View Full Version : Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
i am really geting hacked off with ntl now their update process seems to start at 22:00Hrs onwards about four times the damm screen goes blank allways in the middle of a good film or program why the hell cant they do it in the early hours of the morning when all the crap programs are on i for one have had enough of this i am going to start to be a pain in the butt a thorn in their side so to speak untill something is done about this or at least get a satisfactory answer to the problem i am fully satisfied with the rest of the service but be warned ntl i aint going to give up on this one (i know you mob read these forums )
poolking
04-12-2003, 09:28
Chill!!
Everyone else gets the same problem, it isn't just confined to your box.
I don't think Jonboy was suggesting it is just his box.
I agree, it is annoying and have read elsewhere that it should not be happening. Somebody from ntl: expressed suprise that it is!
i know its not just me this is happening to but something needs to be done about it. they have been looking into this problem for about a year now and still no fix pure idleness and as no one complains and thinks its the norm nothin will be done come on ntl you take my money every month what about sorting it
handyman
04-12-2003, 11:44
Chill,
2 of the peeps on this forum are on the case. Its not just the case of flicking a switch all done. Needs pressure on pace to improve the software and that software needs testing on box's using live ntl data.
In the meantime why can't they move the updates from 00:10 to some time like 03:10 when fewer people are likely to be affected?
yes that would be a better time to do it imho
because all they are going to do is loose customers i for one am starting to be drawn elseware because of it and i dont really want to go because i am real happy with all other aspects of ntl so far and have been for 5 yrs now
zoombini
04-12-2003, 14:29
Changing the times of the updates would require altering the clock section of th eupdate program and that cannot be done as NTL lost the instructions to it.
:D :D :D
poolking
06-12-2003, 23:44
Changing the times of the updates would require altering the clock section of th eupdate program and that cannot be done as NTL lost the instructions to it.
:D :D :D
That sounds like NTL. :LOL:
That sounds like NTL. :LOL:
Hmm!Come to think of it I wonder how many instructions I've lost or mislaid somewhere in this house. :scratch:
Incog. :)
I was watching Pulp Fiction on Sky1 a few days ago and the picture blanked at 12.10, as usual. However, when the picture came back, there was the spinning green 'Audio' logo over the bottom right corner! Never seen this before - a bug I hope will be gone with the next release.
All this is why our change windows are 1am to 5am three days a week, so there shouldn't be any changes to DTV outside those times.
What changes are these anyway? What actually changes? Software updates on STBs are really slow, complicated things that take months to plan and execute, with the express intention of not messing customers around.
We do realise that blanking people's screens during peak times is bad news, which is why we have 1am to 5am change windows (I've done enough of them!).
Proppinupthebar
18-01-2004, 21:30
This is a known issue. We have a fix which will be rolled out after some more testing but the blanking at 00:10 is unavoidable until hopefully the next STB code is sent out.
MadGamer
18-01-2004, 21:35
Ahh theres that name we never tire of hearing, NTL.
My screen starts blanking at 22:10 & 23:10 never mind 00:10...
However, I'm no longer too bothered, as I'm off to Sky+.
Proppinupthebar
18-01-2004, 22:46
My screen starts blanking at 22:10 & 23:10 never mind 00:10...
However, I'm no longer too bothered, as I'm off to Sky+.
Like I said we are testing a fix for all but the 00:10 blanking.
Good luck with Sky +
Jonathan David
19-01-2004, 02:15
I really can't believe how people can be upset with a very small 'blanking' of channels at a certain time every day.
It happens just live with it. :)
I can easily believe it when it happens while you're trying to tape a film. That's why people have been asking for the update to happen at some time like 4AM.
poolking
19-01-2004, 08:26
I really can't believe how people can be upset with a very small 'blanking' of channels at a certain time every day.
It happens just live with it. :)
Not when it happens several times over a 20 minute span.
I really can't believe how people can be upset with a very small 'blanking' of channels at a certain time every day.
It happens just live with it. :)Upset? No - but it can be annoying ... just as the vital clue to the identity of the baddie is being unveiled, off goes the picture and sound for a few seconds ... 15 secs later, just as you're catching up on what it might have been, off they go again ... and again! And all so that the EPG can be updated. 00.10 is NOT a good time for this; roll on BST, when the update moves to 01:10 :)
Proppinupthebar
19-01-2004, 21:38
Up until about two years ago it used to happen every 6 hours at least! The situation had been improved to a single bout of flashing at 00:10. However theres a few unforeseen issues which mean theres been more impacts than there should have been. These issues will be taken care of soon. The next STB code should also get rid of the flashing at 00:10.
So when does the EPG get updated then?
I ask because ours always seems to be displaying information unavailable around about 6pm and before that it's just fine.
I think the only update it ever gets is if I reboot(unplug).
Proppinupthebar
21-01-2004, 19:52
So when does the EPG get updated then?
