Virgin TV 360 Review: Not Quite an All-Rounder

Virgin TV 360 is now the usual TV field incorporated in any Virgin bundle. It comes with new profile choices, adapted suggestions and a beefed-up far flung compared to the Virgin V6 and TiVo packing containers.

Virgin gives other leisure programs, however even probably the most elementary come with over 100 channels which can be to be had by the use of Freeview. More dear bundles free up top rate channels corresponding to Sky Showcase and National Geographic, and there is additionally bundles with Sky Sports and Sky Cinema for the sports activities enthusiasts and picture buffs. 

I’ve spent a while with this leisure bundle, trying out out the entire options, apps and device to look the way it compares to one of the most largest opponents in the United Kingdom.

Interface & Features

• Cleanly laid out information
• Shared profiles for family
• 4K HDR image on suitable channels and streaming products and services 

Virgin TV 360 supplies 4K, HDR image high quality on suitable streaming products and services and channels. I examined this field at the Hisense 50in A7100F – a 4K TV within the 2020 vary from the logo.

Just as you’d to find on Netflix, Virgin TV 360 gives profiles for a extra adapted person enjoy, having the ability to sign up as much as six customers. You can see our educational on how one can arrange profiles on Virgin TV 360 right here.

Watch lists are curated via every person. You can make a selection your favorite genres while you construct a profile, and Virgin will then counsel TV displays and films so that you can watch in the house segment. 

In addition, every profile will save the place a person has paused one thing, so content material can simply be resumed.

The TV information has had a redesign from the former era, with a far cleaner format, in addition to sections for apps and are living TV altogether in a single position.

Just like on earlier packing containers, you’ll play, pause and rewind TV, and file content material – with the choice to select to file explicit episodes and films, or an whole sequence. You too can get started a display or movie from the start if you happen to get started enjoying it halfway thru – even though some channels corresponding to Channel 4 may not permit you to rapid ahead during the advert breaks. 

You can file as much as six programmes on the similar time, while looking at a 7th. 

Remote Control

• Sleek design
• Clearly labelled buttons
• Voice strengthen

The Virgin TV 360 far flung is a huge step up from what comes with the V6 field. The buttons are laid out obviously and are color coded which comes in handy for other people with visible impairments.

There’s the choice to make use of voice keep watch over at the far flung, which you’ll use to open apps, pause, skip ahead or again, and navigate the TV information.

There is not any headphone jack, and the far flung isn’t as trendy as what you’re going to to find at the likes of Sky Glass. However, it’s simple sufficient to get the task executed. My handiest grievance is that turning at the 360 field does every now and then incur just a little of a wait.

Apps

• Missing some main streaming products and services
• Virgin TV Go app helpful for far flung looking at
• App can be utilized as a 2d far flung keep watch over

You’ll to find maximum main apps on Virgin TV 360, together with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.

There are, then again, some giant omissions from this record. These come with Disney+, Now (previously Now TV), Apple TV+ and BritBox. Several of those are to be had on BT and Sky, with the latter having the most powerful line-up. 

Now is the streaming app selection to Sky Entertainment and Cinema, which will also be added in your Virgin TV bundle – however you’ll’t get the versatile streaming app to your TV.

It is imaginable to package deal streaming subscriptions corresponding to Netflix into your Virgin Media invoice to stay your entire bills in a single position. However, you don’t get any reductions via doing so.

If you need to observe Virgin TV to your cellular or tablet, then you’ll obtain the Virgin TV Go app. This contains all TV channels for your bundle, field units, catch-up TV and the rest you will have recorded to your major field. 

For are living TV, the app has a participant which opens for many channels. However, for the rest at the BBC, it’s going to ask you to open or obtain the BBC iPlayer app.

You can obtain decided on titles to observe offline to your phone and sign up as much as 5 gadgets on one Virgin TV Go account – even though it handiest lets in two customers to observe concurrently.

This app can be used as a far flung keep watch over to your TV. Thankfully, Virgin has executed away with the separate TV keep watch over app and rolled a majority of these options into one position.

You can navigate during the information and pause and rewind content material simply as you could at the far flung. You too can use it to file in case you are out of doors of the home. However, for all of those options, your field should be on and no longer in standby mode.

To watch recordings, you should attach your phone in your field first and be at the similar web connection. I discovered that I may just no longer activate my field by the use of my phone, and as a substitute needed to hotel to the far flung. It did, then again, paintings to show the field off.

