Vodafone TV - new Gen2 box

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2900 posts

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#2825259 6-Dec-2021 19:58

Very sad to hear of users problems because my Vodafone TV device has been working flawlessly for over 18 months.

However, after buying a new TV recently, the VFTV unit has been dispensed with. My friends in Turangi still rely on it, so hopefully the thing doesn't vanish altogether.

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Eva888

2330 posts

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#2825563 7-Dec-2021 11:16

My smugness to date at not having any problems with VTV ended today. Sudden black screen twice this morning, not freezing, just off. Worked Ok after rebooting. Will give it a couple of days before actioning.

MikeB4

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#2825569 7-Dec-2021 11:34

Eva888: My smugness to date at not having any problems with VTV ended today. Sudden black screen twice this morning, not freezing, just off. Worked Ok after rebooting. Will give it a couple of days before actioning.

You cannot hide, it will always get you.😁

Fog

371 posts

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#2825763 7-Dec-2021 13:13

Eva888: My smugness to date at not having any problems with VTV ended today. Sudden black screen twice this morning, not freezing, just off. Worked Ok after rebooting. Will give it a couple of days before actioning.

Hi Eva888 I wondered how you were getting on, as we both ventured onto VTV abut the same time. I haven't had anything major but am keeping my fingers crossed.

siva992

77 posts

Master Geek

#2825768 7-Dec-2021 13:27

Fog:
Hi Eva888 I wondered how you were getting on, as we both ventured onto VTV abut the same time. I haven't had anything major but am keeping my fingers crossed.

😈

MikeB4

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#2828623 8-Dec-2021 13:22

I went past the Lower Hutt Vodafone store. The promotional display they used to have in store for Vodafone TV was nowhere to be seen.

@JasonParis are you able to confirm or deny that the Vodafone TV is a sunset service. I believe that current customers deserve some information.

siva992

77 posts

Master Geek

#2828700 8-Dec-2021 14:16

Rumour has it that Vodafone couldn't keep up with the operating costs of maintaining their cloud TV platform called Kaltura TV.

By the sound of it, it looks like right now, they are just depleting whatever funds that were previously allocated to running Vodafone TV.

Bundling Vodafone TV with their broadband services and selling it as a standalone device in stores without making a monthly income of it was the other factor rumour has, saying it has become unprofitable.

Which kinda makes sense when you get Sky TV and wonder why you have to pay a monthly rent on the Sky box which basically enables you to use their features and services. I may be wrong and these are rumours and speculation, again, but might be a good angle as to its EOL.

alasta

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#2828705 8-Dec-2021 14:22

siva992: Rumour has it that Vodafone couldn't keep up with the operating costs of maintaining their cloud TV platform called Kaltura TV.

By the sound of it, it looks like right now, they are just depleting whatever funds that were previously allocated to running Vodafone TV.

So, does this mean that the service will be shut down at some point in the foreseeable future, and all existing units in the fleet will become paperweights?

Vodafone might have to offer refunds to people who have purchased the product recently, otherwise this could get messy from a CGA perspective.

siva992

77 posts

Master Geek

#2828785 8-Dec-2021 15:10

alasta: So, does this mean that the service will be shut down at some point in the foreseeable future, and all existing units in the fleet will become paperweights?

Vodafone might have to offer refunds to people who have purchased the product recently, otherwise this could get messy from a CGA perspective.

I don't think that will happen so soon. Vodafone literally begged their Tbox customers to move over to this cloud-based Vodafone TV, and they kinda axed the Tbox like in July this year? So I'm guessing they are gonna keep it around for a while more just to keep its recently transitioned customers happy.

As for those who purchased it, I'm also guessing if the EOL happens, the post-EOL experience would look something like this after a final firmware update:

1. You'll be able to watch Freeview TV and not Sky channels, and probably not provide you with 3-day catch-up

2. You'll be able to record TV/timeshift using an external hard disk

3. Use its limited amount of apps until their contract ends with the provider

But also, there's the cost to run Freeview through their IPTV servers. If Vodafone ditches that too, then they might enable the DVB-T antenna/coaxial/satellite connection for the first gen boxes and use 2nd-gen boxes ultimately as a streaming box for Netflix. Something along that line.

prevaljo

174 posts

Master Geek

#2829014 8-Dec-2021 22:10

Despite all the speculation about the future of the VTV box I have been relatively happy with mine. But I have a question that I'm sure has been answered somewhere in a Geekzone Vodafone forum. How long are recordings saved for, I have recorded a few programs and when I finally tried to watch them they were no longer there. I haven't exceeded the storage limit what other limits are there on recordings.

siva992

77 posts

Master Geek

#2829023 8-Dec-2021 22:15

prevaljo:
Despite all the speculation about the future of the VTV box I have been relatively happy with mine. But I have a question that I'm sure has been answered somewhere in a Geekzone Vodafone forum. How long are recordings saved for, I have recorded a few programs and when I finally tried to watch them they were no longer there. I haven't exceeded the storage limit what other limits are there on recordings.

