NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I now have tv drive, but am having a few issues and was just wondering other peoples take on them:

i. Frame skipping quite regularly on both live and recorded tv.
ii. Grainy hdtv picture (almost like a poor analogue pic, not sure why)
iii. Box not responding to remote contol button pushes then trying to process all 20 button pushes at once 1-2 minutes later.
iv. Box requiring to be reset peiodically.
v. Box not sending a signal an autoswitching signal over hdmi the way it does with scart connections.
vi. Lack of hdtv content other than bbc hd (although i kind of expected that one.
vii. Lack of VOD content, especially bbc content.

Overall I thinkt he box could be very good, if only the above were properly addressed.

What do you guys think?

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

i) Not suffered that problem at all on mine.
ii) I've noticed it a little grainy too. It does seem like a good picture, but doesn't seem as perfect as I thought it would be.
iii) aye, it really does suffer from that a lot. Just got to wait and not press the buttons otherwise it goes mental when it catches up. Hopefully software updates will fix this.
iv) Reset it a couple of times so far today (just got it installed at midday, but again I think software updates will help solve this kinda thing
v) My TV seems to boot up in HDMI mode.
vi) Aye, very little HD content. Hopefully Sky will sell NTL some stuff at some point.
vii) I've noticed that Torchwood is missing, and it was there with my regular STB.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

i Happened a few times so far
ii Can't comment yet as I have SDTV
iii Major pain, happens all too frequently on my TVDrive
iv Also seems to randomly reboot without user intervention
v HDMI does not carry a WSS signal like Scart
vi Non existant HD content but mainly used as a PVR for now
vii Can I have my Samsung box and TiVo back, please?

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Guys the TV drive is still work in progress, gradually there will be more HD stuff appearing and the box will get more stable. Here in Glasgow I have had the box since early Oct and there is a big difference from then till now. There was a small update to Glasgow yesterday which fixed a few things and has made the box more stable.

Stop moaning about the box not working properly as it is still being tested and improvments are constantly being worked on.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I have experiences a lot of the above, but to be honest, it is no worse that the problems the original DTV platform had from the beginning. I got on with that and I'll get on with this. The most crucial things about the TVDrive is the recording aspect and that has yet to fail :)

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Oh that's right - not as if we're paying for a service or anything!

I think people have a right to vent if they are paying 10-15 quid a month for something that isnt working properly - I'm sure Sales arent telling people is still being tested so expect some teething problems...

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Thats mainly why its only available in certain areas at the moment. The main aspect of the box is the recording facility and that is working, and they aren't really mentioning the HD in the promotional leaflets as its still not fully operational.

Most of it is down to them getting the modified Telewest epg working on the NTL network.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

The killer for me is the remote control bug. Last night the wife was fast forwarding through the ad-break in Corrie St and the TVDrive would not respond to any commands and she cursed as the entire second half unfolded before her eyes in 16x speed before the box went into spasms and it processed all the queued button pushes at once.

Is this a network return path problem, a liberate software problem, or a flaw in the hardware? Either way it needs worked on now!!

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Liberate problem i think, either that or hardware. Not enough processing power to do everything at once... Which could be dodgy coding, or underpowered boxes.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

exactly, I'm not worried about HD content - it will come, but the basic functions of the PVR should work reliably

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I recieved an update yesterday which was to address the box response problem, as soon as it has been seen to work better then I am sure the update will be given to everyone.

Try reseting the box and leaving for 10 mins before using. I don't know if it will help but thats what we were instructed to do.

If you think its bad now you should have seen it at the start of October!

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Is there any proceedure to force an update on TVDrive such as powering up with down arrow pressed etc in case I have missed one.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

That's all well and good, but it ain't as if NTL are giving it away free DY :) You can't tell people not to moan about a product they've bought because it's "work in progress" :)

That said, I'm very happy with the TV Drive. The recording facility is just brilliant and within a day has totally changed the way I watch TV. It's just so easy, and as I no longer have to mess about with a video and tapes I'm finding I'm recording a lot more shows and watching them.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Bet that's what Sky customers felt like.



