# TiVo availability from 4th April



## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Public launch date given as *4th April* in VM's "electric!" magazine
and it has 2 double page spreads on TiVo:



..and the centrefold:



..that was yesterday but it's not on their website pricelist or phone system for ordering yet


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## VirginMediaPhil (Nov 27, 2009)

Could you scan it in?

I signed up for Electric a few years ago but only ever received one issue.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Your wish is my command 

Now scanned them in and linked them to the pics above.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

VirginMediaPhil said:


> I signed up for Electric a few years ago but only ever received one issue.


http://electric.virginmedia.com/

I think you have to opt-in to the printed version 

http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/electric-magazine.php

Interesting. The printed version is quarterly. I wonder if it has selected bits from each of the three 'electronic' versions in it?


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## VirginMediaPhil (Nov 27, 2009)

mikerr said:


> You wish is my command
> 
> Now scanned them in and linked them to the pics above.


Ha, thanks a lot!


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

The online version is completely different (and more than a little pointless IMO  )
can't find either tivo article in the online versions this month or last month:
http://electric.virginmedia.com/issue31.html
http://electric.virginmedia.com/issue30.html


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## Ernie_C (Feb 20, 2011)

I guess the online version doesn't have info on TiVo because it has changed.

General Release is apparently now 18 April with pre-registered customers allowed to order the week before in w/c 11 April.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Hmm so latest news/rumours are:



18th April public release date (pre-reg from 11th)
VIP50 & 100 customers get the £3 tivo fee waived
 Install fee of £40 waived for existing customers ordering in April.
 A cheaper 500GB HDD version available for £90 ?


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## swythan (Apr 4, 2011)

Does anyone know the situation is for those of us that aren't (yet) VM customers?

I "registered my interest" on 2nd March, but I've not heard anything since the email they sent me that day. Should I have?

Last week their Twitter people said I "should hear something soon", whatever that means.

James


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Those who got the "dean" email should get an email today with a code to ring and order their TiVo with.

Note: don't bother ringing unless you have a unique code given to you...

Apparently _full _release will be next week (18th) when everyone will be able to order.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

mikerr said:


> Hmm so latest news/rumours are:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well I do think this is the first ***** in the beardy armour, got a e-mail from Beardy and in small print at the bottom.....



> From the 16th May a 500gig Tivo box will be available for £49.99 + £3mth + £40 install


mmmmmm does make me wonder how many folks have told beardy to poke his £149 TiVo up his botty 

I suspect even the above price will drop soon as well, makes me glad I didnt pay the "premium" for that so special offer they fleeced folks with earlier for 
Amuses me, considering the dam things not even been actually released to the public to any degree yet.

Furball


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## louis wu (Dec 12, 2010)

Furball said:


> Well I do think this is the first ***** in the beardy armour, got a e-mail from Beardy and in small print at the bottom.....
> 
> mmmmmm does make me wonder how many folks have told beardy to poke his £149 TiVo up his botty
> 
> ...


Sorry to disillusion you but it was said weeks ago in a different forum that they would be releasing a cheaper box with a smaller hard drive. Seems to be part of their strategy. The prices will drop too as they always do. A 1tb Sky box started out at £300 and is currently around £200 I think. No doubt they will be giving those away to before too very long. Waiting is always best but if everybody did that their would be no innovation.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

louis wu said:


> Sorry to disillusion you but it was said weeks ago in a different forum that they would be releasing a cheaper box with a smaller hard drive. Seems to be part of their strategy. The prices will drop too as they always do. A 1tb Sky box started out at £300 and is currently around £200 I think. No doubt they will be giving those away to before too very long. Waiting is always best but if everybody did that their would be no innovation.


Must admit I've been out of the loop for a while now so quite likely it has been mentioned else where 

I dont mind being an innovator, but I dont like being taken for a mug 

Beardy made it "look" like us old series 1 owners were being given a "special deal" when actually it was all a load of bull, but then, did I expect anything less 

Furball


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## louis wu (Dec 12, 2010)

Furball said:


> Must admit I've been out of the loop for a while now so quite likely it has been mentioned else where
> 
> I dont mind being an innovator, but I dont like being taken for a mug
> 
> ...


I never had an S1 but I guess if I had I might be feeling hard done by as well.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

louis wu said:


> I never had an S1 but I guess if I had I might be feeling hard done by as well.


