HD PVR DStv subscribers left in the dark

[Rouxenator]

I've had the same, but it only shows the msg on Mnet. Change over to kyknet and watch Binnelanders there

Yeah, but then I have to switch back in time for Egoli and that is pretty hard when you are time shifting. Besides, autotune is a hoax invented to get you to buy their own PVR.

 

[Kei]

Cheapskates should employ ample qualified programmers and get this done. Multichoice make themselves look like fools over and over again with this incompetence and inability to meet their own deadlines.

Unfortunately you can thank the universities for training a generation of programmers/embedded developers to code bloat and use the overkill of C++, Java and other programming languages on embedded systems.

Also, assembly programming is very un-cool at present, which means there's no ways of training people to code efficiently. Fortunately I have been a very experienced assembler programmer, which has stood me in good stead for writing fast, efficient C programs.

really good embedded programmers are very rare these days.... that's just my opinion.

Geez, my TiVo does better than that on some wheezy hamster driven processor from the ark. Other then the HD (woohoo 1 channel) it records sd perfectly, has a better season pass manager, better search function, better ff/rew, better scaleability, better dump to pC capability etc etc.

They really have a useless supplier/software development team - hell, tivoza even helped to point them on the right path with regards to implementing season passes for all the good it did them.

I have no idea what processor is present in the HD PVR, but understand that the processor in there has the additional workload of decryption, which, Multichoice elected to make a software component because people keep hacking the hardware, and to swell their profits (less chips, smaller boards, less test and production hassle).

So, let's see- the poor processor has to:

1- Demux the digital channels from the stream
2- Decrypt selected streams via IRDETO (2 or more simultaneously)
3- Decode one stream HD at the high resolution that makes even AGP sweat, encrypt the other to the hard disk using 3DES whilst recording.
4- Decode the audio
5 -Run the middleware that does the menus and i-Plate, also throwing the antialiased fonts around in a massive graphics memory.

Quite a job for an embedded processor, don't you think? The TivO doesn't have to worry about encryption so it will perform much better.

A while back, I heard the software is so complex, they said they cannot find the bug that causes the freeze-ups.

 

[satanboy]

... no lame shows like "My Name is Earl" and pathetic adverts...

What?!? That is one of my favourite shows!

You gotta love those trailer park trash families.

I have no "recording" problems with my HD decoder. Only problem is that it is 60% full of HD Bond movies I am not getting to.

 

[Creag]

Well for this I'm glad I am still on the SD PVR and won't be moving to the "latest and greatest" just yet, until features like On Demand are out.

I heard an ad the other night saying the HD PVR is now 2500? did I hear correct???

And when is the UEI model coming out, (think thats the name???)

HD PVR also doesn't have dual view!

 

[Creag]

Multichoice seems to have stagnated ito service and content.
My gripes in no particular order:
1. Repeats
2. Where's the widescreen content?
3. Sound levels between programs and adverts.
4. Sound track gets reset to Family, even if I change it in settings.
5. Repeats
6. No new content worth watching
7. More repeats
8. What's the purpose of the Animax channel?
9. Repeats

I think that sums up the "service" offering from MonoChoice

1. Repeats I like ... allows me to schedule recordings
2. Where's the widescreen content? Not sure it adds too much value?
3. Sound levels between programs and adverts. Agreed
4. Sound track gets reset to Family, even if I change it in settings. Haven't noticed.
5. Repeats Still like 'em.
6. No new content worth watching -1
7. More repeats See 1 & 5 above
8. What's the purpose of the Animax channel? Sheesh, another point I agree on
9. Repeats Yawn

I would like to see a decent Sci-Fi channel ... drop E!, Animax, SABC and Etv, and there should be more than enough revenue there to buy decent programming for Sci-Fi?

 

[Creag]

When I looked at the headline, I went cold for a second or two.

Really thought it was some sinister plot by Eskom

 

[Shahbanue]

Yeah the HD-PVR is on special for R2499 at the moment. I agree that is extremely slow (response wise) compared to the SD-PVR. I Just recently added the HD-PVR with Extravies to my existing SD-PVR, so I'm still happy. But for those just going for the HD-PVR by itself, very dissapointing!

I would be interested to know where it is on special at R2499

 

[proximiti99]

that's a bit like saying Christianity is better than Islam.

Now why must you bring religion into this you freakin moron.

 

[theCableGuy]

Make your own PVR?

Build your own PVR. Enough free software out there to do it. I use GBPVR and the best thing about it - post recording it automatically strips out the adverts - so I dont even have to use the ffwd button.

What do you use to capture HD video with HDCP?

