Well thanks to everyones help I was ready for the install of TTV today.
Right well I said that I would post all the info I could after the install so here goes.

The Router is a firmware modified Speedtouch ST585, its IP address is 192.168.1.254 . The Setop box IP address is 192.168.1.64 . I cant seem to find a way to change either of these IP addresses. It does have Wireless enabled and has WEP enabled by default, it can also do WPA, although I cant find that bit. It has 4 ethernet ports and is in a small black horizontal case.

The router has to be connected to your phone line via a normal ADSL filter. The set top box then connects to the router via a normal Ethernet cable. The set top box will work fine via ethernet hubs and switches no problem.

The setop box is the same as this: http://media.tiscali.co.uk/images/gf...us-lozenge.jpg
The engineer thought that the box he was installing was actually a PVR.
The box seems silent, no buttons on the front but it has a STUPID 25mm square Bright Green Light on the front that I cant seem to turn off
It also actually has an off switch at the back.

It has the following connections on the back:
Scart TV: RGB, Composite, S-Video.
Scart Video: RGB, Composite. (I think the RGB is a pass through not an output on Video Scart)
Ethernet: 10/100 Base TX - RJ45
2 Phonos: for audio out
Optical Out: for digital audio ( I dont know yet if its DD or DTS enabled, waiting for optical cable)
Aerial In
Aerial Out ( No RF out of Set top box picture)
HDMI ( Havent tested as no hdmi device local to set top box)
2x USB2 (dont know why)

Dimensions: 56mm high, 210mm depth, 350mm wide.

Remote Control: Not bad, buttons a bit recessed, could do with the buttons being a bit more proud. Easy to hold, it is a bit sensitive to being pointed at the box. It can be configured to not intefer with other remotes via the menu according to the instructions a a childs remote is available that only allows access to the Kids Mix area!

Operation:
Well the box is a bit slow but I was expecting that. It also is a bit confusing more of that in a bit.
You can set up a number of users and they can customise the My TV area so they each have their own view.

I have a very good freeview signal and the Tiscali box picked them up fine. You can actually watch different regions for BBC, and ITV and they will come down the phone line/ADSL. I am not paying for any extra channels but I get UKTV Gold, Sky1, Sky2, Sci-Fi, Paramount Comedy, Dave, Virgin, some Discovery channels and loads of others not on normal freeview.
Plus loads of free Video on Demand (VOD) stuff, OK its not the most upto date but they do have quite a few series's including Red Dwarf, Little Britain, Father Ted in the Comedy section. There are also about 1000 !!!!! VOD movies that seem to cost from £1.99 to £3.49, So thats not too bad. You can fast forward, rewind and pause all the VOD.
You can set reminders for programs and even set them to auto channel change so that you can record stuff with a DVD recorder or an old Video recorder.
It also has a limited set of last weeks programs from BBC, C4 and FX that you can select and watch free. It is only a limited set but quite handy, at the moment it has Eastenders, Spooks, Film 2007, Panorama, Waterloo Road, Live at the Appollo etc.......

Picture Quality seems as good as freeview, although I am watching it on an SD projector with an 8ft screen. Sound is OK but I am waiting for an optical cable.

Overall I think its great, especially as it is £5 cheaper than my old package that didnt include TV!!!!!!!
Overall I think its a brilliant rival to both Virgin and Sky, if I had realised how good it was I would have happily paid £50 to have the Tiscali+ box. In fact this afternoon I tried to enable my box to record as the engineer said that he thought the box was actually a PVR one!! But tech support first said PVR wasnt released, then they realised that box they had in the call centre was the PVR and it was the same model number as mine. They couldnt tell me how to enable the recording, I will probably wait a week and then get the Tiscali+ box as long as it stays good.

Sorry for the Very long post but after all the help you guys have given me I thought I should give something back.

Thanks. If you need any more info please ask and I will try and give you some answers.

ched:

Am I right in thinking that there is no subtitle on any channel from the STB?

And how long is the ethernet cable between the router and the STB - did the engineer willingly sling the cable from basement to lounge? (With lots of cakes and coffee/tea?)

External HDD expansion for the PVR comes to mind.

tgt. I cant find anyway to turn on the subtitles if there are any.

As for the network cable, well due to problems with the double glazing install I had to re-route 2 Tv aerial cables and 2 Sky cables from through the old window frame to through the wall. So I drilled a 25mm hole through the wall and put a network cable to the basement in at the same time.

So when the engineer came I had a chat with him and he didnt seem great technically so I took the router off him and swapped it for my normal router. I then plugged the STB into my new network port in my lounge and connected it to the TV. I then had to log into the Tiscali router and enter my user name and password and that was about it. So the network cable between the router and the STB is about 20 meters. Unfortunately I dont know how long a network cable he would have fitted.

The only problem I had , well it wasnt really a problem was that I cant change the IP address of either the Tiscali Router or the STB so I had to change all my other equipments IP addresses.

Sorry I cant be of more help.

I must say that Tiscali TV ROCKS, its great. I am so impressed with all the free Video on Demand stuff.

ched: I'm slightly confused about your mentioning your own normal router and the Tiscali router. Are both in use now - then how are they connected and then to the STB? Could you please 'draw' a diagram of how the pieces fit together? Please also indicate which part, if any, of the network is wireless.

Sorry to pose so many questions, but I'd like to avoid wireless, and would like to use my own router (if not possible then maybe 'behind' the Tiscali router).

Thanks

tgt have a look at your private messages I have given you a link to my network diagram.

We don't have subtitles yet

Hi Ched, could I see your network diagram also? I am getting Tiscali TV (the pvr version for £50) installed on 2nd January, but am concerned about it all integrating into my existing system.

