V+ box

photome

Thinking of getting a V+ box for £75 and then paying extra £5 a month to keep other box in diff room.

Does anyone know if teletext is available through the V+ as is isnt with the original box?

Any comments on the V+ is it worth it etc

buyitall

Teletext is not available on the V+ box (Although unlike you it was available on my original box before we upgraded to V+). I think it is worth it, the recording facilities are excellent. The only annoying thing is that there is a delay of a second or 2 when changing channels. you also lose the ability to use a video sender with it if it is plugged into HDMI -doesn't sound as if you'd need that though if you are going to pay for a second box.
BTW, I was under the impression that an additional box was £9.50 a month?

photome

buyitall wrote: »

Teletext is not available on the V+ box (Although unlike you it was available on my original box before we upgraded to V+). I think it is worth it, the recording facilities are excellent. The only annoying thing is that there is a delay of a second or 2 when changing channels. you also lose the ability to use a video sender with it if it is plugged into HDMI -doesn't sound as if you'd need that though if you are going to pay for a second box.
BTW, I was under the impression that an additional box was £9.50 a month?

Qouted me £5 a month to keep existing box as I am on the XL pack (cheaply as was upgraded for free earlier this year).

Guy in an indian call centre guarenteed me that the V+ was able to receive teletext, but I wasnt so sure so thanks

buyitall

You can get BBCi for news etc by pressing the red button, but it's not as comprehensive as teletext. I have my V+ box connected to the HDMI socket on my tv and I do not have a rooftop aerial, it might be different if you have a different set-up.

BexTech

photome wrote: »

Thinking of getting a V+ box for £75 and then paying extra £5 a month to keep other box in diff room.

Does anyone know if teletext is available through the V+ as is isnt with the original box?

Any comments on the V+ is it worth it etc

Cable hasn't got around to "digital teletext" yet, even though it's been around on digital satellite from almost the start. There is some limited Red Button access, but nothing like on satellite.

The old style Teletext that you get by pressing your TV's text button is available on some channels, however not available via the HDMI connection.

The way old style teletext works is that the data is sent separate on digital and not within the picture as it is on analogue, the Digital Box then has to take that data and reinsert it back into the picture so the TV's Teletext decoder can pick it up. This is possible over SCART connection or aerial connection, however HDMI spec does not allow / offer this, so you'll not get Teletext this way through the V+ and will have to use SCART connector.

At the moment Virgin have had to disable the SCART connections when HDMI is enabled due to the box having trouble outputting both SCART and HDMI at the same time. So if have a HDTV and connect via HDMI, you have to go through the menus and switch to SCART if you want to view Teletext on your TV, and then go back to HDMI when you want to view TV in a better quality format.

Some subtitles are DVB subtitles, so the 'Blue' Button on the Mini Guide will work for them, some are old style Teletext (VBI) (PAGE 888) and in HDMI mode you won't get them, Virgin are in the process in writing a routine to convert the VBI (Teletext) subtitle into DVB subtitles on-the-fly on the box, so 'Blue' button access to them will work.

I'm sure if they wanted they could write a Teletext routine for the box, to read the Teletext data and produce the text using the cable box instead of the TV, however with analogue shutting down and the BBC dropping old style teletext once analogue is switched of, they probably don't see the point. ITV are likely to drop old-style teletext too soon.

Shevlen

I have just bought a V+ box for £75. I rang Virgin and asked to be put through to Customer Services. I told them I didn't want to pay £5 a month and asked how they could help me.
I was told if I paid £1 a month extra to upgrade to XL I needn't pay the £5 monthly. So I upgraded and now pay £1 monthly instead of £5.........result!
It pays to haggle!

BexTech

Shevlen wrote: »

I have just bought a V+ box for £75.

Though you've not really bought the box. It remains the property of Virgin Media and must be given back to them when you are no longer a customer.

Yes, XL TV customers don't pay the V+ monthly fee.

buyitall

Shevlen wrote: »

I have just bought a V+ box for £75. I rang Virgin and asked to be put through to Customer Services. I told them I didn't want to pay £5 a month and asked how they could help me.
I was told if I paid £1 a month extra to upgrade to XL I needn't pay the £5 monthly. So I upgraded and now pay £1 monthly instead of £5.........result!
It pays to haggle!

I think the original post is referring to the cost involved in having 2 boxes.