Virgin Media's TiVo Update to Start Tomorrow

Expect your update to hit between the 17th and 24th of November.

Virgin Media's much anticipated TiVo update could arrive as early as tomorrow morning for some lucky users. Set to fix a few issues as well as bring a whole load of new and tweaked features, Pocket-Lint says their own TiVo box displayed the following image when they switched it on last night:

Virgin Media hsa said it picked 2am as the time for the update on purpose, as the company felt this was a time that customers would be least likely to be watching television or recording anything. Users will need to have their boxes switched on or in standby mode overnight during this time, otherwise the update will not start until your box is next switched on.

"The update will happen at 2am one morning between 17th and 24th November. That’s the time we know our customers are least likely to be watching TV or recording shows, so we hope it won’t interrupt anything," the company said via a post on the its community forums. "Since every TiVo box will be updating at a different time during that week, we won’t know exactly when the update will happen, but we’ll send a message on 25th November to confirm that it’s all done. You’ll find it in Help & Settings > Messages."

A word of warning for those that do happen to be up and watching telly at 2am: Virgin says the update can take up to 60 minutes and you won’t be able to watch TV or use the box at all during this time. If the update is interrupted by someone switching the TiVo box off, all your saved settings and recorded shows will be deleted. Also, just so you know, any recordings you’ve planned for that particular time won’t record.

TiVo users can expect the update to bring Spotify support, support for red button services from the likes of BBC, ITV and Sky Sports, TiVo app support, a tweaked look for the already available YouTube app, full integration for BBC's iPlayer, multitap text entry that will allow you to use the number keys on your remote as though you were texting on your phone, better parental controls, HD upscaling, live pay-per-view events, and video previews for every channel. Check the full list of changes below:

Spotify Support: We’ll support Spotify’s high quality streaming format, which will enable the Spotify Premium App on the TiVo platform.

Red Button: This update adds extra functionality necessary to support Red Button services developed by our channel partners, such as BBC, ITV, and Sky Sports

TiVo App support: We've enabled the connection of your TiVo box to iOS devices through your wireless router to use our fantastic TiVo app, which allows you to control the TiVo box, browse, search and manage recordings all from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.

A new look for YouTube: We’ll support Google’s completely revamped YouTube app, which allows for a more relaxed viewing and browsing experience, and supports HD video!

Full BBC iPlayer integration: We’ve changed the way Catch-up TV through BBC iPlayer works. Every BBC iPlayer programme will now be available through Search & Browse, including much more HD content, and you’ll never use up a tuner for BBC iPlayer viewing.

Express Series Links: Create a Series Link with default settings at the click of a button.

Multi-tap text entry:  Use the number keys on your remote like a mobile phone for text entry for typing into search.

Automatic Padding: We’ve had tremendous feedback from customers about clipped recordings, so we’ve installed a default level of padding for all recordings.

Improved Parental Controls: We’ve made some changes with PIN entry requirements to suit every household. In the new update, PIN challenges on pre-watershed playback of programmes in My Shows become optional. We’ve also added the ability to require PIN to access any application.

Skippable Music Playlists: Playlists on Music on Demand will be skippable by track

Live Pay-per-view Events: Live pay-per-view events become bookable with your remote control.

HD Upscaling: As promised on this forum, we’ve addressed the issue with our picture quality and this new update features better standard definition picture quality with improved upscaling.

Connection reliability: HDMI and SCART compatibility improved.

Info and Stop button functionality improved: You’ll be able to use the ‘info’ button in the TV programme guide and the mini guide, while the Stop button now works as you would expect.

Video Preview for every channel: Every channel will keep playing in the TV Guide window, including all the Sky channels.