Made worse by the fact they are killing off the EPG for the Series 1 , I'd have forgiven them if the EPG had remained for a year or so.

Anyhow the alt EPG looks to be coming on nicely and this type of chat is now getting way off topic 

I would gladly have paid for the new Beardy TiVo but the amount they wanted was a) far too much and b) now looks to be nothing like the special deal they made out it was.

Considering we were going to be their ambassadors, spread the word of the TiVo and all that, I just think they should played the game and not just cheated :down:

Furball


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Furball said:


> Amuses me, considering the dam things not even been actually released to the public to any degree yet.


Other than 500 staff, 2000 Giveaways and Former S1 owners, you mean?  Oh, and Mr Branson has had as much to do with the Tivo as with any other part of Virgin Media. That is to say *NOTHING WHATSOEVER*


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Well today is the 18th "Public Launch Day", so everybody _should _be able to order TiVo today ? (1TB model, on XL)

The website hasn't been updated yet.


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## Ernie_C (Feb 20, 2011)

mikerr said:


> Well today is the 18th "Public Launch Day", so everybody _should _be able to order TiVo today ? (1TB model, on XL)
> 
> The website hasn't been updated yet.


Perhaps there's been a slight delay caused by the heavy uptake by pre-registered customers?


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## Stav777 (Feb 8, 2011)

No need to wait for the (never gonna happen) call from Tivo team.
Just ordered my install by calling 150.
So much for pre-registering on Dec 1st.....


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Well you *could* have waited. As mentioned elsewhere they had around 70k pre-reg's. A *lot* more than they planned for so is it really any wonder that things are taking longer than expected.

Oh, and that's not me "sticking up for VM"; just mentioning a possible explanation for the delay.


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## swythan (Apr 4, 2011)

mikerr said:


> Well today is the 18th "Public Launch Day", so everybody _should _be able to order TiVo today ? (1TB model, on XL)
> 
> The website hasn't been updated yet.


I phoned earlier this evening and ordered mine (as a brand new customer). Took less than 25mins end to end, and I was only on the phone for 15mins of that (they called me back on my mobile to arrange a date and payment).

Install booked for May 4th.

For those that want to know:

£199.95 for the Tivo. I had to pay up front by credit card.
£3 per month
No installation fee
18 month contract
Need to take TV XL


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## Stav777 (Feb 8, 2011)

cwaring said:


> Well you *could* have waited. As mentioned elsewhere they had around 70k pre-reg's. A *lot* more than they planned for so is it really any wonder that things are taking longer than expected.
> 
> Oh, and that's not me "sticking up for VM"; just mentioning a possible explanation for the delay.


I know I *could* have waited, but I *didn't*. What's the point of waiting for a call when you can now order without having to be pre-registered? (Rhetorical question, no quip required)

Stand up for VM or moan about 'em all you like, doesn't bother me...


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

I was merely pointing out why you have not yet received your call. That is all.


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## Stav777 (Feb 8, 2011)

cwaring said:


> I was merely pointing out why you have not yet received your call. That is all.


There's plenty of reasons why they may not have called, I wasn't looking for any.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Plenty are getting installs now just by ringing 0845 840 7777 (or 150 for VM customers)

Remember its only free install for those signing up in April - goes up to £40 in May.

Only on XL TV package - £199 for the 1TB TiVo.
If you don't want the XL TV package, the 500GB version will be available next month (16th April) on ALL TV packages for £49 + £40 install.

Still not seen any advert on TV yet (they could put it on their own on-demand preview channel or something),
neither is it listed on the website pricelist, or anywhere except the "coming soon" page.


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## pottyboy (Mar 28, 2011)

mikerr said:


> Well today is the 18th "Public Launch Day", so everybody _should _be able to order TiVo today ? (1TB model, on XL)
> 
> The website hasn't been updated yet.


you can upgrade, link here>
http://shop.virginmedia.com/existin...tivo-box-upgrade.html?buspart=Discover_TiVo_B


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## Brett33 (Jan 31, 2011)

Got my Tivo installed today and its brill...i had the same prob with the email i 2 2 dates one was 28th so i took that and waited for a confirmation email which i didnt get so i called them and i got todays date so i said yes and now its here..yea.:up::up::up:


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## Moe UK (Nov 27, 2009)

mikerr said:


> If you don't want the XL TV package, the 500GB version will be available next month (16th April) on ALL TV packages for £49 + £40 install.


