[VisionMan1]

After rebooting again, I now get ITV HD.

[d'@ve]

Originally Posted by VisionMan1

My sons just tried it with his laptop (wired to the hub).

With SS1 & 2 on -

51.56 / 16.13

With SS1 & 2 0ff -

55.73 / 15.88

So that would imply 4Mbps 'ish.

Thanks for doing the tests, that's low for two channels (2 Mbps per SD channel and that includes error correction and audio, so a bit less than 2Mbps for each SD video). Is it possible that one of the channels dropped?

Glad you've got the extra channels now, would be interesting to know what happens (wired connection if possible) on bitrates for BBC1 HD and ITV1 HD (especially the latter as it's fixed bitrate on Freesat, which I can measure). One HD channel at a time will do!

What PSB SD channels do you get on IPTV now?

[VisionMan1]

Originally Posted by d'@ve

Thanks for doing the tests, that's low for two channels (2 Mbps per SD channel and that includes error correction and audio, so a bit less than 2Mbps for each SD video). Is it possible that one of the channels dropped?

Glad you've got the extra channels now, would be interesting to know what happens (wired connection if possible) on bitrates for BBC1 HD and ITV1 HD (especially the latter as it's fixed bitrate on Freesat, which I can measure). One HD channel at a time will do!

What PSB SD channels do you get on IPTV now?

Yes. I didn't know I hit the 'stop' button after two minutes. But to be honest, the HD picture looks better than my Sky HD box, so I'm more than happy.

And the BTV box only carries the PSB HD channels via IP, normal channels remain on DTT.

[d'@ve]

If it's 4.17Mbps for one SD channel as your son's stats suggest, that should indeed be good. You are probably on the 3Mbps video stream then (presumably 3.0 video, 0.2 audio, 0.9+ for error correction). If so, it should definitely be superior to Freeview or Freesat, both of which use the very much inferior mpeg2 compression but are often broadcast at a mere 3Mbps, 4 at most. h.264/AVC as used by BT Connect is nearly twice as efficient as mpeg2.

At that quality, if I had to go BT Vision to get SS 1 & 2, I wouldn't really miss not having them in HD. What I *would* miss is Youview.

[VisionMan1]

Originally Posted by d'@ve

If it's 4.17Mbps for one SD channel as your son's stats suggest, that should indeed be good. You are probably on the 3Mbps video stream then (presumably 3.0 video, 0.2 audio, 0.9+ for error correction). If so, it should definitely be superior to Freeview or Freesat, both of which use the very much inferior mpeg2 compression but are often broadcast at a mere 3Mbps, 4 at most.

I'm going to test a 512 box tomorrow. I've already booted it up, and by God its quick. You press a button and the GUI just goes snap! And the channels change that quick too. All new! What I like to call 'new stuff'. LOL.

But to be sure, I am impressed by these new developments. They are an eye opener, to say the least.

[d'@ve]

Originally Posted by VisionMan1

I'm going to test a 512 box tomorrow. I've already booted it up, and by God its quick. You press a button and the GUI just goes snap! And the channels change that quick too. All new! What I like to call 'new stuff'. LOL.

How did you wangle that?

Are you saying that if necessary, you will learn to live without Youview?

[VisionMan1]

Originally Posted by d'@ve

How did you wangle that?

Are you saying that if necessary, you will learn to live without Youview?

I hope not. I am a big fan, as you know.

I've been doing lots of digging, recently. And while I can now understand BT's stance on supporting two platforms, to the average user, this must just be a sea of confusion, to say the least.

The new channels will come to the YouView EPG on 1st August. But they won't have trickplay facilities. The YouView Mods have stated these will be enabled in the Autumn. So the platforms still got a long way to go before it becomes fully stand-a-lone. But I will be getting one, eventually. When the platform fully matures.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by VisionMan1

OK....

I've been doing some playing around with my box today (and I still can't believe the SD PQ because its far superior to that on Freeview). Yeah, lots and lots of playing. And heres what I've found out so far....

Upon finding my 256 box is Multicast enabled, I unplugged it, reset my hub, then plugged the BTV box back in. And use Port 4 gig E on the homehub 3 (you should all do this).

I do not subscribe to the BT TV live internet channels (at £2.50). But I now get the following PSB's live via fibre -

BBC1 HD (recordable),

BBC2 HD (recordable),

ITV1 (recordable),

And CH4 HD (also recordable).

CH5 HD appears to be exclusive to Sky, but no one has ever confirmed this.

The quality of the HD internet channels knocks the socks off my Sky HD box. I am impressed, to say the least. And I may try Multiroom tomorrow, too.

Channel 5 HD has been on Virgin since the day it launched.

