Virgin Media has finally begun rolling out its long-awaited visual search upgrade to Stream and TV 360 platforms this week, replacing text-heavy search results with image-based tiles that make finding content a bit easier.
The update, which started appearing on devices over the past few days and was confirmed to us by Virgin Media, changes how you navigate search results by showing programmes, films, and other content as visual tiles rather than the old text lists.
It’s a sensible modernisation that brings Virgin Media’s interface up to speed with what other streaming platforms have been doing for a long time.
If you have a Stream box or TV 360 system, you should start seeing the update (known as Version 5.21) appear automatically. Virgin Media is pushing it out remotely without requiring any action on your part.
We originally covered this upgrade back in August when Virgin Media first announced it, but the company had to delay the rollout, and Virgin Media later clarified that it was actually “coming soon” rather than live. Well, “soon” has now turned up.
How Search Has Actually Improved
This upgrade tackles one of the more old-fashioned parts of using Virgin Media’s TV platforms – digging through search results when you’re trying to find something specific but aren’t sure exactly where it lives.
Previously, Virgin Media’s search would give you results as basic text lists that you had to read through to work out what was what.
Now, when you search for content (whether typing with the magnifying glass button or using voice search with the microphone button), results show up as visual tiles with programme artwork, movie posters, or channel logos.
It’s a much more natural way to browse search results. Rather than reading “Coronation Street – ITV1 – 8:00pm” in a list, you’ll instantly spot the Coronation Street logo, making it immediately obvious.
This works whether you’re searching for a particular show, looking up an actor, or browsing by genre like “thriller” or “documentaries”.
The visual approach works particularly well for films, where movie posters are instantly recognisable, and for finding content across different streaming services where you might recognise the artwork before remembering which platform it’s on.
Virgin Media hasn’t removed any search functionality. Results still include live TV programmes, on-demand content, catch-up shows, box sets, and content from streaming apps like Netflix or Prime Video where available. It’s just presented differently.
Finally Catching Up
If this all sounds like stating the obvious, well, yes – that’s exactly why most streaming services and TV devices have been showing search results this way for years already, and VM’s devices are now catching up.
Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video, Disney+, and Sky Stream have all been using image-based search results for quite some time.
Sky Stream has particularly embraced visual design throughout its interface. Search results appear as artwork tiles, with the whole platform built around visual browsing rather than text menus.
Streaming services like Netflix have made visual content discovery central to their approach, using imagery throughout their recommendation systems (with Netflix’s recent UI change making the tiles SO BIG that users started complaining).
Virgin Media’s text-focused search was starting to feel quite dated compared to these services, especially on the Stream platform where you’re likely switching between Virgin Media’s interface and various streaming apps that all use visual approaches.
Where Virgin Media Stands Now
This search upgrade comes at an interesting time for Virgin Media’s TV services. As we covered in July, the company has changed how it approaches new customers, making the Stream box the default option for all new TV packages rather than the traditional TV 360 system.
When the Stream box launched in April 2022, it felt like a side project – a compact streaming device that delivered Freeview channels over broadband plus access to popular apps.
Back then, it was positioned as an alternative to the main TV 360 platform, not a replacement.
Today, that “alternative” has become the main offering. New Virgin Media TV customers now automatically get a Stream box, while the TV 360 system has been relegated to “available on request” status, usually with extra installation costs.
This shift mirrors what Sky has been doing with Sky Stream, pushing their streaming platform over traditional Sky Q boxes.
Both companies are obviously wagering that streaming-based television is the future, despite sacrificing certain features that conventional TV boxes provided – such as TV recording and the ability to skip through adverts.
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