I would be interested in the answer to this too. Might be moving from our house to a flat (in a listed building, so no satellite dishes allowed and Virgin is the only option) and I wanted to know if my 2003 RF Avant would be able to use the STB without paying for an additional software install from a dealer...?

Gents, I have a Virgin V Box working on my Avant VHS so a bit older than yours (not a RF model). It is the standard V box not the HD one and it works fine with my STB-C, no updates were necessary. Not got the IR eye installed so i can use my Beo4 to control it as yet so still using the Virgin controller but no problems in over 9 months so far.

so you can access all the menus and the like?

Dave - I thought the STB-C was the IR eye? That was what I wondered - whether or not I could use my RF Avant's IR eye to control the Virgin STB using the Beo 4 and the Avant's built in software for sending a variety of codes to particular manufacturer's STBs? I wanted to totally do away with any proprietary remote controllers (in this case the Virgin one) and just use my Beo 4....

j0hnbarker wrote:

Dave - I thought the STB-C was the IR eye? That was what I wondered - whether or not I could use my RF Avant's IR eye to control the Virgin STB using the Beo 4 and the Avant's built in software for sending a variety of codes to particular manufacturer's STBs? I wanted to totally do away with any proprietary remote controllers (in this case the Virgin one) and just use my Beo 4....

Thats exactly what I want to know, I use stb-c with sky and am happy with how it works and integrates with the avant.  I hope that virgin media works equally as well!

No, the STB is an optional extra inside the TV. You plug an IR eye into the STB socket and stick the eye onto your Sky box.

Jandyt wrote:

No, the STB is an optional extra inside the TV. You plug an IR eye into the STB socket and stick the eye onto your Sky box.

.....so the question remains as to whether our Avants have the right software loaded to enable them to control the Virgin media box by Beo 4, through the STB/IR eye in our Avants?

I don't think the V+ box is covered - the question was raised just a month or so back. On the newer sets but not on chip based sets as yet. The original Virgin box should be covered as said though.

Sorry gents - being a bit dense!! Long week at work - thats my excuse anyway. This saga has carried on a while for me as contemplating a Beo5 but want to use it to control my V box. The answer I have is that the IR eye will NOT work with the V box and apparently never will due to the old chip in the Avant and has something to do with PUC or something? The newer sets are ok but alas not my Avant - not sure if the newer RF sets are the same but I think they are. However, I apparently can use a Beo5 if my V box is on top of the TV in the infra-red sight and not tucked at the back as long as its programmed correctly! Sorry for the confusion - hope this helps!