Confusion over Horizon coming to existing V6 boxes

Mark Jackson on ISP Review has this week suggested that Liberty Global's Horizon software may not be coming to our V6 boxes after all. In a post published this week he says:

"We understand from our sources that Horizon won’t be coming to the v6 boxes after all. Instead Virgin Media appear to be gearing up to introduce two new STBs – a main box with the Horizon software and hard drive inside, and then a mini box with no hard drive (see * below) . 

"Both boxes support 4K video. We assume that the new Mini Box is the same one as Liberty Global recently launched for UPC in Poland while the new Main Box looks a bit like the v6, but on the inside it’s a different piece of hardware. At present it is unclear whether the new kit will be available to all new customers or only specific bundles (e.g. Ultimate Oomph). Likewise, we don’t know if existing v6 customers will have to pay for an upgrade (post-trial) or if it will be free."

All very confusing, especially as Virgin Media confirmed last year that Horizon was definitely coming to the UK and replacing TiVo and most pundits, me included, thought that meant new software on existing boxes. Maybe that's not now the case and there are technical issues that prohibit such a change? I'm confused. I can't imagine Virgin quickly replacing its existing V6 hardware base (too expensive and too inconvenient for customers) nor can I see it running TiVo and Horizon simultaneously across the UK for any prolonged period. Hopefully all will become clear "soon" (to use Virgin's favourite timeline).

* Liberty Global has launched a new internet TV box in Poland and plans to roll this out to other European regions according to this story: https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2020/08/24/liberty-unveils-4k-mini-tv-box/. 

Price rise question

When was the last price rise from Virgin Media? I haven’t posted about one since August 2018 but may have missed something last year when this blog went into hibernation. I’m normally the first to complain when they raise prices and it feels like a while. Hope I’m not tempting fate here!

UPDATE Royalbeech added this comment: I just found this email I received from Virgin:

“Let’s get to it: after the last four months, and the uncertainty of what’s ahead, there’s no more business as usual. That’s why we aren’t raising your price this year as we normally would.

“This means the price you pay for your current package right now will stay the same for the rest of 2020. There are no catches, and there’s nothing you need to do. In the meantime, we’ll keep investing in our network and doing all we can to make sure you stay connected."

Horizon on a V6 "Mini" box going into field testing

Some Virgin customers have been invited to test the new Horizon software on a V6 "Mini" box. I haven't, but here's the email they've been sent:

We think it’s only right that our customers get their hands on our amazing new TV experience first. Get it at no extra cost today and discover how we bring together all your screens, favourite channels and apps, so you can seamlessly watch and stream the telly you love, at home and on the go. Yep, it’s our best TV experience yet, on the house.

Great power and streamability

Our fastest-ever TV experience, now with new features like super powerful voice search, personal profiles and more.

Entertainment, brought together

The UK’s most popular channels, Catch Up services, movies, TV Box Sets and built-in apps, all in one place. So you won’t need to hop around.

TV that moves with you

Watch in more rooms with a 4K-ready Mini box. Or stream, control and manage your recordings with our free, supercharged, Virgin TV Go app.

Ready to go? We’re making our new TV service available to you early, and you have until 2nd September 2020 to get involved. There’s limited availability, but don’t worry it will be available again soon.

Once you’ve applied, it can take up to 7 working days to receive your confirmation.

Looks like they're entering final testing for a late 2020 launch. If anyone has more information, please email me. 

NOW TV Entertainment price rise

Now TV has announced that its Entertainment Pass will be going up by 12% to £9.99 a month in September (unless you're on an offer - I'm on a half price deal until next year).
The price of this service has crept up a few times recently and I don't think it's quite the bargain it used to be. Like many Virgin customers I only have it for Sky Atlantic programmes but, with this price rise and the Boost HD meaning it will cost me an extra £12.99/m next year I will probably drop it once my deal ends and just dip in when something on Atlantic really demands my attention.

The Horizon 4 software on Virgin Media Ireland's V6 box

Virgin Media Ireland support pages for the Horizon 4 customers: https://www.virginmedia.ie/virgintv360support/

And this one is particularly interesting: https://www.virginmedia.ie/virgintv360support/functions-and-features/ 

The V6 appears to have been renamed the V360 with the new software.

Horizon 4 - Virgin's new software running on the V6

This is interesting: a clip on YouTube of Virgin Media Ireland's V6 box, running Horizon 4

Whatever happened to Sky Q without a dish?