I know next month has been branded about for the 500GB unit but there is a bit in the small print that says July http://shop.virginmedia.com/digital-tv/set-top-boxes/tivo-box.html?buspart=Discover_TiVo_A

Have a look at the look at the bit that says Coming Soon.


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## Brangdon (Feb 9, 2001)

It's nice to see that at least some people have had to pay more than series 1 users. I did wonder about how exclusive our offer was.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

VM are slowly  adding TiVo to various pages, but not the big push I'd expect,
note TiVo is languishing at the bottom below V+ :

Set top boxes:
http://shop.virginmedia.com/digital-tv/set-top-boxes.html

Main tivo page:
http://shop.virginmedia.com/digital-tv/set-top-boxes/tivo-box.html


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

I have just received an email today (20th April) from Virgin as a result of signing up on their general Tivo page earlier in the year with what I call the Sexy Sally video where she says "ooohhhh you've got here a bit quick" etc, etc, etc.

It appears that Virgin is now giving all their existing customers precisely the same so called "exclusive" deal that was given to Tivo S1 owners a couple of months ago. Same £149.99 install plus same £3 per month Tivo fee and requirement to take their XL tv package. So it looks the only thing exclusive about the offer to Tivo S1 owners was getting the product a few weeks earlier than the general Virgin Media user base:-

There was a whole lot of embedded images of the Virgin Tivo in the email I received but Thunderbird won't let me post or copy any of that and the alternative web link in the email would disclose my name and email address so I'm not posting that here.



> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: TiVo is now onsale
> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:50:00 +0200 (CEST)
> From: Virgin Media <[email protected]>
> ...


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## Brangdon (Feb 9, 2001)

Pete77 said:


> It appears that Virgin is now giving all their existing customers precisely the same so called "exclusive" deal that was given to Tivo S1 owners a couple of months ago. Same £149.99 install plus same £3 per month Tivo fee and requirement to take their XL tv package.


Some people are paying £199 rather than £150. Eg post #21 in this thread.

You said your own offer was a result of pre-registering, rather than something offered to "all existing customers".



> So it looks the only thing exclusive about the offer to Tivo S1 owners was getting the product a few weeks earlier than the general Virgin Media user base


Well, that was nice. And it doesn't seem not many people are being offered *better* deals than we got. Frankly, I'm pleased they are favouring existing customers over new ones.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Oddly enough Thunderbird did allow me to copy the embedded images of the Virgin Tivo in the email.





though whether they'll show up here is a moot point...


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ericd121 said:


> Oddly enough Thunderbird did allow me to copy the embedded images of the Virgin Tivo in the email.


When I try "Copy Image" in Thunderbird all it does is let me paste an HTML link here to a web version of the email. And that web version would contain my name and email address.

However I have just found it will let me use "Save Image As" and by that means I could have saved just the image (not containing my name or email address) and then re-uploaded it here from some online directory I had posted the file to.

And yes the images from your email did show up here.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Brangdon said:


> Some people are paying £199 rather than £150. Eg post #21 in this thread.


So you think £50 off a grossly inflated price for the 1TB Virgin Media Tivo (given that the 500MB version will shortly be available for only £49.95 installed) is a good deal in return for Virgin's malicious attempt to force Tivo to cut off Lifetime service to all existing S1 UK Tivos? Especially when it also involved the need to sign up for a tv package costing many hundreds of pounds a year extra unless you happened to already subscribe to it (something that won't be a requirement for the 500MB Virgin Tivo).

The interesting point that will I am sure soon be commanding many people's attention here is how easy or otherwise it will be to fit say a 2TB Tivo drive in a Virgin Tivo box supplied with a 500MB drive.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Some might say the 500GB model is a bargain, instead of saying the more expensive version is grossly inflated.

Glass half full/empty...

Can't legally upgrade the hdd as you rent the box.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

mikerr said:


> Some might say the 500GB model is a bargain, instead of saying the more expensive version is grossly inflated.
> 
> Glass half full/empty...


If you consider the total number of customers likely to rent the 500GB vs the 1TB model then I am sure we can see that it is the 1TB unit that is a totally over priced Finest variant rather than the 500MB version being a cut down Basics or Value product lacking most of the best product features.