 

[semiautomatix]

Multichoice seems to have stagnated ito service and content.
My gripes in no particular order:
1. Repeats
2. Where's the widescreen content?
3. Sound levels between programs and adverts.
4. Sound track gets reset to Family, even if I change it in settings.
5. Repeats
6. No new content worth watching
7. More repeats
8. What's the purpose of the Animax channel?
9. Repeats

I think that sums up the "service" offering from MonoChoice

1. Understandable economically
2. Not everyone had HD... yet
3. Yeah, WTF?
4. I know, but this isn't just isolated to the HD PVR
5. Well again, economies of scale
6. Is this about repeats?
7. Well... er...
8. What happened to Sci-Fi despite major protests?
9. You know, this isn't the $$$ we're talking about, I mean the ZAR is well not the bees knees?

 

[Tns]

the animax channel was for anime now they showing all kind of crap on there

 

[Kosmik]

Unfortunately you can thank the universities for training a generation of programmers/embedded developers to code bloat and use the overkill of C++, Java and other programming languages on embedded systems.

Also, assembly programming is very un-cool at present, which means there's no ways of training people to code efficiently. Fortunately I have been a very experienced assembler programmer, which has stood me in good stead for writing fast, efficient C programs.

really good embedded programmers are very rare these days.... that's just my opinion.



I have no idea what processor is present in the HD PVR, but understand that the processor in there has the additional workload of decryption, which, Multichoice elected to make a software component because people keep hacking the hardware, and to swell their profits (less chips, smaller boards, less test and production hassle).

So, let's see- the poor processor has to:

1- Demux the digital channels from the stream
2- Decrypt selected streams via IRDETO (2 or more simultaneously)
3- Decode one stream HD at the high resolution that makes even AGP sweat, encrypt the other to the hard disk using 3DES whilst recording.
4- Decode the audio
5 -Run the middleware that does the menus and i-Plate, also throwing the antialiased fonts around in a massive graphics memory.

Quite a job for an embedded processor, don't you think? The TivO doesn't have to worry about encryption so it will perform much better.

A while back, I heard the software is so complex, they said they cannot find the bug that causes the freeze-ups.

Multichoice have no knowledge of firmware, development or hardware. They tender for a box/set top and whatever fits their view ( from a non-technical aspect mainly from what an insider told me ), they get. One of the reasons the HD one is such a f*** up at the mo.

 

[Kei]

I am well aware of that, it is done by UEC, in Mount Edgcombe, Durban!

 

[Kei]

What?!? That is one of my favourite shows!

You gotta love those trailer park trash families.

My apologies, I deal enough with that sort, so I don't want to see them on TV also.

 

[magneto]

ROFL - still all the same problems from way back.

just show that Dstv are retards, how can it take so long to do firmware
upgrades to make it work. plz man. Sounds more like that Dstv dont know how to
to do the firmware updates. so its try and test to see if they work.

rofl - crap service.

just give my IPTV

 

[donaldza]

DSTV HD has been a complete let down from day one and continues to be.

1 Channel, seriously? Not to mention how utterly useless and unstable the decoder is.

 

[Rouxenator]

Dude, you are complaing about them having only 1 HD channel.
For sucks fake they only have 1 or 2 at most SD widescreen channels !!!

People that have 16:9 screen, that means all plasma and LCD viewers, get black bars around every channel on DStv except 1 or 2 of the movie channels.

Stuff HD - they cannot even sort out SD with the right aspect ratios. They should just broadcast everything in its native format (most things are widescreen) and let the decoder do the letterbox or panscan on 4:3 tube TV setups.

 

[HDC]

Are there iTunes services (music / video) in ZA? Would be very interested in them...

Get a US itunes account. There are talks of Apple and the networks offering itunes tv - basically all the best shows for around $30 a month.

For the time being, I threw the crappy HD monochoice decoder in a drawer some 6 months back and I must say - I could not be happier..!

I do not receive one single broadcasting signal into my home (that I channel to an output device) and it is awesome not to receive the propaganda drivel and be able to watch what you want, when you want - LEGALLY.

Subscribe to a series that you like on itunes, the mac mini / apple TV automatically downloads it, let's me know there is a new episode and I choose when to watch in full HD without any crappy christmas adds - love it and more importantly, my wife loves it even more...

 

[Gamer]

Get a US itunes account. There are talks of Apple and the networks offering itunes tv - basically all the best shows for around $30 a month.

For the time being, I threw the crappy HD monochoice decoder in a drawer some 6 months back and I must say - I could not be happier..!

I do not receive one single broadcasting signal into my home (that I channel to an output device) and it is awesome not to receive the propaganda drivel and be able to watch what you want, when you want - LEGALLY.

Subscribe to a series that you like on itunes, the mac mini / apple TV automatically downloads it, let's me know there is a new episode and I choose when to watch in full HD without any crappy christmas adds - love it and more importantly, my wife loves it even more...

Getting it via a US Itunes account is not legal I'm afraid. Rather save your bucks and download from your fav scene source...it's all the same at the end of the day.