Virgin Media reveals first TiVo screens

[DJ OD]

Virgin Media has released the first official screenshots of its new converged digital TV service powered by US DVR giant TiVo.

Below are three screengrabs from the new interactive TV service, which Virgin claims will bring UK consumers "the best in TV entertainment - be it broadcast, on-demand or online".

The first shot depicts the homepage screen, giving access to the TV guide, video on-demand platform, search and browsing facilities and 'My Shows and Recordings'. There is also a tab for 'Apps & Games', but few details are known about this section as yet.

The second shot outlines the search page that is designed to offer "a simple way to search, giving a range of smart results to help you find what you're looking for quickly". The alphabet keypad appears to throw up results across all content types, genres and personalities, including a 'J' search bringing up a song by Justin Bieber and 2007 movie Juno.

The final screengrab depicts the recordings page for capturing favourite shows to watch at a later date. Interestingly, the page offers additional options around content, such as accessing information on the cast or 'bonus features'. There is also an "if you like this..." recommendation system for discovering related content.

Later in the year, Virgin Media will launch the new TV platform, along with a TiVo-powered set top box capable of storing 500 hours of programming.

When coupled with Virgin's existing VOD service, the box will give users access to more than 4,600 hours of TV shows, movies and music videos, including HD and 3D content.

The receiver will feature a dedicated internal modem for delivering bandwidth-heavy services without impacting the user's main broadband connection, meaning it can bring a wide range of web services and digital apps to the TV screen.

Virgin Media said that details on pricing and availability for the TiVo-powered service and set top box will be announced "in due course".

Link and screenshots: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...reens.html?rss


DJ OD

[blaggard]

I had a Tivo even after they pulled out of the UK and Sky took over the support. I only stopped using it when I got the Telewest HD TVdrive box on launch.
Tivo was a hard act to follow and apart from the fact it was HD it didn't ever reach the functionality and usability of the Tivo, I'm looking forward to this!

[Conkers]

I've played with one.... they are ace and should go some way into making UK cable the service it should be.

[crashtestmac]

I still to this day have not found anything that has come close to the TiVo in terms of usability and functionality....

The thumbs up and thumbs down was great, it meant that the sky anytime type thing was something you wanted not 5th century jug making...!

Sky deal runs out out in March so i hope that they have this nailed by then....

[cbrookes]

Looking good, I'm with sly tho and still in contract but my mum got virgin so will tell her to get it so I can have a play :-)

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[ant3b]

Can someone update me on why TIVO is so good thanks

[blaggard]

Can someone update me on why TIVO is so good thanks

It worked. . . . . . . . . .. . really, really well. Though at the time I was always giving TeleWest CS grief about how shit their software was compared to TiVo (and in fact compared to the original Scientific Atlanta on their boxes) it was a long time ago, trust me though TiVo have it sussed!

[Conkers]

It's rumoured to have it's own cable modem, so if you search for an actor for instance, it will go through the tv guide, vod catalogue, imdb, youtube etc. and present results in one place on the telly. Trying to blend normal tv, vod, iptv & interweb on the big screen.

[EvilBoB]

Can someone update me on why TIVO is so good thanks

There are a few reasons. Here are my main reasons. There are many, many more. NOTHING is as good as TiVo and I only got rid of mine a few months back because I wanted SkyHD and the Series 1 model that was launched over here wouldn't do HD

1. More than 2 weeks of guide data available
2. TiVo suggestions will monitor your viewing habits and record shows it believes you will like - this is a bit like Sky Anytime but actually intelligent rather than just recording the most watched shows. It even checks if you have started watching TV shows and don't watch the end it knows about it and adjusts accordingly.
3. It's open source - wonder if the Virgin one will be
4. video extraction is easy (although not really talked about too much as there are legal reasons)
5. Keyword recording. Say you like a particular actor, actress, writer, etc. put that in as a keyword and it will pick up on interviews, films, tv shows etc where they are interviewed or the topic of the show. My missus loved this when she went through her Marilyn Monroe phase - loads of films and documentaries and stuff like that.
6. Season passes - Record entire TV series (or just new episodes). Unlike other boxes on the market this ACTUALLY works.

[blaggard]

There are a few reasons. Here are my main reasons. There are many, many more. NOTHING is as good as TiVo and I only got rid of mine a few months back because I wanted SkyHD and the Series 1 model that was launched over here wouldn't do HD

1. More than 2 weeks of guide data available
2. TiVo suggestions will monitor your viewing habits and record shows it believes you will like - this is a bit like Sky Anytime but actually intelligent rather than just recording the most watched shows. It even checks if you have started watching TV shows and don't watch the end it knows about it and adjusts accordingly.
3. It's open source - wonder if the Virgin one will be
4. video extraction is easy (although not really talked about too much as there are legal reasons)
5. Keyword recording. Say you like a particular actor, actress, writer, etc. put that in as a keyword and it will pick up on interviews, films, tv shows etc where they are interviewed or the topic of the show. My missus loved this when she went through her Marilyn Monroe phase - loads of films and documentaries and stuff like that.
6. Season passes - Record entire TV series (or just new episodes). Unlike other boxes on the market this ACTUALLY works.

Yep, and now I REALLY miss it!

I suspect that even if not Open Source it will retain it's own software with TiVo doing the tweaking for VM, it's so much about the software with TiVo that they won't want their rep ruined!

[EvilBoB]

Mine was hacked to bits. Had Caller ID come up on my screen when people phone me, even had it linked to my newsgroup reader on my PC so it would pop up when things are getting downloaded on my screen - awesomeness. I always wanted to get it hooked up to more things like one of them internet enabled washing machines and stuff like that

Also TiVoweb was amazingly good... damn I miss my TiVo...

[blaggard]

Also TiVoweb was amazingly good... damn I miss my TiVo...

Hopefully not long now!!

[TheThingIs]

Bought mine when they were flogging em off cheap, think I paid £75 for it. Upgraded the HD etc. I still got it, it's in the garage gathering dust

Anyone want it?

Sky+ is not a patch on TiVo, brilliant machine. The wife moaned like mad when I decomissioned.

[Kushty]

Why did it stop working?

[crashtestmac]

Twat a long time ago, the tuners were only single and did not have digital or all the extra guff, so you could hack it to make it use an external tuner like a sky box or a virgin box, that then made the tv guide and channel numbers right.

I had mine working with 2 virgin boxes and it was great.

Basically it became more of a faff to get a box that did not have hdd in already that offered similar functionality...!

[EvilBoB]

Why did it stop working?

There was a £10 sub although there were ways around that i think most people stopped using them because of the lack of hidef.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkt

[hoponbaby]

I've still got mine connected but hardly gets used now as we've got Sky HD & V+. I always consider it the best toy I've ever bought, as others have said it just works!!

If they can get this integrated properly then matched with the v+ hardware it should be great and make the box what it should be instead of the slow clunky pos it is at the moment.

[Rick Sanchez]

Tivo photo's & screens have been out for weeks!

http://shop.virginmedia.com/tv/tivo.html

[supraman54]

I contacted Virmin to check and they came back with this....

Thanks for your e-mail to Virgin Media about the offer for the new TiVo box.

We will be happy to help you with your query.

Just so you know we are in process of launching the new TiVo box. Right now we are unable to comment whether it will be offered to our existing customers. The new TiVo box will be launched later this year.

typical.. just reactivated my V+ so lost any lever I might have had to force them to fit me one...

[blaggard]

Yep, I've had the box for 18 Months but renewed the contract when I moved in August, I can see a lot of faults*cough* developing on this one!

"Later this year"? It's December 1st today, they haven't got long to meet THAT deadline!