V+ Pricing and AV senders

[funkyCable]

Hi,

I'm quiet interested in getting the V+ box now that its a once off payment of £150. but I have a couple of questions about it. I have XL tv services and have a V box.

1. Does this price include installation? if not how much would it be to install?
2. Would there be a monthly charge to keep my existing v box?

As for my AV sender question I would like to know whether AV senders work with this box as I have seen some posts that say that the scarts output have been disable and you can only use HDMI to connect HD tv. If they do work then I would not need to worry about the existing v box.

thank you for your time.

1. Installation is included in the £150 service charge.
2. You can keep your existing V box for £5 per month.

You are also right that HDMI use disables the TV SCART.

[funkyCable]

Originally Posted by Ernie_C

2. You can keep your existing V box for £5 per month.

Is this the additional outlet charge that is quoted on their website?

Originally Posted by Ernie_C

You are also right that HDMI use disables the TV SCART.

if this is the case how did this guy get it to work then?

[Begize]

I'm also trying to find a way round this V+ output issue as ours is being installed on Monday and I want to use HDMI to the main TV downstairs and RF (although via a coax rather than a sender) to the TV upstairs.

I'm guessing that in the post you refer to above the person has the V+ box connected to his TV using Scart rather than HDMI. By the sounds of it, his main TV is plugged into one scart, the sender into the other (meant for output to a DVD recorder / VCR etc, hence no menus).

I don't want to pay the extra £5 as there's only two of us and we never watch different programmes, just occasionally watch stuff in bed. The only solution I can think of is to switch the output between HDMI and RF each time.

[funkyCable]

Originally Posted by Begize

I'm also trying to find a way round this V+ output issue as ours is being installed on Monday and I want to use HDMI to the main TV downstairs and RF (although via a coax rather than a sender) to the TV upstairs.

I'm guessing that in the post you refer to above the person has the V+ box connected to his TV using Scart rather than HDMI. By the sounds of it, his main TV is plugged into one scart, the sender into the other (meant for output to a DVD recorder / VCR etc, hence no menus).

I don't want to pay the extra £5 as there's only two of us and we never watch different programmes, just occasionally watch stuff in bed. The only solution I can think of is to switch the output between HDMI and RF each time.

i'm in the same boat as you. IT's only me and my wife and dont see the point of paying £5 each month just to watch the same programs.

If the scart out to video/dvd record is enabled I surpose I could use the sender on that. Not to interested in the menus just as long as I can change the channels.

[charlieannear]

Same here, don't need 2 boxes (especially with 3 tuners in the V box- I'd be effectively going from 1 box to 4) so don't want to pay £5 a month for the old one.
But it's more expensive if you send the old one back?

This is one of the main things putting me off signing on the dotted line.
That and the apparent lack of HD content.
And a £150 charge to unplug one box and plug in another, and request a signal?
Oh, and the fact that even if I did want to record 2 channels and watch a third all at once, chances are (for me) they'd be all available on Freeview, and I can do that with my current setup of VCR's! I can even take the tape and watch it in a completely different house!
So I can't help but think I'd be paying quite a bit of money for no real improvement over what I've already got.
I want to get all hi-tech, I really do, and I know the technology has great potential, and I know they have to make money somehow, but the current deal isn't overly attractive.
Put it this way, it certainly isn't convincing the wife!

Sory to rant, I've almost hijacked....

[funkyCable]

am i right in thinking that you can switch between HD and SD? and therefore can disable and enable the scart output? I'm thinking maybe I should get it and just use SD for the moment until someone brings out an HDMI video sender then upgrade that perhaps?

[Begize]

Originally Posted by funkyCable

i'm in the same boat as you. IT's only me and my wife and dont see the point of paying £5 each month just to watch the same programs.

If the scart out to video/dvd record is enabled I surpose I could use the sender on that. Not to interested in the menus just as long as I can change the channels.

The VCR / DVD out scart is disabled when in HDMI mode unless you are "dumping" a programme from the box to your recorder - there's a menu item to do this somewhere I think.

I'll let you know on Monday how easy it is to switch from HD to SD and back again (the only answer I can think of) once ours is installed.

Failing that, as you say, wait for a HD sender or Virgin to re-enable the scarts / rf out in a new release of software. From what I read, it used to be enabled all the time but the disabled it because of picture quality issues?

See this old thread for details: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/10...and-scart.html

Originally Posted by funkyCable

.....if this is the case how did this guy get it to work then?...

Just to verify - although V+ won't drive an AV sender whilst driving HMDI output - it will drive an A/V sender just the same as the standard box via both scarts

Never heard anyone try this but there is really no reason why you couldn't get HDMI splitter with one to TV and one to sender

.

Originally Posted by JethroUK

Just to verify - although V+ won't drive an AV sender whilst driving HMDI output - it will drive an A/V sender just the same as the standard box via both scarts

Never heard anyone try this but there is really no reason why you couldn't get HDMI splitter with one to TV and one to sender

.

That won't work because HDMI is digital & SCART is analogue, the sender is expecting an analogue signal. As far as I know you cannot get an HDMI to SCART adapter.

Also bear in mind that one of the objectives of the HDMI standard is Digital Rights Management, which is, I believe, why other outputs are disabled when HDMI mode is selected. I'd imagine they will make it as difficult as possible to run any more than 1 device per set top box, when using the HDMI connection?

[Begize]

Originally Posted by funkyCable

am i right in thinking that you can switch between HD and SD? and therefore can disable and enable the scart output? I'm thinking maybe I should get it and just use SD for the moment until someone brings out an HDMI video sender then upgrade that perhaps?

OK - V+ box was installed earlier this afternoon and all is well. Quite impressed so far.

