[TelstraClear] TelstraClear T-BOX feature demo page

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20 posts

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#388824 6-Oct-2010 17:00

it would be nice though to have a manual record option - i'm thinking for those sporting events that can sometimes over run. I know i missed the last 20 mins of a premiere league game last weekend - in the old dvr days I programed an extra half an hour recording "just in case". I guess you can work around by programming in the next program on the same channel.

As mentioned previously - when two t-boxes are installed - the ability to watch recordings made on one box, via the second box would be a nice feature

Quinny

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#389053 7-Oct-2010 08:55

BigBadaboom:
Quinny: Mado1 - the failed means you have more than two items set to record at the same time. It checks when it records not when set if it is a series record.

That's not correct. It *does* do a check at for more than two recordings when you try to add a new one.

I'm not sure whether it takes padding into account when it does these checks though. What would be really nice is if it was intelligent enough to add padding when it could, but not if it needed the tuner for another recording.

Actually I still think I am correct :)

According to what I read in the documentation that came with mine yes it checks the one you are doing now when you set it but it checks the later ones in the series when they then record. Nothing can know what a series conflict will be at a future time as the series will keep recording until the show does not screen for one month.

Padding I am to understand also counts as a conflict if the overrun time matches two others. I removed padding and I have since had way less failed. To each their own but for me padding caused more issues than it solved.

chiefie

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#389121 7-Oct-2010 12:00

Quinny: Actually I still think I am correct :)

According to what I read in the documentation that came with mine yes it checks the one you are doing now when you set it but it checks the later ones in the series when they then record. Nothing can know what a series conflict will be at a future time as the series will keep recording until the show does not screen for one month.

Padding I am to understand also counts as a conflict if the overrun time matches two others. I removed padding and I have since had way less failed. To each their own but for me padding caused more issues than it solved.

I agree with Quinny's view as that's how I read and understand it as well based on the manual.

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ZollyMonsta

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#389128 7-Oct-2010 12:11

Quinny:
According to what I read in the documentation that came with mine yes it checks the one you are doing now when you set it but it checks the later ones in the series when they then record. Nothing can know what a series conflict will be at a future time as the series will keep recording until the show does not screen for one month.

Correct, When you set a series link, the T-Box will only check for conflicts for the currently loaded EPG (7 days). It can't check further than this since this data isn't available. So if there are any conflicts after the 7 days, then one of those conflicting recordings could fail.

Quinny:

Padding I am to understand also counts as a conflict if the overrun time matches two others. I removed padding and I have since had way less failed. To each their own but for me padding caused more issues than it solved.

Yes, you will have less failed recordings (in most instances, no failed recordings) when padding is set to zero. More improvements on how padding is handled is on the way soon.

Something else to be aware of, is if you set series links or one-off recordings with padding set to 5 mins... and then change padding to zero, you will need to delete and re-create your series links to capture the padding change.

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StarBlazer

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#389274 7-Oct-2010 17:29

ZollyMonsta:Yes, you will have less failed recordings (in most instances, no failed recordings) when padding is set to zero. More improvements on how padding is handled is on the way soon.

As yet I have not had any failed recordings on the MySky box (not an invitation for a flame war or trolling - this comment is intended as a feature suggestion for T-Box) - what I have noticed however is that if a program runs on or needs the buffer, the next recording begins when there is a free recording stream (or whatever they call them) available.

This means you may miss the first couple of minutes - which has happened to me - but it is still better than missing the whole program. The MySky has an "auto" setting for recording buffer - which implies it does have some knowledge on whether to carry on recording or stop at the end. Since setting to auto I've not had any programs that missed the end (the next most frustrating after missing the whole recording)!

As regards whether the recorder knows when a program has finished or not, I remember in the UK the broadcaster sending a hidden signal to say when a program starts and stops. My VCR at the time would come on a couple of minutes early and only start when the program started. This apparently was also capable of pausing the recording during the ad break - naturally this nice feature died a death when the advertisers got wind of the development and never made it any further.

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Teza

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#389278 7-Oct-2010 17:58

I had the Telstra salesman around tonight trying to sell the T-Box, he didn't answer my question as to whether if I have Sky sports it will also have extra sports channels for spcial events automaticaly added i.e. the extra channels for the Comenwealth games.

Anyone confirm yes or no?

