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Frank 14-02-2004 15:03
Silver Samsung Box
 
We posted this news article up today and I've created this thread for discussion :)

http://www.nthellworld.co.uk/index.p...ype=news&id=29

I must say I really like the look of the box compared the Pace boxes, and I can see why a lot people may be clammering for one :D

paulyoung666 14-02-2004 15:10
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keyser
We posted this news article up today and I've created this thread for discussion :)

http://www.nthellworld.co.uk/index.p...ype=news&id=29

I must say I really like the look of the box compared the Pace boxes, and I can see why a lot people may be clammering for one :D

but unless it does summat new , which it doesnt then what is the point apart from aesthetics , sorry i am not being negative , just wondering :)

Marge 14-02-2004 15:11
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keyser
I can see why a lot people may be clammering for one :D
I can hear people already, I want a silver box cos my friend has got one :rolleyes: and some dummies being thrown when they hear the answer

Tristan 14-02-2004 15:29
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
It's based on the same chipset as the Pace 4000 boxes, which is a mixed blessing. While it's faster than 1000s and 2000s, many people have found them to be less stable.

Having said that, the Liberate coding for this one has been done by Samsung rather than Pace, so who knows?

I'd like one just for the colour ;)

zendawn 14-02-2004 15:31
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keyser
We posted this news article up today and I've created this thread for discussion :)

http://www.nthellworld.co.uk/index.p...ype=news&id=29

I must say I really like the look of the box compared the Pace boxes, and I can see why a lot people may be clammering for one :D

Like the look of it, just hope it doesnt still freeze liket the old box, and the EPG keeps up todate.

jonifen 14-02-2004 16:48
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
to be honest... I think it looks pretty good. A good thing to know would be if the clock auto-updates from NTL when its been rebooted. My girlfriend has a thing with switching off the wallsocket when rebooting our current STB (which can be a bit dicky at times), and it keeps resetting the video time :(

Looks good though, good news for ntl I think :)

Proppinupthebar 14-02-2004 16:59
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonifen
to be honest... I think it looks pretty good. A good thing to know would be if the clock auto-updates from NTL when its been rebooted. My girlfriend has a thing with switching off the wallsocket when rebooting our current STB (which can be a bit dicky at times), and it keeps resetting the video time :(

Looks good though, good news for ntl I think :)
Theres a time and date table sent out in the data which your box reads, the box doesnt show the time on the front tho, only in the onscreen info. So yes the box does update its clock.

paulyoung666 14-02-2004 17:10
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonifen
to be honest... I think it looks pretty good. A good thing to know would be if the clock auto-updates from NTL when its been rebooted. My girlfriend has a thing with switching off the wallsocket when rebooting our current STB (which can be a bit dicky at times), and it keeps resetting the video time :(

Looks good though, good news for ntl I think :)


well you can but hope , btw :welcome: to the site , and i hope your stay is enjoyable :D :D :D

jonifen 14-02-2004 17:39
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by paulyoung666
well you can but hope , btw :welcome: to the site , and i hope your stay is enjoyable :D :D :D
cheers :)

I was a member of the old nthellworld... but had to re-register recently after finding out about the new forum.

Tristan 14-02-2004 18:03
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
jonifen, what box has your girlfriend got? There are key combinations which will reset them without the need to turn them off at the wall :)

jonifen 14-02-2004 18:13
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
We have the DiTV-1000 box (so it says underneath :p)

Tristan 14-02-2004 18:23
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Press and hold okay, then left, then TV (on the front of the box)

It will magically reboot before your eyes!

jonifen 14-02-2004 18:26
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
nice one, thanks for that!
Will have to try that when I get home :D

to add though...
the silver samsung box would look great with the silver samsung video we have :p

wheeliebin 14-02-2004 18:31
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by paulyoung666
but unless it does summat new , which it doesnt then what is the point apart from aesthetics , sorry i am not being negative , just wondering :)

I attended the training session for this box last week

It seems that the key differences are that there is increased memory (32MB)

And seperate processors for broadcast/broadband

From an engineers point of view there are some nice new pages in the diagnostics pages to aid in fault finding etc.

