UPC want to change my box

tallaghtfornia

Good afternoon,

I recieved a phone call from UPC yesterday that they wanted to change my set top boxes they said it was part of an upgrade in my area (I have multiroom) - was just curious why they wanted to to this I have the full package from them Sports Movies etc. I have the small silver pace box - My mate had a box swop from UPC but he had the large black box and they gave him a large box with the UPC brand on it - I hope they don't give me one of these as I have compartments set up in my wall to fit the current STBs. Has anyone else had a phone call from them? I'm in the Tallaght area.

Many thanks

paulm17781

They are trying to phase out the old boxes and want everyone to get the UPC branded ones. Eventually the NTL boxes will be knocked off the system.

tallaghtfornia

Thanks Paul - That wil cause me a problem
Cheers Anyways

mediacentre.ie

They have to do this for everyone because they are switching to a new encryption type. the old STB's are Nagra and they are switching to nagra 2 to try and stop the dodgy boxes. They can't do it untill they have everyone on the new UPC box.

tallaghtfornia

mediacentre.ie wrote: »

They have to do this for everyone because they are switching to a new encryption type. the old STB's are Nagra and they are switching to nagra 2 to try and stop the dodgy boxes. They can't do it untill they have everyone on the new UPC box.

Thanks again mate - they seemed adamant to change my boxes said it was an upgrade in my area was just wondering why that’s all! they also said I could upgrade to a DVR so I mite chance that.

SteM

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

Good afternoon,

I recieved a phone call from UPC yesterday that they wanted to change my set top boxes they said it was part of an upgrade in my area (I have multiroom) - was just curious why they wanted to to this I have the full package from them Sports Movies etc. I have the small silver pace box - My mate had a box swop from UPC but he had the large black box and they gave him a large box with the UPC brand on it - I hope they don't give me one of these as I have compartments set up in my wall to fit the current STBs. Has anyone else had a phone call from them? I'm in the Tallaght area.

Many thanks

Did they mention any details on how they would do this? Will they give you an exact time that they will show up or will they expect you to take a half day from work so they can give you a 6 hour time slot they don't show up for?

tallaghtfornia

They actually said they would do this what ever time suits me - couldn’t believe it I told them I would be there Saturday morning they said no problem – it’s gas when you need something done they never seem to have a time slot that suits you. They must really want to swap all those old boxes out ASAP.

paulm17781

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

They actually said they would do this what ever time suits me - couldn’t believe it I told them I would be there Saturday morning they said no problem – it’s gas when you need something done they never seem to have a time slot that suits you. They must really want to swap all those old boxes out ASAP.

They did the same with the cable modem upgrades, I had a guy call round about 7 on Thursday night. Sure enough if you need someone out they're hopeless.

tallaghtfornia

I wonder how long it will take them to phase out the old boxes ?

From what they said on the phone they were doing it area by area!

paulm17781

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

I wonder how long it will take them to phase out the old boxes ?

From what they said on the phone they were doing it area by area!

Maybe (I don't know) they can migrate each area to the new system as it's upgraded. That way they can try to knock of dodgy boxes area by area.

tallaghtfornia

Was just courious why they were doing this..

But I think i have my answer now!!

Freddie59

paulm17781 wrote: »

Maybe (I don't know) they can migrate each area to the new system as it's upgraded. That way they can try to knock of dodgy boxes area by area.

I'd imagine its more than try to if they're going to those lengths.

paulm17781

Freddie59 wrote: »

I'd imagine its more than try to if they're going to those lengths.

True

I meant they can try area by area rather than one big go.

flogen

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

Was just courious why they were doing this..

But I think i have my answer now!!

I think the new boxes are two-way too, so are more suited to remote updates and Video On Demand.

I imagine the main reason is to kill the dodgyboxes, though.

Solair

Well it's 3-fold really

1) Kill the dodgyboxes off
2) Roll out of interactive services
3) The box contains a modem, so it means they don't need to install extra equipment so that you can connect to their broadband packages i.e. you'll simply be 'switched on' It means that they'll be able to mail out a self-install kit for wifi / telephony too. Just plug it into the ethernet port on the back of the box. No other installation necessary, the box is the modem.

paulm17781

Solair wrote: »

3) The box contains a modem, so it means they don't need to install extra equipment so that you can connect to their broadband packages i.e. you'll simply be 'switched on' It means that they'll be able to mail out a self-install kit for wifi / telephony too. Just plug it into the ethernet port on the back of the box. No other installation necessary, the box is the modem.

I really hope this is true. While I have everything already, I'd prefer they operated this way, people who know how could get set up instantly rather than wait 2 weeks for an installer. It'd also be good if I could get rid of the modem and use the DVR as a modem, one less plug.

