I'm having problems with my Virgin TV channels

There can be a number of reasons why you’re experiencing poor picture quality on your TV. Here are some of the most common, and some things to look out for.

1. Work being carried out in your area

You can use our Service Status tool to see if there’s any known local issues.

Once you’ve confirmed your status, remember to pop back and let us know if you’ve an outage due to local area interference.

2. Loose cables

Check that the cable connections between your TV, TV box and the wall socket are nice and tight. A loose connection could result in poor TV reception.

3. Faulty equipment

If you’re seeing pixilation and picture quality issues it could mean that there’s something wrong with your TV. If you can, try watching TV from a source other than your Virgin Media TV box, such as a videogame console or a DVD player. If the picture quality is still poor, the problem could be with your TV.

4. Broadband connection problems

If you’re having issues with some of the online content on your TV, the problem may be with your internet connection. Take a look at your broadband speed with our broadband speed checker.

There are also ways to fix slow internets issues If the issue is with your WiFi, you can always connect your TV to the internet using an ethernet cable. This will give you a connection that is generally faster and more stable.

5. TV not tuned correctly

It’s possible that you need to retune your TV, as channel locations can change. If you’d like to do this, check out our guide on How to retune TV

If you’re seeing a distorted or pixelated image on your TV, a common reason is that the cables connecting your TV to your services have become loose. Here’s the best way to tighten them up.

1. First, turn your TV box off at the wall.

2. Make sure your TV is in standby mode.

3. Check all cables are tightly connected between the back of the box and your TV. Make sure any HDMI or SCART cabling is also tightly connected. Also, make sure the white cable from the back of your TV box to the wall socket is tightly connected too. You should only need to tighten these with your fingers.

4. Now turn on the TV box at the wall and wait 5-10 minutes for the box to reboot.

If you’re missing channels you know are part of your package, here are a few things you can do to find them.

1. Turn your TV box off an on again

Restarting your Virgin Media TV box should return any lost channels to the listings. The best way to do this is to switch it off at the wall, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on. It will take a little time to fully reconnect and boot up.

2. Retune your TV

Channels can move around and get lost on your planner. Retuning your TV can help find them. Check out our guide on retuning your TV if you’d like more information on how to do this.

3. Check that the channel you want is included in your package

You can check that the channels are included in your package by signing in to your My Virgin Media account. Hear you’ll find all the information about your package, including the channels that sit under your subscription.

4. Interference from electrical devices in your home

Some electrical devices, such as fairy lights or cordless phones, can interfere with WiFi signals. If you’re trying to watch something over a WiFi signal, remove anything that might be interfering with it.

5. Channel and signal problems

Check that the channel you’re after is still available, and whether it broadcasts at the time you’re trying to watch it. Some channels are seasonal and do not broadcast all year round.

You can also check whether there are any known issues with the channel by logging into My Virgin Media, or using the My Virgin Media app.

6. Cable connection problems

Make sure all the connections linking your TV to the TV box and the wall socket are finger tight. A loose connection could be giving you an unreliable signal and not all your channels may appear. To be as safe as possible, make sure your equipment is off before you do this.