Connect. Useful contacts. Your digital home made simple. Sky Digital satellite TV

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1 Useful contacts AOL Internet service provider Apple Manufacturer of gadgets such as ipods and laptops BT Home phone and broadband services Currys The latest gadgets on the high street Virgin Media Terms and Conditions Digital UK The official digital TV switchover site Freeview Digital TV through your aerial Nintendo Games consoles like Wii Samsung Consumer products such as TVs, DVD players, cameras and mobiles Sky Digital satellite TV Sony Consumer products such as TVs, DVD players, cameras and Playstations Tiscali Internet service provider Virgin Media Digital cable TV, broadband, mobile and home phone services Cable: Cable services are available in Virgin Media cabled streets only, subject to network capacity. 12 month minimum term contract applies. Further terms and conditions apply. Prices quoted are for payment by Direct Debit. Add 5 if not paying by Direct Debit. All prices include VAT. Payment may be required in advance. Customers may be required to pay a deposit of 25 by credit or debit card (credited to 1st bill). TV: V+ must be kept for at least 12 months. If your V+ service is terminated, suspended or downgraded for any reason, or if we need to update or change your V+ equipment, you will not be able to access any recorded programmes. Broadband: Acceptable use policy applies. Minimum computer requirements apply. Speed of internet connection assumes components working at optimum speed and capacity. Security features not available to Mac users. 20 Mb Broadband: Rolling out in In a very small minority of areas, where the network has capacity restrictions, speeds of up to 16Mb may only be achievable. If you re already a Virgin Media Broadband XL customer your modem may require an upgrade. Bundles: Bundles are available to new customers or existing customers taking an additional service (subject to status and credit checks). You must take all services included in this package for at least 12 months. If you change any part of this package, standard prices apply. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. 4 for 40 Bundle: Bundle comprises: TV Size: XL package (XL TV package for the first 12 months. After that standard prices apply currently 49), Broadband Size: M package of up to 2Mb, Phone Size: M (Talk Weekends) package of Talk Weekends and Virgin Mobile SIM (with 300 minutes and 300 texts per month). Mobile: Virgin 10 Cable Tariff and a free SIM (normal price 10). Mobile services provided by Virgin Mobile Telecoms Limited. Subject to payment by Direct Debit and UK credit check. If you terminate your contract with Virgin Media you will no longer be eligible for the Cable tariff and we will change your tariff to standard Virgin Mobile 20 talk SIM only (300mins/300texts) starting with the month after termination. You may change or terminate your Virgin Mobile bundle in accordance with the Virgin Mobile Legal Stuff for Pay Monthly SIM-only Bundles. Virgin Mobile s Pay As You Go Service Terms and Conditions together with Virgin Mobile s Legal Stuff for Pay Monthly SIM Only Bundles applies. Information correct as of 05/07 For further information about Virgin Media products and terms and conditions please visit Connect Your digital home made simple

2 Welcome to the magic Jason s recommendations We are living in magical times. Our living rooms glisten with the kind of technology that we could only have dreamt of a decade or so ago huge, flat-screen TVs, mobile phones the size of a credit card, MP3 players, wireless networks lost yet? Fear not, because we re here to help. I m a professional gadget expert, but even my eyes roll when my PC suddenly decides it won t burn any more CDs, or the simple act of transferring my mobile phone contacts feels like I m applying for MENSA. And things are supposed to be getting easier! That s why this guide has been created. It s packed full of no-nonsense information on how to use everything in your digital home, so you really get the best out of it. Enjoy. My recommendations for the home are not merely digital marvels, but blissfully easy to use. 1. An MP3 player These pocket-sized music machines are great for working out at the gym, alleviating boredom on a long train journey or taking on holiday so you can listen to your favourite songs without having to pack your whole CD collection. 2. HDTV High Definition Television is in its infancy but once you ve seen your first high definition movie, standard definition will never be the same again. 3. Broadband It s never been easier to plug into the wonders of the internet and a high speed connection is now as cheap as chips. But don t worry if these appear confusing, all will be explained on the next few pages. Jason Bradbury Jason Bradbury is Britain s best known face of technology. He is the host of The Gadget Show on Five, a gadget journalist and blogger. Photographer Richard Blake

