Virgin TV Boxes for sale-Will they work?

SnowWhiterThanWhite

I have been a virgin customer for years, and am trying to cut out various features to reduce my monthly bill.

I am being charged extra for having their V+ box (for recording/pausing etc). Have noticed that these boxes are on EBAY (Not quite sure how, because the equipment belongs to Virgin) anyway, I was thinking about getting Virgin to swap out the V+ box for just a std box and then purchase my own V+ box from Ebay and swap the viewing card over. Would this work? Anyoone done it?

Cheers

kwikbreaks

If you want to save money scrap paid-for TV completely and use Freeview or Freesat instead.

I know that you can't use non-VM supplied modems so I'm guessing the TV boxes won't work either. If they did you could just splice into next doors cable, plug them in, and watch for free,

googler

kwikbreaks wrote: »

If you want to save money scrap paid-for TV completely and use Freeview or Freesat instead.

We got a Sky flyer through the door the other day, and their bundles range from £16 through to £50 per month ....

Freeview for us.

SnowWhiterThanWhite

kwikbreaks wrote: »

If you want to save money scrap paid-for TV completely and use Freeview or Freesat instead.

I know that you can't use non-VM supplied modems so I'm guessing the TV boxes won't work either. If they did you could just splice into next doors cable, plug them in, and watch for free,

Don't have an aerial so can't access freeview. But, I can get Freeview channels for free as long as I am a phone customer. So, I was thinking of ditching the paid for channels, and just having their std top box as it won't cost me anything. I just wondered if a V+ box would still work with my viewing card?
I've swapped the viewing cards around (I have 2), and they seem to work in both my boxes, one is std, one is V+

forgotmyname

I am thinking of giving up on the TV altogether.

The only show i watch is top gear and i usually miss that because the family hog the TV.

They usually have the computer attached to it or the games console.

Rarely do we actually watch anything live. Half the shows are from the US and we can watch them weeks before they get over here.

One thing puts me off the missus will panic when the capita muppets knock and say you have a TV you need a licence even though its only live TV you need one for. She will panic.

Stooby2

To actually answer the OP's question - no you can't. The system knows what you're paying for and only allows you those functions. If you're not paying for V+ the box won't allow you to use those functions.

Due to a mess up by Virgin last year, when I changed packages, they "lost" my V+ and for several days we couldn't record, see On Demand etc.

prowla

As a side question, can you use a Virgin box for just free stations (not sure if it's freeview, freesat, freecable, freevirgins, or what)?

SnowWhiterThanWhite

prowla wrote: »

As a side question, can you use a Virgin box for just free stations (not sure if it's freeview, freesat, freecable, freevirgins, or what)?

Yes, as long as you take a phone line with them, you can still get free set top box with freeview channels. I expect they may charge you for installation though.

Cycrow

If you have phone and broadband with them, you can get the TV M for free, which will give you the tivo box with free view channels.

the v+ isn't used by virgin anymore, its either their standard HD box, or tiro

frank777

V+ no longer made, I had problems with mine, turned out to be a fault on their system. Replacement Tivo would cost £5.00 a month extra, my V+ cost is £0.00 a month. Suppose I could buy one as a reserve, engineer told me Virgin don't have any V+ stock left. He said mine belonged in a museum, I told him, it's trouble free apart from when they try sending update signals. They must want me to upgrade to a TiVo and pay an extra fiver a month & issue a new 18 month contract!

macman

SnowWhiterThanWhite wrote: »

I have been a virgin customer for years, and am trying to cut out various features to reduce my monthly bill.

I am being charged extra for having their V+ box (for recording/pausing etc). Have noticed that these boxes are on EBAY (Not quite sure how, because the equipment belongs to Virgin) anyway, I was thinking about getting Virgin to swap out the V+ box for just a std box and then purchase my own V+ box from Ebay and swap the viewing card over. Would this work? Anyoone done it?

Cheers

With the minor issue that you would be receiving stolen goods. Which you've now publicly stated that you know to be the property of VM.