New DStv decoder, additional XtraView features on the way

[entrepr]

Tired of new decoders coming out. Lets first make use of the LAN port and USB options on the decoder we currently have.

The decoders are made by the suppliers, who fancy them up and then try to 'sell them' to Multichoice - hence the USB socket, which was designed by UEC but then no-one at MC could come up with a product definition to match, so it sat there idle

 

[siraman]

How much do you think an old SD PVR should cost?

How about ~R900.00? From a technological point of view(seeing you can buy a bog standard HD PVR @R999.00 with more features and functionality), but then I did mention supply and demand(hence the higher asking price for...second hand decoders?) and their ability to give you 3 viewing environments even with the basic decoder + SD PVR set-up.So,supply and demand beats me hands down.

 

[Sonic2k]

Tired of new decoders coming out. Lets first make use of the LAN port and USB options on the decoder we currently have.

Oh nooooo that's not allowed... we can't have you trying to get content off the drive LOL

 

[Mr Feesh]

How much do you think an old SD PVR should cost?

I sold my SD pvr for R2000 last year

 

[Drunkard #1]

Hope it's a better decoder than that steaming little turd. Worst decoder ever.

"...will announce such when we are ready to do so". Kind of sums up their FU attitude.

Clearly you've never used the Pace 4P.

My current decoder, VLC plays everything perfectly. ARRRRR. Seriously, their ****ty decoders are one of the main reasons I pirate.

 

[ThinkCentre]

With NTV, you don't need a decoder! It work nice with XBMC on my Apple TV1!

 

[Vice]

I will only buy one if the minimum spec is Dual-View HD. Extra Extra-View BS will not work for me; electricity is expensive :wtf: The reason I didn't go for Explora is that it offers nothing new compared to the HD pvr; so i was not their target market...

Also can they please do away with the features we're not going to use, e.g. Ethernet ports, etc. They make these devices to be unnecessarily expensive. Why add what you know you're not going to use anyways Frankly they're not ready to offer us stream and other online features. For now they're just happy milking us the way they do

 

[isie]

I will only buy one if the minimum spec is Dual-View HD. Extra Extra-View BS will not work for me; electricity is expensive :wtf: The reason I didn't go for Explora is that it offers nothing new compared to the HD pvr; so i was not their target market...

Also can they please do away with the features we're not going to use, e.g. Ethernet ports, etc. They make these devices to be unnecessarily expensive. Why add what you know you're not going to use anyways Frankly they're not ready to offer us stream and other online features. For now they're just happy milking us the way they do

As mentioned above UEC, pace etc make the hardware and capabilities its up to Mono choice to make use of this stuff.
Funny my dad lives over seas and has one of the UEC decoders (for Orbit i think) the Ethernet port is active and works for the TV guide and catch up IIRC - on the box so clearly marked made in south Africa :wtf:

 

[The_Ogre]

I had a 2P prior to the Explora and if I could go back to the 2P I honestly would.

For the last week or two when I wake up to turn the TV on its stuck in the boot sequence. The only way to get it working is to disconnect and reconnect the power.

The second issue is every second or so day it'll come up with a message to inform you the HDD is corrupt and until you've formatted it, the decoder will operate without PVR functionality. You'd then tell it to format the damn thing after which it would reboot and tell you that it couldn't complete the format.

Once you go back to your recordings/catchup everything is the way it was prior to its request to format. :wtf:

 

[Sonic2k]

As mentioned above UEC, pace etc make the hardware and capabilities its up to Mono choice to make use of this stuff.
Funny my dad lives over seas and has one of the UEC decoders (for Orbit i think) the Ethernet port is active and works for the TV guide and catch up IIRC - on the box so clearly marked made in south Africa :wtf:

UEC makes decoders in SA for most of the world.
This is where exports came in, and where the Dept Of Communications ruined several prospective STB manufacturers, and UEC retains its monopoly status in the electronics industry. I suspect that they stifled the competiton
UEC is part of the Altech group of companies, so you're indirectly lining Bill and Craig Venter's pockets.

I also suspect that MonoChoice knows as much as we do, and instead of being customer-centric to the customer, they are instead going after known ISPs who don't throttle Netflix and Hulu. In other words, douchebags.

 

[Sonic2k]

I had a 2P prior to the Explora and if I could go back to the 2P I honestly would.

For the last week or two when I wake up to turn the TV on its stuck in the boot sequence. The only way to get it working is to disconnect and reconnect the power.

The second issue is every second or so day it'll come up with a message to inform you the HDD is corrupt and until you've formatted it, the decoder will operate without PVR functionality. You'd then tell it to format the damn thing after which it would reboot and tell you that it couldn't complete the format.

Once you go back to your recordings/catchup everything is the way it was prior to its request to format. :wtf:

People who write embedded code who have no experience, nor any coding savvy, in other words, graduates from lower quality universities where they get taught theory and ZERO practice

 

[Compton_effect]

People who write embedded code who have no experience, nor any coding savvy, in other words, graduates from lower quality universities where they get taught theory and ZERO practice

Ie. India. I have seen work out of places like Pune that is 10 out of 10 for theoretical knowledge, but -100 for practicality or usability.
One kid wrote 300 lines of SQL code that I replaced with 25.
But the one thing to note - you only have to show them something once and they work like that every time.
The problem is - a lot of non-IT managers believe that throwing 5 cheap junior developers at a problem is just as good as one expensive senior Dev. I call it Shakespeare's Monkey Management.

 

[Sonic2k]

Ie. India. I have seen work out of places like Pune that is 10 out of 10 for theoretical knowledge, but -100 for practicality or usability.
One kid wrote 300 lines of SQL code that I replaced with 25.
But the one thing to note - you only have to show them something once and they work like that every time.
The problem is - a lot of non-IT managers believe that throwing 5 cheap junior developers at a problem is just as good as one expensive senior Dev. I call it Shakespeare's Monkey Management.

Thanks for the term
Sadly yes this is what happens.
I have applied for job many times at UEC/MonoChoice to write the firmware.
I have been rejected every single time. Most of the time I get told they want only AA candidates. I was also told once I am too smart i.e. over-qualified. Go figure!

But the one thing to note - you only have to show them something once and they work like that every time.

Hence why DSTV decoders are slow and crash. The same bad code from years ago is still in the units, even the newest Explora. No code review, no experienced people replacing crap code with proper industry standard/smart ways of doing it.

 

[Compton_effect]

Thanks for the term
Sadly yes this is what happens.
I have applied for job many times at UEC/MonoChoice to write the firmware.
I have been rejected every single time. Most of the time I get told they want only AA candidates. I was also told once I am too smart i.e. over-qualified. Go figure!


Hence why DSTV decoders are slow and crash. The same bad code from years ago is still in the units, even the newest Explora. No code review, no experienced people replacing crap code with proper industry standard/smart ways of doing it.

So true. I've never done embedded work myself, but have had the pleasure of working with guys who learned their craft writing embedded code for missiles, helicopter gunships and car engines. To a man they were detail driven and pedantic to the point of obsession. But they were good and their end-product was, no pun intended, bomb proof. A good friend writes code for SIM cards. If you have loaded airtime - you have used his code. He won't even let a junior near his work.