What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
12 MAY 2008
Virgin Media V+
A cheaper alternative to Sky HD, but the poor relation as far as viewing choice is concerned
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Virgin V+ operates on a slightly different model from Sky: there's a one-off installation cost of £150, then you pay a monthly amount for the service. It costs £5 a month if you subscribe to the M or L TV packages, but there's no monthly fee for subscribers to the XL package. The cost is thus a lot less, but you don't get all those Sky channels, and the choice of high-definition programming is currently very limited. You get the free BBC HD channel, plus some HD movies on demand that cost £3.99-£4.99, and some free HD documentaries... but that's your lot.
Virgin's V+ box, like the Sky HD box, has HDMI and component outputs for connecting to your screen or projector and an optical digital output to send Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound to your home cinema amp. It's HD-ready, of course, and you can record, pause and rewind live TV just like the Sky+ box. The three built-in digital tuners mean you can watch one programme while simultaneously recording two others - that's one up on Sky +/Sky HD.
BBC looks inviting in high def
Picture and sound performance from the BBC HD feed is very good indeed, as it ought to be, and the convenience of one-touch recording is a boon. Standard Freeview channels can be upscaled to 720p or 1080i, so some look better than normal, although many of the lower bit-rate channels (hello ITV) still look pretty ropey on a large screen.
Other services that come with the V+ box include a selection of 4oD programmes and a selection of free programmes broadcast over the last seven days that can be played on demand. These include programmes available on the BBC's iPlayer service.
There's much to like about the V+ box, and it works well, but the lack of HD content lets it down. If you're a Virgin Media customer it's worth considering, but if you want the best HDTV service available, you'll have to pay for Sky.