We’ve upgraded how you search for shows and movies on Virgin TV

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.

Searching for what you want IRL can be messy and frustrating. But with tech, it should be easy. As you’ll know if you’ve ever ordered a late-night burger on one of those touch screens, searching for stuff is so much easier when you can see exactly what you want.

That’s why we’re rolling out some helpful improvements to how you search on our Stream box and Virgin TV 360.

Gone are the boring search results that made it feel like you were cramming for an exam (and not a fun one). Instead, we’ve ditched the text lists and have updated our search function to show image results, making it quicker and easier to find what you want.

Whether you’re typing out your search query (remember, the magnifying glass on the remote is a search button) or you’re using our super powerful voice search feature (hold down the remote’s microphone button and say what you want to see), you will now see visual tiles for the relevant results.

Once the search results are in, just navigate to what you want to watch using the arrow buttons on your remote and press OK once you’ve selected the tile. It’s so simple.

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 options, On Demand content, shows on Catch Up, Box Sets and even content from streaming apps like Netflix or Prime Video, if available.

You won’t have to do anything special to our 360 or Stream boxes for this latest update to take place. It’ll happen as if by magic (we’ll press a button on our end).

Want a bit of a refresher on how to get the most from search? Here’s a reminder of some of the types of cool stuff you can search for.

To find your favourite TV show or film on our 360 or Stream boxes, hit the magnifying glass on the remote and get typing – just a few letters is usually enough for Smart Search. Alternatively, hold down the remote’s mic button and say the name of the show. You’ll see some options start to appear as you type or speak, as you can see here:

But it’s not just TV shows. Text and voice search work for series, movies, actors, presenters or even directors you’re looking to find. Why not try:

• Typing or saying “And Just Like That” to find the show And Just Like That…

• Typing or saying “Mark Gatiss” to find shows featuring Mark Gatiss

• Typing or saying “John Wick” to find shows and movies related to John Wick

If you don’t know what you want to watch, but you know the type of thing you want, we’ve got you covered. Press the remote’s magnifying glass and start typing – Smart Search will kick in after a few letters of something like “kids’ shows”. Or use your voice by holding down the remote’s mic button and say the name of the genre you’re after. Why not try:

• Typing or saying “feel-good movies”

• Typing or saying “reality TV”

• Typing or saying “live sports tonight”

Looking for more? Take control of your Virgin Media TV and find out how to use more of your remote control’s search functions.

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