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Whilst they look like to have made improvements in some key areas i would like to see em out in the franchises for a good spell.

BTW The policy will be that you cant simply demand one cos you have a silver telly. We shall see tho....should be interesting :naughty:

jonifen 14-02-2004 18:44
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheeliebin
BTW The policy will be that you cant simply demand one cos you have a silver telly. We shall see tho....should be interesting :naughty:
Well, our stb has been freezing and causing picture and sound to jitter a lot. It needs rebooting quite a bit too. But its been a bit like this for ages though really, we just never bothered phoning them up as the decision between resetting the stb or waiting for 30mins in a phone queue wasnt that hard to make :D

tbh though, I'll wait till it dies its death and then I'll ask for a shiny silver box :p

wheeliebin 14-02-2004 18:49
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonifen
Well, our stb has been freezing and causing picture and sound to jitter a lot. It needs rebooting quite a bit too. But its been a bit like this for ages though really, we just never bothered phoning them up as the decision between resetting the stb or waiting for 30mins in a phone queue wasnt that hard to make :D

tbh though, I'll wait till it dies its death and then I'll ask for a shiny silver box :p
I would advise you to phone them mate.

This 30mins thing is a myth in the North West (cant speak for the others)

Call anser times are very very good and have been for a while

sirsimon 15-02-2004 03:04
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
ntl are getting better had to cal CS thursday evening due to fault with stb got through in 5 minutes and an engineer called the next morning so i'd say service is improving after all we do pay their wages with our subs!

th'engineer 15-02-2004 09:07
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
I would not mind a samsung understand that they leave the 2000 behind when it comes to cable modems. I am happy with my 2000 STB but would like a samsung as the upload allegedly is better.

BTW this information is collated using my NTL mystic powers:D

Nutty 15-02-2004 17:00
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Yeah my upload speed seems to be quite poor.. I only get mid 20Kps whereas I should be a bit higher..

My only concern is that they're not as unstable as the 4000 series boxes. Hopefully by being made by someone else they wont be.

But I cant believe theres no phono output or digital out. Does ntl think no-one gives a toss about routing sound through amps?? And what about in a few years time when ppl want digital audio, and not 1 single box deployed can even support it? I think they should start deploying boxes now with more advanced features so when the times right at least some ppl in the country will be able to use them.

Or perhaps when digital audio arrives they'll bring a new box out that you can buy. And ppl who say digital audio wont arrive, well if thats the case it's only a matter of time until ntl will go bankrupt.

MovedGoalPosts 15-02-2004 17:24
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
But if you get the Samsung box, do you have to go out and get a heater for your living room too? The energy my 1000 thingy puts out is frightening :Yikes:

MovedGoalPosts 15-02-2004 17:34
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nutty
But I cant believe theres no phono output or digital out. Does ntl think no-one gives a toss about routing sound through amps?? And what about in a few years time when ppl want digital audio, and not 1 single box deployed can even support it? I think they should start deploying boxes now with more advanced features so when the times right at least some ppl in the country will be able to use them.
How can you have a "modern" box without phono output? Makes it useless in my view. How else do you get sound to your Hifi system - makes ntl carrying radio stations pointless, and as for surround surround which my hifi decodes - not the TV, what's the point.

The spaghetti I have coming out the back of my TV, STB, Video, DVD and hifi wouldn't work without a multitude of means of connections. One day I want to upgrade my TV system to one of those silly money plasma screens and modern cinema grade surround sound. I'd expect that to have digital audio feed and want to connect my kit to it.

Another dodgy purchasing choice by ntl then.

asdf 15-02-2004 21:44
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Can you not take the sound from the scart output? That's what I do.

SCART > S-VID and 2 phono. But then again, I've got a display that takes S-VID in, not sure if you cna get SCART > SCART + 2 phono?

Tristan 15-02-2004 22:38
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
The other problem with that, asdf, is that there's only one particular STB (the first revision of the 4001) that outputs s-video. All others use RGB...

MovedGoalPosts 15-02-2004 22:42
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by asdf
Can you not take the sound from the scart output? That's what I do.