TWO BLOODY YEARS AGO.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Last night and during the night my TVDrive went into loops of rebooting itself continually. I could only stop it by pulling the power cable.

Anybody else had this?

I also get notification of 'update received' every night between 10pm and midnight.

Cheers

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I'm getting the reboot thing with a fuzzy picture when it decides to do it so I'm guessing there's some kind of update going on and the box can't handle it. I then need to reset the box/settings before it'll come back on my TV.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

It's a software problem as i get this ocassionally on my TV Drive (on the Telewest network) you will find the clock counter will freeze and none of the buttons respond on the remote and when the clock counter unfreezes the remote become operable again.

It's a bug that does need sorting out :erm:

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I've been finding a few of my programmes not recording properly. I recorded Salvage Squad and on playing it back, it showed the LAST 10 minutes FIRST, then gave me a minute of corruption, before starting to play the START of the recording.

Also had two movies stop after about 20 minutes, telling me the recording was finished.

The BBC HD stuff is terrible quality also.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Hello ive had my box near a wireless router belkin and i found the box was very slow to respond to the remote moved it to another room and it was more responsive .Had it in the office today and it behaved itself all day hope this info might help someone:tu: ;)

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I still have the problem I mentioned earlier in the thread.

EVERY morning I get up to find the TVDrive continually rebooting itself and the only way to stop it is to pull the power cable. This morning after powering back on, the box rebooted about 4 times every couple of minutes (on one occasion it booted back up to the sound dropping in and out). I'm keen to hear if this is familiar to anybody else prior to calling CS.

Cheers

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

When the box boots up it goes to ch 999 does the picture roll and it becomes unwatchable ? Then change to another ch and go back to 999 is it ok .We had a test box that did this and it kept rebooting we reset the levels to the box and it was fine .This box kept rebooting all day it could be the levels or the box :)

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Hi Ned

When it goes into its reboot loop, it doesn't even get to the point of showing channel 999. In fact, I don't even think the 'powering on' splash screen with the plug picture appears. I'll check this tomorrow morning. I tend not to bother switching on the TV until I've powered the box off/on.

Sounds like a faulty box?

Thanks for the quick response.

Cheers

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

The problem still exists and in fact is worse. It's doing it at various times all day. Anytime I call up I am told 'the systems are down can you call back in a couple of hours'. If that's the case every time I call (over the past four days), then either I am just very unlucky or CS are just not interested in helping. I know where the smart money is.

Is anybody able to help or offer any suggestions.

TIA

Cheers

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I'm chiming in to this thread too. The software is just appaulling. Tivo, 4 years or more ago, had far more impressive features.

1. Why can't NTL download the TV Guide locally to the HDD on the TV Drive so that it is far more responsive. I'm fed up navigating sluggish screens and finding that it's lost the programme information anyway. With a cached database, not only is it more responsive, but you can search by pgm name and get instant results. Heck, Tivo had a month in advance.

2. What's with the Parental Lock. There's no option to remove it. Why?

3. The remote bug is annoying as hell.

Number 1 above, to me, is inexcusable in a PVR. What's the point of having a PVR if the TV Guide is virtually unusable. I could sit down with Tivo and spend a 10 mins setting it up to record every TV show I watch with a season pass. I could even tell it only to record new episodes that had never appeared on UK TV before. With NTL I have to SLOWLY navigate through a weeks TV on every channel to find anything, and 9/10 the guide data is missing anyway. What a let down.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

i have a pace box which is sooo slow, my grandparents have just upgraded to ntl digital from analogue and have been lucky enough to have been given a silver samsung box which is lightning fast .... can anyone tell me that the new tvdrive is faster than the samsung , because if it isnt it will be a massive let down as i am wanting rid of this stoneage pace box:(

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

My TVDrive (on the rare occasion that it's not rebooting itself) is slower than my Pace in channel changing, although appears faster when just browsing across the TV guide.

