Vodafone - Let me choose my Set-top Box!

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone - Let me choose my Set-top Box!

1 | 2

StarBlazer

961 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1052788 25-May-2014 14:05

TimA:
StarBlazer:
TimA:
They don't offer it, but I can't see why they can't

Logic would depict if Vodafone runs their own network delivering their own content over their own box without a 3rd party it would have higher profit margins. Why would they sacrifice that for a lesser margin.

But they will make no profit from me at all if I drop the TV and go to Sky - surely some profit is better than none!

The cable billing system doesnt facilitate for the SKY offers as like the Vodafone ADSL, VDSL does. Cant compare two different bundles.

How are we as consumers expected to see Vodafone as one company when we get pushed back because the TCL software you are using for CRM doesn't facilitate the inclusion of Sky resale, perhaps it's time then for Vodafone to get a proper integrated billing system and look at a whole of organisation approach.

I'm not really sure who made johnr's answer the correct one but they are probably right - this sounds more like won't than can't.

Procrastination eventually pays off.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1052815 25-May-2014 14:47

StarBlazer:
TimA:
StarBlazer:
TimA:
They don't offer it, but I can't see why they can't

Logic would depict if Vodafone runs their own network delivering their own content over their own box without a 3rd party it would have higher profit margins. Why would they sacrifice that for a lesser margin.

But they will make no profit from me at all if I drop the TV and go to Sky - surely some profit is better than none!

The cable billing system doesnt facilitate for the SKY offers as like the Vodafone ADSL, VDSL does. Cant compare two different bundles.

How are we as consumers expected to see Vodafone as one company when we get pushed back because the TCL software you are using for CRM doesn't facilitate the inclusion of Sky resale, perhaps it's time then for Vodafone to get a proper integrated billing system and look at a whole of organisation approach.

Easily written in a post but we live in the real world not a overnight change

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1052816 25-May-2014 14:47

StarBlazer: it's impossible for me to make the next statement without sounding like trolling or flaming - but that's not my intention!!!

Is the reason Vodafone won't offer an alternative to cable customers because they know that the customers will switch leaving the T-Box a minority or even dead product?

To be completely honest you're actually the first person I've come across in probably 6 months that's had anything bad to say about the t-box. Yes it was a total piece of junk a few years ago, but is now a very stable product (unless others want to chip in and say it's still not!).

AKT

335 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#1052828 25-May-2014 15:01

sbiddle:
StarBlazer: it's impossible for me to make the next statement without sounding like trolling or flaming - but that's not my intention!!!

Is the reason Vodafone won't offer an alternative to cable customers because they know that the customers will switch leaving the T-Box a minority or even dead product?

To be completely honest you're actually the first person I've come across in probably 6 months that's had anything bad to say about the t-box. Yes it was a total piece of junk a few years ago, but is now a very stable product (unless others want to chip in and say it's still not!).

Having just moved to the T-box from Sky, it is very different. Stable, yes, but laggy and often cuts the end of programs you've recorded. Unlike Sky it's not easy to add a +3mins when you record something. The lag is a few seconds after a button press before anything happens, unlike Sky (and anything else I've used with a remote control this century). It would be nice to have the remote record/sky go features too, after all, I am a Sky subscriber.

When we moved, the CSR told me that Vodafone TV was identical to Sky, it most certainly is not - there are a few significant missing features. The same person that told us we'd have 130/10 without any losses (unlike ADSL)...and that there would be no interruption in bad weather. They were right about the last bit, the interruptions that happen can happen in good weather too.

A

heapsort

246 posts

Master Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1052850 25-May-2014 15:30

sbiddle:
StarBlazer: it's impossible for me to make the next statement without sounding like trolling or flaming - but that's not my intention!!!

Is the reason Vodafone won't offer an alternative to cable customers because they know that the customers will switch leaving the T-Box a minority or even dead product?

To be completely honest you're actually the first person I've come across in probably 6 months that's had anything bad to say about the t-box. Yes it was a total piece of junk a few years ago, but is now a very stable product (unless others want to chip in and say it's still not!).

T-Box stable? Yes, very much so.

But it is still ruined by a lack of basic features and, worse than that, the extremely poor responsiveness to user input.

Push the Guide or Favs button to see channel listings, and it is more than two seconds before anything changes on the screen. Not even a "Preparing..." message to at least acknowledge the button press.

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1052856 25-May-2014 15:44

johnr:
StarBlazer:
TimA:
StarBlazer:
TimA:
They don't offer it, but I can't see why they can't

Logic would depict if Vodafone runs their own network delivering their own content over their own box without a 3rd party it would have higher profit margins. Why would they sacrifice that for a lesser margin.

But they will make no profit from me at all if I drop the TV and go to Sky - surely some profit is better than none!

The cable billing system doesnt facilitate for the SKY offers as like the Vodafone ADSL, VDSL does. Cant compare two different bundles.

How are we as consumers expected to see Vodafone as one company when we get pushed back because the TCL software you are using for CRM doesn't facilitate the inclusion of Sky resale, perhaps it's time then for Vodafone to get a proper integrated billing system and look at a whole of organisation approach.

Easily written in a post but we live in the real world not a overnight change

We dont intend on reselling SKY to Cable customers over Satellite. Thats why there isnt that facility.