[VisionMan1]

Originally Posted by mersey70

Channel 5 HD has been on Virgin since the day it launched.

Thanks for the correction, mersey70. I'd forgotten about that.

So... Has anyone else been upgraded without actually asking for it?

[VisionMan1]

Well....

This BT Vision update is impressive to say the least. Lots of updates and improvements -

Release 7.1.7

Middleware 4.72 rev.1 256 multicast

Application 3.1.70

The box now has the following superb upgrades -

Redesigned search engine

Freeview Signal quality and strength indicator

Improved info (i) for watching programmes for both on demand and Freeview. And BT TV Multicast channels too.

The 1/3rd black pause screen now disappears after a few seconds (Yehhh! )

Improved trickplay FFwd and Rwnd speeds of 2, 8,15, 30 and 60.

And, God bless 'em, that bloody annoying white dot on the now Multicast Sky Sports channels has disappeared. An even bigger Yehhh!

Nice.

[freetoview33]

Are the additional channels now available for youview people?

[Icaraa]

The additional channels for YouView are launching on 1st August.

[Colin_London]

Originally Posted by Icaraa

The additional channels for YouView are launching on 1st August.

Do you have a link for this?

[Colin_London]

I'm guessing you're just assuming this because that's the day BT Sport starts?

[Icaraa]

Originally Posted by Colin_London

I'm guessing you're just assuming this because that's the day BT Sport starts?

You're guessing wrong then. I haven't assumed anything. Billing will start for the additional channels on 1st August I've got something that says this here. I can't give a link unfortunately so you'll just have to trust me.

[infinidim]

Originally Posted by VisionMan1

Well....

This BT Vision update is impressive to say the least. Lots of updates and improvements -

Release 7.1.7

Middleware 4.72 rev.1 256 multicast

Application 3.1.70

The box now has the following superb upgrades -

Redesigned search engine

Freeview Signal quality and strength indicator

Improved info (i) for watching programmes for both on demand and Freeview. And BT TV Multicast channels too.

The 1/3rd black pause screen now disappears after a few seconds (Yehhh! )

Improved trickplay FFwd and Rwnd speeds of 2, 8,15, 30 and 60.

And, God bless 'em, that bloody annoying white dot on the now Multicast Sky Sports channels has disappeared. An even bigger Yehhh!

Nice.

Visionman1 - what is the date of this update? I am asking this as I have been told by senior technical people in BT that there is a 6 June update going to be rolled out which fixes even more of the little problems that people are having with the "new look" BT Vision+ firmware.

Infinidim

[VisionMan1]

Originally Posted by infinidim

Visionman1 - what is the date of this update? I am asking this as I have been told by senior technical people in BT that there is a 6 June update going to be rolled out which fixes even more of the little problems that people are having with the "new look" BT Vision+ firmware.

Infinidim

There is no date listed. But I was upgraded on 1st June and I have now switched to a 512 box. I have noticed a change though. The GUI is slightly slower than it was, but it is (up to now) totally stable.

(Touch wood)

[infinidim]

Originally Posted by VisionMan1

There is no date listed. But I was upgraded on 1st June and I have now switched to a 512 box. I have noticed a change though. The GUI is slightly slower than it was, but it is (up to now) totally stable.

(Touch wood)

The date of the version is on the "Help & Settings" page, go down to "Settings" then chose "System Information" (I think) and you will find the date of the middleware build on the end of the "middleware" version line.

If you were updated on June 1st then it could be any version previous to the June version that you have. I am surprised that the GUI (browser) is slower - hopefully they will fix this.

Good that it is stable.

Infinidim

[VisionMan1]

Nope, no date listed. And just to be sure, I've looked under system information, entitlement, CA Sys Info and CA network info too.

[VisionMan1]

I'm getting disruption of both sound and pictures on the internet channels (watching Sky Sports). And the following letters have appeared above the SS DOG - MHKXXrfXKK

I've tried a hard reboot of the box, which didn't work. Is anyone else getting this?

[Hup_73]

I recorded the golf highlights last night, and watching it back tonight I notice I've got the same MHKXXrfXK message in the same position - thankfully it didn't seem to affect the sound or pictures. Checking the live channels tonight and everything seems to be back to normal. Very bizarre!

[VisionMan1]

Originally Posted by Hup_73

I recorded the golf highlights last night, and watching it back tonight I notice I've got the same MHKXXrfXK message in the same position - thankfully it didn't seem to affect the sound or pictures. Checking the live channels tonight and everything seems to be back to normal. Very bizarre!

Thanks for that. It must be a network problem then. As I've reset my hub now too. I know what the MHKXXrfXKK is. It's the Sky encryption entitlement info. It happens on Sky boxes too, from time to time. I've just not had a problem with these new internet channels before. Strange...