I ask because ours always seems to be displaying information unavailable around about 6pm and before that it's just fine.
I think the only update it ever gets is if I reboot(unplug).
Which platform are you on? On Langley the Now next info rolls over at 00:10 GMT every night. The playout system swops from playing the previous day's info to playing out the new day's. There's no reason why your now next info should stop at 6pm every night.
Which platform are you on? On Langley the Now next info rolls over at 00:10 GMT every night. The playout system swops from playing the previous day's info to playing out the new day's. There's no reason why your now next info should stop at 6pm every night.
well I've never noticed it at that hour.
Proppinupthebar
21-01-2004, 20:02
Sensible people are in bed at that hour ;-)
Sensible people are in bed at that hour ;-)
I have to rebel in some way and most of the programes I like are on much later.Pity a few soaps aren't put on later;)
Just found this thread, and I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one affected by this problem and that I'm not the only one that is annoyed by it. ;)
i wonder if they will fix this very very annoying problem before they start the metered modem service i very much doubt it i was chating to a ntl engineer and he said they are aware of the problem the only way to start geting something done about it would be to start calling faults in and geting engineers out then someone with half a brain might take notice and do something about it :banghead: cos he feels ntl aint bothered
as long as nobody moans his words not mine but it does look that way :shrug:
Er - Mr. Proppinupthebar has said it's known about and will be fixed in the next download of code. Not good, but not 'not bothered'.
zoombini
09-03-2004, 09:28
i wonder if they will fix this very very annoying problem before they start the metered modem service <snip>
What metered modem service?
SMHarman
09-03-2004, 09:49
All this is why our change windows are 1am to 5am three days a week, so there shouldn't be any changes to DTV outside those times.
What changes are these anyway? What actually changes? Software updates on STBs are really slow, complicated things that take months to plan and execute, with the express intention of not messing customers around.
We do realise that blanking people's screens during peak times is bad news, which is why we have 1am to 5am change windows (I've done enough of them!).
But these are not software updates persay, but database updates of the program guide (all 3 days of it)
This is a known issue. We have a fix which will be rolled out after some more testing but the blanking at 00:10 is unavoidable until hopefully the next STB code is sent out.
Will be nice to see. The blanking is due to the box being overloaded with new program guide information and dealing with that in preference to decoding the picture you are trying to watch. Seems like load management issues in the software. Proppin knows more and as he says a fix is on its way.
It needs to go out around midnight so people know what is on the next day (or the same day as it has become).
themelon
09-03-2004, 10:31
I really can't believe how people can be upset with a very small 'blanking' of channels at a certain time every day.
It happens just live with it. :)
Exactly you get the same with Sky when the 31 bus drives past too!! :D
But these are not software updates persay, but database updates of the program guide (all 3 days of it)
Will be nice to see. The blanking is due to the box being overloaded with new program guide information and dealing with that in preference to decoding the picture you are trying to watch. Seems like load management issues in the software. Proppin knows more and as he says a fix is on its way.
It needs to go out around midnight so people know what is on the next day (or the same day as it has become).
It's not all three days, unless you happen to be watching Front Row. Full listings are only carried on one mux. Neither, I would suggest, is it the box being 'overloaded' -- the data is not sent to it in one big lump, but included in the broadcast stream at the same rate as it had been previously.
Most likely it is just the interruption to the stream, or the discontinuity of the data, that causes the STB to wonder what is going on. In any case, it should be fixed by CR3, so it won't be a problem for too much longer.
Well i got the same problem while watching MTV2 last night when Dirty Sanchez was on, at the start when i pressed select to see the programme synopsis nothing came up, but at the end, after all of the frantic blanking as i called it (i lot tv for about a minuite) i pressed select again and the programme synopsis was up, after that i got no problems to my knowlege until 3AM when i went to bed!
Will be nice to see. The blanking is due to the box being overloaded with new program guide information and dealing with that in preference to decoding the picture you are trying to watch. Seems like load management issues in the software. Proppin knows more and as he says a fix is on its way.
I'd heard that the blanking was the STB retuning to the channel it was on in case the channel has changed frequency or been deleted. It certainly isn't because the new guide is sorted out in preference to decoding the picture, as the STB has separate processors to deal with these (regular processor and MPEG video processor).
Why the guide download can't contain a summary of channel changes, so the STB can work out IF it needs a retune, I have no idea.
Hopefully this should all be fixed by LCR3 which is being rolled out imminently?
this blanking of the screen has been a problem for atleast 4 yrs that i know of and its geting worse not better
Hopefully this should all be fixed by LCR3 which is being rolled out imminently?
well i hope your imminent aint to long,
as i am starting to get annoyed now HULKA MAINIA may rear its ugly head
if something aint done soon :banghead: as i am sure we all feel like this now i aint going to go the usual route of leaveing and going to sky just bloody sort it and soon :bigcry: please please
It is in the process of being rolled out.
See http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=9077
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