UPC Horizon Set Top Box trial

was an article in the I.T. last week.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0309/1224313054544.html

personally, doesnt impress me, its nothing huge or ground breaking, definitely wouldnt entice me to join upc over sky.

Manc-Red

Interesting.... http://www.upc.nl/project-horizon/english/

its a fancy interface, nothing more.

apparently you can record upto 4 stations at once

watch all your stored movies/tv files from PC or network

watch your full content on any tv in the house rather than just tv connected to your plus box

VOD library

list of supported apps, facebook etc.

ability to watch full content on ipad/ smartphone etc.

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/09/08/mike-fries-gives-first-taste-of-horizon/

http://www.telecompaper.com/commentary/liberty-global-offers-full-connected-tv-service-with-horizon-gateway

com7

have you seen it hugh ?

icdg

What we've seen of it looks impressive, technology wise and UPC are to be commended for looking at improving the user experience (which has never been their strong point). The problem is that content is king - as Mike Fries aluded to in the linked article: "we have a great pipe and we provide all the good stuff, thanks to the good relationships with the content providers".

Now UPC in Ireland have a particular problem with content that UPC's operations on the continent don't have. This is the fact that their single biggest (by far) provider of content is also their main competitor. That's a constant problem for UPC Ireland and while it hasn't been a major issue until recently, the denying of Sky Atlantic and Sky Sports F1 to UPC means that it looks like Sky are going to pay more hardball with content provision. Add to this the wierd situation where UPC's own content wing provides its channels in Ireland exclusively through Sky and it just makes the situation worse. UPC can come up with all the great technology they like, but if they don't have content it won't be worth anything to them.

Solair

The European Competition Commissioner really needs to intervene in the Irish and British pay tv markets. Sky is simply WAY too dominant in both markets.

Nice thread. I wouldn't agree with comments suggesting it's just another fancy interface. This is a huge, huge upgrade on what UPC is currently offering. VOD, catch up TV, ability to watch your progs on the go, streaming TV to different rooms. It'll kick seven shades out of Sky's + box IMO.
And while content is most definitely king I'm not so sure that Sky sports F1 is a huge loss. OR maybe the majority of posters here are F1 enthusiasts? For me there couldn't be a more boring channel. Sky Atlantic is probably a greater loss but with so many torrent site around it's easy to "acquire" any programme that Sky Atlantic is showing.
Interestingly, Netflix has been in discussion with cable operators in the US for them to host Netflix on their set top boxers. I wonder would UPC consider going down that route that or will they be using their own bank of content for VOD?

JoeyJJ

Yeah features like this would keep me interested in their tv offering, at the moment I would be considering sky for its HD content and online player.

Wonder how long before someone in Ireland has this? Can't imagine it will happen this year. I want HD for Euros and Olympics however not sure what to do if I upgrade now I could be stuck with box for a while.

JoeyJJ wrote: »

Yeah features like this would keep me interested in their tv offering, at the moment I would be considering sky for its HD content and online player.

Wonder how long before someone in Ireland has this? Can't imagine it will happen this year. I want HD for Euros and Olympics however not sure what to do if I upgrade now I could be stuck with box for a while.

I'd say a lot of people will want HD for the Euro matches and the Olympics. Existing UPC HD customers will have BBC HD and RTE2 HD which will probably cover the majority of those events.
It would be a major coup for UPC to get the Horizon box in before those events because I reckon that would help a lot of people jump. However, it'll probably be later in the year. Still if you want to upgrade to HD ring UPC and see what the ins and out are. OR if you're on the twitter machine they're very good at responding to questions/issues.

i read somewhere (can't find link) that they plan to rollout in germany and belgium in Quarter two to go along with Holland, then ireland later in the year so i doubt it will be here before summer, lets hope though.

ciaran75 wrote: »

i read somewhere (can't find link) that they plan to rollout in germany and belgium in Quarter two to go along with Holland, then ireland later in the year so i doubt it will be here before summer, lets hope though.

Quarter 2 makes sense as it'll be on time for the Euros and the Olympics. Fingers crossed we get it sooner rather than later.

One more thought. Would it have made more sense to get the TiVo box instead of developing Horizon?

i would have loved to get a Tivo box but from what i've read UPC appear to see this as far superior product to Tivo

JoeyJJ

Love the virgin ad for tivo, would be nice.

Is horizon live in Holland now?

they have been doing all of their testing in holland on a few hundred users.
this is been ramped up to several thousand now before a full rollout.

mate of mine was on to them yesterday about an extra box, while he was on he enquired about horizon, the guy he was talking to hadnt got a clue, first hed heard about it.

JoeyJJ

Hopefully the soft launch has been successful and they have ironed out the issues.

Manc-Red

Just rang UPC to upgrade my phone package on Fri - I enquired about this box, the guy assured me that the box would be out before the end of the year....

i wonder will upc upgrade all those who still cant get broadband/hd content when this is rolled out as im assuming both would be essential for it to work.

UPC Poland not getting Horizon till 2013!
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/03/28/upc-polska-looks-to-horizon/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=upc-polska-looks-to-horizon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPka0gq87mQ

and more from Mike Fries on Horizon
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/03/08/horizon-trial-to-extend-to-1000s/
the four markets this year - Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Ireland.

devnull

Sounds good, any idea on cost?

Charlie-Bravo

oooh, HD 3D too...

devnull wrote: »

Sounds good, any idea on cost?

None yet but according to Fries it'll be a "few extra euro" which I assume means an additional cost onto UPC's top end HD offering.

astrofluff wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPka0gq87mQ

oooh, HD 3D too...

It looks like 3D is generally a dead duck. Once again it's proved to be a gimmick. I've stopped going to 3D movies because they're a financial rip off and there's very little sense of immersion ... bring back Imax I say. I'd wager there'll be very little 3D programming.
Back to the drawing board for the 3D boffins.

Manc-Red

devnull wrote: »

Sounds good, any idea on cost?

Asked them.... they're still unsure of the cost - "You'll have to wait until your posted the information upon release" .....

Eamo71 wrote: »

bring back Imax I say

A new cinema opened at the o2 in Dublin last week, an Odeon cinema that has something called a iSense screen.

Just there tonight. The screen is much bigger then normal, but not quiet IMAX, however the sound system is incredibly impressive. Worth checking out.

bk wrote: »

A new cinema opened at the o2 in Dublin last week, an Odeon cinema that has something called a iSense screen.

Just there tonight. The screen is much bigger then normal, but not quiet IMAX, however the sound system is incredibly impressive. Worth checking out.

Will do - sounds good. Always up for a new cinematic experience!