Vodafone launches TV Play

gnf_ireland

I see Vodafone have now launched their competition to Sky Stream called Vodafone TV Play

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2024/01/08/vodafone-launches-tv-product-for-irish-customers/

Has anyone got any detail on this? What are the recording capabilities like, as it seems to be a bit vague. It is restricted to those with Vodafone broadband only, so that is a bit of a pain !

Any thoughts ? Is it worth a shot ?

wytek

I think it might be a vodafone wrapped google tv product?

MarkR

I'm currently paying 35 to vodafone for broaband, and I think about 80 per month to sky. We have multiroom for the kids with sky q, but it's been giving some issues recently. I'll report back once I've had my call back.

JDxtra

As with Sky Stream, there will be no recording ability on the box itself and likely some on demand limiations.

This also requires Vodafone broadband. The Now TV packages they are selling will not be bundled into the main Vodafone TV app, these channels will use a seperate app same as any other android TV system.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121591289#Comment_121591289

Apparently its made by Sagem in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen with Google assistance built in, appears to be very well thought out.

Sue de Nimes

Here are some specs for what appears to be the same device. It looks like it has been rebranded in different markets. Orange are using the same device in some of their European markets as well.

https://www.androidtv-guide.com/pay-tv-provider/vodafone-portugal-tv-play/

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058330442/vodafone-launches-tv-play

Recording is severely limited on the Vodafone boxes, similar to Sky. In particular, BBC channels cannot be recorded - this is a major limitation in Ireland, because BBC i-Player is not available here. At least, the commercial channels generally have their players available here. While they are probably ok on "the Mainland", these UK companies do not seem to be able to localize their products properly for the Irish market.

The Eir TV platform, which runs on Apple TV 4K is probably a better solution, and is very competitively priced at €9.99pm in-bundle for a similar selection of TV channels, with Amazon Prime Video subscription included. Eir allow unrestricted recording of BBC channels, and (although they don't advertise this) Eir do not charge any extra monthly fee if you purchase your own additional Apple TV boxes to do multi-room (The first Apple TV box comes free with the subscription). Eir TV also has an Android app, which can be used on phones with Google Chromecast etc.

Grumpypants

I was trying to find out some info on it too. My main concern is how good is the android store. Will it let you install any apps you want. Xbox or steam link for example would be great.

€25 a month is hearty for free to air channels. If you got netflix subscription included it would make it a bit better.

Delta2113

What channels don’t let me record shows?

1. RTÉ
2. RTÉ 2
3. RTÉ + 1
4. RTÉ 2 + 1
5. Channel 4
6. E!
7. E4
8. E4 Extra
9. BBC One
10. BBC Two
11. BBC Four
12. BBC 2 NI
13. More4
14. Film 4

It's a definite no from me.

icdg

As people will know I’m not one for dragging up old threads (and there are good reasons for that) but in this case I will say that we did have an earlier thread back in November when this product was first launched which did answer some of the questions raised on this one. I’m not sure why it’s being launched a second time now - maybe November was a so-called “soft launch” and this is the formal launch,

Just the re the “localisation” point raised - Vodafone doesn’t actually offer tv in the UK (never has, for whatever reason) so it’s a not guilty on that charge. The streaming limitations on recording are common to all the streaming based platforms and one of the reasons why VM went with a hard drive solution with its TV360 box despite the Horizon 4 / EOS platform being able to support cloud recording from the off. Sky’s solution to it has been novel - I’ve heard some talk their deal with BBC for on-demand content is exclusive but if so it hands them a massive advantage viz other platforms.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121595348#Comment_121595348

Vodafone do offer TV in the UK - https://www.vodafone.co.uk/broadband/broadband-and-tv

They use the Apple TV box in the UK (same as Eir here), but the recording limitations are more likely to be due to restrictions on their agreements with the content providers, rather than the hardware of the box. It is not true that the streaming limitations on recording are universal to all streaming based platforms. BBC and other UK channels record unrestricted on the Eir Apple TV streaming platform. Streaming platforms are the future, and it is likely that all the hard disk platforms will be phased out soon. Apart from the convenience of streaming and cloud storage for the end user, the TV providers have greater control of the advertising with streaming - and this is likely to be the driver for most of them (apart from BBC, who carry no advertising). It seems likely that Vodafone & Sky have not bothered to negotiate separate agreements with the UK based content providers for their Irish customer base, and this is probably the reason that their Irish customers cannot record. It is mainly a problem for watching BBC, as the players can be used to catch up on the other channels.

