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UK ISP is turning broadband infrastructure into EV charging stations
Liberty Global is testing a secondary use for its broadband cabinets, the streetside boxes that link internet connections from exchanges to homes and businesses. It's harnessing the infrastructure of its Virgin Media subsidiary to build electric vehicle charging stations in the UK.
UK public broadcasters want top billing on streaming services
As streaming services and set-top boxes continue to creep up on traditional TV, public service broadcasters (PSBs) in the UK are worried about being left behind. The heads of ITV, BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are urging the government to require tech companies to give them prominent placement within on-demand services.
Virgin Media is giving all of its TV customers a V6 box
Virgin Media's next-generation V6 box is now over a year old. Since its launch, the company has managed to install more than a million of the 4K-ready set-top boxes in UK homes -- roughly a quarter of its total customer base. However, with a number of older, less-capable boxes still in use, Virgin Media has come up with a way to drag the remaining three-quarters of subscribers into the present: give away the Virgin V6 box for free.
UK ISPs will automatically compensate customers for shoddy service
A poor level of customer service shown by your broadband or landline provider is like a late train. You know you could probably argue your way into some nominal refund, but it just seems more trouble than it's worth. The issue with that is there's no incentive to ensure the train runs on time, so earlier this year, Ofcom floated the idea that telecoms providers should compensate customers for poor service automatically, no complaints necessary. Today the regulator announced that BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Zen Internet -- which cover 90 percent of broadband and landline customers between them -- have "agreed" to be part of such a scheme.
Virgin Mobile makes Twitter ‘free’ to access
If you have a 4G plan with Virgin Mobile, you can now access Twitter without diving in to your monthly data allowance. That means you can scroll through your feed, check your mentions and respond to pressing Direct Messages without fear of incurring any charges. The "data-free" access joins Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which the company first offered to subscribers last November. The only catch is that you can't stream live video through the app — so if you want to watch the news or catch up with the day's Wimbledon action, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Virgin Media: Change your Super Hub 2 password or risk being hacked
Typically, internet routers are designed to protect you and your devices from malicious third parties. But when many come with a default username and password, they can leave owners open to attack. That's the message consumer website Which? is pushing today, after it found that Virgin Media's Super Hub 2 routers can be hacked if users don't change the original credentials (normally printed on the back). Virgin Media says the risk is "small" but is urging over 800,000 customers to change the details to protect themselves.
Virgin V6: how to get the most out of your set-top box
Researched and written by Nicholas Fearn In the home TV entertainment market, Sky and Virgin have been competing with each other for years. Then came the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and suddenly everything changed. To stay ahead of the curve, Sky launched the Q set-top box, which offers on-demand shows and a multi-room viewing experience. For while, it was the only next-generation box available and easily beat the traditional TiVo box offered by Virgin Media. However, Virgin Media is now taking the fight to its biggest rival with the V6. The V6 is Virgin Media's smallest, smartest and fastest TV box yet. It's half the size of the company's previous TiVo box, it comes with 10 times more power, 4K support, HDR output, an intelligent multi-room system and other cool features. Whether you already own one or are looking to upgrade, here's how you can get the most out of the V6 box. Virgin TV Anywhere app The Virgin TV Anywhere app, which is available for Android and iOS devices, brings some cool features to the V6. For instance, you can watch live TV shows and on-demand boxsets anywhere in your home. You just have to have to ensure your box is connected to a WiFi connection. As is the case with the Sky Q, you can also watch selected recordings around your home and offline. What's also neat is that you can set, cancel and delete recordings using the app, which is useful when you're out and about. While the V6 does come with a remote, you have the ability to control the box with the app too. It adopts a gesture-controlled system, so you can go through shows and menus seamlessly. To enable this, you need to make sure the box's standby settings are set as Connected Low Power or Always On. Record six shows simultaneously It can be pretty annoying when you want to record several programmes, but they end up clashing. You can avoid this situation, to a point, with the V6 as the box is capable of recording six shows simultaneously. What's more, you