The “This channel is not authorised Virgin Media” message keeps occurring?
Here we’ll learn how to take care of this issue in minutes!
When a channel within Virgin Media is unauthorised it could either mean an initial problem with the broadcast or a plan management issue.
We will check all the possibilities and end up with the best-fix guide for channel issues on Virgin Media.
Let’s jump right in!
When “This channel is not authorised” on Virgin Media, power cycle your included cable box. Next, Retune/Update the Channel Info and reconnect your box to WiFi. Lastly, attempt to stream different channels and perform a Factory Reset on the box.
Let’s level up your troubleshooting by researching more about the problem!
Why Virgin Channels are Not Authorised?
You should note that unauthorised channels are not included in your subscription!
When attempting to stream a particular channel on Virgin Media, it takes a while for your box to connect to the server.
If there has been a problem with this channel, you will receive an error code, rather than get a “this channel is not authorised” message.
To clarify:
- An error code on a Virgin channel means that there’s an issue with the Stream
- An “This channel is not authorised” message is an issue with your TV Box/Plan
Even when new channels are being added to your Virgin subscription, they may be temporarily unavailable.
This is because your box hasn’t received the required update yet but there are a few things we could try in the meantime.
Let’s look up how you could fix this!
Virgin Media This Channel Is Not Authorised – Easy Fix!
After learning more about the difference between the errors you could get, let’s next attempt to solve the problem.
Stick with the chronological order of our solutions and guide you overall to achieve the best possible troubleshooting results!
Solution #1 Retune Virgin TV Channels!
A solution that resolves all channel problems on your Virgin Media Box is to “Retune”.
What this process does is essentially update the info for all channels in your Virgin subscription.
This means that newly added broadcasts that are still unauthorised will become available.
Returning will also help with streaming issues on already-added broadcasts!
Let’s retune your Virgin Media TV channels:
- Go to Home on your VIrgin.
- Select Help & Settings.
- Choose Help.
- Press the TiVo box & Remote.
- Navigate to TV Care on TiVo.
- Press TiVo Missing Channels.
After pressing “Missing Channels”, the return will begin. It would take 3-5 minutes on average so stop interacting with the cable box for the time being.
Be careful not to interrupt the tuning since the problematic channels will remain unauthorised.
Note: The progress of the retune will be displayed on your TV screen the whole time!
Solution #2 Refresh the Virgin Cable Box
Perhaps, all your cable box needs to authorise problematic channels is a Refresh.
- A refresh will power cycle your Virgin Media box and restart ALL services!
This solution is widely recommended for all types of devices, due to its great functionality with software/hardware problems.
It will cause the channels of your Virgin to be re-loaded and the signal that your cable box receives will also be stabilised!
Here’s how a refresh on your Virgin box would go:
- Set the Power Button on your box to “1” (OFF).
- Disconnect the Power Adapter of the box.
- Stand by for 4-5 minutes.
- Reconnect the power cable of the box to the source.
- Set the power button to the ON side.
- Launch your box and attempt streaming.
Once the cable box resumes functionality, turn on a broadcast and wait for 60 seconds.
This is the average time a channel that was unauthorised by now, takes to be displayed.
Tip: The longer you keep the cable box unplugged, the better the refresh will work!
Solution #3 Stream Different Channels
An essential to figuring out this problem is understanding what diapason of channels is unauthorised in your Virgin Media.
This will let you know whether the problem is with your setup or if there’s an external issue. It will also allow you to specify your troubleshooting!
- Changing channels on your Virgin Media is done by pressing CH+/- on the remote!
Surf through multiple broadcasts (unauthorised or authorised) and sit on each stream for 60 seconds.
Give the channel the required time to load and take notes on how many channels out of how much will actually have a broadcast.
- In case multiple channels are unavailable, proceed with our next solution
- If only one or two channels are unauthorised, there’s a provider problem
Notice: Take notes of any error codes that occur. This will help you understand the problem!
Solution #4 Tighten All Cable Connections
Cable connections are what’s really important to all cable boxes.
If there has been a slip-up in your Coax cable connections, for instance, your cable box will begin to lose signal often.
Your next step is to validate and secure all cable connections on your Virgin cable box.
Examine and secure the following cables:
- The HDMI cable that connects the box to your TV
- The coaxial cable that connects your box to the wall jack
- (Optional) the Ethernet cable that plugs your box into the router
- The power adapter that supplies electricity to your cable box
Check out each of these individual connections and ensure they are securely connected to their respective slots.
However, do not over-tighten cables since this could damage them!
Note: When examining/securing the cables, watch out for any visual hardware damage!
Solution #5 Renew Virgin Subscription
An expired Virgin Media subscription will cause also cause the “This channel is not authorised Virgin Media” – message to appear.
That’s why you must update your subscription and pay the pending fees, to have the channels in your streaming plan activated!
Virgin Media fees could be paid in the following ways:
- Call Virgin Media at freephone 1908 and pay with a credit/debit card
- Perform an online payment through virginmedia.com or the mobile app
- Have a cash payment at any Payzone Outlet office, available nationwide
All three methods have the same efficiency in regard to quick delivery and channel resuming of your media. Once you’ve chosen your payment preference, Virgin Media has got the rest!
Notice: If performing an online or call payment, double-check the required funds!
Solution #6 Clear Virgin Box Software
A solution that specifically refers to channel problems is to clear the box’ software.
What this process does is have all of the generated app cache data by streaming a variety of channels to be erased.
Many users often approach this method to resolve a wide range of streaming issues that have occurred on their streaming platform/device.
Let’s look up how a Software Clear is done:
- Press Home on your Virgin remote.
- Head to Help & Settings.
- Choose Clear or reset TiVo box.
- Highlight “Clear”.
- Proceed with the instructions.
Pre-recorded steps on your TV screen will guide you through the entire Software Clear.
Do not shut down or unplug your cable box while the process is still undergoing.
Solution #7 Reset your Virgin Box
Your last remaining shot is to execute a Factory Reset Sequence on your Virgin cable box.
This is our most powerful solution thus far, due to its great functionality with any pending channel/software issues on your Virgin Media.
However, a factory reset will have all of the information stored on your box either deleted or reverted to factory defaults. Be aware!
Here’s how to Factory Reset your Virgin TV Box:
- Hit the Menu Button on your remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Choose Advanced Settings.
- Press the Virgin TV box.
- Highlight Factory Reset.
- Press OK on your remote.
- Activate the reset.
Same as with the Software Clear process, the status of the reset will be on-screen the whole time. All you have to do is perform any follow-up instructions that may appear for this time!
Note: Once the factory reset is complete, you will be prompted to undergo an Initial Setup.
Let’s now recap what we’ve learned so far!
Quick Recap:
Therefore the resolution to unauthorised Virgin channels is to power cycle your box and retune for broadcasts. Undergo a Software Clear session on your box and mend faulty cable connections. Finally, trigger a Factory Reset Sequence on the cable box!
Wrapping Up:
Now that we’ve learned why this channel is not authorised Virgin Media we can enjoy our content and forget that a problem ever appeared.
We truly hope that this guide was helpful and for more Virgin Media TV content, check our tech blog!
Read Next: How to Fix Virgin Media Error Code C233?
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.