Virgin Media has introduced an AI-powered Smart Search feature across its TV 360 and Stream platforms, enabling customers to discover television programmes and films using natural language rather than exact titles.
Available at no additional cost, Smart Search allows viewers to find content by describing their preferred mood, genre, actors or partially remembered storylines. The feature is designed to reduce the time spent browsing increasingly extensive streaming libraries.
Customers can activate Smart Search by pressing and holding the microphone button on their remote control and speaking their request. The AI-powered system then generates relevant recommendations based on the description provided.
Users can search for newly released films, family-friendly entertainment or feel-good movies without knowing specific titles. They can also identify forgotten programmes by mentioning an actor or a distinctive plot detail.
Virgin Media recommends keeping voice requests focused on essential information to improve search accuracy. Traditional text-based search remains available for viewers who prefer manual navigation.
Louise Fussell, TV & Entertainment Product Director at Virgin Media, said the technology aims to reduce endless scrolling by understanding how customers naturally describe their entertainment preferences.
AI competition reshapes connected TV platforms
The launch comes as rival Sky prepares an upgrade to its Entertainment OS platform, now branded Sky OS, for Sky Glass and Stream customers.
Sky's upcoming improvements include conversational voice search capable of handling follow-up questions and identifying programmes from incomplete descriptions. The company is also developing revised navigation and a dedicated My Library section separating watchlists from cloud recordings.
These developments highlight the growing importance of artificial intelligence in connected television ecosystems, where operators are competing not only through content availability but also through personalised discovery and user experience.
As streaming services expand their content libraries, conversational AI is emerging as a practical solution to content fragmentation and increasingly complex viewing choices.
Source: MEA Tech Watch Press Reporter
