Bromley upgrade starting.... - Page 5

McYorkie · 12-08-2005, 17:24

Speaking personally, I'd say that's probably around the right timescale, but considering that ntl: won't mess around with the service across the Christmas/NewYear period, and the other parts of Bromley platform will take a couple of months to switch across to BU2 from B3.1, after the end of August it would leave a tight window to get the second update done,even though they're speeding up the VOD code release over on the Langley side as it improves network stability, I suspect that we're looking at early 2006 (Jan/Feb time?) for that.

However, I'll defer to anyone from within ntl: that can give a better estimate of timescales for Bromley VOD.

Tristan · 12-08-2005, 17:37

I don't have any sort of insider information, but I'd be very surprised to see VOD on the Bromley network anytime in 2005.

Which is a shame, as it's quite good...

paul11974 · 12-08-2005, 20:57

McYorkie · 12-08-2005, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tristan

I don't have any sort of insider information, but I'd be very surprised to see VOD on the Bromley network anytime in 2005.

Which is a shame, as it's quite good...

Thanks Tristan, that seems to confirm the way I was thinking - it would be a risk to try two downloads close together, and it gives leeway for the VOD people to sort out the niggles with the Langley VOD which would mean that the BU3 (VOD software?) could incorporate all of the bugfixes in code/servers so that Bromley's version would work straight after downloading into a pilot area - much as BU2 is now.

Nevermind though on the delay - all good things come to those who wait!

chandleo · 15-08-2005, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by McYorkie

Pace box specific - off air channels show in the clear rather than behind the "off air" slide caption. This disappears after about a second and you then get the Pace 4000 thinking the channel is still broadcasting, even though there's only the Sky slide and looped minidisc music on if you catch a channel off air late on. It doesn't happen on the SMT2100c though - slide stays static and onscreen.

I've never really understood why ntl use their own off the air slide captions, why not just get rid of them completely? some channels show promo's when there off air, and without sounding like a complete geek, surely it would be nicer to see a channel logo and a bit of looped music than it would be to see a black screen saying channel not broadcasting?

Or am I missing a major point somewhere?

Rob2005 · 15-08-2005, 19:25

....I guess its a capacity issue. Looped promos take up more than one dark static screen with a bit of writing on it.

This is where Sky have the advantage over the cable cos in two areas. If Sky want more channels or bandwith they buy the space on the satellites. So, potentially Sky can have unlimited capacity. With cable, there's only certain frequencies that can be used and only x capacity available on the network. Secondly, whereas Sky is all digital, the bulk of ntl's bandwith is taken up with its analogue service. Until analogue is switched off, ntl only have a certain capacity available for their services.

What confuses me is that if ntl can offer 10mb internet over the same pipes that we get out tv from. Why isn't there more capacity for tv, when there seems to be ample for broadband services?

chandleo · 15-08-2005, 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob2005

....I guess its a capacity issue. Looped promos take up more than one dark static screen with a bit of writing on it.

That was what I initially thought but after reading a couple of posts on here, I could be wrong (and I probably am!) but it seems that the channel is still broadcasting across the ntl network with the promo's etc at night but the set top box itself puts the black screen and caption up (presumably after receiving a signal)

paul11974 · 16-08-2005, 00:24

look i dont care all i want is to get rid of this horid pink

Rob2005 · 16-08-2005, 01:46

...as do we all.

chandleo · 16-08-2005, 02:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul11974

look i dont care all i want is to get rid of this horid pink

huh? is this a symptom of drunk in the middle of the night and turn the computer on syndrome?

jonifen · 16-08-2005, 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul11974

look i dont care all i want is to get rid of this horid pink

Aye that'd be nice... I think it used to be blue once before... WHY did they think "oh, changing it to a pink colour would be a good idea".

I cant wait for blueness to return, hopefully our interactive will actually work this time around, and we wont have to wait 20mins before realising it aint gonna work and then reboot the box!

Are there any pics of what the new software will look like yet?

16-08-2005, 20:18

I wonder if this is the upgrade my STB received today, as NTL don`t seem to want to make it easy to find out what the upgrade I got was. There was a button on the screen for me to select if I wanted to find out what the upgrade featured, clicking it takes you to a screen saying that channel is no longer broadcasting, and the channel that it then tells you to go to is just showing infomercials. Wonderful NTL logic.

quadplay · 16-08-2005, 20:21

Reading is on the Langley platform, so you won't have received this particular update. You've got an update to the software that enables VoD on your box - although this doesn't necessarily mean that VoD is coming to the area immediately. This software has some other improvements as well.

16-08-2005, 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbo

Reading is on the Langley platform, so you won't have received this particular update. You've got an update to the software that enables VoD on your box - although this doesn't necessarily mean that VoD is coming to the area immediately. This software has some other improvements as well.

Thanks, at least someone knows, even if NTL don`t want to make it easy

Pieman · 29-08-2005, 20:13

Received the mailshot for the upgrade in Portsmouth on Saturday, apparenlty will display a message when it's done......