Virgin Stream box not working? Well, before drawing any conclusions, you must perform a thorough inspection to determine what’s preventing your device from working.
Luckily, in this guide, we’ve prepared a complete troubleshooting guide, so without any hesitation, jump in!
Whenever the Virgin Stream box is not working, first inspect the power income of the unit and perform a power circulation. Next, verify that the remote’s batteries are not dead, the HDMI connection with the TV is intact, and ultimately reset your Virgin Stream.
Let’s continue to unwrap!
Why is My Virgin Media Stream Box Not Working?
The reason why the Virgin Stream box is not working can’t be identified unless you carry out some tests.
However, to ease the troubleshooting as much as possible, we’ve prepared a list containing all potential causes for a non-working Virgin Stream box.
Here’s why your Virgin Media Stream box is not working:
These are the possible causes for a non-working Virgin Stream box.
However, many surrounding factors exist, so we strongly recommend continuing with the guide below…
How to Fix When Virgin Stream Box Not Working?
Tip: Follow the solution steps consecutively!
1. Inspect the Power Connection!
The first and most important aspect to inspect is the power connection of the Virgin Stream box and confirm that the cable and adapter are intact.
The power cable of the Virgin Stream box connects to the back of the unit into the power port and then to the input on the power adapter.
It’s essential to disconnect and reconnect both connection points on the power equipment of the Virgin Stream box and verify that the link is secure.
In addition, we recommend peeking into the ports to check for any obstructions, defects, or other objects/accumulations that mustn’t exist.
Note: Avoid using malfunctioning electrical equipment!
2. Test the Box’s Electrical Source
If your Virgin Stream box is not powering on at all, perhaps the issue comes from the mains or from a third-party device such as a power strip, A/C divider, or smart plug.
So, you must verify that the electrical socket used for the Virgin Stream box is functioning correctly.
The quickest way to check whether an electrical outlet is working is to plug your phone’s charger and observe whether the device is charging.
Another nifty way to test a power outlet and check for A/C fluctuations is by plugging a lamp and observing whether the light is weak or flickering.
Important: Plug your Virgin Stream box directly into the power outlet without any electrical strips, extenders or smart plugs.
3. Power Cycle the Virgin TV Box
Now that you’re certain that the power source of your Virgin Stream box is functioning correctly, it’s time to perform a power circulation.
This is a harmless method and will not delete anything from your device, but will refresh the unit’s system and restart all services for a fresh beginning.
Here’s how to perform a power cycle on your Virgin Stream box:
- Press and hold the power button on your Virgin Stream.
- Release the power button when the TV box shuts down.
- Unplug the power cable’s adapter from the power outlet.
- Also, disconnect the power cable plug from the Virgin box.
- Wait for at least 60 seconds for the TV box to discharge.
- Connect the power adapter directly to the power outlet.
- Plug the power cable at the back of the Virgin Stream box.
- Press the power button on the box to turn on the system.
When you’re ready with the power cycle, check whether the Virgin Stream box is working, and if you are still experiencing the issue, continue reading…
4. Verify the HDMI Cable Transfer
The Virgin Stream box might be working well, but the screen could be pitch black or saying “No Signal” because of a fault with the HDMI connection.
The Virgin Stream box connects with the TV via HDMI cable, which delivers the video feed from the box to the television’s screen.
Hence, whenever the HDMI cable is loosely connected, or the connectors/ports are defective, bent, or wiggly, it will appear that your Virgin box is not working.
So, inspect and reconnect the HDMI cable from your Virgin Stream box to the back of the TV.
In addition, verify that the ports are tight and that the cable’s connectors are not damaged or bent.
Tip: If you have a replacement HDMI cable to test the connection with, feel free to implement a proven-to-work cable into your setup for testing purposes.
5. Switch the Selected HDMI Input
Sometimes, your Virgin Stream box is not working because the HDMI input on your TV may not be working correctly.
Thus, the next step is switching from one HDMI input port on your TV to another, which will justify this suspicion and hopefully uncover the culprit.
Here’s the correct way to switch from one HDMI input to another:
- Find the input to which your Virgin box is connected.
- Unplug the HDMI connector from the current input.
- Select another HDMI port (use on the back ports).
- Then, on your TV remote, press the “Input” button.
- Info: On some remotes, press the “Sources” button.
- When the menu shows, select the correct HDMI input.
For example, if the Virgin Stream box is connected to HDMI2 on the TV, you must select HDMI2 from the input source.
Otherwise, you’ll see a “No Signal” message, as if the Stream box is not working, which is deceiving.
Tip: Test whether the Virgin Stream box will work on your secondary device if you have a different monitor with HDMI input.
6. Replace the Remote’s Batteries!
If your Virgin Stream box is not turning on, or you can’t control the machine, perhaps the remote is not working, rather than the TV box.
So, if your Virgin Stream box is not turning on with your remote, try to turn on the device using the in-built power button.
If the TV box turns on using the physical power button, the machine is working, and the problem may be in your remote.
To restore the remote’s functionality, replace the batteries so that you will need 2 x AA alkaline units.
If the Virgin Stream box is still not working, continue reading the next solution!
7. Hard-Reset the Virgin Stream Box
The final and most potent solution is to perform a hard reset, also known as a “factory reset,” which is a last-resort solution.
This method will entirely erase everything from your Virgin box and revert all settings to factory defaults.
The only requirement for this method to work is for your Virgin Stream box to be able to turn on and for you to see the welcome screen.
If your Virgin Stream box is not turning on, the issue could be hardware-related, and in that case, you’ll need professional assistance or replacement.
Warning: The data loss after a factory reset is irreversible!
Here’s how to factory reset your Virgin Stream box in easy steps:
- First, verify that the Virgin Stream box is working.
- If not, press the power button to turn the box ON.
- On the welcome screen, press the power button.
- Continue holding the power button for 5 seconds.
- Info: You should see a power menu on the screen.
- Go over to the “Hard Reset” option from the menu.
- Info: Hold the power button for 5 seconds to select.
- Do not interact with the box during the factory reset.
Note: When the Virgin Stream box is reset, the problem should be gone, but you must set up the box from scratch, so follow the on-screen instructions.
Need More Help?
If you need more help because your Virgin Stream box is still not working, the best next step is to check the Virgin Stream box warranty and contact Virgin Customer Service.
Quick Recap:
Hence, when the Virgin Stream box not working, inspect the power cable and A/C outlet and perform a power circulation.
If that is not enough to solve the issue, verify that the HDMI connection with the TV is intact and perform a factory reset on your Virgin Stream.
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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.