can do this while watching a seventh recording, or you can stream a show through a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime. You don't have to worry about memory, either. The 1TB box supports 500 hours of SD recordings and 100 hours of HD recordings. A smarter remote Like Sky Q, the V6 comes with a beefed-up remote. It uses RF technology, so you don't have to constantly point it at the box in order for it to work. That means you can hide the box away in a cupboard, as opposed to having it on show. It's pretty easy to end up losing technology, so you'll be happy to know that the box comes with a 'find my remote' feature. All you have to do is press a special button on the box, and the remote will start beeping. Movie store and children's channel Sky has always been known for its large variety of shows, movies and rentals it offers, but Virgin is slowly catching up. With the V6, you can get direct access to the new Virgin Media Store. Here, you can purchase popular TV shows and movies. If you do end up downloading one, you'll be sent a copy of the DVD in the post as well. That's something Sky has offered for a while now, so it's great to see Virgin doing the same thing. There's also a kids' channel too, which blocks out adult-focused ads and shows. Ultra HD ready Unlike previous Virgin TV boxes, the V6 supports 4K television. That means you can watch and stream shows in Ultra HD. As well as Virgin content, the Netflix and YouTube apps also offer 4K support. To ensure that you get the best picture, all V6 boxes sport HDR. Multi-room Multi-room support means you can start watching a programme in one room, and continue it in another. That's pretty useful if you end up leaving your living room to, say, make a cup of coffee and happen to have a TV in your kitchen. Recordings can also be resumed on a mobile device through the Virgin TV Anywhere app. Intelligent search Looking for a specific TV show or movie can be a pain, but this is something you can avoid with the V6's smart search feature. You can access it by clicking a dedicated button on the remote. Then you'll be able to search for content across all of Virgin's apps. SeriesLink+ is another useful feature available on the V6. It lets you look for TV shows across a variety of apps and see which episodes are available to download. You can also find out shows you've already recorded or downloaded, helping you avoid duplicate content.
Virgin Media uses home routers to boost its public WiFi network
Virgin Media is starting to expand its public Wi-Fi network by turning customer routers into hotspots. The upgrade, which was first teased in 2015, is only compatible with SuperHub v3 routers for now. Customers are being alerted to the change via email and can choose to opt-out, otherwise they'll be connected automatically. As ISP Review reports, your broadband shouldn't be affected if you decide to help Virgin Media. That's because "additional, separate" bandwidth will be allocated by the provider.
Facebook and Instagram go down for Virgin Media customers
If you're a Virgin Media customer and you're experiencing issues trying to access Facebook or Instagram, you are not alone. The broadband provider has admitted that customers have been unable to access Facebook services, including Facebook.com and Messenger. A fix is on its way, but the company warns that some customers could frozen out of their favourite social networks until later this evening.
Ofcom proposes free cash for lengthy broadband outages
Under new proposals by Ofcom, Brits could soon receive automatic compensation for slow broadband repairs and missed engineer appointments. The measures are part of a larger crackdown on the UK's telephone and internet service providers. Openreach, the arm of BT that handles broadband infrastructure, was forced to become its own, "legally separate company" earlier this month. Now, Ofcom is effectively saying that it needs to do better than before, or face financial repercussions.
Virgin Media now offers up to 100 Mbps broadband as standard
Virgin Media's slowest fibre broadband package is now faster than the top speeds offered by other mainstream UK providers. In its first tariff reshuffle in some time, Virgin is scrapping its up to 50 Mbps plan, making the up to 100 Mbps package the new entry-level tier. What's more, there's now a VIVID 300 plan promising top speeds of 300 Mbps, which eclipses the best competitors like BT, Sky and TalkTalk can offer (up to 76 Mbps max). Virgin first made up to 300 Mbps fibre available this time last year, but only as a special upgrade aimed at home workers. Today it becomes a more visible option for regular consumers.
How the UK plans to block illegal Kodi soccer streams
Last week, at the High Court, the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) was granted stronger powers to crack down on the illegal streaming of English football matches. Instead of chasing websites hosting live players, the League can now block the servers that provide the live feeds, cutting off "Kodi boxes" -- a combination of legitimate media centre software with non-authorised third-party plugins -- and similar IPTV services. But how will it be enforced? Now that the order is publicly available, we can shed some light on how the FAPL intends to utilise its new powers.
