Virgin vBox Digital Receiver Launched in Preparation for Digital Switch Over

The slim, black Virgin Box – vBox comes with a remote extender, so it can be hidden out of sight.  The vBox will be free to Virgin Media customers signing up for the broadband and telephone bundle in non-cable areas.  For those wanting to purchase the vBox, it will be available for a one-off charge of £40, and non-Virgin customers can get up to 5 additional boxes.  For customers in areas with cable availability, the box will be free, but a one-off installation fee of £25 will be charged. 

The vBox - Making Life Easier 

Philip Snalune, managing director of ‘non-cable’ services at Virgin Media said: “Launching a basic TV service into non-cable areas enables us to expand availability of our quadplay of broadband, phone, mobile and TV.”

“Digital switchover is just around the corner and we can now offer consumers across the UK a simple and low-cost way of making the digital leap, even if they can’t get cable services.” He said the aim was to offer more advanced television services in all areas in 2008.

Digital TV, broadband, and telephone service providers Virgin and Sky are making no attempts to hide the competitive efforts to win customers over in time for the digital switchover, and the vBox appears to be Virgin’s most recent string to their tiring bow.  The news has come after Sky announced plans to launch a pay-television platform on digital terrestrial television.

The digital switchover will affect all viewers who have any televisions through which they can only receive analogue services BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4 and (where available) Five services through the TV aerial.   Our advice would be to watch the activity of these digital media providers and what they have to offer, as they are guaranteed to make life much easier the closer we get to the switchover.