Sue de Nimes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121595348#Comment_121595348

Regarding Vodafone and TV in the UK. They have been offering a "TV Package" for years now. What it is though is just an Apple TV Device without any Vodafone customisation. Most of the non Irish channels on the Irish Vodafone TV offering are free to air in the UK. In Ireland I think most people who are in the market for something like a non premium TV service from a phone company (such as Eir or Vodafone) really just want to be able to get the UK terrestrial channels (BBC, ITV, C4 etc). You can only get these in Ireland with some sort of "TV Package". This market just doesn't exist in the UK as the channels are all free to air anyway.

EE do offer a TV service but it has an Apple TV option with an app which is the most common. The UK has Freeview, Youview and Freesat which offer subscription free recording of a wide range of "basic" channels for a fairly small single up front cost.

icdg

I think it seems clear there that all Vodafone UK are offering is the easy purchase of an Apple TV box and a 24 month subscriptions to Apple TV+. Unlike eir here, they’re not actually offering a cable TV-like service through it. There’s no linear channel offering. It’s no different in terms of content to if you picked up an Apple TV from the Apple Store and took out an Apple TV subsciption after your three month free trial elapsed. No content is being provided by or through Vodafone.

There were heavy restrictions on recording when eir TV first launched. If they are now all gone that’s great, but it’s not true to say there were never any restrictions - have a read through the eir tv thread in this very forum and you will see the problems that were encountered. As late as October 2023 you could not record RTE.

done123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121595970#Comment_121595970

It is correct you cannot record RTE or Virgin Media channels on Eir tv, but all the other channels can be recorded. RTE and Virgin media channels can be rewatched up to 7 days. Both RTE and Virgin Media have there players on apple TV. I am very happy with eir TV overall, with 43 HD channels, with hope that agreement can be got with Irish channels to record them also.

BuzzFish

Just a note for those considering this. I has the install booked today and had to send it away after the installers contacted support when the box wouldn't pick up my account. Turned out that the TV box will only work with the Vodafone Modem as they need to activate some IPTV setting on the modem itself. I have a UniFi network at home, including the SecureGateway (which is connected to the Fiber terminator).

So if looking to get this product, bear in mind you'll be stuck with the Vodafone router.

decor58

It looks as if this box, in one form or another, has been around for a while in other countries. Made by Sagem labelled as a Sagemcom video soundbox, there are a number of YouTube videos on various branded boxes.

Sue de Nimes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121595970#Comment_121595970

Oh yes, the offering from Vodafone UK is pretty basic which is why I said stuck TV package in quotation marks :)

MarkR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601155#Comment_121601155

Good to know, I still have the VF modem for telephone services, but a mesh network coming off it. If the tv box needs to connect directly to the modem that would be a pain.

BBBBBBBB9999

So far, a giant thumbs down. Hope to return the box and revert to my old TV box.

What I don't like -

1 - I think the speaker sounds terrible. With the prior box, I output the sound via a simple RCA jack to an Amazon Echo speaker, which actually sounds pretty decent for what it is. I was excited to see the TV Play box arrive as it had a B&O speaker. Oof, it sounds awful. I changed the simple sound options on the box and it still sounded terrible. If you watch / listen to your TV with a proper sound bar or similar setup and don't need the speaker, this won't be a big deal. But considering the TV Play box doesn't have an audio jack input, I can't use it with my Echo, hence this new box is a pretty massive sound downgrade for me.

2 - As mentioned above, several channels aren't recordable, including one I record all the time. So that's a real problem.

3 - Obviously remotes can be a bit of personal preference, but in my view the new remote that comes with the TV Play is another fail. The prior remote actually words on some of the buttons (Guide, Recordings, Exit, Info, Menu, Options). The new remote lacks that clarity and is likely to be an issue for my wife or others that aren't familiar with the remote.