Virgin Media readies itself for the future with the V6 box
After months of teasing, Virgin Media has finally lifted the lid on what it believes will help it move "from cable TV to connected entertainment." At the heart of its new proposition is the Virgin V6, the 4K set-top box we were first introduced to in August, which the company says is specifically "built for apps." It supports a "full deployment" of BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix, Hayu and Vevo, but is also capable of recording six channels at once to its 1TB hard drive (two more than the Sky Q), which can store up to 500 hours of standard-def recordings, or 100 hours of HD content.
Virgin Media launches 4G plans with unlimited WhatsApp and Messenger
When Virgin Media relaunched its mobile network, the company set itself apart by offering unlimited calls, texts and data at an almost unbeatable monthly price. The only drawback was that its EE-powered service was 3G-only, meaning it couldn't reach the speeds that other providers were advertising. As the UK's big four continue to plough millions into expanding 4G coverage, Virgin Media has decided it's time to jump on the LTE bandwagon. Unlimited plans are now gone but to cushion the blow, the company is offering free messaging on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
MPs want Sky and Virgin Media to make public channels more visible
Pay-TV providers in the UK may be forced to do more to promote the on-demand content of public service broadcasters (PSBs) on their platforms in the future, under new rules being discussed by MPs. The Digital Economy Bill, announced earlier this year in the Queen's Speech before being published a few months later, sets out obligations for broadband coverage/speeds and writes a requirement for age gates on porn sites into law, among other things. It's currently making its way through the House of Commons, and yesterday members of the Public Bill Committee proposed a new amendment that would ensure PSBs like the BBC gained more visibility on pay-TV platforms -- a direct reaction to our changing viewing habits.
Virgin Media has a broadband plan just for gamers
When most people shop for a new broadband package, they're focused on download speeds. What can I expect when everyone in my home is trying to stream Netflix? Or downloading a game like Inside to their PlayStation 4? But, now more than ever before, customers are interested in upload speeds too. It can affect your performance in a game like Overwatch, as well as Twitch-style streaming and video uploads to sites like YouTube. Virgin Media is catering for this group with "VIVID 200 Gamer," an optional upgrade for its VIVID 200 tariff. If you're willing to spend an extra £5 per month, you'll have your upload speeds increased from 12 to 20Mbps. While Virgin Media is targeting "gamers" (some cringeworthy advertising is no doubt in the pipeline), the plan could appeal to anyone that deals with large files and demanding services. Professional filmers who regularly upload footage, for instance. Or wedding photographers that need to quickly upload large image libraries. Of course, video games are a popular past-time, so it's easy for Virgin Media to market the new tariff this way. Anyone that's played a fast-paced shooter in the last few years, like Titanfall or Battlefield 4, will understand the frustration when it's your internet connection, rather than your thumbs, that result in a loss.
Virgin Media's next price hike will come in November
Virgin Media customers across the UK will today begin receiving letters notifying them of an upcoming price increase. The company says that from November 2016, line rental costs will rise from £17.99 to £19 per month and annual Line Rental Saver plans will set subscribers back £196 instead of the usual £184. Broadband packages and bundles will also rise between £3 and £4 per month.
Virgin Media TiVo update adds smarter Series Link+ feature
While we wait for more details on Virgin Media's new V6 set-top box and the 4K service arriving with it, the company's showing it hasn't yet forgotten about those aging HD TiVos currently sitting beneath TVs across the UK. Several new features are being bestowed upon these boxes as part of a platform update, the most notable of which being Series Link+. This not only tells your TiVo to record every subsequent episode of a series, as you'd expect, but also searches on-demand platforms (including Netflix) for any episode of the same show, collating it all in the one folder in the My Shows tab -- should you need to start from the very beginning, say.
Virgin V6: This is Virgin Media's 4K TV box
We've known for a while that Virgin Media has been working on a new set-top box, but information on the next-generation hardware has been hard to come by. Thankfully, the company has begun teasing various aspects of what is believed to be its answer to Sky Q, today sharing both a photo of the box and a name: Virgin TV V6. Virgin Media has confirmed that like its predecessors, the V6 will support TiVo software and formally launch later this year.
Virgin Media will launch its own 4K set-top box this year
Virgin Media will unveil a new 4K set-top box for TV customers later this year. In its first-quarter financial report, the company said that as part of enhancements to its UK TV offering, it is currently "preparing to launch new set-top box platform," which will feature Ultra HD broadcasts like Sky Q and BT's YouView-powered box.
