We’re very happy to announce that BBC Red Button is now available to Virgin Media TiVo customers. The features available include video news, full length text articles from the BBC News website and coverage of F1 season that is always up to date and available whenever you want to watch. Later this year the BBC Sport Red button services will be extended to cover other major events e.g. Euro 2012, Wimbledon and Olympics.

If you’re watching any BBC channel, just press the red button on your TiVo remote. Then arrow up or down to choose iPlayer or the News or Sports app, then select OK. Or you can select the BBC News or Sports app from the ‘Apps & Games’ section of your TiVo menu.

The new service is being rolled out to everyone over the next 24 hours, so don’t worry if you can’t see it yet.

Thanks
Mark Wilkin
Help & Support Forum Manager

Actually they started deploying it a week ago, on April 11th, I’m just a little behind on my reporting.

Via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog

Now, I’ve seen some reports that he said they will bring Netflix and/or Lovefilm to their TiVo platform, but that’s not quite what he actually said. This is:

DTVE: Do you think platforms like TiVo are the best defense for cable against the so-called OTT players like Netflix?

Neil Berkett: We embrace over-the-top quite frankly. We’re somewhat unique in the the way in which our revenue is structured. So we will bring the likes of a Netflix or a Lovefilm onto our TiVo platform.

Note “the likes of”. That leaves wiggle room for them to use Netflix or Lovefilm, or some other, similar service entirely. Now, I think Netflix and Lovefilm are the best potential services for Virgin, but I wouldn’t treat this like an official announcement of any actual plans. Still, it is encouraging. Watch the video for more:

Neil Berkett: Virgin Media will bring OTT players like Netflix to TiVo from Digital TV Europe on Vimeo.

From Digital TV Europe via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

Being a Yank I’m not very familiar with Red Button myself, but from what I’ve seen I’m a bit jealous, we don’t really have services like it in the US. Basically it is the future of interactive television that we’ve been promised for years, but we never seen to get. Red Button services can provide interactive features on television, such as calling up scores and stats during sporting events. Or more advanced features such as alternate camera angles or feeds of an event.

Red Button services first became available to subscribers of Sky Sports and Sky Sports HD on Friday. The next roll out will be for subscribers of the Sky Sports F1 channel, which is coming soon to Virgin Media. And Red Button services for the BBC are planned for an April roll out.

The Virgin Media TiVo Blog provided a link to a post from Virgin’s Help & Support Forum detailing their offerings:

Great news! The wait is nearly over for our TiVo customers who’ve been waiting for Premier League Red Button coverage.

What are we launching?

Starting with Background Events so that our Sky Sports customers on TiVo can follow over-running, clashing and extra live Sports that won’t fit on Sky Sports 1-4. And then shortly followed by Football First for extended highlights of every Premier League match played on the day.

When are we launching?

MBE (Multiple Background Events) will launch on March 2nd and Football First on March 3rd. After that we’ll be launching Formula 1, Tennis will be coming later in the summer and both Champions League and Heineken Cup will be there for the start of the next season.

Please note: events are subject to change without notice

What channels will Sky Sports interactive be available on?

The interactive Red Button application will be available, for TiVo customers on the following Sky Sports Channels.

Sky Sports 1 511 & Sky Sports 1HD 517
Sky Sports 2 512 & Sky Sports 2 HD 518
Sky Sports 3 513
Sky Sports 4 514
Sky Sports F1 (when it launches)

I don’t subscribe to Sky Sports, how can I do this to take advantage of the Red Button services that will be available on selected events?

All you need to do is arrange an upgrade to Sky Sports, the Red Button service (available on selected events only) will be available at no extra charge.

When will BBC red button interactive services launch?

More good news! We’ve been working with the BBC to launch Red Button services on TiVo and we’re hoping to start the roll out in April. This service will launch a menu over BBC channels.

We’ll be communicating further interactive service launches as and when they happen – so watch this space!

Mark Wilkin
Help & Support Forum Manager

I know the lack of Red Button support has been a major, perhaps the major, gripe about Virgin’s TiVo offering in the UK. It may be hard to understand for those of us who have never had access to the service, but Red Button users are very passionate about it. So the introduction of Red Button services to TiVo should go a long way towards making those users happy, especially as Virgin expands support to additional content sources and channels.

Now, if we could only get a system like this in the states. I mean widespread, not just limited trials.

No official word on Spotify coming to US TiVos, yet, but it seems likely. Now that the work has been done to create a UK app it can be leveraged to create a US version. And back in July TiVo probed the user base for interest in Spotify in the US. It seems like it would be a no-brainer to bring it to the US as well. It would be Premiere units only, of course.

