Is this the future???

[brianivor]

I have analog TV only at the moment and a postcode check tells me that I cannot get Freeview now or in the future.

However, I am in a VM cable area.

I have been very tempted by the facilities promoted by Virgin for their V+box but being a belt and braces man, I have just spent two hours going through these Forums to see what I can expect if I go the cable digital route.

Oh, how I wish I hadn't!

The V+box seems to be giving people so many problems in setting it up and getting their other equipment (TV VCR DVD) to work with it - so many connections - so many permutations of wiring - so many settings to change.

I have had none of these problems with analogue - a few less channels true, but the picture quality is quite satisfactory (Yes I have seen HD from demo discs in Currys) and recording and archiving a program is simple.

Yes, I am missing out in some ways, but at my age I do not want the hassle experienced by you early adopters. I am computer literate, but it seems to me that far too little control has been exercised by the Audio/Video bodies over the years and development of new technology has allowed so many standards and protocols to be marketed which conflict with each other.

Surely with such a huge retail market available to electronics companies they could have come up with a standard protocol to simplify linking all this lovely kit together?

Sometimes I think the public are just being used as guinea pigs: Get the new equipment on the market as soon as it half works to make some money for more research and we'll let the public have all the initial aggravation and tell us what needs to be done to complete the task of putting a half decent item of equipment on the market.

Despite all this I would LOVE to go digital but in view of what I have read here today, I think I might wait till analogue is switched of in (for me) 2012 and I am forced to experience the problems you guys are having - maybe they will have it sorted by then!

Please would somebody tell me I have got it all wrong??

[Hugh]

Some people have had problems, and they (quite rightly) are vociferous in their denunciation of the shoddy service/goods they have received.

Others have had good service (I am one of them) - a large factor is (I believe) where you are located, whether you get the ex-NTL or ex-TW V+, and how (over)subscribed your UBR is.

If you post your (rough) geographical location, perhaps people from your area can tell you what sort of service they have received.

Hope this helps.

btw, welcome to the forum.

[brianivor]

Thanks Foreverwar,

It was good to get that off my chest!

Your advice makes sense, accordingly I would advise that I am in the exTelewest area of Basildon in Essex but I have to say that I wasn't picking on VM particularly just the fact that technical improvements seem to come at the price of user frustration.

[MovedGoalPosts]

Remember that the very nature of forums is they attract those having problems, rather than those who are satisfied. Inevitably therefore many posts are negative.

It's worth remembering that cable is like most modern technology, it continues to evolve in the face of competition. New ideas are continually being developed. You only have to look at the average computer to realise how much more today's model does compared to last years, and yet the rollout of patches and updates for the computer hardware and software continues unabated. The same is happening with cable, as new facilities such as V+, or faster broodband are launched such that the network never gets to a point that one might consider it stable that it's only bugs that need fixing.

[Ernie_C]

I have analog TV only at the moment and a postcode check tells me that I cannot get Freeview now or in the future.

However, I am in a VM cable area.

I'll apologise in advance but I simply don't believe that - the postcode checker MUST be wrong.

If you can get an analogue signal today and you are in a VM area (likely to be a built-up area) then I cannot accept that you will not have a strong Freeview signal when your area is eventually converted to digital.

Perhaps the postcode checker only checks today's position and not the position when your analogue signal is turned off and the new digital one turned on??

[lostandconfused]

I'll apologise in advance but I simply don't believe that - the postcode checker MUST be wrong.

If you can get an analogue signal today and you are in a VM area (likely to be a built-up area) then I cannot accept that you will not have a strong Freeview signal when your area is eventually converted to digital.

Perhaps the postcode checker only checks today's position and not the position when your analogue signal is turned off and the new digital one turned on??

If it was the freeview website, i dont think its very accurate.

I bought my parents a freeview box for christmas, as an afterthought i checked their website and they said no signal until 2012.

It was too late to take it back so we gave it a go over christmas and got a perfect reception.

It may well be that they are covering their back because they dont want to say yes it is people go out and buy a box and it not work.

[brianivor]

Thanks for your comments friends.

If the Freeview site is not accurate, are there any alternatives sites please?

I always thought it strange that Freeview would not ensure an area like Basildon had a good service - I guess I will have to beg or borrow a Freeview box on trial to see what happens, but I guess like the old Telewest digibox you will only be able to record and watch one channel - the reason I was hoping great things of the V+box.

[icstm]

Just to be clear around London it is very possible to have poor terestial signals (DTV or analogue)
High rises and other reasons can leave you "in the Shadow of Crystal Palace"

Granted, when the Analogue signal are switched off Freeview reception will improve, but the problems will remain as I beleive that the peak power will not be as high (even if total signal power is maintained).

As for being given an indication of how good VM will be in my area: I live in Battersea SW11. No idea if I am ex NTL or TW

tia

[Ernie_C]

Just to be clear around London it is very possible to have poor terestial signals (DTV or analogue)
High rises and other reasons can leave you "in the Shadow of Crystal Palace"

Granted, when the Analogue signal are switched off Freeview reception will improve, but the problems will remain as I beleive that the peak power will not be as high (even if total signal power is maintained).

As for being given an indication of how good VM will be in my area: I live in Battersea SW11. No idea if I am ex NTL or TW

tia

This is your capital city you are talking about? London?

[MovedGoalPosts]

And why should it surprise anybody to find that London isn't perfect, and suffers from infrastructure and investment issues, just as much as other parts of the country?

[colin-bennett]

And why should it surprise anybody to find that London isn't perfect, and suffers from infrastructure and investment issues, just as much as other parts of the country?