ZollyMonsta

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#389279 7-Oct-2010 18:01

Teza: I had the Telstra salesman around tonight trying to sell the T-Box, he didn't answer my question as to whether if I have Sky sports it will also have extra sports channels for spcial events automaticaly added i.e. the extra channels for the Comenwealth games.

Anyone confirm yes or no?

Yes it will. Just like Sky, if you have the Sports or the Sports & Movies package, then you will also have the 5 Commonwealth games channels.

Prime HD during the games comes standard with the Basic package.

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Teza

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Master Geek

#389285 7-Oct-2010 18:32

ZollyMonsta:
Teza: I had the Telstra salesman around tonight trying to sell the T-Box, he didn't answer my question as to whether if I have Sky sports it will also have extra sports channels for spcial events automaticaly added i.e. the extra channels for the Comenwealth games.

Anyone confirm yes or no?

Yes it will. Just like Sky, if you have the Sports or the Sports & Movies package, then you will also have the 5 Commonwealth games channels.

Prime HD during the games comes standard with the Basic package.

Great stuff, that was one of my concerns. I am assuming also that the HD sports and movies are in dolby digital?

Now I just have to see whether the numbers stack up against what I am paying for sky, phone and internet although free install and free T-box for 12 months may make it a no brainer.

ZollyMonsta

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#389288 7-Oct-2010 18:36

The Sky Channels are direct pass-through with no 'dicking round' with them.

Yes, Full Dolby 5.1 (programme dependant) is available over SPDIF optical out.

Cheers,
Grant

Check out my LPFM Radio Station at www.thecheese.co.nz - Now on iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Radio Garden

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

Teza

51 posts

Master Geek

#389298 7-Oct-2010 19:03

ZollyMonsta: The Sky Channels are direct pass-through with no 'dicking round' with them.

Yes, Full Dolby 5.1 (programme dependant) is available over SPDIF optical out.

Cheers,
Grant

Only via SPDIF optical out? if so thats a bit of a deal breaker as I use HDMI with Sky straight into my HT Processor and don't want to have to reconfigure everything. Surely it carries the audio via HDMI as well, it is standard after all?

TwoSeven

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#389323 7-Oct-2010 20:23

rfast: it would be nice though to have a manual record option

It doesnt have a manual record?

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Teza

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Master Geek

#389455 8-Oct-2010 10:12

Right, so assuming the T-box can output audio via HDMI (which as part of the HDMI standard it should) and the price works out for me is the quality and performance of the T-box worth me swapping from Sky?

I am waivering on this at the moment, I currently have my phone and internet with Telstra so it shoul dbe a no brainer as I have said but I am just a little unsure of the quality of the product based on some of the comments here.

T-box lovers give me some good reasons to make the switch

chiefie

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#389460 8-Oct-2010 10:16

@Teza, as this is the first time TCL has device that similar to MySky but with HD, however it is not as feature-matured like MySkyHDi yet. From what I can see and used for over 2 weeks now is that it certainly seem to have potential to be as feature-rich, just matter of the T-Box developers/programmers on the game at improving it.

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markdr

26 posts

Geek

#389480 8-Oct-2010 10:57

@Teza, for us is was a chance to reduce our under the TV box count and get a better quality (HD) output. We were using the TC Digital STB along with an original Series 1 Tivo. It worked very well and we miss some of the Tivo's features but the picture quality is great.

There are still some areas that need to improve, some that come to mind:

- You are watching a recording and it seems to have recorded channel changes that were happening at the time it was recorded so it will change channels to live-tv mid-playback. You have to go back to the recording and start watching again.

- Sometimes it will switch to live-tv when you have a recording paused.

- Would be nice to be able to search for programs to record rather than just scrolling through channel guide.

ZollyMonsta

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#389505 8-Oct-2010 11:32

markdr:

- You are watching a recording and it seems to have recorded channel changes that were happening at the time it was recorded so it will change channels to live-tv mid-playback. You have to go back to the recording and start watching again.

- Sometimes it will switch to live-tv when you have a recording paused.

Can you please PM me with more details on this? The T-Box does not record channel changes in recordings.

Since you state it changing channels mid-playback to live tv, plus also switching to live tv when you have a recording paused, it makes me think you have another remote somewhere that is sending an IR code equal to the 'live tv' button IR code on the T-Box remote.

Cheers,
Grant

Check out my LPFM Radio Station at www.thecheese.co.nz - Now on iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Radio Garden

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

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