# 'Freeview' through Virgin Media



## CMAC (Feb 18, 2015)

Finally come to the end of my tether with the expensive and poor Virgin TV service. I heard you can keep the Tivo box as a freeview box (whilst still retaining BB and Telephone) so the cost is approx Â£43 PM for decent BB, basic phone and a Tivo box thats acting like a freeview box.

Anyone got this or know anything useful about it as their website is also very poor with info.


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## pbrown7582 (Feb 18, 2015)

We have a TiVo box but I thought with Virgin the box was only ever on "loan" and without a tv package they reclaimed it.


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## CMAC (Feb 18, 2015)

pbrown7582 said:



			We have a TiVo box but I thought with Virgin the box was only ever on "loan" and without a tv package they reclaimed it.
		
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the TV package will be freeview- still charge as part of BB and Tel package, just need the lowdown from any experienced users


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## pbrown7582 (Feb 18, 2015)

Don't tend to venture to far into freeview channels but not had any problems with any channels of service. The remote and operating system has a few little quirkys. But once you work it out all is fine.


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## GB72 (Feb 18, 2015)

pbrown7582 said:



			We have a TiVo box but I thought with Virgin the box was only ever on "loan" and without a tv package they reclaimed it.
		
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Think you are right. With sky you own the box after 12 months, with virgin you rent it so no tv package and they have it back off you


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## CMAC (Feb 18, 2015)

GB72 said:



			Think you are right. With sky you own the box after 12 months, with virgin you rent it so no tv package and they have it back off you
		
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thats correct but as stated in the OP you pay for the tivo freeview- just looking for anyone who has done it, dont need anything else


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## CMAC (Feb 18, 2015)

pbrown7582 said:



			Don't tend to venture to far into freeview channels but *not had any problems with any channels of service*. The remote and operating system has a few little quirkys. But once you work it out all is fine.
		
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your missing the point.............never mind


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## Wooky (Feb 18, 2015)

CMAC said:



			Finally come to the end of my tether with the expensive and poor Virgin TV service. I heard you can keep the Tivo box as a freeview box (whilst still retaining BB and Telephone) so the cost is approx Â£43 PM for decent BB, basic phone and a Tivo box thats acting like a freeview box.

Anyone got this or know anything useful about it as their website is also very poor with info.
		
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This is me exactly.
I had a bit of a cost cutting purge before Christmas.
I had the Virgin extra large TV package (no films or sports channels)
TiVo box in the lounge & HD box in the conservatory
Virgin telephone.
Virgin large broadband.
It was costing me around Â£85 per month, for what can only be described as low quality TV tripe.

So I rang up Virgin to cancel the TV package & lower the broadband to the minimum speed, to my surprise, they said no problem, you can keep the TiVo box foc.
They sent me a cardboard box to return my HD box in the conservatory, which I just dropped off at one of those click & collect newsagents.

I now have 
Home phone
Broadband
Fully functional TiVo box with just the Free view channels.
Costs me about Â£35 per month.
I haven't missed any of the other rubbish channels at all.


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## Val (Feb 18, 2015)

I have one too, you just pick which TV package without any premium channels, the one with most channels is the XL. 

I have it with a phone line (talk evenings and weekends) and 100mb broadband


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## CMAC (Feb 18, 2015)

Val said:



			I have one too, you just *pick which TV package without any premium channels, the one with most channels is the XL.* 

I have it with a phone line (talk evenings and weekends) and 100mb broadband
		
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freeview?


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## Val (Feb 19, 2015)

CMAC said:



			freeview?

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No such thing really with Virgin, have you really checked their website? It tells you all you need to know. 

If you want freeview with a recordable box then you'll need to buy one and tell virgin to take their TiVo back


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## Beezerk (Feb 19, 2015)

I agree with Val, I did some research on this recently, from what I read on VM forums and other websites you can't use a Tivo/HD+ box as a Freeview device. Once you get rid of tv with from package there' no incoming tv signal to the house, also there's no aerial input on either of those boxes so you can't decode that way.
My only option was to buy a HD freeview recording box (PVR) but after a phone call to Virgin I got a decent deal to keep tv.
From the sounds of it Wooky has the same deal as me, I think he's mistaken thinking it's Freeview he's getting, it's not, it's the M tv package which is Freeview plus a load of guff channels


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## 6inchcup (Feb 19, 2015)

am i missing something,ALL my tv's have freeview built in,no need for a box and my smart tv has all the catch up channels.


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## Wooky (Feb 19, 2015)

Beezerk said:



			I agree with Val, I did some research on this recently, from what I read on VM forums and other websites you can't use a Tivo/HD+ box as a Freeview device. Once you get rid of tv with from package there' no incoming tv signal to the house, also there's no aerial input on either of those boxes so you can't decode that way.
My only option was to buy a HD freeview recording box (PVR) but after a phone call to Virgin I got a decent deal to keep tv.
From the sounds of it Wooky has the same deal as me, I think he's mistaken thinking it's Freeview he's getting, it's not, it's the M tv package which is Freeview plus a load of guff channels 

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No, none of the above is true.
You can remove all your tv packages from Virgin, keep the Tivo box & just watch all the Freeview channels on it.
They do not cut off the signal to the box.
You can still record & series link programs.
I only pay for my broadband & landline.
I do not pay a penny for any tv services.


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## Beezerk (Feb 19, 2015)

Wooky said:



			No, none of the above is true.
You can remove all your tv packages from Virgin, keep the Tivo box & just watch all the Freeview channels on it.
They do not cut off the signal to the box.
You can still record & series link programs.
I only pay for my broadband & landline.
I do not pay a penny for any tv services.
		
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Fair enough but it contradicts what the Virgin people said in their help section. Broadband alone (with phone line) is only Â£25 with Virgin so unless you're paying for the 100Mb or something you're paying too much.


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## CMAC (Feb 19, 2015)

Beezerk said:



			Fair enough but it contradicts what the Virgin people said in their help section. *Broadband alone (with phone line) is only Â£25 *with Virgin so unless you're paying for the 100Mb or something you're paying too much.
		
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it's actually Â£34.49 as the phone line is Â£16.99 pm alone.

So Wookys Â£35 pm means he might be 'renting' the Tivo box with all its functions for 51p per month which sounds a no brainer to me.

So it looks like there is freeview with Virgin after all. I'll call to confirm as their website is uber confusing


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## CMAC (Feb 23, 2015)

just called them and all as I thought, however they 'persuaded' me to take the slightly better package so it's halved my costs and we get pretty much most of the things we watched anyway. Had to pay a tad more to ensure Film4 was in HD.

Got 10 days to decide if I keep that or dump it altogether


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## Crazyface (Feb 24, 2015)

CMAC said:



			it's actually Â£34.49 as the phone line is Â£16.99 pm alone.

So Wookys Â£35 pm means he might be 'renting' the Tivo box with all its functions for 51p per month which sounds a no brainer to me.

So it looks like there is freeview with Virgin after all. I'll call to confirm as their website is uber confusing

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 I got ours reduced to Â£29.99. THey put in Â£5 reduction as we've been with them forever !!!!


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