SCART > S-VID and 2 phono. But then again, I've got a display that takes S-VID in, not sure if you cna get SCART > SCART + 2 phono?
Probably drifting off topic here but, my current STB has 2 scarts - 1 goes to the TV, the other to the Video. The phono leads go to the Hi-Fi. Then thers the Scart from the DVD & the Xbox whcih go through a switch to the other TV scart, then theres the aerial goes from the outside thing on the chimnet via the STB and Videa to the TV, with a splitter routed a signal upstairs. All gets far too complex really.

The point of the last post was to demonstrate STBs need more not less connectivlty options.

Proppinupthebar 15-02-2004 22:42
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
I think the very first revision had only composite, the second had S vid, from then it was RGB. There have been 5 revisions of the 4001.

Proppinupthebar 15-02-2004 22:55
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts
Probably drifting off topic here but, my current STB has 2 scarts - 1 goes to the TV, the other to the Video. The phono leads go to the Hi-Fi. Then thers the Scart from the DVD & the Xbox whcih go through a switch to the other TV scart, then theres the aerial goes from the outside thing on the chimnet via the STB and Videa to the TV, with a splitter routed a signal upstairs. All gets far too complex really.

The point of the last post was to demonstrate STBs need more not less connectivlty options.
Some of us (me included) have boat loads of kit which we have connected together by every imaginable connector. However, apparently the vast majority of customers have a VCR and a TV only. I am told ntl did surveys to find out how people connected their kit, and it was then decided that the phono connections were mostly unused and therefore not required.

asdf 15-02-2004 23:31
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tristan
The other problem with that, asdf, is that there's only one particular STB (the first revision of the 4001) that outputs s-video. All others use RGB...
No, I meant the other way round as in Scart from STB to S-video.

My current set up is.

STB > Scart > S-Video to TV Tuner Card and 2x Phono to input for sound system.

quadplay 15-02-2004 23:38
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by asdf
not sure if you cna get SCART > SCART + 2 phono?
Yes, you can, though I can't remember where I saw them...

Proppinupthebar 15-02-2004 23:44
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo
Yes, you can, though I can't remember where I saw them...
Maplin.co.uk Search for product code VA23A.

Bugblatter 15-02-2004 23:50
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Why don't NTL give people a choice of replacing their black box with the new Samsung but charge for the privilege? I think quite a lot of people would pay a reasonable amount for the upgrade. It could help NTL speed up phasing in up to date equipment.

Perhaps they plan something like this but with a new box that has a hard drive recorder.

Tristan 15-02-2004 23:57
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bugblatter
Why don't NTL give people a choice of replacing their black box with the new Samsung but charge for the privilege? I think quite a lot of people would pay a reasonable amount for the upgrade. It could help NTL speed up phasing in up to date equipment.
Except that a new Samsung box will likely cost a lot more than the callout fee, and NTL will be stuck with a load of perfectly good Pace boxes...

Frank 16-02-2004 01:07
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Here's the FAQ's which some people may find interesting:


Quote:
Q: When will the Samsung set-top box be made available to customers?

A: From the 10th of February, some customers will start receiving the Samsung box. It will be used for some new DTV customer installs, and for some DTV in-service box swaps.



Q: Which customers will receive the Samsung set-top box?

A: it will be supplied to some new customer installs and to some customers receiving a replacement set-top box via a field service engineer. Please note that install engineers and field service engineers will continue to supply Pace set-top boxes as well as Samsung set-top boxes.



Q: Can new customers choose to have a Samsung box installed?

A: No. At the moment we are unable to offer customers the choice of box type they receive. If a customer becomes very vocal about receiving a silver set-top box, please escalate the call to a senior member of your team.



Q: Can existing customers choose to have their Pace box swapped for a Samsung box?

A: No. At the moment we are unable to arrange for a customer to have their box swapped because of the costs involved in doing this. If a customer becomes very vocal about receiving a silver set-top box, please escalate the call to a senior member of your team.



Q: If a customerââ‚ ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Pace box breaks down, will they get a Samsung box?

