Virgin’s got 4K on the way – new set-top box arriving this year
Existing TiVo boxes in line for an upgrade too
Sky and BT might have gotten there first, but Virgin Media looks like next in line to launch a 4K set-top box.
Talking to What Hi-Fi, a Virgin rep confirmed that “There will be a new set-top box coming later this year, and it will support Ultra High Definition video.”
There’s no mention of TiVo, the DVR tech that Virgin has used on its HD cable boxes for years, so there’s no clue if it’s going to reappear in 4K, but the new box will need to do something special to take on the might of Sky Q.
Sky’s latest satellite box supports 4K video, has a 2TB hard disk to fill with TV and movies, and a whopping 12 tuners for recording, picture-in-picture viewing, or streaming to smartphones and tablets. It’s pretty much the full package.
Right now, Virgin’s TiVo box only has three tuners, and is beginning to look a little long in the tooth.
That’s probably why Virgin is planning to release a free update to existing customers later this year, which should "make its menus slicker and more picture-based.”
What Hi-Fi also says Virgin will update the series link feature to work with on-demand programmes from Netflix, so you don’t have to crawl through different menus to get the shows you want to watch.
There’s no expected date for the update, or the new 4K box, but Virgin will want to move fast – Sky is expected to switch on its UHD service towards the end of the summer.
[source: What HiFi]
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
