Igloo gripes

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ATM

12 posts

Geek

#147453 19-Jun-2014 19:19

Igloo has been around a while, you'd have thought they'd have fixed the numerous problems that are a curse on these units.

Unless somehow my unit is not updating itself, then the shutdown everynight issue (even when set to 'never shut down') is still unfixed (comments on geekzone sounded like they were going to fix that).

Tonight it makes my day - I have it connected to my HDD recorder, and programmed to record the World Cup highlights at 4.25pm (not home from work then). Tonight I sit down to watch and Igloo in the middle of the screen is a big message saying, software update available, please put your unit in standby tonight so it gets the update - and an OK button to make the message go away. But I am not home, so I can't click OK, so for the whole 1 hour its showing the message! Why, if you need to tell me that (after all you seem happy to shut down every night whenever you want), not just show the message for 30 seconds then disappear.

Just another thing to ad to the list of small (but significant) annoyances about igloo!

Got that off my chest - sorry for the rant.

Question - have they actually fixed the shut down issue?

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46 posts

Geek

#1073914 25-Jun-2014 08:40

I'm sure this has been mentioned before.

The Igloo has to tune to the Igloo mux, at 3:00am to download it's EPG data and check s/w versions, DVB SI data etc. It's no bug it's by design.

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ATM

12 posts

Geek

#1073926 25-Jun-2014 08:56

The design is sh!t. It can't even update at 3am like it is supposed too. 3 times in past week it has done it at 5.40am, while I have been recording the World cup (3.30am-6am) so I miss the crucial last 20 minutes!

You should be able to either:
- turn auto updates off and have to do them manually (knowing your EPG will be out until you do...)
- it should be intelligent enough to know that if a user has programmed a show to come on, that updates should be delayed until that show has ended.

Even if it only checked for updates once a week that would be an improvement (especially if the user could select the day of the week), or if the user could be able to force an update which would then delay the next auto update 24 hours.

Not rocket science. Surely a firmware update could improve this. No wonder igloo sales are way behind targets.

B1GGLZ

1961 posts

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#1073936 25-Jun-2014 09:08

I suspect it's only a matter of time til Igloo dies a natural death same as TIVO.

MikeB4

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#1073943 25-Jun-2014 09:12

TiVo is still going

MikeB4

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#1073950 25-Jun-2014 09:24

A recent update has made the box more responsive especially the EPG navigation.

MikeB4

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#1073955 25-Jun-2014 09:29

ATM: The design is sh!t. It can't even update at 3am like it is supposed too. 3 times in past week it has done it at 5.40am, while I have been recording the World cup (3.30am-6am) so I miss the crucial last 20 minutes!

You should be able to either:
- turn auto updates off and have to do them manually (knowing your EPG will be out until you do...)
- it should be intelligent enough to know that if a user has programmed a show to come on, that updates should be delayed until that show has ended.

Even if it only checked for updates once a week that would be an improvement (especially if the user could select the day of the week), or if the user could be able to force an update which would then delay the next auto update 24 hours.

Not rocket science. Surely a firmware update could improve this. No wonder igloo sales are way behind targets.

Igloo/Sky don't make the box it comes from Pace therefore they are in the same boat as Sky and Vodafone are for their boxes, they have to wait for the software suppliers to make changes, test them then send it to Sky and Vodafone for acceptance testing, if there us an issue they have to send it back to the Software makers and thus it goes on. NZ is a very small market therefore the priority on any changes wanted from here will take a long time.

Overall, the cost of the service igloo is good value for money.

hsvhel

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#1073956 25-Jun-2014 09:37

So you would not recommend one as a surplus TV tuner for a spare room?
I was going to purchase one this weekend but based on the above it sounds like they're not flash!

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trig42

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#1073961 25-Jun-2014 09:45

I would not base my decision on one users experience.

I suspect a lot of Igloo boxes are out in the market, you don't hear or see any more issues with them than any other freeview box.

hsvhel

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#1073986 25-Jun-2014 09:57

I'm not, I have been researching them this morning. Some older threads are not too complementary on them either it seems.
This was the most current.

What other issues have you experienced ATM? Has the box been replaced/exchanged to rule out a dud?

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MikeB4

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#1073999 25-Jun-2014 10:19

I have no issue with the igloo box or service, I've had it since launch

ATM

12 posts

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#1074003 25-Jun-2014 10:21

The real problems with the igloo box are for when you want to use it for unattended recording e.g. hooked up to a HDD recorder). That's because it will do things like turn itself off, or occasionally display a big message in the middle of the screen that doesn't disappear until the user presses a button on the remote.

If you only want to use it for 'live' viewing, then it is OK, you can dismiss the messages/tell it not to turn off. It has other usability issues, but they may be no worse than other freeview boxes - I couldn't comment on that.

Sometimes the series link programming doesn't work, or it remembers it for a few weeks and then forgets it. the search function can be slow (it begins searchnig as soon as you type in two letters, so finds perhaps 1000 results first up, rather than wait until you've entered a couple more letters (or pressed go) and while it is searching you can't keep entering more letters - need to wait until first results are back and then refine), though it does seem to have got a bit better lately.

I have an RF remote control that I can control the igloo box from another room, however one problem is that the power on function of the remote is somehow different to all the other buttons. My remote has a learning function so you point the igloo remote at it, press the button, and it learns the signal. However the power button won't work - so when the unit turns off overnight, I can't turn it back on from another room - have to do so manually. Small thing, but just makes it less user friendly. If it didn't turn itself off all the time it wouldn't be a problem.

The 'pre-pay' access to some sky channels is quite good being able to pick and choose if some months there are no pgms you are really interested in. I don't use the on demand features...

PS - I don't have an issue with the boxes general reliability. Its not a refurb, and the only one I've had. It's purely some simple usability design features.

MikeB4

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#1074008 25-Jun-2014 10:27

A lot of the issues you have are not really that of igloo but with your set up. The warning box you speak of for an update it was the first time in many months that occurred so that is not bad really. As for recording issues to a third party device that is not an issue with Igloo as is your remote issue.

ATM

12 posts

Geek

#1074015 25-Jun-2014 10:36

[As for recording issues to a third party device that is not an issue with Igloo as is your remote issue.]

That is true, my point though was more if it didn't continually switch itself off that would not pose a problem. It just exacerbates my frustration at these small things that could all be done to make the box so much nicer to use.

NZ is a small market, but surely the pace box is the base unit for others used overseas, so more people will have similar issues.

The turning off thing does really seem to be a design cockup - after all why is there a menu setting for 'Never Turn Off' and yet it constantly turns off. Clearly they thought that some people might not want their units to turn off - lets give them that menu option, and yet the other half of the design team ignored that and force it to turn off every night, no matter the setting. You just scratch your head and wonder.

cb1

313 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1074016 25-Jun-2014 10:38

Sometimes the series link programming doesn't work, or it remembers it for a few weeks and then forgets it.

I have an RF remote control that I can control the igloo box from another room, however one problem is that the power on function of the remote is somehow different to all the other buttons. My remote has a learning function so you point the igloo remote at it, press the button, and it learns the signal. However the power button won't work - so when the unit turns off overnight, I can't turn it back on from another room - have to do so manually. Small thing, but just makes it less user friendly. If it didn't turn itself off all the time it wouldn't be a problem.

I've also had the series link issue, so best to keep an eye on the planner/reminders

I had an issue with the power button too, using a Logitech Harmony universal remote. Finally manged to get it working by learning using the 'raw' option in the Logitech program.

hsvhel

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#1074047 25-Jun-2014 11:09

Thanks for the input.

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