dickytim: Satellite so no HD

Right.  

DMCM:

Please shoot down this ? 

http://www.freeviewnz.com/html/vu-_solo.html

 

DMCM:

 

Please shoot down this ? 

 

http://www.freeviewnz.com/html/vu-_solo.html

 

 

 

Looks good, but no HD. They do SAT gear, could they do this box as terrestrial? Given the almost zero market here for Freeview PVR's, and Tivo ending, you would think that they are in a good position if they can do T. Or does not being Freeview approved lock everyone out?

tdgeek:

 

DMCM:

 

Please shoot down this ? 

 

http://www.freeviewnz.com/html/vu-_solo.html

 

 

 

 

Looks good, but no HD. They do SAT gear, could they do this box as terrestrial? Given the almost zero market here for Freeview PVR's, and Tivo ending, you would think that they are in a good position if they can do T. Or does not being Freeview approved lock everyone out?

 

Sucks eh!   I'll email the guy who sells them.  They advertise them as being customised for the NZ environment.  Maybe a little more customisation is in order...

DMCM:

 

tdgeek:

 

DMCM:

 

Please shoot down this ? 

 

http://www.freeviewnz.com/html/vu-_solo.html

 

 

 

 

Looks good, but no HD. They do SAT gear, could they do this box as terrestrial? Given the almost zero market here for Freeview PVR's, and Tivo ending, you would think that they are in a good position if they can do T. Or does not being Freeview approved lock everyone out?

 

 

 

 

Sucks eh!   I'll email the guy who sells them.  They advertise them as being customised for the NZ environment.  Maybe a little more customisation is in order...

 

Strikes me that there is a deal going on, hence only Panny and Dish can do official PVR's , No Sammy, etc. Now, when there is a paid product, you expect that, but FTA??

tdgeek: Strikes me that there is a deal going on, hence only Panny and Dish can do official PVR's , No Sammy, etc. Now, when there is a paid product, you expect that, but FTA??

It could be that other major manufacturers can't be arsed dealing with the EPG requirements that I have just learned about in the last couple of days.  That would likely mean custom firmware for the NZ units, and we're not a big market.

Free the EPG, Freeview NZ!

Spoke to the guy.  

"Tivo?  What's a Tivo?"  

"Terrestrial?  No, I don't do terrestrial - waste of time"

Let's just say that avenue is a dead end.

Dynamic:

 

tdgeek: Strikes me that there is a deal going on, hence only Panny and Dish can do official PVR's , No Sammy, etc. Now, when there is a paid product, you expect that, but FTA??

 

It could be that other major manufacturers can't be arsed dealing with the EPG requirements that I have just learned about in the last couple of days.  That would likely mean custom firmware for the NZ units, and we're not a big market.

 

Free the EPG, Freeview NZ!

 

Sadly this has been going on for years.

MHEG5 was touted as the next big thing, but it hasn't come to anything significant in 7 years.  EIT data on terrestrial would have opened up many different options for consumers, still viewing the freeview platform, but no, no support for this.

TIVO was pretty cool, but it's gone now.  It's disappointing to be having the same conversations this many years later, but yeah the lack of a full 7 day EPG via standard EIT data is what's limiting the alternatives.

Granted it's a twilight technology, with the on demand options really offering progressively better alternatives to a PVR, but there is still a need for something basic and reliable like a TIVO.  Not everyone has access to data for on demand video type purposes.   Cell data plans are mighty expensive for 7GB of data a month sort of thing, a totally different league than unlimited broadband in the towns/cities.  Elderly do struggle with the busy on demand freeview live interface also.

Panasonic seems to be the only company still in the game.  I had thought Samsung was still there but agree that's disappeared now.  DishTV seems to take china rubbish and adjust them for NZ use, but I've never been happy with any of their products long term.  Crappy UI and remotes and reliability issues, and then half English error messages like media is dead when a hard drive has failed etc.  MySky is the only viable option I've seen, but it's at a cost.  I haven't tried the Panasonic, but reports are either it's pretty good, or it's got crap UI also. 

