus for me is my SKY Q package along with  VM broadband was costing me £235 per month with two boxes. This whole setup with VM (Ultimate Oomph with 3 boxes) is only costing me £105 pm and my son saves £30 pm on the virgin sim card provided that I had no use for. So from a cost point of view I am quids in with tons more channels. For that reason I'll put up with a few flaws or VM's 20 year long teething flaws. What I couldn't get to do that was most annoying is,if I was in the channel guide on say channel 500 I couldn't for some reason (maybe someone can tell me if it is a funtion available) just press a button and return to the top of the guide (ignore the voice command at this point) but you had to just scroll backwards 500 channels to get to the top. Have I missed a function here or what ?.  I find the Netflix,Prime and YouTube app in the channel guide very poor quality, more like SD than HD/4K so will be sticking to my  Apple 4K tv box for those apps. I would also love to have seen Plex in the app list but no such luck. I find the voice commands/response pretty impressive so far. I haven't managed to get through every little detail yet but so far I feel it is (for me at least) a move,even a little bit forward to catch up with the polish of Sky Q and APTv

[vircom]

If you don’t do much recording and like pretty interfaces, the 360 will probably suit you. We don’t use apps much and can run these on the smart TV. We do make a lot of recordings and series links, including radio, and prefer text to icons, so the V6 suits us better. When we are forced to give up the V6 I will look at using freeveiw/freesat and a couple of streaming services for NowTV and Prime, unless of course the 360 has moved closer to our preferences.

Each to their own, glad to hear some are enjoying the new up/downgrade.

[paul0363]

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@heavyend81 wrote: What I couldn't get to do that was most annoying is,if I was in the channel guide on say channel 500 I couldn't for some reason (maybe someone can tell me if it is a funtion available) just press a button and return to the top of the guide (ignore the voice command at this point) but you had to just scroll backwards 500 channels to get to the top. Have I missed a function here or what ?. 

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Keying in the channel no. will take you there e.g. 101 or 1 (if you're in a profile other than shared). Home will take you to the day and channel menu at the top of the guide. (You can jump to any channel in the guide by keying the channel no.)

[paul_the_pie]

My sentiments exactly. I've spent the last 2 days on the phone and finally I have 2 x V6 boxes being delivered on the 29th. I was told firstly it was my fault and I must have installed the boxes badly (not that any of my problems were to do with the installation) , then told that I couldn't go back to V6, then I was told I could but they'd have to turn off the TV for a couple of days and finally I was told 2 v6 boxes would be sent out.