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Homechoice Digital Television |
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#1 |
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Posts: n/a
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Homechoice Digital Television
Hiya
I've just noticed this Homechoice Dig TV. (www.homechoice.co.uk). Does it seem as good as it sounds? Even though i'm in the wrong end of Lon/Kent he sasy I could get it at Christmas time. Alex |
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#2 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,238
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Thought I'd have a look - check out value for money.
What a load of rubbish. They seem to want to keep the price a secret. When I tried to start the subs process (as this seemed to be the only way to find out how much it cost), all I got was the very helpful "an error has occured". These people are obviosly a bunch of complete amateurs. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Scotland
Posts: 10,719
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http://www.homechoice.co.uk/hc_packages.html
I'd love if I could get a service like this, pity it's London only. The 'entry pack' for £35 seems quite good value for TV OnDemand and 1meg Broadband, pity broadband seems to be compulsory. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Shropshire - (Tx: The Wrekin)
Posts: 10,284
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Go to their home page the link is in post #1
clivk on "Our Packages & Prices" or click below for a direct link http://www.homechoice.co.uk/hc_packages.html Its not the best of websites really. |
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#5 |
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Posts: n/a
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my sister had this - at the time it was a bit poor, they ahrdly ever seemed to get new programmes for the 'channels'.
nice idea though and it might have gotten better... |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Manchester
Posts: 907
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for the money you pay, it really is not that good - it's like freeview/topup combined except with a couple of extra channels and three times the top up subscription for the basic pack - plus you have to pay an extra £15 a month for the privelege of then being able to pay £3 a time for movies... and pay more for kids, and more for music.... and people think Sky is a rip-off - get yourself a Sky + box and Sky World pack and you'd have a much better service
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,347
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Somebody was on about the cost.
It is £35 a month, standard (but they say there is a special offer) of £17.50. The £35 cost includes a box, 1meg broadband & 23 channels making the basic package. There is then an additional cost for other channels. http://www.homechoice.co.uk/hc_packa...try_level.html |
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,636
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Well for those of you who don't know, Homechoice is ADSL provided Video-on-Demand and TV based subscription service. You have to have a 1meg connection of ADSL to do it, anything lower will not support the TV service. 512k for telly, 512k for Internet.
It actually works out quite cheap if you think about current price for TV and Broadband internet, however it is mostly VOD service, there is very little 'TV channel' involved. Also, because the service is limited to greater London you are screwed to get it if you live elsewhere, or if you only have a cable phone line......... Not so great then :P |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,636
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Actually I just thought, i was wrong in my above post. it IS a 4MB line.1MB internet connection, with 3 meg used for the TV and VOD.....
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#10 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,238
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What happens to the TV signal when broadband contention comes into play ?
They would need very low contention levels to guarantee to provide TV. And the website ? Doesn't work properly with all browsers. Muppets ! |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Central London
Posts: 6,845
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qpw3141
What happens to the TV signal when broadband contention comes into play ?
They would need very low contention levels to guarantee to provide TV.
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 180
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Its not just london that have LLU enabled exchanges, there are quite a few around the country. I believe that the exchange I’m on is LLU enabled here in Liverpool, unfortunately no such service here yet. I don’t live in a Cable area and I’m not allowed to install SKY so this would be ideal for me. Got crappy TUTV at the mo but gonna cancel it soon 'cause its crap.
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: West London
Posts: 24,303
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If anyone has the "new" Homechoice TV service would they like to post their experience of it? I've been interested in getting it for a while now, as I currently have ntl digital cable and that is only a few pounds less than HomeChoice but without the broadband. I'd be interested to hear how good the in-house channels, especially the music channels, are, and how good the choice of on-demand movies is.
However, my main concern is that with the various sports events on their way this summer we London ntl customers will be left without the extra programmes which are only available on interactive - does HomeChoice have the "press red" facility on BBC channels or is Sky the only option? |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 953
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I'm getting the 'new' service installed on 2nd June. Its a 4-6Mb LLU service with 1Mb (or 2) ADSL dowload, there is a very low contention and using the web doesn't interfer with TV viewing in any way. The new STB has two ethernet ports and there is a wireless option (at a cost). www.adslguide.com has a group where there is more info. Its a 1Gb a day capped service and its dynamic IP. They are negotiating for all sky's channels as well as others (this service only launched a couple of weeks ago, the original was basically experimental). The music video on demand has 2500 tracks that can be place in a playlist. Thats worth £5/month to me.
A couple of trailists have called the new service 'brilliant'. I took the view that its about the same on top of my Zen service as TUTV with miles better channel chice, 1Mb ADSL and not having to deal with NTL or sky, both of who I hate. NTL do not provide broadband over vast area's of London and I can't and never will be even able to get basic cable (in Battersea). A sky dish is a no-no as well. This service has great potential. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,824
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andi Gasking
Well for those of you who don't know, Homechoice is ADSL provided Video-on-Demand and TV based subscription service. You have to have a 1meg connection of ADSL to do it, anything lower will not support the TV service. 512k for telly, 512k for Internet.