Via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

The Virgin Media High Definition & TiVo Services blog (they really need a catchier name, or at least a shorter one…) has a capture of the paper copy of the notice as sent to customers and it contains another bit of news. The Spotify app will be hitting VM TiVo’s on 11/29 under Apps & Games. No word yet on Spotify coming to US TiVos, though TiVo was asking about interest back in July. They also have a summary of review comments posted about the early test release that started last month.

The Virgin Media TiVo Blog mentions a couple of other changes in this release. In the past when you paused VOD content the pause would timeout in 3 minutes. This has been extended to 10 minutes, which is a much more reasonable time. And the tick marks, which have traditionally been set every 15 minutes in a program (used for ‘skip to tick’ and the like) now occur every five minutes. So you have a much finer control over when you jump, though it will take three times as many jumps to get to a given point I suppose.

A video of the update was posted by a user a couple of weeks ago:

Video pick up via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

This week we have begun a limited pilot of our next TiVo software release. This new software includes many new improvements as well as key developments that will enable the launch of future products. We’ll be rolling it out to everyone well before Christmas. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect:

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.

There are plenty more updates already in the pipeline and, as ever, we will use your feedback to continue to improve our TiVo service.

We’ll be keeping you up to date on this forum.

Thanks,
Simon Hunt
Product Director (TV)
Virgin Media

While most of these sound great, and I’d be happy to see them come to the US, The Virgin Media TiVo Blog says the padding is what we feared it would be. Hard padding with one minute before and four after, with no way to control those default values. So UK users will need to set them on every Series Link or individual record. I think that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Soft padding! It isn’t a new idea!

Via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

If you order additional units at the same time they remain at the £49.95/£99.95 activation pricing. There is a £3 per month TiVo charge on each account, and additional boxes add £6.50 a month on most service plans.

Virgin is further pushing TiVo by removing online availability of the previous generation V+ HD box. The older DVR is no longer available from Virgin Media’s website.

Via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

The first post listed:

Fixes:

• Improved 1080i up scaling so improving the picture quality.
• HDMI connection reliability fixed
• Info button now provides programme information in guide and mini guide
• SCART aspect ratio corrected

And the second post listed:

Functionality:

• Express Series Link – You can set your series links in a flash
• Padding – Automatic padding around the start and finish of new recordings and series links (doesn’t change existing series links)
• Multi-tap text entry – You can now search using the number buttons on your remote, just like texting on your mobile phone
• More flexible parental control – If you don’t want to be asked for your PIN when you’re playing a recording from My Shows, you can now switch it off!
• Skippable playlists – Full skipping functionality for Music On Demand playlists will be available
• Live Events – Great news! You can now buy a live event on your TiVo box
• BBC iPlayer – Full integration of all the content from the BBC iPlayer is now available in the TV Guide, the Catch Up & On Demand menus and in TiVo Search and Browse
• PIN access on Apps – You can now control access to Apps and Games
• YouTube app – The YouTube app has been given a whole new look with more videos than ever and now supports HD quality video
• TiVo Buddy App – Just after we launch the new code you’ll be able to download this great new tool from the Apple App Store. If you connect your wireless router to the TiVo box with a cable you’ll be able to control many features from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Watch this space for more info!

These sound interesting, and I wonder if we’ll see some of these come to the US in the expected fall software update. Maybe around the time the TiVo Premiere Elite lands?

The Express Series Link sounds interesting, I wonder how it works. Multi-tap text entry is something people have been asking for in the US for ages now, pretty much since the TiVo launched. We now have the TiVo Slide remote, but that’s still an add-on sold separately. I could see TiVo not releasing this feature in the US as it could cut into sales of the Slide, but personally I love my Slide and multi-tap is no comparison. Which does beg the question – why not add support for the TiVo Slide to the UK units? Something Virgin doesn’t want for some reason?

The YouTube app being new sounds interesting. The YouTube app on the US units is getting very long in the tooth, and it seems that some of the features have stopped working correctly as YouTube has changed their site and interface. So we could really do with a new app as well. The TiVo Buddy App sounds like it is just the Virgin Media version of the TiVo iPad App, announced a couple of weeks ago.

But most interesting to me is the default padding. This feature was confirmed by a forum team member on the official Virgin Media support forums:

Automatic padding? will be available later this year. It defaults at 1 min before and 4 mins after for all recordings, which seems to be the best way to avoid recordings cutting off early. You will still be able to change this on individual recordings.

