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

[John_Cranmer]

Now to the current state of our 360 system.

 The problem with not being able to use search etc on the converted TiVo boxes was fixed by installing new 360 boxes but that still left the old recordings showing as available but obviously not.  Trying to record further episodes of the same series did not work not could we  watch them live all resulted in he message the 360 box is off line.

A long talk with 2nd level tech support only came up with the idea to replace the 360 boxes with a new pair. and carefully follow their install procedures - they thought that the engineer who did the swap had done something wrong.

Nothing worked and we are still in the same position.  After another long discussion with the 2nd level support, a lady who seemed very helpful,  it could not be fixed and her final thoughts were

She could not fix it at her end

We could not fix it at our end

In fact no one at Virgin would be able to fix it and she could not pass it further up the chain as there was nothing anyone else could do

The only hope was to wait for a software upgrade to roll out and hope that solved the problem.

I will have to wait to see what the emails to the dispute resolution department produce.

Obviously somewhere in the Virgin system some settings are being stored and repopulated to the new boxes each time.  My only thoughts are to ask for the account to be completely deleted from their system and a new one set up with exactly the same terms and conditions we have at the moment.  I do not really want to abandon VM as I like the broadband we have but it may well come to that.

Finally it seems that details of whatever you set to record are stored somewhere in the Virgin Media system for their own use - presumably marketing.

John

[JitteryPinger]

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@John_Cranmer wrote:

No we were not forced to use the new handsets

Yes we were forced onto the 360 system

John.

. 

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This is a good point you highlight above, I was 'forced' by taking a 360 box in place of a V6 box at install, that has lead to a break in my contract and now you've lost a TV, Phone, Broadband and Mobile customer, however it is the customers that where duped into taking a free upgraded remote, or that had a fault and ended up with 360 as a replacement (and now the kids are wondering where half the apps have gone)

Now no doubt in my mind that this will 'not' be made right, and regardless of the upheaval Virgin will achieve its goal anyway (cut costs by cutting out TiVo) though in the long run of course because the cost of these issues must be mounting up between engineer calls, equipment replacements and time and resources assisting customers.

Liberty Global have taken a service which was a seller and much liked platform for pay TV service (I mean I seriously preferred V6 over Sky Q) and in my eyes ruined it, a service large households (like above) are about to feel the pinch and do I dare say that on top of this the package offerings aren't so enticing either.

For the same price as Virgin's Maxit TV around £31 per month (alone but when bundled with services) the competition are offering the same but with 'now' better equipment and additional benefit of Netflix Premium and also in my case Sky Cinema, for additional cost I can add other streaming services to the bill and its all ready on the box.

Pay TV is struggling for sure in this day and age but the nail is in the coffin for Virgin TV.

[jack254718]

I agree with the original post. So many features took away. Blew UI is half on screen and half not. Not very well thought out system at all. A massive massive step backwards, seems like virgin really don’t give a monkeys anymore at all! My advise... stay away from the new box until virgin decide to grow up and sort there rubbish out. One of the worse virgin boxes ever used!

[jack254718]

I agree. It’s totally messed up system. Hope virgin see these messages and actually learn from it and do something... but then again this is virgin we’re talking about... pigs will fly

[pepster]

It would seem they still have V6 stock, changed from BB only to the Bigger bundle.   

I was expecting a 360, but a Tivo v6 turned up yesterday... as I used to have the Tivo a few years ago so I was happy as I like the Tivo interface.

I wasn't against getting the 360, but seeing the experiences in this thread I'll hold off moving until I need to!

[JitteryPinger]

Did you get TiVo remote too?

The thing to be weary of is if the firmware gets updated.

[pepster]

Yeah i got a Tivo remote, all the guides were Tivo on the self install pack... I am happy with the Tivo setup, so I'm not going to ask them to change it.

From the screenshots of the V360 it reminds me a bit of youview.

[V1lad]

I’ve now had this terrible 360 system for 8weeks, after numerous calls and an engineer visit I am no nearer to a working system, recording fail, pause on playback, catch up and on demand nearly never work.

I have tried cancelling my contract on the grounds that they aren’t providing the service I’m paying but they refuse unless I pay £240 cancellation.  Next stop OFCOM it seems.

please everyone one save yourself a lot of pain and pass on 360!

[JitteryPinger]

Have you opened a complaint ?

[V1lad]

I’m opening the one with OFCOM tomorrow, I have one ongoing with Virgin who never say anything more than a fix is coming, we don’t know when but will compensate you after but can’t let you leave without a fee now.  This is totally unacceptable without an agreed timeframe as at the moment I’m paying a lot of money for nothing.