1997
Year TiVo launched in the US with the first DVR
2009
Virgin Media + TiVo launch the original UK TiVo box
2016
The Virgin V6 box launches, powered by TiVo software
2020-21
Virgin replaces V6 with the TV 360 and Stream boxes
Who is TiVo?
Founded in 1997, TiVo was one of the first companies in the world to bring digital video recording (DVR) into the living room. The original TiVo box let US viewers pause and rewind live TV, set series recordings and free themselves from the broadcast schedule, years before catch-up and streaming became mainstream. The brand became a household name in the United States but never reached the same scale in the UK on its own.
In 2009, Virgin Media partnered with TiVo to launch a UK-market box, with TiVo providing the software and Virgin providing the cable infrastructure. The 500 GB TiVo box was Virgin's first serious DVR challenger to Sky+, letting customers record one programme while watching another, build their own series links and search across live and on-demand content from a single interface.
TiVo Inc. was acquired by Rovi in 2016 and the combined business was renamed TiVo Corporation. In 2020, TiVo Corporation merged with Xperi to form a new parent company, and the TiVo brand is now part of Xperi Corp. The software still underpins the original Virgin V6 electronic programme guide and a range of third-party smart-TV platforms, but the standalone TiVo box no longer exists in the UK.
Virgin Media's TiVo legacy: the V6 box
The Virgin TV V6 box, launched in 2016, was the last generation of Virgin hardware built around the TiVo software stack. It dropped the TiVo name from the casing but kept the engine underneath. For five years it was the flagship Virgin TV set-top box, included as standard with most cable bundles and shipped to millions of UK homes. As of June 2026, the V6 is no longer the box Virgin Media O2 sends to new customers, but the installed base is still very much in service.
At launch the V6 offered features that were genuinely ahead of its UK competitors:
- Hardware tuners able to record six channels at once while you watch a seventh.
- A 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive, holding up to 500 hours of standard-definition TV, around 275 hours of HD content or roughly 85 hours of Ultra HD.
- Multi-room viewing: start a programme on the V6 in the living room and pick it up on a tablet or phone via the Virgin TV Go app.
- A recommendations engine that surfaced shows based on your viewing history, plus a WishList feature that recorded everything matching an actor, director or keyword.
- A voice and text search across live, recorded and on-demand content from a single results screen.
If you still have a V6 box, none of this disappears. Virgin Media O2 continues to maintain the TiVo-powered EPG, push software updates and route on-demand content to the V6, and there is no announced switch-off date. The box stops being available to new customers, but existing households can keep using it as long as the hardware lasts and Virgin keeps supporting it.
How Virgin's TV boxes have evolved: V6, TV 360, Stream
Virgin Media O2's TV hardware now splits into three tiers. The V6 is the legacy box still in service with existing customers; the TV 360 is the modern cable box for new cable TV sign-ups; the Stream puck is the IP-only product for broadband-led homes. The table below shows what each one actually does in 2026.
| Feature | Virgin V6 (legacy) | Virgin TV 360 | Virgin TV Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2016 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Connection | Virgin cable | Virgin cable | Broadband (IP) |
| Records live TV | Yes, up to 6 channels at once | Yes, multiple channels at once | No (cloud catch-up only) |
| Hard drive | 500 GB or 1 TB | 500 GB or 1 TB | None |
| Software | TiVo-powered EPG | Virgin TV 360 platform | Android TV / Google TV |
| Voice search | No (text only) | Yes | Yes (Google Assistant) |
| App store | Limited (Virgin apps) | Curated Virgin apps | Full Google Play TV |
| Shipped to new customers | No | Yes (cable bundles) | Yes (broadband-only) |
Hardware comparison reviewed in June 2026.
Virgin TV 360: the cable successor
The TV 360 is the direct replacement for the V6 on Virgin's cable network. It uses similar underlying hardware but ships with a new user interface, a redesigned remote with a voice button, faster menus and modern recommendations. It keeps the V6's headline strengths: a hard drive for recording, multi-channel tuners, series link and pause-and-rewind on live TV. The on-demand stack is reorganised around the apps Virgin licenses (BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My5, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, NOW), so most of the streaming services households already use are reachable without switching input.
If you sign up for a new Virgin Media TV package in 2026, the TV 360 is the box you receive. Existing V6 customers can ask to upgrade, although Virgin typically only swaps the box when there is a hardware fault, a package change or as part of a recontract.
Virgin TV Stream: the IP-only puck
The Stream box is a small streaming puck running Google TV (formerly Android TV). It does not connect to Virgin's cable network at all; it delivers live channels, catch-up and on-demand content over your broadband line. There is no hard drive, no traditional recording, and no satellite dish or cable feed involved. Virgin sells it to broadband-only customers as a flexible bolt-on, with channel packs that can be added or dropped each month.