Installation & Mini Boxes

• Mini packing containers should be hardwired
• Sky gives Mini packing containers that attach by the use of Wi-Fi
• Existing consumers with a V6 field can improve to TV 360 for a charge

If you might be already a Virgin V6 buyer, then you’ll merely get a device improve in your present field and obtain the brand new far flung within the publish. If you’re new to Virgin or an present buyer with a TiVo field, then you’re going to want an engineer to come back and are compatible the field.

Virgin gives the way to have as much as two Mini packing containers round the home, which let you watch Virgin TV 360 in different rooms in 4K and sync your entire house profiles and watch lists.

However, there’s a large downfall – the Mini packing containers additionally wish to be fitted with a coaxial cable.

This manner they’ll wish to be hardwired via an engineer, similar to the primary field is – and looking for this knowledge at the Virgin web page is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

This isn’t handy if you happen to’re renting or desire a easy set-up procedure for having Virgin TV in numerous portions of your house. Sky gives the Sky Mini field for Sky Q and the Sky Puck for Glass. Both of those paintings over Wi-Fi (as you could be expecting in 2022), making multi-viewing in the home extraordinarily simple.

The handiest advantage of having a Mini field is that you’ll get 4K streaming in different portions of the home – Sky handiest gives Full HD 1080p on its Mini packing containers for Sky Q.

The extra versatile choice for multi-room viewing is to make use of a phone or tablet with the Virgin TV Go app.

Price & Alternatives

Virgin TV 360 is the usual TV field throughout all Virgin programs now, however you should come with broadband at least.

Currently, this begins from £33 per 30 days on an 18-month contract for 100Mbps broadband, landline and TV with over 100 channels to be had. You can join Virgin TV 360 over at the Virgin web page.

If you need extra top rate channels from the likes of Sky, the cost of the programs will increase. To come with each Sky Sports and Sky Cinema, along side over 200 TV channels, it will set you again £79 per 30 days.

In addition, the price of the bundle will increase considerably as soon as the primary 18 months are up, even though you’ll cancel, alternate, or renegotiate your contract with the gross sales crew on the time. Currently, a £35 set-up charge applies to all contracts, however Virgin does every now and then cut price or waive this for purchasers. 

Virgin does be offering programs for simply TV and broadband, however those are dearer than the overall package deal, with costs beginning at £45 per 30 days on an 18-month contract.

If you need the Mini packing containers as smartly, this may value an additional £10 per 30 days for one field, and £15 per 30 days for 2, making prices briefly upload up. 

Existing consumers of Virgin who’ve a V6 or TiVo field on contract can improve those packing containers via calling Virgin or going at the web page. It prices £24.95 to improve a V6 field and £49.95 to improve a TiVo style. Alternatively, consumers can renew their contract to waver the one-off value.

You can see extra about upgrading to Virgin 360 right here:

The two largest competition for Virgin in the case of leisure programs are BT and Sky. BT gives a number of other TV programs, with costs ranging from as little as £15 per 30 days (except for broadband and landlines). 

These programs lock you in for twenty-four months – six months greater than Virgin. However, it does be offering extra when it comes to apps and channels, particularly in the case of sports activities. You can learn extra in our BT TV VIP bundle overview. 

Sky’s costs for leisure programs get started from £13 per 30 days, however as soon as once more the smallest contract you’ll get is 24 months. In addition, Sky gives a greater person enjoy for multi-viewing with Sky Q, extra apps for streaming, and the way to take out its latest TV on contract, Sky Glass.

Verdict

Virgin TV 360 is a step-up from the former V6 and TiVo packing containers and the previous don’t need to even alternate field. The interface is cleaner, the profiles are a pleasant contact for various participants of the family and the far flung with voice seek supplies significantly better accessibility.

Virgin’s 18-month plans are extra compelling than opponents via being shorter. However, for extra channels and Mini packing containers, you’ll finally end up paying top rate costs. Plus, the provider is missing in having some main streaming apps, together with Disney+.

Having the Mini packing containers handiest attach by the use of a coaxial cable additionally detracts from making multi-viewing versatile for customers. If you’re no longer too about this, then Virgin TV 360 continues to be a viable choice – however it doesn’t fit what’s on be offering from Sky.