Lasts a week unless protected. Oldest unprotected recording across the whole given capacity will only be deleted when space is needed to record new content. If all protected, then none of the recordings will be deleted regardless of the new incoming recordings.

I've done the stress test before. These are solely based on my observations, and may differ from other users.

mattwnz

20003 posts

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#2829039 8-Dec-2021 23:28

siva992:
alasta: So, does this mean that the service will be shut down at some point in the foreseeable future, and all existing units in the fleet will become paperweights?

Vodafone might have to offer refunds to people who have purchased the product recently, otherwise this could get messy from a CGA perspective.

I don't think that will happen so soon. Vodafone literally begged their Tbox customers to move over to this cloud-based Vodafone TV, and they kinda axed the Tbox like in July this year? So I'm guessing they are gonna keep it around for a while more just to keep its recently transitioned customers happy.

As for those who purchased it, I'm also guessing if the EOL happens, the post-EOL experience would look something like this after a final firmware update:

1. You'll be able to watch Freeview TV and not Sky channels, and probably not provide you with 3-day catch-up

2. You'll be able to record TV/timeshift using an external hard disk

3. Use its limited amount of apps until their contract ends with the provider

But also, there's the cost to run Freeview through their IPTV servers. If Vodafone ditches that too, then they might enable the DVB-T antenna/coaxial/satellite connection for the first gen boxes and use 2nd-gen boxes ultimately as a streaming box for Netflix. Something along that line.

Sounds like a similar issue to the Tivo and Igloo. Both allowed the boxes to generate revenue through pay movies, but many people are able to use it without paying anything more apart from the initial price.

They could always turn it into an android type box, with the tvnz, tv3 and netflix apps, and reprogram the TV feeds to whatever the smartvu box feeds are using. But this is why I suggested that Freeview take it over, and it potentially could replace satellite or UHF in the future. I know of a TV installer who has setup a lot of these boxes too for clients, and they were the one who initially recommended it to me after my issues with the smartvu one.

mattwnz

20003 posts

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#2829041 8-Dec-2021 23:30

alasta:

siva992: Rumour has it that Vodafone couldn't keep up with the operating costs of maintaining their cloud TV platform called Kaltura TV.

By the sound of it, it looks like right now, they are just depleting whatever funds that were previously allocated to running Vodafone TV.

So, does this mean that the service will be shut down at some point in the foreseeable future, and all existing units in the fleet will become paperweights?

Vodafone might have to offer refunds to people who have purchased the product recently, otherwise this could get messy from a CGA perspective.

It hasn't really been on the market for that long. I think with the tivo, it stopped being for sale for about 5 years before they closed down the service and people had to get them rechipped if they wanted to continue to use them properly.

siva992

77 posts

Master Geek

#2829048 9-Dec-2021 00:31

mattwnz:
Sounds like a similar issue to the Tivo and Igloo. Both allowed the boxes to generate revenue through pay movies, but many people are able to use it without paying anything more apart from the initial price.

They could always turn it into an android type box, with the tvnz, tv3 and netflix apps, and reprogram the TV feeds to whatever the smartvu box feeds are using. But this is why I suggested that Freeview take it over, and it potentially could replace satellite or UHF in the future. I know of a TV installer who has setup a lot of these boxes too for clients, and they were the one who initially recommended it to me after my issues with the smartvu one.

That would be so ideal but Sagemcom, albeit running Linux, is closed source because of the tight security framework towards DRM content protection. But because Freeview is so closely tied with DishTV, I hardly believe that's gonna happen either.

And also let's not forget how much of a failure the Freeview A2 Superbox Recorder was. It's was the whole reason why I got a refund on that and then got Vodafone TV which was great....at first. 😑 I mean, I'm just gonna start off with the gory purple colour of the UI. Like, haven't they heard of dark mode? 😂

Spyware

3719 posts

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#2829055 9-Dec-2021 06:24

siva992:

I don't think that will happen so soon. Vodafone literally begged their Tbox customers to move over to this cloud-based Vodafone TV, and they kinda axed the Tbox like in July this year? So I'm guessing they are gonna keep it around for a while more just to keep its recently transitioned customers happy.

But also, there's the cost to run Freeview through their IPTV servers. If Vodafone ditches that too, then they might enable the DVB-T antenna/coaxial/satellite connection for the first gen boxes and use 2nd-gen boxes ultimately as a streaming box for Netflix. Something along that line.

Vodafone NZ migrated 30K users to Sky (according to Sky's annual report) not the VodaTV box. Current Freeview streams are provided by Sky not Freeview.

Since when did the Voda TV 1st gen have any inbuilt tuners? - this is incorrect. I think you've been looking at the Australian VodaTV box specs. A totally pointless exercise as no inbuilt storage to record anyway.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

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