A: No. Generally, customers whose Pace boxes fail will receive a replacement Pace box.



Q: If a customerââ‚ ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Samsung box breaks down, will they get another silver box?

A: Yes. Wherever possible we will aim to replace that customerââ‚ ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s box with another silver box.



Q: What are the main differences between the Pace and Samsung set-top boxes?

A: Both Samsung and Pace boxes are similar technically, offering broadly the same levels of performance, and providing access to exactly the same products and services as all existing Pace set-top boxes. There are, however some differences between the Samsung and Pace boxes:



Remote Controls and Keyboards

The Samsung box uses a different remote control and keyboard to the black Pace boxes



The Samsung box offers improved compatibility with devices need to control the set-top box (such as programmable remote controls, high-end VCRs, wireless video senders) etc.



Front Panel Standby Button

The †œstandbyà¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚  button on the front panel of the Samsung box is backlit. It is coloured red when the box is in standby, and green when the box is in normal operation.



Front Panel Service Indicator Lights

Another small difference between Samsung and Pace set-top boxes is that the three †œservice indicatorâ₠¬Â lights on the Samsung box are positioned horizontally (left to right). On the Pace boxes they are positioned vertical (top to bottom). The left hand light flashes when the set-top box receives a command from the remote control or wireless keyboard. The middle light shows the status of the return path (broadband) connection to the box. If the light is off, there is no connection present. If the light is flashing, the box is connecting. If the light is on permanently, the box is connected. The right hand light is not currently used.



Front Panel †œHiddenà€Â  key functions

Pressing, and holding down the †œTVÃƒÂ¢à ¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â, †œOKÃƒÂ¢à ¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â and †œUpÃƒÂ¢à ¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â buttons together on the front panel of the set-top box causes the set-top box to stop receiving commands from the remote control or keyboard. Unplugging the box from the mains and plugging it back in again will return the box to its normal state.



Pressing, and holding down the †œOKÃƒÂ¢à ¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â, †œLeft⠃¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚ and †œRightâ €  buttons together on the front panel of the set-top box will cause the box to re-start



Front Panel †œOpen⠃¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚ Smartcard slot

On Pace boxes, the smartcard is hidden behind a flap on the front panel of the set-top box. On Samsung, the Smartcard is inserted directly into a slot on the front panel. If a customer has lost or damaged their smartcard, please follow the same process as usual for dealing with this issue.



Reminders and STANDBY functionality

If the customer puts the set-top box into standby, no video or audio is output from the TV or VIDEO SCARTS of the box. In addition, if a customer has set a programme reminder which becomes active whilst the box is in standby †“ the box WILL NOT automatically come out of standby to display the reminder and the programme. Advise customers who set programme reminders that they should not put the box into standby if they want the reminders to be activated.



Q: Does the Samsung box offer any new channels of interactive features?

A: No, the Samsung box offers access to exactly the same channel packs and interactive features as all of our existing Pace set-top boxes.



Q: Which replacement remote control should I order for a Samsung customer?

A: The current Bromley grey / black remote will not work with the Samsung box. You must order a different remote control for Samsung customers. Please see below for full details.



Q: Which keyboard should I order for a Samsung customer?

A: The current Bromley keyboard will not work with the Samsung box. You must order a different keyboard for Samsung customers. Please see below for full details.



Q: How do I deal with a customer reporting a problem with a Samsung box?

A: Follow exactly the same procedure as you currently use for dealing with Pace. The online diagnostics tools have been updated to include troubleshooting for the Samsung set-top box.



Q: How can I tell in ICMS if the customer has a Pace or a Samsung set-top box?

A: On the †œCustomer & Account Information Summaryââ‚à ‚¬Ã‚ screen within ICMS you now see the set-top box type (under the STB column). It displays SAMS for Samsung boxes and PACE for Pace boxes.


Q: Iâ₠™ve heard that the Samsung box doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šà ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t support multi-player games? Is that true?

A: Our current Pace boxes have the ability to allow between two and four players, each using a different remote, to play simple games against each other on the same set-top box. In the last few years, only a few games within the Two Way TV service have made use of this functionality. These are now being gradually phased out, and so the technical functionality was not included in the Samsung box.