I would suggest that if you were to get a TVDrive anytime soon you would, as you have suggested, fell massively 'let down'. Some major software improvements are required sooner rather than later, certainly to improve the 'service' being afforded us guinea pigs (at full cost).

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

thanks for that advice, in leeds its not out till january so hopefully by then it should be running better

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I hope so. It would be good if it all settled down before crimbo.

Cheers

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Channel changing will always be a little slow, as with tivo, because there'll be a slight delay behind what is displayed and Live TV in order to cope with caching the pgm on the HDD for pause and what not. Certainly that's how Tivo worked and this appears no different in that regard. Your best to use Favs or Mini Guide rather than channel hopping.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I have had a Pace 4000, a Samsung and a TiVo and without a doubt the TVDrive is slower and less responsive than any of them.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I think these posts have confirmed what my old daddy always said never buy into a new release always wait for "mark 2".:monkey:

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

agreed. but saying that, what version of channel changing software are they on? is it really that difficult?

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

A lot of the problems being reported in this thread are happening to ordinary stbs also. Last night I lost 4 channels here in Belfast, box was freezing and no response to remote. I rebooted the box and got back my missing channels and the remote became more responsive for a while. When I went to collect my wife from her mates house I discovered that she had the same problems and this morning in work two friends were discussing similar problems so I would guess that there is some kind of whole network problem rather than stbs of whatever kind

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

how do you know when you've had an update? i've had tv drive for a week, and the ongoing problems that go with it, but i thot i read on a post that there was an update yesterday? was there?

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I've had a digi STB for years and never had a single issue or need to phone CS. A soon as I get a TVDrive, CS may as well be speed-dial number 1 on my phone. Most times you mention 'TVDrive' though, panic sets in and all of a sudden 'call back in a couple of hours, systems are down'.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Didnt say I have had much problems in the past. Just this last two weeks and a reboot usually fixes it

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

My TVDrive would try the patience of a saint. NTL insist these are software faults which will be fixed in the next revision so essentially it is a "work in progress".

I've asked this before but is there any way to display the current software version and/or a way to force a download of the newest firmware?

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

The STB will get the latest software when it's being played out on the network. You can't force it I'm afraid.

As to finding out the version I believe it's v2.0.14.1 - was told by a resident NTL expert. The only way to find out is if you accessed the engineers menu, which I don't know how to do (and anyway I wouldn't recommend doing do) :)

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Had the following message come up on screen about 1 hour ago:

"TV Drive currently unavailable, please try later"

I have rebooted twice but to no avail. Does anyone know if this a network problem, or is it the box that is failing?

I am worried as I have over 40 hours of stuff to watch :mad:

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

It possibly means your entitlement to use the TVDrive service has been removed (e.g., if you're not being billed for it). Check the front panel - does it say Live TV? If not, give Customer Services a ring on 150 from an ntl phone line - a signal can be sent to re-enable it remotely.

Alternatively, the hard disk drive inside the box might have failed. This will require a box swap to fix, and you will lose all your recordings. :(

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Mine was rebooting frequently for a week or so then got the unavailable message for 3 days until an engineer appeared.

Box got swapped to resolve it. It's a pain when you have stuff recorded.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Weve had problems today with new installs today with boxes not locking on :)

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

Has there been a problem today with getting smartcards paired up? Came home to my new TV Drive but no channels other the the basic 4

*Edit*

Well forget that, just after 1am all my channels came on. If anyone out there did that, please step forward :)

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

I dont see why there should always be a delay. My parents have Sky+ and it changes channels just fine.

Re: NTL TV Drive Problems
 

i've had basic 4 channels for over a week now, due to the box serial number and smatcard number being different from what NTL have on their account record for me. I have given them the correct details for both every day for the last 7 days, and still find myself on the phone to them evryday trying to get my channels put on to no avail...NTL...waste of space