Good point.

[Hom3r]

I beleive in most cases, buying a freeview roof arial will help get a signal

[icstm]

This is your capital city you are talking about? London?

My capital? It is the capital of the UK and the Commonwealth...

[Don Mac]

:angel:I have analog TV only at the moment and a postcode check tells me that I cannot get Freeview now or in the future.

However, I am in a VM cable area.

I have been very tempted by the facilities promoted by Virgin for their V+box but being a belt and braces man, I have just spent two hours going through these Forums to see what I can expect if I go the cable digital route.

Oh, how I wish I hadn't!

The V+box seems to be giving people so many problems in setting it up and getting their other equipment (TV VCR DVD) to work with it - so many connections - so many permutations of wiring - so many settings to change.

I have had none of these problems with analogue - a few less channels true, but the picture quality is quite satisfactory (Yes I have seen HD from demo discs in Currys) and recording and archiving a program is simple.

Yes, I am missing out in some ways, but at my age I do not want the hassle experienced by you early adopters. I am computer literate, but it seems to me that far too little control has been exercised by the Audio/Video bodies over the years and development of new technology has allowed so many standards and protocols to be marketed which conflict with each other.

Surely with such a huge retail market available to electronics companies they could have come up with a standard protocol to simplify linking all this lovely kit together?

Sometimes I think the public are just being used as guinea pigs: Get the new equipment on the market as soon as it half works to make some money for more research and we'll let the public have all the initial aggravation and tell us what needs to be done to complete the task of putting a half decent item of equipment on the market.

Despite all this I would LOVE to go digital but in view of what I have read here today, I think I might wait till analogue is switched of in (for me) 2012 and I am forced to experience the problems you guys are having - maybe they will have it sorted by then!

Please would somebody tell me I have got it all wrong??

---------- Post added at 17:50 ---------- Previous post was at 17:17 ----------

I can see why your so cheesed off with VM' and confused as to not being able to access digital services. From my part I have been with VM latterly NTL for a number of
years and have apart from a few gliches had good service. Recently had V+ box installed and engineers left without fixing cable to allow HD tv through set, this caused me some problems, but with help of forum member was able to successfully install myself.I really understand your frustation and hope you can resolve same as you really are missing out on a superb media so much better than steam analogue tv.
Cheers Don Mac.

[Stuart]

Thanks for your comments friends.

If the Freeview site is not accurate, are there any alternatives sites please?

I always thought it strange that Freeview would not ensure an area like Basildon had a good service -
DTT (the system Freeview uses) is unusually susceptible to interference from objects, so a heavily built up area would probably cause it as many problems as a rural area. The only way around this is to boost the power of the signal. As I understand it, Freeview have embarked on a programme of upgrades to the transmitters that will allow them to do this, but it is a huge, costly job and will take time. It's also why the digital switchover date is later in heavily populated areas .

I guess I will have to beg or borrow a Freeview box on trial to see what happens, but I guess like the old Telewest digibox you will only be able to record and watch one channel - the reason I was hoping great things of the V+box.

I don't know precisely how Freeview tested reception for their postcode checker, or even if they did. They may just have calculated the data based on the postcode's proximity to the transmitter. Either way, the data can sometimes be wrong.

I would suggest you try a Freeview box for a few days. See what sort of reception you get.

As for recording one channel while watching another, well, as with the standard Virgin boxes, this isn't possible on a standard Freeview box. However, various companies have created boxes with similar functionality to the v+. Just look for the Twin tuner boxes (each tuner picks up one channel). Some are listed at http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/freeviewboxes.html

[hedgie]

I have analog TV only at the moment and a postcode check tells me that I cannot get Freeview now or in the future.

However, I am in a VM cable area.

I have been very tempted by the facilities promoted by Virgin for their V+box but being a belt and braces man, I have just spent two hours going through these Forums to see what I can expect if I go the cable digital route.

Oh, how I wish I hadn't!

The V+box seems to be giving people so many problems in setting it up and getting their other equipment (TV VCR DVD) to work with it - so many connections - so many permutations of wiring - so many settings to change.

I have had none of these problems with analogue - a few less channels true, but the picture quality is quite satisfactory (Yes I have seen HD from demo discs in Currys) and recording and archiving a program is simple.

Yes, I am missing out in some ways, but at my age I do not want the hassle experienced by you early adopters. I am computer literate, but it seems to me that far too little control has been exercised by the Audio/Video bodies over the years and development of new technology has allowed so many standards and protocols to be marketed which conflict with each other.

Surely with such a huge retail market available to electronics companies they could have come up with a standard protocol to simplify linking all this lovely kit together?

Sometimes I think the public are just being used as guinea pigs: Get the new equipment on the market as soon as it half works to make some money for more research and we'll let the public have all the initial aggravation and tell us what needs to be done to complete the task of putting a half decent item of equipment on the market.

Despite all this I would LOVE to go digital but in view of what I have read here today, I think I might wait till analogue is switched of in (for me) 2012 and I am forced to experience the problems you guys are having - maybe they will have it sorted by then!

Please would somebody tell me I have got it all wrong??


All I can say is the installation of my V+ has been simple, the box works. I am in an ex NTL(Nynex) area. Best upgrade I have done. HDMI alone is worth the upgrade, if only to get rid those SCART connectors! I use a splitter to get Composite video and audio to my recorder so that elininates SCART issues.

Being critical the volume does not seem to work but there are threads regarding programming the volume on the V+ remote So even this minor gripe should be fixable.