Q: Can a customer have a Pace box and a Samsung box in the same house? For example, one in the lounge and one in the bedroom?

A: Yes †“ there is no problem with customers having a mixture of Pace and Samsung boxes in the same home. However †“ the customer wonââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t be able to swap the remote controls between the two rooms, as Pace and Samsung boxes use different types of remote control (see above for details)



Q: How can the customer connect the Samsung box to a hifi or surround sound system?

A: The Samsung box does not have Phono audio outputs that allow direct connection into the back of a hi-fi system or surround sound amplifier. If the customer wants to listen to their digital TV service through their hifi, there are various ways in which they can do this †“ depending on what equipment they have in their home.



If the customer has a Video Recorder †“ then most of these have phono audio sockets (usually coloured red and white) that can be connected to the hi-fi by a stereo phono to phono lead. The customer then needs to connect their set-top box to the video recorder using a standard scart-to-scart cable



If the customer does not have a Video Recorder, and wants to connect directly from the set-top box to their hi-fi †“ then they will need to purchase a special scart lead that has a SCART socket at one end and a SCART socket and two or four phono leads (usually coloured red and white) at the other end. The single SCART socket end plugs into the set-top box †“ and the other SCART socket plugs into the TV. Two of the phono leads plug directly into the customerââ‚ ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s hi-fi.


Maplin Electronics stock a suitable lead. The code is VA23A. Maplin have high-street stores nationwide, and a website at www.maplin.co.uk



Q: Some games on the Samsung box donââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t appear to play as quickly as on my old Pace box †“ why is this?

A: The Samsung box should perform as well as the Pace set-top boxes. However †“ if a customer has digital subtitles turned †œonÃƒÂ¢à ¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â, they may notice a drop in the performance of some games on the Samsung set-top box. To solve the problem, customers should turn subtitles off in the †œSETTINGSà¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚à  menu of the GUIDE before playing games.



Q: When I look at teletext services on BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4 or 5 through my TV aerial, I can sometimes see some †œghostingà¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚à  on the screen †“ why is this?

A: This only affects some customers, depending on which model of TV they have. To prevent the ghosting, the customer can put their set-top box into †œStandbyà¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚  while they use the teletext service.



Q: The pictures on my TV sometimes look a bit distorted †“ why is this?

A: Placing a mobile phone too close to the Samsung set-top box can cause problems with the display. Moving the mobile phone away from the set-top box should solve the problem. If not, continue to handle the call in the normal way.

browneggsandham 16-02-2004 12:26
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
I don't know much about this sort of thing, but is it not possible to use a multi-scart adaptor as many of these provide separate audio plugins aswell??

If I'm completely wrong, obviously tell me but it seems like it might work.

Browneggsandham :)

seaneeboy 16-02-2004 13:09
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
They look very nice, in a slightly retro kind of way :)

That said, I've used several samsung products (TV, Vid, DVD, Mobile phone) and they've all been really reliable and intuative... the brand is a real selling point for me, i'm glad they've gone for another well known home electronics brand with a good reputation when I'm SURE there were cheaper, less reliable options open to them. Bit dissapointed by the lack of phono ports, but a split scart would do the trick I suppose... and the fewer things at the back, the fewer things can go wrong with them!!

Frank 16-02-2004 16:06
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by browneggsandham
I don't know much about this sort of thing, but is it not possible to use a multi-scart adaptor as many of these provide separate audio plugins aswell??
That is covered in my post above.

SMHarman 16-02-2004 17:54
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Proppinupthebar
Some of us (me included) have boat loads of kit which we have connected together by every imaginable connector. However, apparently the vast majority of customers have a VCR and a TV only. I am told ntl did surveys to find out how people connected their kit, and it was then decided that the phono connections were mostly unused and therefore not required.
Mine are not used, all sound is routed into the TV and then out to the SS Amp. The Audio Out on the TV is independent of the TV amp and volume. This ensures the viewed source is the same as the audio source. In this set up I only use TV and DVD (6direct) as my two source selections on my AV amp. TV is for broadcast, cable, Playstation and VCR sources.