Back in 2017 Sky announced it was to introduce the Sky Q TV without the need for a satellite dish. There were no dates, just a series of vague promises that it was 'coming soon'.
Now, Pocket-lint has confirmed that the broadband-only Sky Q plans have taken a back seat:
"We have been working on it," said Sky's group chief product officer, Fraser Stirling, during a briefing on the new features coming to Sky Q in July. He revealed that, in the UK, IP (Internet Protocol) delivery of content will be more beneficial to the company's existing Sky Q platform in the short term. "We will move more and more of our services - like in how the product works - to be levered over IP and that will include some channels. You will find linear content, VOD content, and other experiences that are going to be IP based, with a really solid backbone: that hybrid delivery part, which is satellite. [It] is going to play a key part of our future for quite some time."
So, whilst it's not dead, a pure IP Q service is not being developed for launch any time soon and any Virgin Media customers waiting for a dish-less Sky offering as an alternative to VM should cross it off their list for now. (Actually, make that "for NowTV", which is a viable alternative to cable if you want to move to Sky for your TV.)
Incidentally, my contract with Virgin Media has just come up for renewal and I gave serious consideration to the NowTV and BT alternatives (local planning laws prohibit me having a dish). After a number of calls to Virgin and the others I found no-one could beat Virgin's offer for the next 18 months, which I guess is good news for fans of this blog.

All 4 on the V6 only standard definition for now

Channel 4 has confirmed that the new All 4 app on the V6 boxes isn't high definition (yet):

"We would advise that HD content is not currently available on the new Virgin app, we had hoped to have it at inception, but the pandemic has delayed this. We do hope to make HD available at some point, but unfortunately we don't have a date at this time."

Broadband outages: Virgin says sorry

Virgin Media has finally apologised after a major network outage left customers without internet access in London and other areas for six hours in late June.

The cable company claimed that the broadband outage on Thursday, June 25th affected a "relatively small pocket of customers in the capital". I was one of them, and I know lots of people outside the capital suffered too: it wasn't the first time during lockdown I found myself activating my mobile's personal hotspot rather than being able to use the Wi-Fi I pay so much for. And for a communications company, they can be frustratingly slow in communicating with their customers and rather economic with details - the silence was deafening.

Virgin now say that the problem was caused by "signal interference between its broadband and TV services at one site", rather than hot weather or over-capacity. The issue was resolved by the early afternoon.

“This morning some of our customers in London experienced broadband and TV issues which have now been fixed. This did not hit all customers in London and it was not a nationwide outage,” the group said. It declined to say how many people had been affected. “While our engineers worked as quickly as possible to solve the problem, we know how frustrating it is to be without our services and we apologise to those affected.”

Well, that's okay then, isn't it?

Meanwhile, Virgin's long-promised upgrade to Docis 3.1, which promises greater speeds and reliability, continues. Details here.

Virgin Media service changes

Virgin Media has announced some significant changes to services this week.

• Virgin is making its 500Mbps broadband available to broadband-only customers. New and existing customers can take its M500 Fibre broadband with any package. That means you can simply subscribe to broadband-only or add this upgrade to any TV and phone bundle.
• Virgin Media’s next-generation Gig1 broadband service is already available across Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Reading and Southampton and now it has a lower price; those who have it in their street can subscribe from £64 per month
• As we all know Virgin Media users could only sign up to a new deal for 12 months, which meant, after a year, the prices shoot up to the firm's ridiculous 'standard' rates unless you get on the phone and negotiate a deal. Sky and BT offer 18 months contracts - at last Virgin is doing the same.
• Virgin Media’s Oomph bundles are changing. Virgin Media has more than doubled the mobile data allowance that is available with many of its Oomph SIMs and customers who have already signed up to an Oomph bundle with either a 2GB, 5GB or 15GB of mobile data can more than double their data allowance by moving to the equivalent SIM in the new bundle line-up - without needing to re-contract and at no extra cost. And if you' have Virgin's Ultimate Oomph broadband speeds are increasing to 600mbps at no extra cost as the speed tier becomes available. 
• Virgin Media’s Personal Picks now offer better value so customers can build a personalised TV service for less. Personalised picks start at £7 and each subsequent pack costs £5 per month. Personal Picks were previously priced at £10 for the first pick with each subsequent Pick costing £7 per month.