Virgin Media will launch its own 4K set-top box this year
Old boxes will be shown some love too.
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.
"There will be a new set-top box coming later this year, and it will support Ultra High Definition video," a Virgin Media spokesperson told What HiFi. "Before that we will be updating the existing TiVO set-top box to make its menus slicker and more picture-based." This mirrors comments made by David Bouchier, chief digital entertainment officer at Virgin Media, in a recent Telegraph interview.
With its TiVo boxes beginning to show their age, Virgin Media knows it needs to move fast. Sky and BT's next-generation set-top boxes are making their way into UK homes with dedicated 4K content. Virgin Media has neither. However, the company is reported to be exploring a return to TV production -- it recently bought Sky's stake in ITV and may also bid for the BBC's stake in UKTV.
