What is the Virgin Media TV TiVo-based package all about?

Virgin Media revolutionises the way we watch TV by combining a personal video recording technology (others may know it as TiVo) and high speed broadband connectivity to bring an innovative on-demand experience to the modern TV viewer.

Not to worry - all your regular favourite channels are up for grabs, for instance BBC, ITV, Sky 1, Discovery Channel, to name but a few, yet the new service also will have a comprehensive catalogue of shows that you will be able to choose from, based on a list of options. Feel free to watch programmes and movies with a particular actor, genre or program title, amongst other criteria.

Also, Virgin Media TV will memorise and learn about what shows and programmes you fancy most, in order to give you further ideas about other content that is similar and you might like.

It is also set to give you the opportunity to record 2 channels at once, while you watch the third and rewind the TV schedule back to the past 7 days of programming.

What's more, it offers the equivalent of an app store for your TV with a wide range of free and paid for apps, these include BBCiPlayer, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, for instance.

Can I have it?

If you live in a Virgin Media cabled area - yes. Virgin Media TV uses the its own fibre-optic broadband connection in order to deliver content to the set top box.

Can I afford it?

Despite the fact that detail pricing is yet to be announced officially, however it is now known that the equipment will cost £199, and a monthly subscription is set to be around £26.50 if you bundle it with a Virgin Media phone line. However if you want the product solely, it will cost you £32.50.

I want to get it, what should I do?

You can be amongst the first people to get it if you pre-order the service now or wait until it goes on sale from the middle of December.

What's so special about it?

If you like to be one step ahead of the tech-pack, Virgin Media TV is for you, as it is innovative and is set to improve the digital TV experience.

If you are an owner of a PVR (such as Sky+), you will know how it changes the core of the experience of watching and of course enjoying TV. To simplify, the new Virgin Media TV service takes the PVR viewing to a whole new level.

The service gives you, the viewer, all the control of the TV viewing experience and merges the humble TV with a more sophisticated online browsing experience (without losing out on the most precious parts of traditional TV watching), by combining linear TV channels, on-demand content and applications such as Facebook - all on your TV set.

Does this change the future of digital TV and Internet services for the customer and will other providers offer the same service?

Which TV set and service is going to be in your living room is a battle for the technology and telecommunications titans, these are the main competitors:

• TV manufacturers are already working on web-enabled TVs;

• Games console manufacturers which provide gaming are set on developing access to a much broader range of web content on your TV set;

• Digital TV providers such as Virgin Media and Sky are already thinking three if not four steps ahead when developing their own on-demand and web based services for your TV;

• Huge technology investors such as Google and Apple who are interested in a new web based TV future;

• "The next generation broadband enabled Freeview box" expects its launch next year and is backed by the BBC, ITV, BT and TalkTalk, among others.

What alternatives are available?

Virgin Media's current TV platform offers a TV on demand service, but bear in mind that it's not as extensive as their newest service.

BT Vision also has a large amount of on demand content which can be accessed via the BT Vision service, and Sky have also just launched Anytime+ which gives you a wide array of on demand content through your set top box and broadband connection.