It actually works out quite cheap if you think about current price for TV and Broadband internet, however it is mostly VOD service, there is very little 'TV channel' involved. Also, because the service is limited to greater London you are screwed to get it if you live elsewhere, or if you only have a cable phone line......... Not so great then :P It is pretty bad that it is only available to London but it is only a matter of time. NTL and Telewest are soooo screwed. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: West London
Posts: 24,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter We
I'm getting the 'new' service installed on 2nd June.
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 953
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There is a coverage map here
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/maps.php They are expanding faster because of the reduction of LLU charges that BT annouced recently. I'll post my views when I get the service. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,824
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inkblot
Hope it goes well. It would be great if you would post your impressions of it in a week or so. I've had two phone calls and a mail-out from HomeChoice in the past couple of weeks (they must be keen to sign people up!) but having been disappointed with ntl I'd like some informed opinions on the service before I make my mind up.
As for trying to get people to sign up. Once they have, they would be less likely to sign up to competitors. That's a good reason to be keen. That and they won't to make a profit. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: London
Posts: 2
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Homechoice with Linux
Well I've signed up for this service as well, which is to be installed on the 15th of June. My mum used to have it installed a couple of years ago when it wasn't that good. But reading what other people have said about the new service I hoping for big things from them.
The other reason that I have chosen to subscribe now and not earlier is that I am a Linux user and although I know it was possible to use Linux with the old system, it just seemed like too much work just to get an internet connection. Now that they have ethernet ports on their Set Top Boxes I can just plug in my existing ADSL router and share the connection between all the pc in my house regardless of the operating system that they run. And seeing that my linux box is already set up to access the internet through this router then I should be able to just plug it in and go (I'm hoping). I'll report back on my findings about the ease of getting my internet connection working with Linux when it's installed. |
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 180
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nobbynolan
Any company can set up a system like this (except BT?)
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 953
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inkblot
Hope it goes well. It would be great if you would post your impressions of it in a week or so. I've had two phone calls and a mail-out from HomeChoice in the past couple of weeks (they must be keen to sign people up!) but having been disappointed with ntl I'd like some informed opinions on the service before I make my mind up.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 77
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I've used the new Homechoice service - the company I work for provides some content for it - it's actually very impressive, if you're happy with the channel line-up. The picture quality is slightly sub-Freeview, so don't run a plasma TV off it. The on-demand content is a nice bonus, but needs more support from more companies. All-in-all, it's a good value package, and it is the future of TV.
Can't vouch for the broadband part of the deal. |
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 60
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I have ordered this but am a little nervous that the quality will be poor. Homechoice tell me that I can hook the set-top box up to a wireless network. I have a belkin wireless access point. Is this all that will be needed? The guy on the phone thought I would need a wireless router and he recommended Netgear.
Second question - once I have the wireless network set up will I be able to watch TV on my PC? If so what software will I need and do Homechoice provide this? thanks for any insight! Fergus |
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: London, U.K.
Posts: 1,560
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HomeChoice advertises, if I am not mistaken, a wireless option at extra cost of, cough, £150. If you take their 10-Base-T box and wish connecting to your 802.11 WiFi network, a WiFi adapter might be best. These are commonly designed for connecting playstation/xbox without wires; LinkSys does one. Have no personal experience with these adapters.
I doubt, however, that you will be getting TV on the PC. The WiFi network is for your broadand / Internet traffic; the media streaming will (hopefully) stay in the set-top box. No matter what; let us know what image quality you get. |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 60
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I decided to drop into Whiteleys this morning as their website said they had a demo stand there. I was very disappointed to be honest. They have a bunch of LCD PC monitors hooked up showing TV pictures (probably PC's with TV cards) but the picture quality is poor on these monitors. I asked to see the picture on a regular TV but they said that the plasma screen they had was not working.
The sales guy had no idea which was frustrating. He didn't know what a programme guide was and then told me the system didn't have an EPG. I took the remote from his hand and pressed the big button that said TV Guide! The guide itself was a bit of a disappointment - nothing like as slick as the Sky guide but an improvement on Freeview as it has future days in the schedule. I then asked about watching TV on a PC connected to the broadband internet. He, and a colleagure, assured me that this was possible even though I am sure it's not..... I have already signed up for the service so will wait and see what it's like. Worst case scenario is that I will carry on using my Freeview box for most TV viewing and the Homechoice for the additional channels and internet.... It still works out cheaper that 1MB with BT Internet so it is still great value. I will post comments once it is installed. |
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