I'd have to agree with NTL on this one.

Frank 16-02-2004 18:12
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Yep I'd agree with ntl on this one too :D

asdf 18-02-2004 00:12
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
lol, what is the world coming to? :p

Everyone agreeing with ntl? I'd have to agree again in that I'd want the output from the TV, not just the STB to go straight to the amp :)

sirsimon 21-02-2004 02:15
Pace STB V's Samsung STB
 
Hi I am just wondering what this new set top box from samsung is like does anyone have one in their home and how does it compare to the pace boxes available i.e 1000 / 2000 series etc
i have seen a website with some details on it and it sounds like it is pritty good but what is the view of people that have one

simon

(sorry if this is in wrong forum was unsure where to post it)

th'engineer 22-02-2004 09:23
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Not yet still running a 2000

eein 27-02-2004 11:18
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Can anyone confirm that the samsung box is only for the bromley platform? The article says that it suspects so. Would just be interesting to confirm to see if there is any chance of getting on in my Langley area. I suppose it is unlikely as davic's days are numbered (quite a big number, but numbered all the same).

Oh and to answer an earlier question, ntl will have done this to remove reliance on a sole supplier. Using a single supplier is considered very bad business practice, especially for a key part of what you sell. I also suspect that having two suppliers will help ensure they don't get overcharged for them due to competition between samsung and pace.

Stephen 27-02-2004 12:04
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Yes at the moment is only available on the Bromley platrom. However the box uses the Langley remotes.

Nor 27-02-2004 12:51
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Silver is the new black apparantly.

Richard M 27-02-2004 13:05
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
What would Cardiff come under, Bromley or Langley?
I think it's Langley but can't be sure.

magpie 27-02-2004 13:12
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
I'm fairly certain it's Langley too.

orangebird 27-02-2004 13:33
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard M
What would Cardiff come under, Bromley or Langley?
I think it's Langley but can't be sure.

Langley - Davic, original ntl :)

Stephen 27-02-2004 17:48
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Cardiff is Langley. So is Belfast and Glasgow

bangwell 27-02-2004 18:38
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
An NTL engineer told me they were having lots of trouble with the Samsung boxes.

spiderplant 28-02-2004 10:34
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
What sort of trouble?

IanUK 28-02-2004 13:14
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
I've got a silver Samsung box, its been fine so far (I've probably jinxed it now !)
Both TV and Broadband.

Cheers

Ian

Captain 01-03-2004 12:18
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Well it didn't take long, did it? :shrug:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=29784

SMHarman 01-03-2004 12:26
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain
Well it didn't take long, did it? :shrug:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=29784
So with the box s/n and the viewing card it won't take long to work out whose it is!

Call to NTL tech support.

I've got this silver samsung box I boutght off e-bay. I've plugged it in where my old box was and its just not working. What do I need to do?" :rofl:

quadplay 01-03-2004 13:32
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain
Well it didn't take long, did it? :shrug:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=29784
Reported to eBay. :D

smurph 03-03-2004 11:54
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
I've just got a new silver box. Looks nice and no problems in the first hour....... - just need to replace the black tv and convince linksys to make a silver router :).

Does anyone know how to access the diagnostic screens (just in case)?

Smurph

Jes0rKah 05-03-2004 22:46
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
ooo I hopes I get a silver one.. it will go well with my new toshiba home theatre kit :D haha

browneggsandham 05-03-2004 23:26
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo
Reported to eBay. :D
And it's no longer up for sale.
A job well done :D

Browneggsandham :)

Stephen 29-05-2004 22:11
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Can't wait Langley are geting these soon.

