Puzzling text from Virgin Media.

whattochoose

I received a text before from Virgin…

"IMPORTANT: Please make sure your TV box stays connected to a wall socket with the switch turned on for the next 72 hours while we do a software update. This should fix some issues you may have been having with Sky Sports+.In the meantime, you can watch Sky Sports on the app or on skysports.com using your Virgin Media login details."

I rang to tell them I've been having no issues with Sky Sports on my V6 box. The guy checked, came back and said in that case I don't need to do anything.

What a crazy state of affairs. They send this text out of the blue, and I'm just glad I rang to query it. I normally have my V6 switched on about 2-3 hours a day, but for totally nebulous reasons, it appears, they wanted me to have it switched on for the next 72 hours. It did cross my mind whether they might have been, by stealth, attempting to convert my box from a V6 to a 360.

I suppose that's a measure of my opinion of VM at the moment.

Ayr_Rage

Cannot see anything puzzling here, you need a software update and your box must be left on for it to happen.

whattochoose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82109489#Comment_82109489

But I don't. Read my post.

flaneurs_lobster

I suspect most people have their TV boxes on standby when not actually in use, thus making them available for updates just like any other updateable kit.

You might need to remind yourself that the VM boxes are the property of VM - if they decide they want to update them it's difficult to see how you could refuse.

JSmithy45AD

When you say you only have the V6 switched on about 2-3 hours a day, do you mean you have it in standby or entirely turned off at the wall for the rest of the time? It really needs to be in standby to update itself and its apps overnight.

Woodstok2000

The update will get pushed to your box when it's next switched on anyway - the advice from Virgin would just be to ensure those customers who have issues get the fix asap.

Neil_Jones

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82109491#Comment_82109491

Doesn't matter whether you need it or not.
It's more likely one of those "in certain situations/scenario" things with the software, its far easier to roll a fix out to everybody rather than a piece by piece basis for when this issue, whatever it is, occurs again.

Anyway most of these sort of boxes "off" is in reality standby, so what the message is telling you really is don't unplug it from the wall.

whattochoose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82109710#Comment_82109710

I'm an idiot sometimes. Of course my V6 box is plugged in and switched on 24/7, although in standby mode. I normally have it in operation mode about 2/3 hours, which I foolishly did not make clear.

I think being a VM customer has addled my brain a little and I do think I need to go elsewhere when my contract expires next year.

I'm just a little fed up with them for so many reasons, whether it's being faced with an indecipherable foreign accent when I ring, the knowlege that my wonderful V6 box will soon be obsolute, the fact I've been forced to accept a new landline phone which I find much less user friendly. Also, I just don't trust them, particularly after all the negative publicity they've received in the recent past.

JSmithy45AD

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82111336#Comment_82111336

That's fine then, it will update as needed whilst in standby at night/early morning.

ididgetwhereiamtoday

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82111336#Comment_82111336

I was fed up with VM the price was going up to £136 a month at end of contract and I could t be bothered with the haggling process, I phoned to cancel and the lady was going to try and get me a good win back deal but said her system had gone down and she would be phone me back in 10 minutes. I waited an hour and nothing so I phoned Sky to get the Sky ultimate deal of 1 gig broadband and sky stream ultimate which includes all Sky channels, Netflix, Disney+, HBO max, hayu, sky cinema and paramount plus with 2 Vue cinema tickets a month for £49. An absolute stonking deal.
im very impressed with Sky Stream, its so much better than the virgin 360 even though you can’t record locally. I’ve got 2 months free add skip which works well. I believe there is usually free trials of ad skip and to be honest I wouldn’t mind paying £6 a month extra if it comes to it as it is really good.
I’ve been with VM for a long time and they have lost my custom now.
I highly recommend this sky deal.

Bigphil1474

I got the same text from VM and ignored it as my box is switched on 24/7, same as yours as you've worked out. The only downside to no local recording I can think of is the inability to skip ads without paying the extra fee. Be interested to know what the discount rate is on that Sky package, and what BB speed it comes with. My package with VM including Sports and 500gb BB is around £100 a month.