Based on the subsequent discussion it sounds like what they’re doing is defaulting the padding to 1 minute before and 4 minutes after, instead of 0 as it is today. I really hope that’s wrong, because that sounds like it would SUCK! The only way I’d find that acceptable is if it is soft padding, something that’s been requested for years in the US. The idea with soft padding is that you could set padding that is used only if there is no conflict with another recording. Basically “Record an extra X minutes, unless doing so will cause you to be unable to record something else.” So you won’t have any problems with back-to-back recordings, or having to play games with clipping, priority order, etc. If they’ve just set the defaults for the normal hard padding across the board, so you have to make a special effort to not have padding, that sounds like the cure being worse than the disease. And that seems to be the gist of the reaction on the forums too.

I think the way to do it right is to:

• Allow users to set global default padding values for start and end.
• Make these default values soft padding.
• Allow hard padding settings on individual recordings, SPs, etc. which will override the global soft padding.

If I could use soft padding and record just an extra minute or two on the end of all of my recordings, except when the tuner is needed for another show, I would use it in a heart beat. But I’d absolutely hate having default hard padding I had to fight with every time I setup a recording to avoid worrying about artificial conflicts due to padding collisions.

This is a case where I really hope the discussions are incorrect and the actual implementation is not what everyone thinks it is. If it turns out to be soft padding I’ll be thrilled and hope it comes to the US. If it is default hard padding as believed I’ll feel sorry for UK users and hope fervently it never happens here.

But that one issue aside, this sounds like a good update for UK TiVo users and I hope we see at least some of these features in the US as well.

Just not default hard padding.

Via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

During the quarter, we have seen an encouraging early take-up of Virgin Media TiVo, our new game-changing entertainment platform, and we have recently unveiled a high impact advertising campaign which will see this compelling service marketed to new customers for the first time.

And:

We have now started to sell and market our new TiVo service to new customers. This is the UK’s first next generation TV service, seamlessly bringing together the best of TV, on demand and the web through an intuitive graphical interface. This enables us to launch exciting new entertainment experiences, such as we developed with Warner Bros Pictures to complement the launch of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’. We introduced a dedicated TV app that brought together live film premiere coverage with extra online content. We have also introduced a mobile app allowing customers to set their TiVo service to record shows remotely. The strong early demand for this service has matched our high expectations and, as of 26th July, we had approximately 50,000 installed TiVo customers.

But the real interesting comments are from the call itself, fortunately captured via transcript:

Neil Berkett – CEO: Thanks very much everybody. I think TiVo will do to our video business what DOCSIS 3.0 to our broadband business. I think it will significantly change our brand, our perception and our ongoing delivery, but more about that later.

And so, later:

Testimony, 75,000 TiVo sales, 50,000 in store (the gap) we’ve only being selling for two weeks. Testimony, 50% of our broadband ads at 30 meg and above. Testimony, two price increases in the last six months and you can see the trend.

This is about a business that is targeted to consumers and business customers that need data. They need data and may want data, but the most important thing is they need data. So our drivers are broadly going well. We continue to move with price and there will be periods when that is not available to us. We just launched TiVo at a GBP3 delta in terms of its price over of V+ Box.

But the real interesting part is the following:

On to application. So, you saw we have journey, it’s reasonably predictable around connectivity. You upgrade speeds; you run tiers within your huge pipe; you manage across that, and periodically you upgrade everybody. Tried, proven, you’ll see us do it again and again. The top tier speed at the moment a 100 meg starts out very quietly as did 50, and then accelerates. You tested the market on price, it accelerates again.

Application is different. Application starts to create the glue beyond the raw horsepower of connectivity. Applications is nothing without connectivity, and connectivity is nothing without application, and TiVo is the best connected TV certainly in the U.K., and I would argue in the world because it’s produced by connected TV experts. It’s all they do. That’s why we partnered with them. That’s why it’s actually launched on time, because a lot of our peers decided that they would build their own. It has a net promoter score, major of advocacy (over detraction) of plus 30%. If I had a customer base that had a level of advocacy of plus 30%, I wouldn’t be standing here today talking to you, I would have retired.

It is a massive, massive driver of advocacy. Our customers absolutely love us. Every single review of TiVo puts it as the best way to watch TV bam bam and I’m obviously deliberately using that phrase and I may not use that but that’s what they are saying and that’s what you’re seeing on the billboards at the moment.

