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-   -   Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=4850)

Jonboy 03-12-2003 23:07

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 08:28

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Chill!!

Everyone else gets the same problem, it isn't just confined to your box.

Bizarre 04-12-2003 08:38

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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!

Jonboy 04-12-2003 10:38

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 10:44

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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.

Lew 04-12-2003 11:02

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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?

Jonboy 04-12-2003 12:44

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 13:29

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 22:44

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by zoombini
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:

Maggy 06-12-2003 23:01

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by poolking
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. :)

magpie 18-01-2004 18:32

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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.

BBKing 18-01-2004 20:25

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 20:30

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 20:35

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Ahh theres that name we never tire of hearing, NTL.

Bizarre 18-01-2004 21:33

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 21:46

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bizarre
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 01:15

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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. :)

Lew 19-01-2004 01:29

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 07:26

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan David
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.

KenK 19-01-2004 20:21

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan David
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 20:38

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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.

Maggy 21-01-2004 18:36

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 18:52

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Incognitas
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.

Maggy 21-01-2004 18:56

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Proppinupthebar
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 19:02

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Sensible people are in bed at that hour ;-)

Maggy 21-01-2004 19:06

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Proppinupthebar
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;)

Gareth 09-03-2004 00:12

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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. ;)

Jonboy 09-03-2004 02:09

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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:

BBKing 09-03-2004 07:12

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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 08:28

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonboy
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 08:49

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by BBKing
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)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proppinupthebar
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 09:31

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan David
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

Tristan 09-03-2004 10:31

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by SMHarman
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.

gohadz 09-03-2004 11:38

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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!

magpie 09-03-2004 12:40

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by SMHarman
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.

asdf 09-03-2004 12:43

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
Hopefully this should all be fixed by LCR3 which is being rolled out imminently?

Jonboy 09-03-2004 21:16

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
this blanking of the screen has been a problem for atleast 4 yrs that i know of and its geting worse not better

Jonboy 13-04-2004 01:43

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
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

Paul 13-04-2004 02:04

Re: Why Cant Ntl Update Over Night
 
It is in the process of being rolled out.

See http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=9077


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