3 Explore the web Maybe you re an avid surfer or just looking to get online. Either way, you can t escape the impact the World Wide Web has had on our lives. Who d have thought you d be able to do your weekly food shop without moving from your sofa? Plus it s so easy to get connected. Two ways, one web There are two ways to get the internet: Dial-up uses your phone line to dial a connection only when you need it. This means when you re on the internet, you can t use your home phone unless you have a separate line. But you often pay per minute like you would with a telephone call, so it s great if you just want to log on occasionally. Broadband is a super-fast internet connection which is always on. It doesn t tie up your phone line, so there s no concern about missing vital phone calls while you or the kids are online. It s available by cable or ADSL. Cable offers a super-fast, consistent connection allowing you an unlimited broadband connection. ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) means the speed of the connection drops the further away you get from the telephone exchange. Many ADSL operators put a limit on their service so don t provide unlimited access like cable does. For broadband you ll also need a modem, a small box you plug into your computer. Surf, search, shop Once you re connected, the internet opens up a whole new world. Not only can you quickly search and book a last minute holiday and shop for the latest fashions from the comfort of your own home, you can also do your banking online. It s also another great way of keeping in touch with your friends and family. You can send them the latest news and pictures by or set up your own blog, a personal online diary which you can update as often as you want. And with broadband speeds of up to 20Mb now rolling out in some areas from Virgin Media, you can even get TV on your PC. Channel 4 has an on demand service, 4oD, which allows you to catch up on your favourite films and TV shows online. The shows are streamed from the website to your computer and thanks to consistent high speeds, they appear as they would on your TV. A similar service called Five download is also available on Simon and Angela Gordon from Ipswich want their children to use the internet but are worried about security and viruses. Setting parental controls is easy with most internet providers, as they often provide the necessary tools. Visit to find out more. It s important to ensure your computer has got up-to-date anti-virus software. This will prevent your computer being unlawfully accessed, which can result in loss of personal data, or even access to your bank accounts. Most internet providers include this as standard, for example, Virgin Media provides PCguard which acts like a protective suit for your computer. Norton and McAfee also make affordable home solutions, which will protect you from attacks, filter spam and alert you when you stray onto untrustworthy websites.

4 Tune into TV Can you never find anything to watch on a Saturday night or are you always missing your favourite programmes when you re out? Well, digital technology gives you total control over what TV you watch and when you watch it. And what s more, come 2012 everyone will need to have access to digital TV when all analogue signals are switched off. This is a government initiative known as the digital switchover, so it s best to be prepared. Four ways to receive digital TV Through your aerial Freeview. You need to buy a set-top box (available from electrical retailers) or a TV with a built in digital tuner (idtv). Through cable Virgin Media. An engineer installs the TV service which uses a set-top box. Through satellite e.g. Sky Digital. A selection of packages are available via a satellite dish. Through broadband Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) lets you watch TV on your computer over the internet. It works using similar technologies that deliver the internet to your home. More channels, greater choice Digital TV offers greater choice with a host of channels automatically available for viewing. Teamed with the latest widescreen television and surround sound set up, digital TV is perfect to enjoy films and programmes in their true cinematic glory. Up close and personal Today s plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) screens aren t just bigger and flatter they re also capable of showing high definition (HD) images that are four times more detailed than what you re used to. That means incredible depth, rich colours and the sort of realism that ll have you diving behind the sofa while watching a scary film. If you want to enjoy HD entertainment you ll need an HD box (a special set-top box available from Virgin Media or Sky) and an HD-ready TV. However you can still be entertained by a wide choice of channels without one. A revolution in recording Setting the timer on an old video cassette recorder (VCR) was always tricky. Fortunately, personal video recorders, or PVRs, like Virgin Media s V+ HD box or Sky+, make recording easy. Simply flick through the on-screen TV guide until you find the show you want, and then hit the record button. You ll also be able to pause and rewind live TV so you never have to miss your favourite programme when the phone rings. Suzanne Heard from Brighton occasionally works late and misses her favourite soap. What can she do? TV on demand lets you watch what you want, when you want and means you can take your pick from a vast library of music videos, movies and TV shows. You can even catch up with the stuff you missed earlier in the week. Virgin Media offers this service through your TV and it has also been introduced through the internet on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five.

5 Phone home Anytime, anywhere Imagine being able to phone your mate in Australia for exactly the same cost as calling your Gran round the corner. Today s phone providers now have some great deals you can pay one set rate a month so you don t get stung with any nasty surprises when the bill arrives. Virgin Media also offers a range of bundles that let you choose other services, like TV and broadband, when you take a phone line. Whether you choose two, three or the whole lot, you know you ll be getting the best possible value. Adrian Foster from Bradford has family in Canada and wants to know how he can keep in touch without breaking the bank. Virgin Media offers a package which includes 200 minutes a month for international, mobile or landline calls for just 20 a month. It means he can chat to his family in Canada for the same cost as talking to his neighbour and means he s not landed with an unexpectedly large bill at the end of the month. Talking technology Home phones are now packed with the same amazing technology as mobiles. Caller ID, which tells you who is calling before you pick up the phone, via a screen on the handset. Texting has been integrated into landlines so even when you re at home, your phone can send and receive text messages. You ll need a special handset for this so the messages can be displayed on the screen of your home phone. Virgin Media and BT also provide a service whereby if you receive a text message and you don t have any way of reading it, the text will be read out to you over the phone. Voic access while you re out means you can check your messages, even when you re out and about, so you never miss a call. Virgin Media offers a feature called Voic Plus which allows you to listen to messages when you re away from home. BT provides a similar service called 1571 which lets you listen to your messages on any computer. Both are easy to set up just speak to your provider.