So far as I am aware the functionality of the two units is identical and only the hard drive size will vary.

Also the 500GB unit is potentially much, much cheaper than the headline install cost price difference since it will be available to any existing Virgin tv cable customer rather than just those customers who want or need their XL package.

The old rule that "early adopters get caned" has once again applied in this case. How long before we see a £99 Ipad.............

The more common term for what you call a "glass half empty" person is a realist.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> ...Virgin's malicious attempt to force Tivo to cut off Lifetime service to all existing S1 UK Tivos?


You do know you have never actually provided any proof for this statement of fact, right? 



Pete77 said:


> The interesting point that will I am sure soon be commanding many people's attention here is how easy or otherwise it will be to fit say a 2TB Tivo drive in a Virgin Tivo box supplied with a 500MB drive.


Such discussions were not allowed about the S1 so why should they be allowed about the VMTivo as doing to is against their T&C.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

cwaring said:


> Such discussions were not allowed about the S1 so why should they be allowed about the VMTivo as doing to is against their T&C.


What ? Of course discussions about S1 disk upgrades have always been allowed - the only things specifically disallowed on here were extraction of recordings and service theft (alternative EPGs)

Obviously different case for the VM TiVo as that remains VM's property, we only rent it.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

cwaring said:


> You do know you have never actually provided any proof for this statement of fact, right?


And you have not provided any proof whatsoever that Virgin have not enforced a clause in their contract requiring Tivo to discontinue service to anyone who is not a current Virgin cable television subscriber (so that Tivo is a Virgin exclusive product as it was announced it would be at the time of the original deal between Tivo and Virgin).

Several other members have indicated that they do not entirely appreciate you always predictably springing to Virgin's defence here in an apparently uncritical manner but still you keep on at it.



> Such discussions were not allowed about the S1 so why should they be allowed about the VMTivo as doing to is against their T&C.


Oh yes they were. There were numerous threads on this forum (including my own) from people asking with help with upgrading their hard drive or installing network cards.

It was only talk of video extraction or continued operation of a Tivo from a non Tivo data source without paying a subscription that was banned from discussion in this forum.

Sky customers also regularly post threads about upgrading their hard drive disk size in other forums and I am not aware of any Sky customer being denied subscription service due to having self upgraded their hard drive. The only problem either a Sky or Virgin customer might have from a self upgrade would be invalidating their warranty during the warranty period. Even that is unlikely as long as they stuck the original hard drive back in the box before it went in for service.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

mikerr said:


> What ? Of course discussions about S1 disk upgrades have always been allowed - the only things specifically disallowed on here were extraction of recordings and service theft (alternative EPGs)


Sorry. Okay. My mistake.


Pete77 said:


> And you have not provided any proof whatsoever that Virgin have not enforced a clause in their contract requiring Tivo to discontinue service to anyone who is not a current Virgin cable television subscriber (so that Tivo is a Virgin exclusive product as it was announced it would be at the time of the original deal between Tivo and Virgin).


I'm not the one making statements that *need* backing up.



> Several other members have indicated that they do not entirely appreciate you always predictably springing to Virgin's defence here in an apparently uncritical manner but still you keep on at it.


Firstly, I don't really care what a few minor posters think about me.

Secondly, and as those major posters whose opinion I *do* respect will note, on this occasion (as on certain others) I have not, actually, "defended" VM in this case.

All I said was, basically "put up or shut up." You made a statement that sounds like fact rather than opinion. I am simply asking that you back it up.

Unless you want to clarify that it was mererly your opinion and nothing more.


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Uh-oh Feedback loop between Pete and Carl. Anyone got a hammer?


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> Bile


Pete - as you so elegantly put it over on the S1 forum...

What are you doing bothering posting here? You cannot by your own admission get the VMTiVo so your only reason for posting here is to try to lay some flame-bait and rub peoples noses in it.

Oh dear. I bit.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ColinYounger said:


> Pete - as you so elegantly put it over on the S1 forum...
> 
> What are you doing bothering posting here? You cannot by your own admission get the VMTiVo so your only reason for posting here is to try to lay some flame-bait and rub peoples noses in it.


I still signed up with Virgin to see what offers they would make or indeed in case they ever came up with a Freeview Tivo that could also do IPTV.

Also if Virgin were more together than they quite clearly aren't then they would not have sent me an email encouraging me to become a Tivo subscriber given that I did actually give them my real postcode and address.

