Vodafone TV = Data usage tripled???

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freitasm

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#2723658 10-Jun-2021 11:34

gbwelly:

freitasm:

The difference now is that with the TV everything was on-demand.

With the Vodafone TV box some content is on-demand but "live TV" is a constant stream so unless your friend turn off the box it will be using data - even if the TV is off.

Until your friend understands this and change plans, the Vodafone TV is not for her.

I don't own one, but is it possible to stop live TV on the Vodafone TV unit, before turning off the TV?

Push the button to make it sleep - LED goes from white to red. You can also set a sleep timer.

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#2723661 10-Jun-2021 11:39

gbwelly:

freitasm:

The difference now is that with the TV everything was on-demand.

With the Vodafone TV box some content is on-demand but "live TV" is a constant stream so unless your friend turn off the box it will be using data - even if the TV is off.

Until your friend understands this and change plans, the Vodafone TV is not for her.

I don't own one, but is it possible to stop live TV on the Vodafone TV unit, before turning off the TV?

yes press the power button on the remote to turn off the VTV unit

ZollyMonsta

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#2723704 10-Jun-2021 13:12

@K8Toledo It sounds like the Vodafone TV set top box (STB) is always on and not going into standby.,

HD channels (as is TVNZ1) will use around 2.7gigbytes of data an hour regardless of you watching it or not, as this is the first channel in the lineup when the STB starts up.

Note as others have mentioned, the STB will always use data regardless of only Apps such as Netflix being used. It's recommended to have unlimited bandwidth on the internet connection to avoid any surprise charges from your ISP.

To check power-saving is set on the STB

Menu/Settings/More Settings/Power/Power
Higlight 'Power Saving Mode' and press OK so it turns GREEN
Go down to 'Auto Standby Time' and select '2 Hours' then Press OK so it turns Green

This will pop up a question on screen after 2 hours of no remote interaction asking if you wish to continue watching. If there is no response in ~1 min then the stb will go into standby.
With 'Power Saving Mode' the STB will go into a deep sleep and take a little longer to come out of standby.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Grant

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As per the usual std disclaimer.. "All thoughts typed here are my own."

freitasm

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#2723713 10-Jun-2021 13:51

@k8toledo what problem was the VTV supposed to solve?

Is the TV not able to stream those apps?

Perhaps instead of a VTV it would be better to get something like a Chromecast with Google TV instead. You will find the apps but it only streams what you choose, unlike the VTV or the Freeview streamer dongles.

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K8Toledo

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#2727804 13-Jun-2021 05:54

Thanks guys for all the feedback.

freitasm:

Linux that basically just streams the content from the Live TV providers. STREAM - The box does not have an antenna. It's constantly streaming.

It offers apps as well - Netflix, Neon, Prime, Three and TVNZ on Demand.

The only time the box is not streaming is when sitting on a menu in one of these apps or when it is off.

If the box is on then basically it is streaming and 300 GB a month won't be enough.

@K8Toledo:

As for changing TV channels with remote how is this implemented on VF box - can we somehow add same functionality to her TV?

There is no way to add that functionality to the TV. Completely different systems.

Hi - yep the stream was to blame. :)

Found a workaround though - the power button!

Also boo to Linux.

Stats below for those interested.

25GB difference from Friday 4/6 (left running) to Friday 11/6 (turned off 12am).

Averages 3GB p/hr.

I get this thing is live streaming however hitting the power button never crossed my mind because I naturally (or naively) assumed HDMI-CEC support (?) meant the box would go to standby mode when the TV was powered down.

To me it just seems logical. I mean if ChromeCast does why not VFTV?

E.g. say my parents are watching on demand Netflix with autoplay enabled or 6-7 episodes of Dickinson are queued up on VLC's playlist and after two episodes they turn off the TV & go to bed, Chromecast stops the stream it doesn't continue playing one episode after another. If it did the next night they'd hit continue and they'd be at the end of the season. :)

Vanessa currently lives alone.

While living together we burned through ~300GB a month - I accounted for ~ 80%. So Friday when I saw her data usage 368GB for this month I could scarcely believe it.

Just as well aside from being my friend she also happens to be a business client & I check in on clients accounts every once in a while.

The thing that makes this 36GB per day situation almost comical is my friend only watches two shows: Home & Away Shortland Street!

Personal opinion - a STB streaming non-stop to the tune of 2TB a month (as someone commented) is not a feature, it's a bug in need of patching.

jjnz1

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#2727805 13-Jun-2021 06:28

The point is not 2TB, it’s a statement to influence you to recommend she doesn’t use this thing on a capped plan.