4 - Again, maybe personal preference and maybe something I'd get used to - but the on-screen menu is terrible as well. Hard to read the channel names and I haven't found a way to set up a personal profile (yet at least).

Other problems -

5 - When we "upgraded" to TV Play because we were out of contract and the sales guy at the store said the new box would be cheaper, he didn't even mention that we'd be getting a new cable box. Not cool. (We were actually in to discuss our cell plan, the sales guy is the one who brought up our TV plan. That wasn't even on our agenda.)

6 - At first connection, the TV Play box didn't connect with our account. Took them a week to sort that out. But they forgot to put our Sky Sports package on. (And it's Friday in front of a big sports weekend!)

7 - When they transferred our account to the new TV Play box, for some reason they canceled our Sky Sports add on. No idea why. Guessing just an error when the sales guy renewed our contract.

8 - The new box doesn't have any of our prior recorded shows on it (I guess makes sense if the recordings are on the hard drive of the boxes themselves). But because the sales guy didn't tell us we'd be getting a new box and nobody explained clearly that we'd lose access to these recordings, well, that's a bunch of shows we're not going to get to watch now (including a bunch of one-offs).

So, all in all, not to happy with the TV Play box nor how this all went down.

icdg

Can you even get Sky Sports on this package? My reading of the material is that, like eir TV, they are pointing you towards Now TV for Sky content.

Now TV has its advantages (follow the bargain alerts thread and it can be ridiculously cheap) but it has its disadvantages and lack of recording is the major one. If you’re an NFL fan you won’t be able to record prime time games and will have to make do with the highlights (and to be fair Sky do 45 minutes highlights packages and put them up the next day).

I presume this box is completely WiFi driven and doesn’t need a physical connection to the router? Otherwise the speaker feature would be daft (it’s a bit left field as it is).

BBBBBBBB9999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121609801#Comment_121609801

I was wondering about that, since I clicked on the Now channel and it seemed to bring up Sky Sports options. But nobody from Vodafone explained that's how we have to get Sky Sports going forward with the new box.

And yes, pretty much a deal killer if can't record the NFL games.

Don't know how all this works, but wonder if that's how Vodafone is able to offer this box cheaper than a lot of competitors (from what I've read). They either have to pay higher licensing fees (which would allow for recording channels) and pass that cost to consumers, or don't pay those fees (and thus customers can't record those channels) but cost of product is lower. (Again, I don't know if my thinking is right, just postulating.)

I'd rather be able pay a little more so I could record all channels, otherwise this is all going backwards. What's the point of a DVR if you can't, you know, record things. Heck, 30-40 years ago I could record all my channels, using a VCR. So these restrictions make little sense on the consumer side.

BBBBBBBB9999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121594784#Comment_121594784

The list is actually a bit longer than that - I just checked the Vodafone website.

What channels don’t let me record shows?

1. RTÉ One
2. RTÉ 2
3. RTÉ + 1
4. RTÉ 2 + 1
5. Channel 4
6. E4
7. E4 Extra
8. BBC One
9. BBC Two
10. BBC Four
11. BBC 2 NI
12. More4
13. Film 4
14. Sky Sci-Fi
15. RTÉ News
16. BBC News
17. Sky News
18. CNN
19. Sky Sports Racing
20. RTÉ Jr
21. CBBC
22. Cbeebies
23. MTV Music
24. 4Music
25. The Box Music
26. Magic
27. Kerrang
28. Kiss

icdg

One other Q that list raises.

It seems they have both BBC Two network and NI.

Is BBC One just Network (ie London) then?