The trade-off is straightforward: you lose the V6's hardware DVR and gain the full Google Play TV app store, including Apple TV, YouTube, Spotify and any other streaming app that runs on Google TV. For households that already watch most TV through apps, this is closer to how an Apple TV 4K, an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a Roku works than to a traditional set-top box.
Should V6 customers upgrade to TV 360 or Stream?
If your V6 box still works and you are happy with it, there is no urgency. Virgin Media O2 is not announcing a switch-off, the TiVo EPG is still being maintained, and the box receives software updates. The question becomes interesting in three situations: a hardware fault, a contract renewal or a change in how you actually watch TV.
Advantages
- V6 records up to six channels at once on a built-in hard drive (500 GB or 1 TB).
- TV 360 keeps the V6 recording features and adds voice search, faster UI and modern recommendations.
- Stream works over broadband only, no cable installation, smaller form factor and full Google TV app store.
- All three boxes are included or available at low cost with current Virgin Media packages.
Disadvantages
- V6 hardware is nine years old in 2026, no longer shipped to new customers and slower than current boxes.
- TV 360 uses the same cable-network dependency as the V6, you still need Virgin Media cable in the street.
- Stream has no hard drive and no broadcast recording, only cloud catch-up.
- A box swap means re-learning the remote and losing any recordings stored on the old drive.
When to keep the V6
Keep the V6 if you record a lot of live TV, you rely on the WishList feature, you have a recordings library you do not want to lose, or you simply prefer the existing interface. Series links and scheduled recordings continue to work, multi-room viewing through Virgin TV Go is still supported, and your monthly bill stays the same.
When to upgrade to TV 360
Switch to the TV 360 if the V6 has hardware problems, if you are renewing your contract and Virgin offers the new box as part of the deal, or if you want voice search, a faster guide and better integration with apps such as Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. Recordings stored on the V6 do not migrate to the new box, so download or watch anything critical first.
When to move to Stream
Choose the Stream box if you have already dropped most live TV in favour of streaming apps, if you are on or moving to a broadband-only Virgin package, or if you want one device that combines Virgin's live channels with Apple TV+, YouTube and other services. You lose hardware recording, so it is a poor fit for sports households or any home that depends on a deep library of personal recordings.
Third-party alternatives in 2026
The Virgin Stream is not the only streaming-first option. Sky Stream (2022) and Sky Glass (2021) deliver Sky channels over IP without a dish; EE TV (2024) replaced BT TV and runs on Apple TV 4K hardware; and standalone devices such as the Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Roku and Chromecast with Google TV cover the streaming side for households that no longer pay for a traditional TV package at all.
Frequently asked questions
No. Virgin Media O2 stopped shipping the V6 box to new customers when the Virgin TV 360 launched in 2020. New cable customers receive the TV 360 box; broadband-only customers can take the Virgin TV Stream puck. Existing V6 customers keep their box and the TiVo-powered EPG, but the hardware is no longer dispatched to new sign-ups.
Two products replaced it. The Virgin TV 360 (2020) is the direct successor for cable customers: same recording capability, faster UI, voice search and modern recommendations. The Virgin TV Stream (2021) is a small Android TV / Google TV puck designed for broadband-only homes; it streams live channels and apps over IP and has no hard drive.
Yes. The TV 360 retains a hard drive (500 GB or 1 TB depending on the model) and can record multiple channels at once while you watch another. It also lets you start a show in one room and finish in another, with series link, pause-and-rewind on live TV, and on-demand catch-up via the apps included in the Virgin Media channel guide.
The TV 360 is a full cable set-top box with a hard drive that records broadcast TV; it requires Virgin Media cable. The Stream is a streaming-only puck running on Android TV / Google TV: it delivers live channels and on-demand content over your broadband connection, with no recording and no cable feed required. Stream is aimed at broadband-only Virgin customers who want a flexible, app-led experience.
The V6 and TV 360 boxes both rely on the Virgin Media cable network and are sold as part of a Virgin TV package, so they cannot be used in isolation. The Virgin TV Stream puck only needs a broadband connection (Virgin or otherwise in some markets, although Virgin sells it bundled with its own broadband) and a Virgin TV Stream subscription.
TiVo Inc. was absorbed by Rovi in 2016, and the combined business was renamed TiVo Corporation. In 2020 TiVo Corporation merged with Xperi to form a new parent company, and the TiVo brand is now part of Xperi Corp. The software still powers the original Virgin V6 EPG and a range of third-party smart-TV platforms.
Next steps
If you are weighing up a V6 swap or choosing between the TV 360 and Stream, the guides below put the decision in context: what a set-top box actually does in 2026, what Virgin Media's current TV line-up looks like, and how streaming services compare to a traditional pay-TV package.