My current modem router is upstairs with the computers plugged into it, but then is also wireless, so my Wii, laptop, Wifi radio etc can connect. I don't really want to have the wireless modem by the TV downstairs. If I have to, I'd rather run a long Cat5 cable from upstairs to down (I have a channel it could possibly run in) to connect to the Tiscali set top box.

I'd be interested to see your set-up
thanks
Billinge

We had existing router near telephone socket, so had CAT5 cable installed for Tiscali+ at our house on 6-Dec-2007 (a run of 20 metres). I threaded string under floor boards prior to visit and engineer just tied CAT5 cable to end and it pulled through nicely. It is only the IPTV signal that has to be wired between the router and STB. All existing equipment that is wireless can stay that way, with router remaining near telephone socket.

Only snag now is, BT need to connect IPTV correctly at exchange end, then, hopefully it'll work.

MarR

Thanks for that. Thankfully in the channel I have for the tv cabling, we put a draw wire in from the loft just incase we needed another cable, so that should do the job.
Did your installer provide the CAT5 cable? I think I'd rather do a tidy installation and put a CAT5 socket on the wall behind the tv.

Do you know if they insist on the router being connected to the master BT socket, or is an extension ok? Some broadband installer insist on the master.
cheers
Billinge

billinge: check you private messages.

I have the same question. Please help.

Extensions are not a good thing when trying to optimise the service. The engineer will discuss the options with you when he installs.

Hi Ched999uk,
thanks for the schematic. I had a busy time this weekend tidying up my network ready for my rearranged TTV installation later this month.

I've now put my network switch in the loft and everything now cables back to that point; the modem-router in the hall plugged directly into the master BT socket; the pcs upstairs; and a point in the living room for the TTV when it arrives.

Hopefully it should be an easy installation for the engineer. Swap my Zoom modem router for the Tiscali wireless one, and replace my existing freeview receiver with the Tiscali STB.

I hope the modem's IP address can be changed, or I'll have to reset all my pc's, my wifi radio, Wii and the firewalls again.

billinge: I didnt find a way to change the IP address of the router. I also cant find a way to change the IP address of the Tiscali TV set top box so that may be why you cant change router IP address. My tiscali routers IP address is 192.168.1.254 and the Set Top Box is 192.168.1.64. So I had to change all my other kit to match.

Good Luck.

Thanks Ched999uk, I may change eveything to the new IP set before the installation then, better to do it at my leisure than be forced into it following the installation.
cheers
Billinge

Well the installer came on Saturday to install Tiscali TV, actually phoned about an hour early to say he was in the area, and could be with us within 30mins.

So he came in and was quite impressed with the networking I'd done, seemed to make it easy for him.

BUT!! When he checked the line, with the modem, could only get 1.5mb, so phoned them up and they boosted the speed.

He said this should've already been done, and a check on the line should've been done, but could still only get 3mb. He could not understand it, as he said the exchange was on the corner of our plot (one of those green BT boxes, I thought the speed would be based of the main exchange in town) and we should be able to get at least 8mb.

So there must be a fault, and BT would have to check the line, and I should get a call back either later that day or Monday.

Well no call so I phoned Tiscali this morning, and the nice Indian chap said everything had been sorted, and he could book a new installation date. I asked him to double check this, as I did not want another wasted day for me or the installer, but he confirmed everything was sorted.

So I checked my connection speed using ThinkBroadband, and still only get 2.9mb download.

Do you think I can trust them?

I am not convinced by Tiscali Customer Service so far, with one appointment aborted as they double booked, then a wasted installation as they had not done their checks.

cheers
Billinge

I think the engineer was talking bollocks. The distance is measured to the exchange, not the distribution box.

Check www.samknows.com for the distance to the exchange.

I didn't think he was right, but he gave me a box of Cat5E cable, so wanted to be nice .
According to Samknows, I am approximately 1.05km from the exchange (straight line distance).

I wonder if having our Master Socket moved (by BT last November from an upstairs bedroom to the hall) has something to do with it? Bad joint perhaps?

Can I believe Tiscali when they say everything is fine? Not on past experience.

cheers
Billinge

One hand does not talk to the other at Tiscali... I've found out that there was an error with my order at the exchange (or Tiscali messed up, not sure whether to believe them!) so my line hasn't been provisioned yet despite having an engineer booked for tomorrow. Unsurprisingly the people who deal with installation visits knew nothing of this.

Internal wiring seems to be a cause of a lot of problems apparently.

http://www.internode.on.net/resident...ernet/extreme/

You are getting poor speed. Have you checked the line stats using the R-G-B buttons when you switch on the box (old silver box that is)?

Finally got an activation date from BT, so now to re-book the install.

Getting installed next Thursday - that'll make it just a shade over a month since I got my new line. To be fair a lot of this is BT's fault, with my number taking ages to appear in their ADSL database, and then their system rejecting the order. But at the same time Tiscali should have spotted this failure earlier and done something about it.

And now a new problem - today I received a letter dated 24th Jan telling me my install had been cancelled because there was a delay in provisioning my line. Err.... not according to BT! Shall have to pester them about that tomorrow. Of course it could be referring to my original date, you never know with a company as incompetent as Tiscali!

BT are now showing that I've been provisioned, and Tiscali TV tech support say my appointment still stands, so the letter must be referring to my original installation date (the letter did not indicate any date to which it referred, clearly Tiscali think nothing much can go wrong) - nice of them to tell me about it after it had been cancelled! I suppose it's a bit like the bills I used to receive telling me the TV highlights for the previous month...