6 Phone on the go Mobile phones seem to get smaller and more packed with features with each passing day. Mobiles automatically come with calendars, games and address books which can hold hundreds of numbers and many even have built in cameras, MP3 players, internet and satellite navigation. But before you take the plunge and get a new handset, you should think about exactly what you re going to use it for. Natalie Cole from Exeter wants to know how to have her favourite track as her ringtone. Thanks to some clever technology, you can now have your favourite tune playing whenever your phone rings. Lots of mobile phone networks offer their own music shops which you can access from your mobile phone. To see if your phone does, check the applications section. When you buy tracks from here they automatically get downloaded to your phone, and the price is added to your monthly bill. Costs vary, but you can expect to pay anything from 80p to a few pounds for a track. Pay As You Go vs Pay Monthly Pay As You Go does what it says on the tin and allows you to keep an eye on your call costs and pay in advance. All you do is buy the time ideal if you re paying for a child s phone, as you have control over the bill. If you pay monthly, you can take advantage of free texts or calling minutes, so it can be more economical if you use your phone a lot. Not just for calls Obviously making calls is an important function, but people also rely on staying in contact via texting (also called SMS). It s a short message you compose on your handset and send from your phone. Many mobiles now include cameras built into the handset so you can take photos whenever you want. Just scroll through the menu on your phone, select camera and then snap away. The image will be displayed immediately and you can save it on your phone. It s also possible to send these pictures like you would a text (called MMS). It s a great way of updating friends and family on what you re up to and is as easy as sending a text message. It s worth checking with your network provider the cost of sending these as it s more expensive than texting. You can also transfer photos and tunes between phones using a technology known as Bluetooth. This is free to do, but you have to be in close proximity to the person you want to send the photo to. It s simply a case of searching for other Bluetooth devices in the area and selecting connect. Bluetooth is also used with many hands-free kits, removing the need for wires. Technology in the palm of your hand More recent technology means you can practically run your office from your mobile. Some handsets provide access to the internet right from the palm of your hand so you can your colleagues in an instant. You can log onto the internet for the latest news and even get access to TV. You ll need a special handset for this but it s ideal for those who want to keep working when out of the office. 11

7 Neil Humphries from Sheffield would like to buy an MP3 player for his son but wants to know which is the best model. ipods are the most popular MP3 players on the market. The ipod Shuffle is ideal for exercising. The ipod Nano holds up to 2,000 songs. The Video ipod plays videos as well as music, and the 80GB model will hold up to 20,000 songs! All the songs can be transferred using Apple s itunes software, which comes ready to download onto your computer from the box. Getting the most out of your digital home Homes are increasingly filling with gadgets, and there s a massive choice out there if you ve got some spare cash. Here s a run down of the best gadgets to enhance your digital home. Picture perfect Even cameras have been injected with 21st century technology. Now, with a digital camera you can take a snap of your pals and delete it straight away if someone has their eyes closed! It works by displaying the image almost immediately on the back of the camera. The good news is you don t even need a computer to print them out. Most developers now print your images by simply taking in the memory card. There are also home printers on the market which you can connect directly to your camera. Music magic MP3 players are perfect for creating your own personal music library. You transfer tracks from your computer and store them on one handy gadget. There s no need to carry around your whole CD collection so it s perfect for exercising, taking on holidays or going on that long train journey. Gaming galore Games consoles are incredibly popular and there s always something new on the market. The Playstation 3 from Sony is one for the more serious gamer, encompassing stunning graphics with a wide range of games. You can even watch high definition films on your console. Nintendo Wii is a games console for the whole family and allows you to control the game by physically moving the controller, rather than the traditional control pad. It s incredibly simple to use, and the choice of games appeals to everyone you can choose to play tennis, conduct an orchestra or drive a car. 13

8 Penni Mead from Southend works from home so is always on her mobile, landline and internet. She wants to know how to get the best value if she uses these services. Buying from one supplier can often save you time and money. Virgin Media offers a package which includes broadband, home phone, digital TV and a mobile for 40. It s a great way to get what you need without breaking the bank. Jargon buster Bluetooth A short range radio frequency, which is designed to transfer data between devices without using a lot of power, i.e. photos between phones. MP3 A method of making audio files smaller, so they take up less room. MP3s are compatible with many portable music players. An electronic message sent from one computer to another. HD Short for high definition which improves the picture quality on your TV. HD-ready A TV that displays the HD-ready logo is able to handle high definition TV broadcasts when attached to a high definition receiver, such as the Virgin Media V+ HD box or Sky HD box. LCD LCD stands for liquid crystal display. LCD TVs are known for their good colour reproduction, perfect sharpness and long life expectancy to compensate for an often hefty price tag. MMS Multimedia Messaging Service lets you send and receive pictures from your mobile phone. Plasma Not as thin as LCD televisions. However, they are well suited to large screen viewing thanks to brilliant colour reproduction and good contrast between colours. SMS Short Messaging Service (SMS) is a short text message. Spam Unwanted junk mail sent to your . Streaming When multimedia data, such as music or video, is transferred from one gadget to another. This could be music to your phone, movies from your computer to your home TV, or home videos. WiFi Wireless access to the internet meaning you don t need to physically plug in your computer to connect to the web. 15