Virgin Media confirms blockbuster free upgrade, just press one button to get it

If you subscribe to Virgin Media's TV service, it's worth watching out for a useful free upgrade. The telecoms company has just confirmed the rollout of a feature that's aimed at making it far easier to find things to watch. "We’re rolling out some helpful improvements to how you search on our Stream box and Virgin TV 360," the company announced in a recent blog post.

The changes mean, TV customers will now see more visually appealing results when typing in requests - this is instead of the usual list that used to appear. All you have to do is press the magnifying glass on the remote and you should see the changes.

"Gone are the boring search results that made it feel like you were cramming for an exam (and not a fun one)," Virgin added.

"Instead, we’ve ditched the text lists and have updated our search function to show image results, making it quicker and easier to find what you want.

"Whether you’re typing out your search query or you’re using our super powerful voice search feature, you will now see visual tiles for the relevant results."

Virgin says that all of its devices - including the 360 and Stream boxes - have access to this update, and homes don't need to restart or install anything new. The boost will happen automatically.

"You won’t have to do anything special to our 360 or Stream boxes for this latest update to take place. It’ll happen as if by magic (we’ll press a button on our end)," Virgin explained.

If you've never used the search function on Virgin Media devices it's worth giving it a go as it can cut down on the amount time flicking through channels trying find something to watch.

Virgin lets you search for a specific show or movie along with genres and even those starring in it.

To find your favourite TV show or film on 360 or Stream boxes, just hit the magnifying glass on the remote and get typing – just a few letters is usually enough for Smart Search.

Alternatively, hold down the remote’s mic button and say the name of the show. You’ll see some options start to appear as you type or speak.

Here are a few things to try

• Typing or saying “John Wick” to find shows and movies related to John Wick

• Typing or saying “feel-good movies”

• Typing or saying “reality TV”

• Typing or saying “live sports tonight”