The freeivew EPG was ok for booking programs to record and series link too, but it was always so incredibly slow, whereas EIT data EPG's can prebuffer ahead of time and are much more responsive to use. 

Jaxson:

 

 Sadly this has been going on for years.

 

 

 

MHEG5 was touted as the next big thing, but it hasn't come to anything significant in 7 years.  EIT data on terrestrial would have opened up many different options for consumers, still viewing the freeview platform, but no, no support for this.

TIVO was pretty cool, but it's gone now.  It's disappointing to be having the same conversations this many years later, but yeah the lack of a full 7 day EPG via standard EIT data is what's limiting the alternatives.

 

 

 

Granted it's a twilight technology, with the on demand options really offering progressively better alternatives to a PVR, but there is still a need for something basic and reliable like a TIVO.  Not everyone has access to data for on demand video type purposes.   Cell data plans are mighty expensive for 7GB of data a month sort of thing, a totally different league than unlimited broadband in the towns/cities.  Elderly do struggle with the busy on demand freeview live interface also.

 

 

 

Panasonic seems to be the only company still in the game.  I had thought Samsung was still there but agree that's disappeared now.  DishTV seems to take china rubbish and adjust them for NZ use, but I've never been happy with any of their products long term.  Crappy UI and remotes and reliability issues, and then half English error messages like media is dead when a hard drive has failed etc.  MySky is the only viable option I've seen, but it's at a cost.  I haven't tried the Panasonic, but reports are either it's pretty good, or it's got crap UI also. 

 

 

 

The freeivew EPG was ok for booking programs to record and series link too, but it was always so incredibly slow, whereas EIT data EPG's can prebuffer ahead of time and are much more responsive to use. 

 

Who runs Freeview?  The Govt mandated back in the Helen Clarke days that we are changing to digital. Cool. So, does the Govt manage this? Its not a business making money, so someone has to manage it, i.e. look after the EPG.

What is this then: http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/tvs/satellite-receivers/auction-1275298904.htm

Vu+ Duo2 -5 Tuner HD Satellite + Terrestrial Receiver + Internet Streaming + PVR

So is it just a satellite with a USB (dongle?) Terrestrial??

tussockcreek:

 

What is this then: http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/tvs/satellite-receivers/auction-1275298904.htm

 

Vu+ Duo2 -5 Tuner HD Satellite + Terrestrial Receiver + Internet Streaming + PVR

 

So is it just a satellite with a USB (dongle?) Terrestrial??

Bummer..... I got all excited about multiple tuners for a minute, but yes it looks like only single terrestrial tuner.  Could go to SD satellite at home, but would prefer to stick with Terrestrial and HD.

Jaxson:......lack of a full 7 day EPG via standard EIT data is what's limiting the alternatives.

My MythTV setup is still receiving up to 8 days of EIT data.

I will check my TVs tonight.

robfish:

 

Jaxson:......lack of a full 7 day EPG via standard EIT data is what's limiting the alternatives.

 

My MythTV setup is still receiving up to 8 days of EIT data.

 

Depends on where you are getting it from.  I can guarantee it's not from the terrestrial EIT service.

Options are via the internet, or via local MHEG5 EPG scraper, which extracts the content and essentially represents it to the software as standard EIT data, or via freeview satellite EIT EPG and mapped across to terrestrial channels.

DMCM:

Spoke to the guy.  

"Tivo?  What's a Tivo?"  

"Terrestrial?  No, I don't do terrestrial - waste of time"

Let's just say that avenue is a dead end.

 

mattwnz:

DMCM:

 

Spoke to the guy.  

 

 

 

"Tivo?  What's a Tivo?"  

 

 

 

"Terrestrial?  No, I don't do terrestrial - waste of time"

 

 

 

Let's just say that avenue is a dead end.

 

 

 

 

 

They don't know what a tivo is? The name is so common it is the default name for aPVR and is a verb for recording tv. The guy selling doed realise that satellites picture is poor quality compared to terrestrial?

He came across as being not being interested whatsoever, even after we'd exchanged a few emails then I called him and explained what the situation was.