My experience of the offer emails which Virgin are sending out to potential Tivo customers seemed a perfectly reasonable thing to post about although I suppose that some of you here don't like being reminded that you have been massively ripped off by Virgin. It seems to me that anyone with a Lifetime Sub really ought to have got their replacement Virgin Tivo free of charge so long as they were prepared to commit to take the XL package for at least say 18 months.


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## Brangdon (Feb 9, 2001)

Pete77 said:


> So you think £50 off a grossly inflated price for the 1TB Virgin Media Tivo (given that the 500MB version will shortly be available for only £49.95 installed) is a good deal


It's a substantial discount.

Whether the £200 is a reasonable price is a separate issue. It's less than I paid for my series 1 TiVo. They'll charge what the market will bear.



> in return for Virgin's malicious attempt to force Tivo to cut off Lifetime service to all existing S1 UK Tivos?


That's a strong allegation. You ought to provide evidence, if you want it to be taken seriously.

The word "malicious" is especially strong. Really, why would VM care? The series 1 TiVo is over a decade old. It doesn't support HD, and only has one tuner; it's hardly competition. We don't know how many users there were, but given the scale of the early roll-out I'd guess 1000 or so, which is small beer compared to the 75,000 or so pre-registered. And of course, VM couldn't care less about series 1 users who are outside the VM footprint.

It's just as likely that TiVo had been wanting to kill the service for the last five years, but had waited until at least some of us had an alternative. It couldn't last forever. As time went by, more and more people moved on, and it made less and less sense to keep the service going.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Brangdon said:


> That's a strong allegation. You ought to provide evidence, if you want it to be taken seriously.


As he has been asked to do since he first made the allegation back in ... erm ... February, I think it was. Nothing yet.

Perjoratives aside, he may well be right but as no-one outside of VM or Tivo knows for sure it is simply speculation on his part; though he seems to refuse to accept it


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> prepared to commit to take the XL package for at least say 18 months.


I can't believe you're sucking me in!  Generalisations there. I - and many others - already had XL. And my contract is 12 months, as per usual with VM.

I understand your venim which is based in jealousy, but we're not all S1 killers. I have two S1s here that I'm trying to get working "again".


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ColinYounger said:


> I - and many others - already had XL. And my contract is 12 months, as per usual with VM.


So it was a fairly reasonable move for you to pay only £3 per month extra in that case. If was not however a good idea for anyone on a cheaper Virgin package to be blackmailed in to moving to a more expensive package to get a new Tivo. The new £49.95 500GB deal available at all package levels with Virgin only further confirms that this is so.



> I understand your venim which is based in jealousy, but we're not all S1 killers. I have two S1s here that I'm trying to get working "again".


If you are going to use words that you are seemingly not entirely familiar with like *venom* can I suggest that you make sure you use a web browser with a spell checker built in

Also my purpose is not malicious but merely to ask why the CEO of Virgin Media, Neil Berkett, has on a large number of occasions made bold claims about bringing Virgin to most of the rest of the UK only for this to come to precisely nothing.

Also if he can't bring Virgin or Tivo to the rest of the UK then why does he or Richard Branson (who has also seen fit to associate himself with the UK launch of Tivo as indicated on Tivo's blog at http://virgintivo.blogspot.com/2011/03/sir-richard-branson-believes-that-tivo.html) wish to deny those of us not served by Virgin the right to continue to use our S1 Tivos.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

"malicious" "blackmail", "deny the right"

Really Pete, it's only a luxury product for watching TV after all...


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> Also my purpose is not malicious but merely to ask why the CEO of Virgin Media, Neil Berkett, has on a large number of occasions made bold claims about bringing Virgin to most of the rest of the UK only for this to come to precisely nothing.


And you thought this would be able to be done in ... what... six months or something? Just because it hasn't happened *yet* doesn't mean it won't, *ever*.



> Also if he can't bring Virgin or Tivo to the rest of the UK then why does he or Richard Branson (who has also seen fit to associate himself with the UK launch of Tivo as indicated on Tivo's blog at http://virgintivo.blogspot.com/2011/03/sir-richard-branson-believes-that-tivo.html) wish to deny those of us not served by Virgin the right to continue to use our S1 Tivos.


Again. Proof please that your assumption is correct. Otherwise that's all it is.


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