It is an amazing product and it allows us to create the glue between the social strength, the TV, the personal screen your PC or laptop and the remote screen, your smartphone and tablet somewhere in between, because you will be able to access. Just think about October, the second drop. The access your hard drive from another device. Your connected TV would by then know you. It will be recording things the things you’ve forgot to record.

It will allow you to go backwards and see that somebody has deleted something that you didn’t want deleted and you can undelete it; just lucky can on a PC. It will have applications like the Harry Potter app where we created an application around the launch of the first series where we had little clips and customers can go into Harry Potter and in they can go in and view and purchase Harry Potter. They can look at that video on demand library. It’s got the intelligence to look at how (linear open garden), a linear walled-garden in video-on-demand are now selected over the top. It will do for us in the TV space what DOCSIS 3.0 has done for us in connectivity

Mobile; so we saw for the first quarter the impact of mobile bonus. We drove a record 83,000 net contract ads in the quarter and some 47,000 – I think it was actually 50,000 contract ads into the home. That’s a 48% increase over Q2, 2010. So, you are starting to see now the acceleration of mobile into the home and that will continue as TiVo as an application is more powerful either by price or by feature on a Virgin Mobile as opposed to Voda or Orange or anything else. So that our customers will see the glue between their remote device and their fixed devices, and that would allow us to accelerate their quad-play and it will allow us to accelerate the very strong economics.

Those are some very strong, and positive, words. It really reinforces the importance Virgin Media is placing on TiVo as the focus for their TV efforts. Which also bodes well for their TiVo customers.

Oh, and did you catch this?“Just think about October, the second drop. The access your hard drive from another device.” It sounds like October is when they’ll be enabling streaming between units. And perhaps also when they’ll have the TiVo software load for their non-DVR platforms? It’ll be interesting to see.

Transcript spotted via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog.

It is quite a piece of work, very extensive. I think anyone comparing the DVR options in the UK would be well served by checking it out. I recommend the ‘live’ copy, since it will be the most current, but I’ve also captured a snapshot for posterity – and just in case.

On Monday, Virgin Media posted an apology on their support page:

Good Afternoon,

We’d like to sincerely apologise for any issues you may have encountered over the last few days with your Series Links failings on our TiVo service.

The issue was caused by a bug in a scheduled update to our TiVo service overnight on Friday, which became apparent to customers during Saturday. We worked across the weekend to resolve the issue and deployed a remedy on Sunday evening. Customers with TiVo should have already started to see their boxes automatically update and we expect all boxes to have the fix in place by Tuesday morning.

In the meantime, customers can force a manual update before then by forcing a service connection. To do this press Home > Help & Settings > Settings > Network > Connect to the Virgin Media TV Service now. It can take up to a couple of hours for the box to complete indexing the new database and for Series Links to re-schedule.

Once remedied, your TiVo box will try and find an alternate showing of the episode you have missed and set it to record. To check this is the case:

• Go to Home > My Shows & Recordings > Manage my Series Links.
• Then select any series where you think you missed an episode over the weekend.
• For that series choose “View upcoming episodes”.
• Make sure that the alternative showing of the episode you missed is set to record.
• If it is not set to record automatically then select “Record this episode also”.

Alternatively, if the programme was on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5, you may find the programme already within Catch Up TV service. Find the programme by scrolling back in the TV Guide, via Search, or within the Catch Up & On Demand menus.

Right now, we’re in the process of ensuring that we’ve completely resolved the issue and that we learn the right lessons to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We’ll also make sure in future we do a better job of keeping our teams and customers updated on issue status.

Once again, many apologies.

Stephen Featham
Director of TV Technical Operations, Digital Entertainment, Virgin Media

I think they handled the situation well and while it would’ve been preferable to avoid it happening in the first place, well, to put it bluntly, shit happens. No one, no company, and no system is perfect. The real measure is in how they cope with things when they go pear shaped, and I think Virgin Media did a respectable job with this incident. While this is going to smart in the short term, in the long run I think this will be but a minor blip in what has otherwise been a stellar product introduction. And better it happened now, in the early days while the subscriber base is still relatively small, than later on when orders of magnitude more users would be impacted. (Presuming the product does well, of course, though all signs point in that direction.)

I can think of some possible further steps Virgin Media could take to make things right by their customers, such as covering the costs of any paid on demand episodes to replace missed Series Link recordings and/or perhaps issuing a partial credit toward the monthly fee for the lapse in service.

I was watching this unfold via The Virgin Media TiVo Blog, but I’m travelling for work (I’m in Seattle for training) so I didn’t have a good opportunity to blog about it earlier.