BBBBBBBB9999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121609801#Comment_121609801

I tried the most recent voucher code (NOW12MSMP15R) and it worked - €15/mo. for first 6 months. So that's fine,

BUT the experience of watching Sky Sports vs. this NOW app to me is far inferior vs. the way it was. Primarily, before I could just view the program guide and see what was on at the moment, regular channels plus Sky Sports channels. Now I have to view program guide for regular channels and then open the separate app and view what is on Sky Sports. Clunky. Plus, when I'm watching a Sky Sports channel, I can't just open the regular program guide to see what else is on. I have to actually close the Now app in order to get back to 'TV'. And even when I'm in the app, on the program guide if I want to see what is on the schedule later on or tomorrow ... nope, can't do that. It literally only shows what is on right now plus what's next. NOTHING ELSE. The whole user experience for this is just inconvenient and not conducive to a seamless experience.

icdg

Leaving aside the user experience (and I don’t mean to say that’s not important) Its a worrying trend by Sky from a competitive point of view if they are phasing out their wholesale deals, in favour of pointing people to Now TV, which is a first party service after all. With first eir and now Vodafone losing their wholesale deals it leaves VM the only third party provider of Sky premium services here and how long will that last?

BBBBBBBB9999

For Now TV, from what I've just read on Switcher.com, apparently picture quality is 'Full HD', which is lower quality than the former Sky Stream product which was 4K Ultra HD.

And even then, from what I can tell, you only get 'Full HD' if you pay extra for the Now Boost add-on.

You can get a free 7-day trial of boost when you sign up to Now, but according to the Switcher.com article, 'you can't get Now Boost if you've only got Sports mobile membership.' As I'm watching via my TV, not mobile, don't know if this applies and my trial will auto cancel after 7 days, or if I'll be able to keep it because I'm using my TV. That said, pretty cr*ppy that you have to pay extra just to get 'Full HD', which is not even top end.

BBBBBBBB9999

And you can't pause live sports programming with Now TV.

It's like they've taken all the technological advances of the past 20 years (recording, pause and fast forward, higher picture quality, 7-day program guides) and just rolled them back like they don't exist.

icdg

You should, in principle, be able to pause and rewind live tv on Now on Apple TV. My experience is that it doesn’t really work very well.

In fairness to Now, it’s meant to be a budget alternative, which is why I was surprised when it became the go-to for Sky channels for eir and now Vodafone customers in lieu of a proper wholesale deal (which both had on their previous platforms).

Sky Sports Mobile Only passes aren’t available any more, so it’s unlikely you have it if you just signed up. My recollection is that it’s not even all the Sky Sports channels on that pass.

BBBBBBBB9999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121614712#Comment_121614712

I didn't know that about Now

if they want to offer a budget product, fine - but when it's the only offering, it's not really a budget 'alternative', it's just your only option, you can't choose anything else

I'd be cool if they offered tiers so I could get the features I've gotten used to for x years, but they don't

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121608832#Comment_121608832

Just a bit of an update here.

I have the "old" vodafone box. The boss tends to record a lot and watch later. Benefits of no adds watch when you want, good interface, series link etcetc

If I retain that box will go back on the crazy dear package. Rang today to discuss options. Apparantly there's no option to retain the existing box. They'll let the contract roll over but will be paying top dollar.Alternative is to renew and get their "new upgraded" box with all the limitations that provdes for 55 a month (also with 500MB) broadband.

So rock and hard place with no option to go back to old box.

Did you get the option to revert back to your old hardware in the end?

BBBBBBBB9999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121639366#Comment_121639366

Nope. Basically got jammed by them and only 2 choices are to either keep the new TV Play box or cancel tv service altogether. Once you get a new box there is no rolling back to old box. I've tried several avenues and they're not budging from this.

I think when they put us back on contract the savings was like €20 per mo. I really only watch 3 channels, mostly by recording and then watching when I can. With the new box, 2 of those channels are blocked from recording. So for me, I'm not sure the saving was worth it and my tv service is now virtually (almost) worthless given what I watch and how I use it.

re: your situation, I'm confused - are you still able to use your old box? but are just out of contract? we were out of contract for over a year I think, didn't really seem to matter if we were on or off (meaning, nothing happened when we rolled off)

the only reason we went back on contract is because we went into the local Vodafone store to discuss cell phone options and sales guy noticed our tv was off contract and he said he could save us some money by signing a new contract - seemed like a simple decision so we said yes, but he never mentioned we'd have to use a new box, not cool - if I had known that, probably would have stayed with old box as we were happy with it and don't like the features and restrictions of the new box