I think the new boxes have phone ports too, it would mean cost savings for UPC, one bit of hardware rather than two.

tallaghtfornia

Was talking to some mates - they also got calls today and they have the small pace box and all live in Tallaght - would say the main reason is to kill off the dodgie box

tallaghtfornia

UPC Instaled my new digiboxes they are a long ugly box with UPC on the right hand side - I spoke to the guy who installed it and they said they were upgrading all the boxes in the tallaght area.

pjproby

got the new box and the signal keeps freezing-despite repeated calls to upc-prefer the old one myself.
don't know about modem but there is definitely a network connection on the back.

MisterAnarchy

A friend of mine subscribed to MMDS lately and he got one of the old Sagem stb.
Mustnt be switching MMDS over for a bit yet.

watty

The Sagem is usually the ex-Chorus MMDS, it's DVB-t. The ex-NTL MMDS is DVB-c (same as cable) thus a different receiver.

Unlike satellite, where even with Sky, you own the box from install date, the Cable/MMDS boxes are UPC property.

rubadub

A guy in the same estate as me got his old bulky pace changed a few months back. I did not get my small pace changed, I had heard that the old box could not handle nagra 2 and needed changing, and that the small pace would just need a new card.

Aquos76

This is a strange set up alright, a friend of mine has 3 digital boxes from ntl/upc, one of the boxes was the real old black one and the other ones were the small little pace ones. UPC called out to him a couple of weeks ago and they only replaced the black one with a new UPC box and left the other two small pace ones.

Jack Bauer999

Solair wrote: »

Well it's 3-fold really

1) Kill the dodgyboxes off
2) Roll out of interactive services
3) The box contains a modem, so it means they don't need to install extra equipment so that you can connect to their broadband packages i.e. you'll simply be 'switched on' It means that they'll be able to mail out a self-install kit for wifi / telephony too. Just plug it into the ethernet port on the back of the box. No other installation necessary, the box is the modem.

we got a new install done 3 weeks ago,
they installed the new UPC box, wireless router and
a seperate modem. our box does not contain a modem.

Rosser

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

Was talking to some mates - they also got calls today and they have the small pace box and all live in Tallaght - would say the main reason is to kill off the dodgie box

I wish they'd get a move on. In the team of 9 people I work with only two of us do not have a dodgy box which really pi**es me off :mad: When I pointed out it was theft of service you'd hear the laughter a mile away and some of these people are the real 'holier than thou' brigade.

Can't wait to come in one day to find them all have in 14 channel land!

d8player

Rosser wrote: »

I wish they'd get a move on. In the team of 9 people I work with only two of us do not have a dodgy box which really pi**es me off :mad: When I pointed out it was theft of service you'd hear the laughter a mile away and some of these people are the real 'holier than thou' brigade.

Can't wait to come in one day to find them all have in 14 channel land!

I feel exactly the same. I am not one bit tempted to to get a dodgy box but it does p!ss me off to see all those who steal suddenly feel like they have the high moral ground. I personally don't care what they do but don't slag off those that choose to not break the law.

Solair

It won't take UPC long to roll those boxes out as they're pretty much standard issue on all UPC networks now. So, they're in stock in large volumes.

Given how easy the installation of a new box is, they could do a whole street in a couple of hours. It's not like installing satellite dishes or something

What are they doing with MMDS ? Migrating to new box? or sticking with the existing DVB-T Chorus ones for the time being?

MisterAnarchy

Solair wrote: »

What are they doing with MMDS ? Migrating to new box? or sticking with the existing DVB-T Chorus ones for the time being?

They seem to be still rolling out the existing Sagem DVB-T to new subscribers .

GerardKeating

Solair wrote: »

What are they doing with MMDS ? Migrating to new box? or sticking with the existing DVB-T Chorus ones for the time being?

Well, ex-NTL MMDS are getting the new boxes, I moved from a Cabled area to an MMDS area in august and the swapped me to the new UPC boxes..

icdg

GerardKeating wrote: »

Well, ex-NTL MMDS are getting the new boxes, I moved from a Cabled area to an MMDS area in august and the swapped me to the new UPC boxes..

Yes, but NTL MMDS is DVB-C - i.e. based on the cable standard. Chorus MMDS is based on DVB-T, the DTT standard.

To the best of my knowledge UPC don't operate a DVB-T network anywhere else so until they find a solution to this problem the existing Chorus kit will have to be continued to be deployed. This will possibly continue to be a problem until DSO is managed in the Chorus areas (already done for NTL) - at that stage they could possibly run DVB-C on the second set of frequencies in each are released by the switch off of analogue, and start slowly switching the boxes.

200motels

mediacentre.ie wrote: »

They have to do this for everyone because they are switching to a new encryption type. the old STB's are Nagra and they are switching to nagra 2 to try and stop the dodgy boxes. They can't do it untill they have everyone on the new UPC box.

And I hope they knock those off soon it makes my blood boil the way people are stealing a service with these boxes. A friend of mine who works for NTL told me that by October they hope that all these parasites will be knocked off.