UPC Horizon Set Top Box trial

That thread is from last year and there have been LOADS of updates since then so the comments are completely irrelevant to the current build.


The fact that its based on XBMC is fairly obvious from the look and feel of it but the current build is worlds apart and ahead of the current PVR implememtation of the Current open source build (which I have on my media centre running on an DVBlogic backend)

Id be interested in seeing a horizon XBMC skin though..

What we need is either on this site or on UPC site a webpage listing latest update and what changes the update has
and keep the previous update s list so we can see what past updates had
Getting update are good but we need to know in detail what all updates are even if there only minor update

The Horizon box is good but does have its faults mostly been weak wireless router
As a wired connection its fine

This is a trial and its up to us to let them know what problems there are and what features we would like to see happen
At the end of the day we are customers and UPC should listen to what customers want

We should be able to use our own router as wireless standards change and new router give us choice
as it would involve UPC getting new Horizon Box made to include new tech regarding Wireless improvements
this would be very costly to them

Fix The Remote control freezing or supply us with better working remote control

So they should by standard enable the ability to use your own wireless router or use the one built in by creating the a choice in the settings
Let us connect and use our own router and then connect pc back to horizon for My Library feature to work both ways
Some customers will be ok with its built in router but lot of customers want to have the ability to use there own router features
They should enable the 5ghz band of the router as its there already

On demand at the moment is weak in selection compared to Sky on Demand
A lot more needs to be done in this area

Let us use Netflix on the Horizon

Picture Quality of what I have seen is much better 1080p HD sky don't have this
Standard channels look good in 1080p if you have a good plasma Television as I have a Panasonic Plasma GT30

The freezing of horizon needs to be fixed in all areas and I expect this will happen with software updates and future new Horizon HD BOX remember were using the first one so do expect in next year or later a new improved Horizon Box with different hardware

The apps section is weak as you cant use in full screen mode
Facebook not working yet
If apps don't improve they wont be used and will be waste of time having them
No point having loads of useless apps better to be good ones that you will want to use

1.Netflix
2.Internet Browser full screen
3.Rte Player full version (We only have basic version with limited choice at the moment)
4.Facebook full screen and working
5.Most used apps on other devices that other customers use around the world

Radio in TV guide needs to be given choice to list only radio without have to scroll through all channels

TV Guide needs now/next and with at least a 2 week planner with ability to search by day week etc
I could list a lot more but this is what's needed now

Also fix My Library ability to scan and not freeze if you have large music and videos collection on pc or external hard drives
Note don't let it scan as it will freeze your box if you do in home network
If not going to fix this them remove this feature remove this feature
and just let it browse my devices and play as it we do now and improve formats and other servers play ability

Ps3 server does not work fully with Horizon max it can display and search is 10 folders items in each folder it works fully with ps3 and any of my other dlna devices but not horizon
Twonky ok but has problem with some formats
Serviio server wont play any mkv yet it does work on other dlna devices
Windows Media Player Streaming works fully if you have shark007 codec installed on your pc and plays all formats I tested so far

DylanII wrote: »

My twonky trial just expired.

What is everyone else using? I didnt like twonky anyway - a lot of larger files had no sound with it.

Goto to my upc on there website click my twonky
licence key should be there
if not contact upc on 1908 they will give you a licence key

Windows Media Player streaming works fully but install shark007 codec 32 bit first then install 64 bit add on if you have a 64 bit pc read how to use on there website

paulboland wrote: »

Radio in TV guide needs to be given choice to list only radio without have to scroll through all channels

I'm not sure what you mean by this? In my Guide the radio stations are all together in the upper 900 bracket. I need to do a long press on OK on the remote (hold it down for a second) to jump straight into playing it (UPC, This needs to be fixed!!) but I cant see how this is a loss over the old radio function??

ted1 wrote: »

I don't think that there is a problem with the remote. I think the problem is with the box.

As for Netflix, I see that as competition for UPC as you may watch a film there instead of getting an on demand film.

Facebook does work.

Not to pushed about the 5ghz, I think that these may be for there use so as to enable public WiFi as stated by UPC in a link earlier on in the thread.

I cant get facebook to work after entering device code I get sorry seems to be problem were looking into it every time I try activate

Facebook is working fine for me!

patrickmooney wrote: »

Will try ethernet and see what happens. Could be the wifi.

Try restarting the iPhone/iPad?

Had the same problem yesterday - was convinced the Horizon box is at fault, but tried restarting my iPad and it worked perfectly. I've seen others have this issue as well, so I don't think it's a Horizon issue.

The recent update fixed a problem I was having. When I connected my NAS to the Horizon box when I got it first, it wouldn't recognize the NAS. I tried everything without success. I even reconnected my Thomson router which worked fine with the NAS, turned off DHCP on the Horizon but I think it had been disconnected by UPC. When I reconnected the Horizon I couldn't re-enable DHCP even after several factory resets, had to get onto UPC who re-enabled it.

Last Friday when I turned off the box just after midnight I noticed the update being done. When it was completed I tried my media player again and bingo!! it could see the NAS. Streaming happily since. I haven't had any of the other problems I've been reading about here (quickly touch wood :-)

fermi-paradox wrote: »

I have a lot of devices with static IP addresses assigned through their own configuration and they work,
they just don't show up in the dhcp client list.
In fact I just changed this PC to a static address and it disappeared from the list but is still working OK.
I do make sure they are all outside the dhcp range though.

Can't get that to work. The devices in question don't have the option to do DHCP with manual address. It's either DHCP or fully manual. And the latter won't work, even if the only change is a manually defined IP (whether it's inside or outside the range). It connects to the AP, but without internet access.

The way I've tried to do it (with countless variations) worked fine on the Thomson router.

30-40 on wireless is actually very good.

If you wish to improve these speeds you should set the router to wireless N only (which means all older wireless devices which don't support wireless N wont work) and also ensure that your using the most appropriate channel, taking into consideration the fact that some device's cant see the upper channels..blah blah blah regurgitated techie stuff you could find out by googling "expected wireless n speeds"

In short, tis grand what you're getting.

I've no problem with the remote, might be a faulty gyro and the remote doesn't know which side of the keys to use.

As I said you don't need tonknow the cause, UPC do.

danskulz wrote: »

Hey guys, Im having a problem with connecting my xbox to the wireless i dont have the option to use wired with the horzion box being downstairs, any help would be great

You need to change the security to WPA instead of WPA2

Two attempts at recording the Rugby on tg4, both recorded only one minute. Checked during the second attempt today and it had recorded 28 minutes of about 80 minutes of the show, but was only one minute when I checked recordings later.

Very annoying.

paulboland wrote: »

remote control freezing a lot today what's causing this we need to know the reason this keeps happing

By freezing do you mean you are pressing the buttons on the remote and the box stops responding?

For example if you press 'back' and then use the arrow keys to 'scroll' up or down the channels it stops on a channel and ignores the fact that you are continuing to press the arrow key?

If so then I have this issue too and have had since day 1. The box is simply not responsive enough to the remote.