[TelstraClear] HD PVR for TelstraClear?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [TelstraClear] HD PVR for TelstraClear?

lchiu7

6463 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#26656 29-Sep-2008 17:35

Seen on the TCL web site

HD PVR

Talks about announcements in October but alas that could mean. we announce that we will have a HD PVR etc. by May 2009! Still it will be interesting, especially those comments about exclusive HD content. I am guessing it could be either channels they have now that Sky doesn't and/or on demand movies which might be downloaded to your STB and watched later or using some sort of time slip function.

But with all STB's and PVR's the content will be locked onto the box and it won't be easy or indeed possible to port the content anywhere else.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79016 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#167790 29-Sep-2008 17:38

I've heard good things about these boxes - but I wouldn't be waitingto see anything for consumers this side of Christmas...

My technology disclosure

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

ZollyMonsta

3009 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#167796 29-Sep-2008 18:01

Its gonna be brilliant! :D

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."

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#167798 29-Sep-2008 18:20

Certainly is.. You know where to look if you're after some testers!

Batman

Mad Scientist
29689 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#167799 29-Sep-2008 18:23

will non tcl customers get to buy it?

lchiu7

6463 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#167800 29-Sep-2008 18:26

It would pretty useless if you're not a TCL cable customer I would imagine! I just don't hope they do the SkyHD thing and charge some huge amount for the box.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

eXDee

4032 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#167861 29-Sep-2008 23:07

My bet is that its the same Pace box as the Foxtel IQ2 cable version, but one or two of the four will be a Freeview HD tuner, and they will continue to resell Sky for the other HD Channels, going by "All New Zealand’s HD content on one set top box."

lchiu7: It would pretty useless if you're not a TCL cable customer I would imagine! I just don't hope they do the SkyHD thing and charge some huge amount for the box.

As opposed to high monthy fees? I'd think its better paying $500 for the box as opposed to $25 extra a month, most likely on a contract.

Crowbar

150 posts

Master Geek

#167875 30-Sep-2008 00:29

Both option are rediculious, Pay-tv in NZ is already far to expensive :\

It's expensive for two reasons - firstly Sky have a monopoly. Secondly our buying power is a lot lower than somewhere like the USA or UK where the programming comes from. Pay TV channels cost money to buy and those companies don't really care where in the world you are, they want a similair return per viewer. In the UK for example in the UK Sky's packages start at around £17 last I looked at a MySkyHD box was around £150. For many people in the UK this buying power is the same as NZ$17 or NZ$150 per month.

lchiu7

6463 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#168174 30-Sep-2008 21:51

eXDee: My bet is that its the same Pace box as the Foxtel IQ2 cable version, but one or two of the four will be a Freeview HD tuner, and they will continue to resell Sky for the other HD Channels, going by "All New Zealand’s HD content on one set top box."

lchiu7: It would pretty useless if you're not a TCL cable customer I would imagine! I just don't hope they do the SkyHD thing and charge some huge amount for the box.

As opposed to high monthy fees? I'd think its better paying $500 for the box as opposed to $25 extra a month, most likely on a contract.

I will make that decision when the STB is offered. But what a way to get Sky subscribers to move (in Wellington/ChCh) if they make a compelling offer for the box that is cheaper than the MySky box and has content over and above Sky.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

ZollyMonsta

3009 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#168177 30-Sep-2008 21:59

The set top box will be worth the wait. trust me!

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."

Nety

2584 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#168214 1-Oct-2008 06:39

It would be nice if they also offered just a STB option as well as a PVR. I have a media centre and am quite happy using that to record rather then having two recording devices. Even if it forced a SD recording.

Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64

Quidam

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#168225 1-Oct-2008 08:46

The biggest weakness with what Telsta is about to offer is that it will be limited to the boundaries of their cable network. ie. they will be missing out on the biggest marketplace of all -Auckland.

If the pricing is competitive, I might take a look at it, but considering I've got Freeview HD up and running brilliantly via a HTPC setup, the boat has pretty much already sailed.

"There is no way to Peace -Peace is the Way" (A. J. Muste)

lchiu7

6463 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#168295 1-Oct-2008 12:14

I would certainly look at it. While I can also record FreeViewHD there are many channels on the TCL cable network I can only record in crappy analogue via output from the cable box. I did play around with a Dreambox and the quality was better and I know you can buy a smart card reader and decode the digital cable directly and record with say gbpvr but that's so much hassle. Being able record and playback any channel TCL offers on the cable, in HD or upscaled SD would be pretty good so long as they don't charge themselves out of the market.

As for Auckland, well that's life! The only way a STB is going to work in non TCL cable areas is to use some sort of service like AT&T's U-Verse service which delivers TV over IP (FTTN). But our data caps and poor last mile infrastructure would make that somewhat difficult.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.