StarBlazer

961 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1052999 25-May-2014 17:59

Stable, yes generally it still has quite a few bugs in my opinion. Poor response is the biggest drawback, and god help you if you press the power button on the remote control more than once because it hasn't started up, it makes you wait even longer.

Missing the end of TV programmes next. IIRC Sky used to automagically, extend the program if it ran for longer than scheduled. I recorded the FA Cup final as well as the following 3 programmes just to be sure I would get the end. Luckily for me it didn't go to penalties as I would still have missed them.

I've got a 10 minute buffer either side just in case which means that for every program I record I have to fast forward nearly 10 minutes just to be sure I get the end! I didn't have to do that with Sky.

The kids had left the box on a channel that was not subscribed the other day. I'm presuming that because of this, the planner was no longer able to show any future recordings. When I went back to a regular channel the schedule filled back up. This is similar to when we went away in summer when it recorded none of the second week of linked recordings. That's the whole point of series link so that you can set the recordings and go away for a couple of weeks. I had to get what I could by other means!

So, I saved a bit of money for the year, but bought a lot of agro from the family, justified too. I will be switching back to MySkyHDi in October, and if VF won't offer it to me then so be it.

Thanks for the very honest answers, I may not agree, but I respect you for them.

Procrastination eventually pays off.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1053004 25-May-2014 18:07

TimA:
We dont intend on reselling SKY to Cable customers over Satellite. Thats why there isnt that facility.

And my understanding as part of their supply agreement is that Sky don't allow this.

pchs

185 posts

Master Geek

#1053014 25-May-2014 18:54

StarBlazer: I've been with TCL/Vodafone since arriving in NZ 8 years ago.

In my experience, Cable Broadband = fantastic, Phone = no problems, Mobile = Great; T-Box = poor. I just wish that you would allow me to choose which set-top box I have.

I had MySkyHDI before and it is a much better product and so I will be going back to Sky when my contract period ends. I like Vodafone, but nobody in my household likes the T-Box.

Please, allow cable customers a choice that doesn't involve leaving.

I can't imagine this would ever happen voluntarily by any Cable Company, in the USA they have Cable Card Legislation which forces the Cable company's to allow 3rd party devices to connect to their networks. This means there is a pretty active HTPC market over there, I have seen a demo back in the TCL days of their staff using a Irdeto cam in Windows Media Centre on their DVB-C network working well, but of course (and I think discussed alot here) is a breach of their T&C

r2b2

586 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1053265 26-May-2014 08:47

StarBlazer: IIRC Sky used to automagically, extend the program if it ran for longer than scheduled.

This one keeps coming up and I've never seen how it could unless the EPG is updated in realtime on MySky - anyone know if this is actually the case and, if so, would these EPG updates get pushed for Vodafone to pick up and send to the TBox if they changed the way it was updated?

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1053282 26-May-2014 09:20

pchs:
StarBlazer: I've been with TCL/Vodafone since arriving in NZ 8 years ago.

In my experience, Cable Broadband = fantastic, Phone = no problems, Mobile = Great; T-Box = poor. I just wish that you would allow me to choose which set-top box I have.

I had MySkyHDI before and it is a much better product and so I will be going back to Sky when my contract period ends. I like Vodafone, but nobody in my household likes the T-Box.

Please, allow cable customers a choice that doesn't involve leaving.

I can't imagine this would ever happen voluntarily by any Cable Company, in the USA they have Cable Card Legislation which forces the Cable company's to allow 3rd party devices to connect to their networks. This means there is a pretty active HTPC market over there, I have seen a demo back in the TCL days of their staff using a Irdeto cam in Windows Media Centre on their DVB-C network working well, but of course (and I think discussed alot here) is a breach of their T&C

That's fine, except cards are on their way out everywhere around the world due to the obvious problems of card sharing. The t-box doesn't use a card and the old ADB decoders are no longer being installed and will ultimately all be replaced in the not too distant future.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1053287 26-May-2014 09:25

r2b2:
StarBlazer: IIRC Sky used to automagically, extend the program if it ran for longer than scheduled.

This one keeps coming up and I've never seen how it could unless the EPG is updated in realtime on MySky - anyone know if this is actually the case and, if so, would these EPG updates get pushed for Vodafone to pick up and send to the TBox if they changed the way it was updated?

I don't know for sure whether this does happen with Sky, but it's something that's very simple to implement and is already used in a lot of countries (FTA TV in Aussie for example).

The EIT table can be updated in realtime meaning that a scheduled show simply uses the EIT table to determine the end time of a show.

Freeview here in NZ could be supporting something similar if they wanted - devices with PVR EPG support are supposed to check the EIT EPG for the actual recording so a broadcaster could send that EIT data if a show was running over to correct this.

ghettomaster

387 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1053321 26-May-2014 10:01

I've had a T-box for a few years and remember the reliability problems which are not thankfully sorted.

I do second the complaints here about responsiveness. Does anyone from Vodafone care to comment on this? Is there a new model planned by any chance? Surely you guys hear about this all the time.

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1053343 26-May-2014 10:27

ghettomaster: I've had a T-box for a few years and remember the reliability problems which are not thankfully sorted.

I do second the complaints here about responsiveness. Does anyone from Vodafone care to comment on this? Is there a new model planned by any chance? Surely you guys hear about this all the time.

Hi,

As per usual we can not speak of future products. (This is due to a strict social media policy for Vodafone worldwide.)
Yes we all know it is lacking in the response department.

1 | 2