Things can only go horribly wrong.

Yes she can turn the unit onto stand by but you shouldn’t rely on that. Think of all the other scenarios where it wouldn’t get turned onto standby:
She’s drunk and forgets
Someone stays at her house and forgets
She forgets
She thinks she has but hasn’t
Unit updates and turns back on after update
She goes on holiday and one of the things above happens

My Advice
Take the unit back for a refund while you can
Get an Apple TV if she wants a remote, or a Google Chromecast

Vodafone’s advice
ONLY USE THIS DEVICE ON AN UNLIMITED PLAN

Going against what the service provider recommends is always a big buyer beware and is no fault of either the service provider (vodafone) or your ISP.

Good luck

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gbwelly

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#2727817 13-Jun-2021 09:47

K8Toledo:

Personal opinion - a STB streaming non-stop to the tune of 2TB a month (as someone commented) is not a feature, it's a bug in need of patching.

I agree. All the banging on about unlimited plans is missing the point. Always annoyed me visiting my mum with her T-Box with the TV blaring in the background. To have a conversation you either needed to mute it or pause it. Couldn't just press a Stop button. I guess they are trying to emulate this behaviour.

Spyware

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#2727834 13-Jun-2021 11:24

Problem at times was that if you had the VTV in power saver mode it wouldn't always come on. Turning the GREEN features OFF works PERFECTLY to produce an always on 50 second behind real time streamed TV service.

Only outstanding issue is that when Apple TV goes to sleep it turns the VTV off. This is the bug that needs fixing.

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antonknee

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#2728047 13-Jun-2021 17:45

Why not use the functionality that turns the VTV box and TV off via the VTV remote? Works perfectly for me - push the power button in the remote and the TV and VTV both turn on, watch my show, push power button on VTV remote again and they’re both off.

K8Toledo

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#2728158 13-Jun-2021 20:04

antonknee:

Why not use the functionality that turns the VTV box and TV off via the VTV remote? Works perfectly for me - push the power button in the remote and the TV and VTV both turn on, watch my show, push power button on VTV remote again and they’re both off.

Hi I read about that today will test it out.

Also what's MyTV it takes up half the screen yet has no apparent function?

antonknee

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#2728177 13-Jun-2021 21:28

K8Toledo:

antonknee:

Why not use the functionality that turns the VTV box and TV off via the VTV remote? Works perfectly for me - push the power button in the remote and the TV and VTV both turn on, watch my show, push power button on VTV remote again and they’re both off.

Hi I read about that today will test it out.

Also what's MyTV it takes up half the screen yet has no apparent function?

I actually meant to post instructions on using, but then I realised I couldn’t remember how to do it or where to find the instructions. They’re buried deep in the bowels of Vodafone’s website somewhere I think.

My TV appears to pick up stuff I’ve set to record? Beyond that I’ve not been able to figure it out, but I tend to use either apps or just directly watch shows via the EPG.

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K8Toledo

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#2728830 14-Jun-2021 22:00

jjnz1: The point is not 2TB, it’s a statement to influence you to recommend she doesn’t use this thing on a capped plan.

Things can only go horribly wrong.

Yes she can turn the unit onto stand by but you shouldn’t rely on that. Think of all the other scenarios where it wouldn’t get turned onto standby:
She’s drunk and forgets
Someone stays at her house and forgets
She forgets
She thinks she has but hasn’t
Unit updates and turns back on after update
She goes on holiday and one of the things above happens

My Advice
Take the unit back for a refund while you can
Get an Apple TV if she wants a remote, or a Google Chromecast

Vodafone’s advice
ONLY USE THIS DEVICE ON AN UNLIMITED PLAN

Going against what the service provider recommends is always a big buyer beware and is no fault of either the service provider (vodafone) or your ISP.

Good luck

It was Vodafone who sold it to her in the first place.

Speaking of VF I was the one who moved her from Vodafone to Spark.

There is no way on earth I would take any advice dished out by a Vodafone rep and had I known beforehand that my friend/client planned to visit the Vodafone store I would talked her out of it.

jjnz1

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#2728998 15-Jun-2021 10:48

From the Vodafone website:

Works on any unlimited Fibre broadband plan from any provider

Easy self-setup: up and running in less than 5 minutes

Free-to-air channels and apps built in

3 day rewind and 500 Hours cloud recording*

Add and remove Sky channels whenever you want using your credit card***

This VodafoneTV box is Wi-Fi or Ethernet capable to connect it to your modem

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