VM's Technical Advantage ... - Page 4

kwikbreaks · 15-06-2012, 17:25

Don't shoot the messenger - I don't care either way. I'm no fan of BT either - it was their incompetence which drove me to cable in the first place.

Tim Deegan · 15-06-2012, 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwikbreaks

Don't shoot the messenger - I don't care either way. I'm no fan of BT either - it was their incompetence which drove me to cable in the first place.

I'm no big VM fan either. I use them because they provide the best package at the best price for me. Although I did threaten them with going to BT, due to VM being in breach of contract, by not providing the service I am paying for. The problem is due to be sorted by the end of August, and they aren't charging me for BB until then. So although I can get frustrated with the signal at times, I am fairly happy.

As for VM using BT's fibre network. If BT send TV signals through it, then why can't VM?

kwikbreaks · 15-06-2012, 18:49

BT don't to any great extent. BT Vision is basically a freeview box with some pay per view content (essentially IPTV). Most of the data is simply stored to disk when it is broadcast and doesn't go over the fibre at all.

VM's cable TV is akin to broadcast TV - a single 8MHz slot carries a number of digital channels to all subscribers. IPTV carries a program to a single subscriber. The bandwidth requirements are far far higher for IPTV.

---------- Post added at 19:49 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Deegan

The problem is due to be sorted by the end of August

did they commit to any particular year? Any complaint about congestion always results in a promised fix.

Tim Deegan · 15-06-2012, 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwikbreaks

did they commit to any particular year? Any complaint about congestion always results in a promised fix.

Personally I don't think congestion is the problem, as it started all of a sudden, and happend around the clock. I think it is more to do with the noise interference that engineers are rushing around the area trying to solve. But I'm not going to complain about free BB for 4 months.

The work they are doing in August is work that needs to be done for the speed upgrade anyway.

HDFootyMan · 16-06-2012, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwikbreaks

BT don't to any great extent. BT Vision is basically a freeview box with some pay per view content (essentially IPTV). Most of the data is simply stored to disk when it is broadcast and doesn't go over the fibre at all.

VM's cable TV is akin to broadcast TV - a single 8MHz slot carries a number of digital channels to all subscribers. IPTV carries a program to a single subscriber. The bandwidth requirements are far far higher for IPTV.

Not over a multicast network it isn't. The streams would be duplicated on-demand via the routers within the network (like Switched Video). Its actually a lot more efficient then the current system VM uses, where every channel is supplied to every home, regardless of if that channel is actually being watched or recorded.

As far as the main playout server is concerned, its just sending out 1 stream.

qasdfdsaq · 16-06-2012, 12:10

BT Vision doesn't use multicast.

Yet.

HDFootyMan · 16-06-2012, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

BT Vision doesn't use multicast.

Yet.

Its a work in progress, has been for over a year now:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05...twork_upgrade/

Quote:

British Telecom will change the bulk of its broadband network to use multicast routers as from next year – this will mean that full IPTV services, using quality of service protocols, could then be launched for the first time on the BT network.

BT has always said that it didn't see the point of building out its network with multicast routers, which would have meant replacing its entire network, because of the strength of Freeview in the UK, the free-to-air DVB-T broadcast network. This is why it has no IPTV linear TV service, and instead relies on internet delivered VoD, offering mostly movies and catch up on its BT Vision service. BT Vision devices also have DVB-T tuners so they can receive Freeview on the same device.

But at the Connected TV Summit in London last week Steve White, head of information systems and technology for IPTV at BT, said that the BT network was being upgraded to multicast to allow full IPTV. When asked why, White said: "It's too expensive renting DVB-T multiplex space to deliver Sky Sports to BT Vision customers, so we want to send it multicast."

That report is from May 2011. They've already done deals to show linear channels like FX on the network, so I assume that the upgrade has or is close to being completed.

qasdfdsaq · 16-06-2012, 13:20

Yeah well VM fixing their network has been work in progress for four years now...

... Still not seeing any promise there either.

Chrysalis · 16-06-2012, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by one2escape

Its all starting to look gloomly for VM now. BT seem to have upped there game and with Sky also getting fibre now VM need to pull out something. Im seriously thinking for jumping ship.

BT have even done a shock move for exclusive football rights so they strengthen their tv package.

So now we have.

Sky and BT both access to FTTC.
Sky and BT both exclusive football rights.