As far as outputs go, there's nothing on the scarts or rf when HDMI is on as expected. To switch between takes less than 30 seconds and is no more than 10 keypresses. Only problem I have is, as I use rf, the frequency clashes with another channel and I get a banded picture, just looking on here how you change the default frequency.

Personally, I can live with that for now.

[funkyCable]

Originally Posted by Begize

OK - V+ box was installed earlier this afternoon and all is well. Quite impressed so far.

As far as outputs go, there's nothing on the scarts or rf when HDMI is on as expected. To switch between takes less than 30 seconds and is no more than 10 keypresses. Only problem I have is, as I use rf, the frequency clashes with another channel and I get a banded picture, just looking on here how you change the default frequency.

Personally, I can live with that for now.

Thats what I like to hear. So is it any good? Are the boxes all the same? what frequency is the remote signal (RC5 or IRDA)? Did it come with an HDMI cable?

Just been thinking. Do you get the £150 back if you leave them? I thinking once you have it and you leave you stuck with a £150 door stopper.

---------- Post added at 20:20 ---------- Previous post was at 20:03 ----------

Originally Posted by Begize

OK - V+ box was installed earlier this afternoon and all is well. Quite impressed so far.

As far as outputs go, there's nothing on the scarts or rf when HDMI is on as expected. To switch between takes less than 30 seconds and is no more than 10 keypresses. Only problem I have is, as I use rf, the frequency clashes with another channel and I get a banded picture, just looking on here how you change the default frequency.

Personally, I can live with that for now.

This might help you with change frequency.

[Begize]

Originally Posted by funkyCable

Thats what I like to hear. So is it any good? Are the boxes all the same? what frequency is the remote signal (RC5 or IRDA)? Did it come with an HDMI cable?

Just been thinking. Do you get the £150 back if you leave them? I thinking once you have it and you leave you stuck with a £150 door stopper.

---------- Post added at 20:20 ---------- Previous post was at 20:03 ----------


This might help you with change frequency.

Cheers - sorted the frequency already, just changed it to 31 and picture is clear as a bell.

Box is good - channel changing is a little slow at times but I understand thats a problem they are working to fix. It seems to be something to do with the fact it records live TV and obviously has to stop, change channel and start again. Picture is good even on SD channels - being picky I would say my HD TV upscales some of the lower bandwidth channels (like Aninmal Planet etc) better with the box output on scart than the box upscales them itself and outputs with it on HDMI. Also, as other people have noted, the menus are a little "fuzzy" if you have it set on 1080 wide, 720 is fine though.

As far as I know all the boxes are now the "new" Virigin logo black ones you see in the literature and on the net. There are also silver ones with the old NTL or Telewest branding on which I suppose you might get if they still had some to get rid of in your area.

Remote is also black and RC5 - my additional old Samsung remote works fine through the remote sender and is able to change the channels up and down and type the numbers for direct access to a channel with is all I wanted. Not tried if it can control the playback stuff which I suppose might be useful if you want to watch something recorded in bed.

Can always get an additional V+ remote off eBay for less than a tenner including postage anyway or just take the original one upstairs! It did come with an HDMI cable by the way but I've read it's best to ask for one when you request the install, just in case.

I would guess the £150 is non-refundable as it's an installation charge. Bearing in mind my install took about 10 minutes and was a simple as disconnecting the old box, plugging in the new one and activating the card and box, it was steep. As VM contracts say the boxes are always their property, if you leave, they are supposed to collect it from you.

Anyway, so far, so good, happily recorded two programmes whilst we watched another tonight. Looking forward to being able to sit down at the weekend and watch stuff I want to see, not what they want to show me!

[funkyCable]

While I took a chance and order my v+ box yesterday and they coming to install on Thursday.

[funkyCable]

Originally Posted by Begize

Cheers - sorted the frequency already, just changed it to 31 and picture is clear as a bell.

Box is good - channel changing is a little slow at times but I understand thats a problem they are working to fix. It seems to be something to do with the fact it records live TV and obviously has to stop, change channel and start again. Picture is good even on SD channels - being picky I would say my HD TV upscales some of the lower bandwidth channels (like Aninmal Planet etc) better with the box output on scart than the box upscales them itself and outputs with it on HDMI. Also, as other people have noted, the menus are a little "fuzzy" if you have it set on 1080 wide, 720 is fine though.

As far as I know all the boxes are now the "new" Virigin logo black ones you see in the literature and on the net. There are also silver ones with the old NTL or Telewest branding on which I suppose you might get if they still had some to get rid of in your area.

Remote is also black and RC5 - my additional old Samsung remote works fine through the remote sender and is able to change the channels up and down and type the numbers for direct access to a channel with is all I wanted. Not tried if it can control the playback stuff which I suppose might be useful if you want to watch something recorded in bed.

Can always get an additional V+ remote off eBay for less than a tenner including postage anyway or just take the original one upstairs! It did come with an HDMI cable by the way but I've read it's best to ask for one when you request the install, just in case.

I would guess the £150 is non-refundable as it's an installation charge. Bearing in mind my install took about 10 minutes and was a simple as disconnecting the old box, plugging in the new one and activating the card and box, it was steep. As VM contracts say the boxes are always their property, if you leave, they are supposed to collect it from you.

Anyway, so far, so good, happily recorded two programmes whilst we watched another tonight. Looking forward to being able to sit down at the weekend and watch stuff I want to see, not what they want to show me!

I'm so glad that I paid £150. It works better than my new version samsung 2110 which I replaced. The wireless network works perfectly and I can change channel.

What I do like is the fact that I can change from HD to SD from the menus and dont have to worry about unplugging the cables. SO i figured that I would leave it in SD for the moment and if theres anything good that I want to what in HD I will change it when need be.