TelstraClear Responds to T-Box Review
September 28, 2010 
12 Comments
Here is TelstraClear’s response to questions I raised about its new PVR/home media device, the T-Box, in today’s review.
SS: Why can the EPG only be programmed up to a week ahead (and not two, like TiVo)?
TC: This is the extent of information given to us by Sky TV. Due to customer confusion if we delivered 14 days for TVNZ and TV3, and seven days for Sky TV channels, we decided to maintain the seven-day guide.
SS: Why can’t programmes that are repeated several times in a week not be Series Linked to record only their first airings?
TC: This is a limitation of the data we get. If programmes aren’t given different code for the same show (but different time), the software thinks it is the same.
SS: Why can’t the buffers be set to more than five minutes? And why can’t it be just added to the end of the programme, or to the start of a programme, but not both?
TC: We offer the option to allow customers to choose to suit their recording needs — [up to] 10-minute and 15-minute options. You can do this through the general settings section
SS: How soon will it be before the T-Box can be used for the video on demand functionality promised in the press release?
TC: The project is being scoped at present.
SS: How will this functionality exceed what’s on offer in Australia?
TC: Our decoder is capable of full IPTV broadcast delivery in 1080p and multiple access delivery methods for the VoD and broadcast.
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September 29, 2010 at 9:14 am
PVR’s in North America are extremely variable in their functionality despite many years of development and successive software releases.
For example the unit I have at present doesnt differentiate between first showing and subsequent showings but it does offer 3 series link options for a tagged program:
– same time slot on this channel on this day
– any time slot on this channel
– any time slot on any channel.
In contrast the buffering is very inflexible. One can adjust the buffer to start early/finish late for a program but this doesnt flow through to a standardised setting (ie for all programs being recorded) or even flow through to subsequent recordings of that particular show (ie one has to adjust the start/end time manually every week for that series linked program.
So there are quirks with every PVR. Would it be fair to say that there is the perfect PVR in the world? Doubtful. Even if the TIVO O/S is the benchmark then why are its subscribers continuing to leave in droves???
How many other subscribers to T-box are suffering from repeated screen freeze?
Got a T-Box installed last week. No issues with stuttering screen freezes or audio issues that some of the early installs reported. Suspect that those initial glitches are gone (fingers-crossed). Works a treat. Agree with Philip re value of smarter series linking. Would also just like a column in the planner that shows the date recorded which would help with sorting and selection.
Haven’t had any audio issues but screen freezes are frequent. Did a reset at the weekend to fix the missing Guide. Didn’t fix the screen stuttering so obviously an ongoing issue.
Got T-Box last Wednesday in principle its great the picture quality is better than old box – I dont have HD ticket and dont see need… BUT regular screen freezes, either stuttering in and out or just freezing picture or worse still goes black have had to restart box a couple of times or flick inputs on TV to bring it to life. Giving it a few more days then its probably being returned. Its 90% there but that last 10% is pretty frustrating
Does anyone else notice the gigantic LAG when chaning channels?
I press the channel I want to visit, and its a 9sec lag before the decoder actually changes the channel.
Is this normal? Sky is instant.
It’s faster if you type in 030 for instance, instead of just 30.
Got that from the install guy. Or 003 instead of 3. Don’t ask me why. It’s the 30 sec freezes which get me.
Got My Sky HDi installed as part of a new TV deal and was immediately impressed: responsive, easy to fathom, and clear pictures. Then a week later TelstraClear cottoned-on I was returning the old analogue box and was offered a new T-Box with incentives to get me back: free rental for the first six months, and they’d pay out the Sky contract. Done!
However, now that we have the T-Box and the bonus of being able to directly compare the two systems ourselves, I’m beginning to regret abandoning Sky. The T-Box set and handset look and feel cheap compared with Sky’s. Okay, not a showstopper, so we press on…
The picture pauses frequently upto 10 seconds for every 1.5 hours on the T-Box. Mmm … okay, early days…
If you’re a mild-to-medium habitual channel-surfer tho’, or like watching three shows at once (not necessarily normal) and you’ve got the T-box, then this habit is going to get mothballed immediately. One bored afternoon I quickly rehooked-up My Sky and compared the two. I was suprised the T-box was only 1.5 seconds slower at changing channels than Sky’s (Sky’s 3.5 secs v T-Box 5 secs) but I swear, even when Shorter’s isn’t on or something really life or death, like the ABs (of course), then guys, that 1.5 seconds feels like forever. Honestly, you’d be better to dress up and start acting out your own scenes – Castle, The Mentalist and the cast of the NCIS team will be along eventually! For Guide and Planner features too – see above!! Sounds picky, yeah, but there’s plenty of us out there in this choir of discontent.
Now we’ve also noticed the odd show seems to get chopped off at the end by two minutes (tho’ believe an adjustment to the buffer corrects this – anyone?), and huff, already on one occasion the unit has frozen (I was only waving the nine-iron ‘near’ it – promise!). I fixed this tho’ – answers on a postcard!
Look, there’s stuff here Sky don’t have such as the pretty user interface (or GUI for you IT types) – but hey, no-one likes a show pony, when it comes to being a TV HD Box you’ve got to be Johnny-on-the-spot giving it to us “QUICKLY”, quietly, and without fuss. So cue Sky, we want you back. Now, where’s that nine-iron!
It freezes and the guide does not show up. This has been happening for a long time now and we have had multiple phone calls to TelstraClear and had service men around. Yet it has not been fixed …
Hi. Yep, I’ve used both T-box and My Sky and do support the T-box. If your guide is missing, try holding down the up arrow, ok and power button on front of decoder. Unplug power from the back, then plug back in. This should give us a green play button instead of a red record light.
Has anybody found that their T-Box locks up after a recording finishes? This has happened when we’re out and not using the T-Box and also when we’re watching another channel live or watching the playback of another recording. It takes a power down to get it going again. When the T-Box works it’s great, it’s just getting annoying that it locks up once a week….
We have all the same problem that you have described above. We have been complaining regularly and then putting up with it as it is cheaper than Sky. However, after complaining four times and being told to turn it off at the wall every time I finally had enough and decided that waiting for what seems like forever to talk to a human was what I needed to do. Spoke to a lady and was told AGAIN that turning it off at the wall would help, I stated to her that during our conversation the screeen and audio had frozen six times. She said, “Okay, we can send out a technician” and that I would have to pay for it.I flipped!! Why should I pay to fix their problem? As soon as I flipped she offered to credit the charge of the technician. So after the technician visit if no better I am going back to Sky. Customer service and quality product is all I am after.