Igloo STB reviews

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mm1352000

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#106290 21-Jul-2012 00:31

Hi everyone

Has anybody managed to spot any early reviews for the Igloo STB. I expect they're not far away...
I went hunting and spotted this:

http://tumeke.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/tumeke-exclusive-does-igloo-tv.html

Do you think it has any credibility?
I've never come across this blog before so it could be completely off the wall, but if any of it actually has some truth then I think I'll be avoiding Igloo...

mm

Apsattv

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#659401 21-Jul-2012 03:10

That page is old and not a review of anything. Just political claptrap!

Details here

http://www.pace.com/universal/news-events/press-releases/2012/pace-delivers-building-blocks-for-sky-new-zealands-igloo/

freitasm

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#659409 21-Jul-2012 07:45

That is not a review. It is political comentary.

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#659411 21-Jul-2012 08:10

Considering that blog got the basics wrong (that the box is created by Pace) I wouldn't believe a word of it.
That blog has no credibility.

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#659438 21-Jul-2012 09:30

A couple of months ago when Igloo was officially announced/advertise/whatever the STB had not yet been sent for compliance testing. I do not know where they are at, but they are certainly very late.

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mm1352000

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#659532 21-Jul-2012 13:58

Hi guys

Yeah, that particular blog is obviously not a review, doesn't seem to have much credibility, and is very sensationalist in places... but I was wondering if there was any elements of truth to statements like:

Igloo will have a small on-board memory, any movies saved on it will be wiped automatically after two days.

Translation: is there actually a way to explicitly save content?

The STB doesn't allow for ordinary internet access to U-tube or google tv or any social media which traps the viewer into Igloo only content and is utterly useless in terms of the online content future we are heading towards.

Translation: is the internet connection locked down?

Most worryingly, the system is ultimately designed to spy on every viewer habit and send that information to a third party (owned by Murdoch) who analyze viewing habits and then send that analysis back to Sky and TVNZ to then bombard the viewer with personalized adverts.

Translation: is there going to be tailored advertising based on viewing habits?

@Apsattv: thanks for the link.

mm

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#659535 21-Jul-2012 14:08

mm1352000: ... but I was wondering if there was any elements of truth to statements like:

Igloo will have a small on-board memory, any movies saved on it will be wiped automatically after two days.

Translation: is there actually a way to explicitly save content?

No.

mm1352000:
The STB doesn't allow for ordinary internet access to U-tube or google tv or any social media which traps the viewer into Igloo only content and is utterly useless in terms of the online content future we are heading towards.

Translation: is the internet connection locked down?

The Internet connection is only to download movie and TV rentals. The box is not a PC and doesn't seem to have access to those other services.

mm1352000:
Most worryingly, the system is ultimately designed to spy on every viewer habit and send that information to a third party (owned by Murdoch) who analyze viewing habits and then send that analysis back to Sky and TVNZ to then bombard the viewer with personalized adverts.

Translation: is there going to be tailored advertising based on viewing habits?

No.

For SERIOUS information, read the Igloo FAQ I posted in my blog when the service was announced. And forget about that paranoid blog.

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mm1352000

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#659541 21-Jul-2012 14:28

The Internet connection is only to download movie and TV rentals. The box is not a PC and doesn't seem to have access to those other services.

To be clear: is this and any other comments that you may make about the service based on testing that you've done?

For SERIOUS information, read the Igloo FAQ I posted in my blog when the service was announced. And forget about that paranoid blog.

The information in your blog is good for basic info - I have read it over several times before. To me the "face-value" value proposition is quite tempting, and I'm looking for the "gotchas".

As I understand it, the content in your blog is straight from a press release (this is what you seem to say at the top of the blog). I've got no problem with that. I just don't think it is too much of a stretch of the imagination to think Igloo could record viewership stats and have targeted advertising for on-demand content, and a press release wouldn't normally include potentially controversial details like that.

I'm only curious. If you're ruling those things out because you know they're not going to happen then great.

freitasm

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#659542 21-Jul-2012 14:34

mm1352000:
The Internet connection is only to download movie and TV rentals. The box is not a PC and doesn't seem to have access to those other services.

To be clear: is this and any other comments that you may make about the service based on testing that you've done?

The information I posted is what is available to the public at the moment, and is what Igloo supplied to me. My blog post presents the facts as we know them.

mm1352000:
For SERIOUS information, read the Igloo FAQ I posted in my blog when the service was announced. And forget about that paranoid blog.

The information in your blog is good for basic info - I have read it over several times before. To me the "face-value" value proposition is quite tempting, and I'm looking for the "gotchas".

As I understand it, the content in your blog is straight from a press release (this is what you seem to say at the top of the blog). I've got no problem with that. I just don't think it is too much of a stretch of the imagination to think Igloo could record viewership stats and have targeted advertising for on-demand content, and a press release wouldn't normally include potentially controversial details like that.

I'm only curious. If you're ruling those things out because you know they're not going to happen then great.

Everyone records viewership stats. This is a fact of life. They record this when you watch a movie on Sky, when you watch a video on You Tube, when you buy a magazine or newspaper.

There isn't any information out there about the platform using targeted advertising, and I think at the moment is a ridiculous idea, since the TV content is broadcast. The only way for target advertising to work would be over rentals, if they push ads on those.

Even then what's bad about targeted advertising that makes you so worried?

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mm1352000

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#659552 21-Jul-2012 14:50

freitasm: The information I posted is what is available to the public at the moment, and is what Igloo supplied to me. My blog post presents the facts as we know them.

Okay.

So we don't know for sure that the box is locked out of Youtube et. al... but we can suppose it may be because support has not been announced, and support for video from popular or "generic" websites would be a big draw-card.

Everyone records viewership stats. This is a fact of life. They record this when you watch a movie on Sky, when you watch a video on You Tube, when you buy a magazine or newspaper.

Sure. I accept that.

There isn't any information out there about the platform using targeted advertising, and I think at the moment is a ridiculous idea, since the TV content is broadcast.

Again, sure. And that includes the encrypted stuff - based on the info in the document linked here there is no need for an internet reverse channel that could be used for this purpose. Fine.

The only way for target advertising to work would be over rentals, if they push ads on those.

Yes, that is the way I would read it too.

Even then what's bad about targeted advertising that makes you so worried?

I'm not necessarily worried. Just "kicking the tyres" so to speak. Maybe I'm too early and need to wait for actual launch for some of these questions to be ironed out. If that is the case, fine again. Once again, I'm only curious...

freitasm

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#727908 6-Dec-2012 10:28

I have posted my Igloo review now.

Please follow up any questions in the current Igloo discussion.

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