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Virgin Media has started to roll out its long-awaited upgrade to its Stream and TV 360 boxes — replacing static, text-heavy search functionality with a sleek, modernised alternative to make finding content much easier.
Originally teased in a blog post last month, Virgin Media later clarified that its new functionality would be "coming soon," at an unspecified date. That moment has arrived, with an updated blog post confirming that "search just got even better" on Virgin Stream and Virgin TV 360 viewers from today.
Virgin Media has overhauled the search experience with new artwork for the biggest shows in its catalogue, making it easier to quickly find what you're looking for and check how many series are available
|VIRGIN MEDIA O2 PRESS OFFICE
Gone is the dull list of text-only titles of television shows, documentaries, and movies, replaced with eye-catching artwork of what's available to watch on your Virgin Media TV 360 or Virgin Stream set-top box.
The new search functionality appears when you're looking for a particular show or when you're searching for a genre. Just tap the button with the magnifying glass symbol on your remote control and start typing, Virgin Media's software will anticipate what you're looking for as soon as you've entered a few letters.
You can also use the voice search functionality to launch this new experience too.
On its blog post, Virgin Media explains: "It’s annoying when you can’t find something. For instance, your keys often have a habit of not being where you left them.
"You own roughly 78 umbrellas, but the second it starts raining, they vanish into a pocket universe. And as for finding a fully working battery in a drawer that contains nothing but batteries, forget about it.
"That’s why we’re rolling out some helpful improvements to how you search on our Stream box and Virgin TV 360. Alongside our fantastic existing search features, we’ve updated our search function to also show image results, making it quicker and easier to find what you want."
Switch to Virgin Media's Bigger Combo bundle
Virgin Media's Bigger Combo boasts full-fibre broadband speeds of 362Mbps, plenty for busy households to avoid troublesome buffering when trying to stream on-demand content or make video calls. It also ships with a new set-top box capable of tuning into over 200 channels, including those from Sky TV. Virgin Media has waived its setup fee
The broadcaster and broadband firm is keen to stress that it's not simply a lick of paint for the sake of it. Virgin Media stresses: "But don’t think for one second we’ve ditched all substance for a bit more style.
"We’re keeping all the search functionality you love, so your search results will still include live TV, On Demand content, shows on Catch Up, Box Sets and titles from streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video, if available."
With its upgraded experience, Virgin Media has brought its software closer to what you'd expect from Disney+ or Netflix.
Virgin Media searches across everything included in its catalogue, so you'll see upcoming shows from the TV Guide, on-demand boxsets, as well as shows from your favourite streamers, like Netflix or Prime Video. This means you'll avoid paying to rent something that's included in the catalogue of one of your subscriptions.
You don't have to search for a specific show, film, or actor to make use of this new functionality either. If you're unsure about exactly what you're looking to watch, you can ask for broader categories like “feel-good movies”, “reality TV”, or even “live sports tonight” to surface some new suggestions.
To find your favourite TV show or film on our 360 or Stream boxes, hold down the remote’s mic button and say the name of the show. Alternatively, use your remote to click the magnifying glass on screen and get typing. You’ll see some options start to appear as you type or speak
|VIRGIN MEDIA O2 PRESS OFFICE
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The rollout is already taking place, so you should see the visual overhaul on your telly soon. Some Virgin TV subscribers have already started to see the new search functionality land on their devices.
Sadly, Virgin Media won't be bringing this updated appearance to its oldest boxes, like the Virgin Media TV V6 or TiVO-powered options.