Ramrod 25-07-2004 16:09
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Just got my new Samsung box today. Bloke turned up out of the blue and installed it. It's very nice. Most of the buttons work as well:tu: :D

Dave Stones 25-07-2004 16:16
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
a bloke turned up "out of the blue" on a sunday and installed it...? oo err :erm:

Ramrod 25-07-2004 18:23
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Stones
a bloke turned up "out of the blue" on a sunday and installed it...? oo err :erm:
Ignoring the smutty content......yes he did. Lovely chap. 'Course he gave me the wrong PID so I couldn't get my BB up and running till I 'd phoned tech support to get the proper PID..... :rolleyes:

Dave Stones 25-07-2004 18:32
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
Ignoring the smutty content......yes he did. Lovely chap. 'Course he gave me the wrong PID so I couldn't get my BB up and running till I 'd phoned tech support to get the proper PID..... :rolleyes:
smutty? the "oo er" was a suspicuous one, cos ive never heard of anyone working on a sunday...

bob_builder 11-08-2004 12:58
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthYoda
Can't wait Langley are geting these soon.
Are the Samsung boxes available in Langley yet?

LostintheNW 12-08-2004 19:33
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
What does Kal Queue Full and CAK Callback Failure mean on these new boxes then?

MovedGoalPosts 13-08-2004 09:41
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by LostintheNW
What does Kal Queue Full and CAK Callback Failure mean on these new boxes then?
Something's gone wrong :erm: ;)

Anyone know how to bring up the engineering diagnostic screens on the Samsung. I want to check from time to time how much "noise" is on the cable affecting my connection, as my broadband seems so slow.

Ramrod 13-08-2004 10:44
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Stones
smutty? the "oo er" was a suspicuous one, cos ive never heard of anyone working on a sunday...
He said that he found it easier to catch people at home on a Sunday. He is paid per each Samsung box install, so the more replacements he can do, the more he gets paid :D

spiderplant 13-08-2004 10:56
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts
Something's gone wrong :erm: ;)

Anyone know how to bring up the engineering diagnostic screens on the Samsung. I want to check from time to time how much "noise" is on the cable affecting my connection, as my broadband seems so slow.
The KAL and CAK messages are nothing to worry about.

Whilst watching TV, press PageUp, PageDown, then Blue on the remote to see
the diagnostics - the pre_RS and post_RS error rates are the best thing to look. But if your TV picture is OK, I doubt that noise is to blame for slow broadband. You may need to call ntl if you really think you have a broadband performance problem.

th'engineer 13-08-2004 11:02
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts
Something's gone wrong :erm: ;)

Anyone know how to bring up the engineering diagnostic screens on the Samsung. I want to check from time to time how much "noise" is on the cable affecting my connection, as my broadband seems so slow.
page up page down blue

Ali B 15-08-2004 23:39
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nutty
But I cant believe theres no phono output or digital out. Does ntl think no-one gives a toss about routing sound through amps?? And what about in a few years time when ppl want digital audio, and not 1 single box deployed can even support it? I think they should start deploying boxes now with more advanced features so when the times right at least some ppl in the country will be able to use them.
Greetings guys

I've just had my Pace (don't know which exact model) box swapped for a Samsung and after disconnecting all the surrounding kit, (i made him work for his install since 3 appointments had been made and all were missed by them:mad: ) the first thing the installer said was that there wasn't a seperate phono out on the STB, so now I'll have to get one of those cables from maplin. Not a problem, I've got two near me and i was gonna mod my own SCART to do the same thing. now i don't have to do that :), but the installer suggested i use the audio on the TV. :shocked: hang on, :Yikes: that's more like it!

So in the mean time, i've got a scart to phono adapter where the VCR usually is so i can actually get some decent sound till i get that cable....

BUT, and here's my question,
did anybody else notice a lower audio level coming from the samsung? with the audio from the VCR port? the level i have to turn to on the amp is much higher, with the pace, my normal listening level was about -45dB ish on master volume, now it's about -35ish which is now way different from my other components. the integrated tuner was already louder than the pace box, which meant flicking through the inputs from TV to DVD via tuner usually meant a loud blast of R1 as i went past it, now, the difference will be even more so:td:

add to that that the occaisonal decision of the tuner to bring up RDS news updates while watching TV....:Yikes: ouch! (yes if i actually RTFM, i should be able to disable that particular "feature";))

just wondered if anybody else noticed a difference...

