Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Hi, just found out that DVB-C2 which allows 30% extra bandwidth was finalised last year and sony have a prototype tv ready, is virgin considering adding DVB-C2 support to their V+, V HD and Tivo boxes anytime soon to futureproof them for whenever virgin bites the bullet and upgrades to DVB-C2?

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

The problem is the old pace boxes wont be able to handle it, this would mean a huge mass swapout to samsung 2110s or newer

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

i think you might be meaning mpeg4 as no virgin boxes use DVB-C2 tuners not even the new tivo box.

I was just wondering if their v hd, v+ and tivo boxes were going to be re-released with dvb-c2 tuners in the near future.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

As far as I know, it's not just a case of issuing new boxes with the changed tuners. They would need to change every box on the network (in much the same way they are currently doing for analogue). The cost involved in doing this, together with the fact it will only give a 30% increase in available bandwidth would, I suspect, mean that VM are extremely unlikely to implement DVB-C2.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

no, i don't mean replace every box i mean just issue new boxes with dvb-c2 tuners to new customers and give them to customers when their boxes go faulty. That way you upgrading all customers to dvb-c2 boxes in a few years time will cost less as a large portion of your users will have capable boxes.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

it would take a very long time and a newer tech could be available by then.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

It will never happen , they want everyone on TIVO within the next few years so why not stop supplying the V+ PVR as an option to new customers and just have the two TIVO options , maybe that's to logical.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Bear in mind that VM have not long stopped sending out Pace boxes, and are still sending out refurbished Scientific Atlanta TV Drives.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

DVB-C2 wouldn't just require new STBs. The entire broadcast system would need replacing.

VM did this only last year (the NGTV project) which gives enough capacity for years to come. There is no need to do it all over again.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

This is suited more to European countries who use DVB-C as we do DVB-T, so their equivalent of Freeview can have more HD channels. If Virgin were ever near to capacity all they have to do is terminate contracts for the lesser channels instead of spending millions of pounds on this.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

There's far cheaper ways for VM to solve any bandwidth issues, switching to mpeg4 for one (which would only require replacement of the SA V+) and switching to switched digital video.

They really have no need to look at dvb-c2 for a long time.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

yeah, i wasn't meaning in the short term as it would cost a bomb but in the long term it would be in virgin's interest to get dvb-c2 tuners in boxes asap.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Yeah i've never understood why Virgin are leting people move their old V+ boxes to different rooms free upon purchase of TiVo when virgin are ultimatley gonna do away with the V+ :confused:
Why not tell them it aint poss, replace existing V+ with TiVo and offer them a free V HD box as part of TiVo purchase / install.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Yes this is very true and I had not thought of this:confused: But now you have mentioned it, It all makes no sense at all:confused:

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Would that be a free V HD box plucked from the magic everlasting STB tree? Or one that VM have to pay for?

It keeps users happy because they can keep their recordings, and avoids scrapping what are often very new boxes. There's a good few years left in the V+ yet.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

They've just spend tens of millions on hardware for the NGTV project that will free up considerable bandwidth by allowing them to switch unwatched channels off on an area-by-area basis, amongst other things. They are likely to want to get the best out of this system before they look at upgrading it. This will probably take a good few years, in the meantime, DVB-C3 will be out.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

maybe virgin could create a way to transfer recordings from v+ scientifica to samsung or tivo box via the usb port using a usb to usb cable, that way users wouldn't lose their recordings.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

USB to USB isn't possible as both boxes would be powering the cable, ethernet would work. I collected 2 sa8300s today. Thought they were finished!

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

The Samsung V+HD is a decent box , however the SA V+ looked like a Ferguson videostar all it was missing was a remote on a wire LOL :D it does produce a great SD picture though.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

yeah the SA looks horrible, i like the look of my samsung box, very attractive imo, shame its not fanless. Roll on Mpeg4 for HD! I hope virgin would keep the AC3 for audio instead of using HE-AAC like freeview hd.

I'd quite like to see new freeview channels and rebranded channels to be launched on dvb-t2 using h264 and HE-AAC, this would force people to get freeview hd boxes and tv's, a bit like how e4 and bbc3 were used for new tv shows to encourage people to go digital. As the uk govt will be looking to switch to dvb-t2 and mpeg4 in several years from now, anyway thats getting off topic.

btw h.265 is due to be ratified in 2013, even more uncertainty for us to worry about :P

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Even if this was possible, it would take hours to copy on the Samsung V+, and days (weeks?) on the SA. Never going to happen.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

100mbit would be 11mb/s. 1hr of recording would be 6gb ish, most people don't have that many hours of recordings on.

Re: Virgin to use DVB-C2?
 

Well, the specification of h.264 was ratified in 2003, and it didn't really receive widespread use until around 2007/2008, so at this rate, we won't need to worry about h.265 until around 2018.