[TelstraClear] TelstraClear digital service

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Mikeythorn

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Topic # 7289 4-Apr-2006 09:51

I currently have the analogue Saturn service, but I am having a large plasma screen installed and am considering changing to the digital service if that means I will get better picture quality. I read the earlier forum posts criticising the digital service, but saw near the end of that (locked) topic someone mentioned that image quality had improved recently. Has anyone else noticed this?

I understand that a new generation of boxes (with more than a composite connection) are forecast to arrive in the next few months, but what I really want to know is whether the current digital service will give me better images right now.

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Mike

chiefie

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Reply # 32174 4-Apr-2006 11:22

I have Digital TV service, and cable internet. My advice is wait a bit long, perhaps few more months when TCL is bringing out an s-video output decoder.

I had a chat with Jeff and was affirmed that TCL is working and testing on the s-video output decoder as well as MySky-like PVR digital decoder, however the latter one will probably take longer to release due to testing and the complexity of its features. However, Jeff said when it does become available, it will be better than MySky. So we'll wait and see.

And with recent outage from Optus B1, many channels are behaving quite erractically, like Sky1, Cartoon Network and Discovery constantly suffering bad signal and jerky-skip. I don't how whether other users experienced the same or not, but it got so bad to the point that we had to switch channels. It was unbearable, unviewable and truly annoyed.

Also, our digital decoder suffers quite a bit of crashes and lockup too. had to power cycle at the main plug.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 32175 4-Apr-2006 11:34

As mentioned new decoders are on the way. Having said that the digital service right now is a million times better than analogue so I can see no reason why you shouldn't upgrade.

JonC

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Reply # 32190 4-Apr-2006 14:47

Can't compare to the analogue, as I signed up for digital last November. But I get lock-ups with the box every week or so when I have to reboot the thing. Nothing I can replicate, but has happened a couple of times when I hit the EPG button then tried to change channel before it had time to display all the info.

Also, it's quite slow changing channels and going to EPG - but these sorts of digital decode boxes tend to be like that, I've heard.

My only comparison is to freeview boxes in the UK (terrestrial digital TV via your regular TV aerial and a digital-decode set-top box) which seem to be about the same speed, but not as buggy.

Can't wait for the PVR.

ntddevsys

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Reply # 32441 6-Apr-2006 17:45

I have both the analogue and digital services. I find the current digital decoder absolutely crap - If the power to the decoder is closed off channels 1 - 3 stop working when the power's restored, and it seems to require a hard-reboot from Telstra's end (IE I have to ring up Faults) to make it work. It's also incredibly slow at bringing up the EPG sometimes (even more than with SKY) and I have had the odd self-occuring reboot.

Having said that I find the digital quality a large improvement over analogue (especially considering the upgrade was free and reduced my monthly bill),

Does anyone know if this new S-Video equipped decoder will have the modem built in ?

chiefie

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Reply # 32443 6-Apr-2006 18:18

yeah i hope the new digital decoder has built in modem too, would be a lot easier with deciding where to place the unit.

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lchiu7

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Reply # 32456 6-Apr-2006 21:14

I don't use the PPV service and don't need the EPG so I dispensed with the modem. Didn't have room to put it in the cabinet anyway. When I change channels I still get the channel name and programme displayed on the screen and that's enough for me. My modem is sitting in a box in a closet!

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ntddevsys

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Reply # 32651 9-Apr-2006 22:01

What do you think the chance is that Telstra will just deploy the ADS 3200 - which is virtually the same as the existing decoder except with a built-in modem, and a better processor ? Instead of the 6 RCA option (which they took with the current decoder), they could either take SCART + 3 RCAs + S-Video or perhaps 6 RCAs + S-Video. (The first option being the best, as the 6 RCAs are only of some use to people wanting to connect directly from the decoder to two things - a TV and stereo, a TV and VCR; where instead they could just run it off the output of the TV/VCR).

But then again if TCL was going to do this you would wonder why they didn't do this right when they introduced it (considering it would cost less than a ADS3000 and Motorola Surfboard modem).

chiefie

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Reply # 32657 9-Apr-2006 23:29

last week emailed TCL and was told that they are testing S-video version and should be out in mid year. so wait and see.

As for lchiu, I don't buy tv guide and newspaper and don't subscribe to saturn magazine, and we use EPG quite a bit for recording and looking ahead the programmes to come, without EPG you are stucked with current running programme and next one up. If that suit you that's good, but i find that the whole Digital TV is about EPG. probably you should have stayed with analogue, Another reason to have digital decoder is for World TV channels.

However, I do like to see that both modem and decoder as one unit.

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lchiu7

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Reply # 32665 10-Apr-2006 04:27

I use gbpvr and xmltvnz so get my epg in gbpvr. My PVR is connected to my 52" DLP so viewing the guide is no problem. Since the epg is linked to the pVR that's more useful to me than just being able to see what's on the channel now. Plus I also get World TV so need digital service. Note that the World TV service on TCL omits 3 channels that Sky shows - that's a bit annoying.

I wouldn't hold out for high PQ with the s-video option. From what I have heard from folks in TCL, the signal itself that comes to the box isn't that great so an improved connection is unlikely to make that much difference. From my point of view, the best signal I see over digital is Channel 91 (DW TV) though the PPV movies (I usually try to catch the 5 minute unscrambled start) look okay also since they are apparently fed directly via TCL, not via Sky

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ntddevsys

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Reply # 32719 10-Apr-2006 16:18

chiefie:
last week emailed TCL and was told that they are testing S-video version and should be out in mid year. so wait and see.

If it's going to take them until mid year to test such a minor change maybe their looking at another provider of decoders. Maybe they're just exercising the usual TelstraClear efficiency.