Al

MovedGoalPosts 15-08-2004 23:47
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ali B
I've just had my Pace (don't know which exact model) box swapped for a Samsung and after disconnecting all the surrounding kit, (i made him work for his install since 3 appointments had been made and all were missed by them ) the first thing the installer said was that there wasn't a seperate phono out on the STB, so now I'll have to get one of those cables from maplin. Not a problem, I've got two near me and i was gonna mod my own SCART to do the same thing. now i don't have to do that , but the installer suggested i use the audio on the TV. hang on, that's more like it!
When my PACE box got swapped for a Samsung, since I had the phono connectors in use on the PACE, the eng just whipped out a Scart with Phono adaptor lead from his van. I would have expected nothing less. After all installing the samsung was ntl's choice to fix a fault (it's not really fixed, still get slow BB and freezing TV piccies - another call needed to CS tommorrow), and it would have been unreasonable to have left me with somethign that worked with less functionality than I had been used to.

Stuart 16-08-2004 01:12
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ali B
BUT, and here's my question,
did anybody else notice a lower audio level coming from the samsung? with the audio from the VCR port? the level i have to turn to on the amp is much higher, with the pace, my normal listening level was about -45dB ish on master volume, now it's about -35ish which is now way different from my other components. the integrated tuner was already louder than the pace box, which meant flicking through the inputs from TV to DVD via tuner usually meant a loud blast of R1 as i went past it, now, the difference will be even more so:td:

add to that that the occaisonal decision of the tuner to bring up RDS news updates while watching TV....:Yikes: ouch! (yes if i actually RTFM, i should be able to disable that particular "feature";))

just wondered if anybody else noticed a difference...

Al
AFAIK, the volume was lowered because certain users were having problems with distorted sound through home cinema setups on the Pace boxes. This was caused by the box outputting too high a volume.

One thing that might be worth checking in you amp manual. Does the Amp allow you to set different volume levels for each function (It may be called Volume Offset). I am not sure if any Home Cinema amps offer it.

I know that my Sony TV offers different volumes for different channels/inputs (but then that also offers independant volume levels for Headphone and Speakers, which is something most Amps I know of don't).

Enterian 16-08-2004 14:50
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
Ignoring the smutty content......yes he did. Lovely chap. 'Course he gave me the wrong PID so I couldn't get my BB up and running till I 'd phoned tech support to get the proper PID..... :rolleyes:
LOL - We must have had the same installer - I had that too! :p:

Ali B 17-08-2004 23:41
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scastle
One thing that might be worth checking in you amp manual. Does the Amp allow you to set different volume levels for each function (It may be called Volume Offset). I am not sure if any Home Cinema amps offer it.
Nah, it's only a low end pioneer amp. does digital decoding and DTS but that's about it. nothing about it in the manual, so unless there's an undocumented feature i haven't seen, i'd say it's pretty unlikely.

apart from the sound level difference, the box definitely seems to perform better than the old one, EPG navigation doesn't seem to hang for a few seconds every so often. still trying the BB really, but seems a little erratic at times, but could just be my imagination....

garyparson 18-08-2004 19:29
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scastle
AFAIK, the volume was lowered
Never has been in Bromley, only highered. Been waiting a year for it to be lowered.

Stuart 18-08-2004 20:49
Re: Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by garyparson
Never has been in Bromley, only highered. Been waiting a year for it to be lowered.
There are other threads for this, but ON THE SAMSUNG BOXES THE VOLUME IS LOWER.

I am in Bromley. I have a Samsung Box. The volume is lower.

Tristan 18-08-2004 22:14
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Yes, but that doesn't matter to our Gary. He'll just moan and moan and moan about the volume on any thread, no matter what it was originally about, even though nobody on this site is actually in a position to do anything about it (accept maybe the guys running the beta).

Russ 19-08-2004 20:25
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Settle down peeps, no need to get nasty.....

Stuart 19-08-2004 20:45
Re: Merged-Silver Samsung Box
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ D
Settle down peeps, no need to get nasty.....
Sorry, didn't mean to sound nasty. I am (and was yesterday) actually calm..


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