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UPC Horizon Set Top Box trial

clint123

Folk's.

I was onto UPC today to get a better deal on my package,
the bloke I was speaking to mentioned a new UPC Horizon set top box due out later this year . anybody know anything about it ?

I done a google search, couldnt really find much,,
but what I did find,,,

You can sync your ipad/phone etc to it, and play music from your phone/ipad on your tv. and photos etc
Its going to hold thousands of hours of recording's.
there seems to be some app store on it, so you can go and buy apps to play etc.

if anybody has more info, would be very grateful, as this new box seems to be taking on SKY ...maybe a UPC V SKY price war on the way

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iDann

What capacity is the HDD? And does anyone know if there is a browser planned for it as a app?

coylemj

Paulw wrote: »

Any previous visits I have had, they did phone before arriving. Usually, it was to get directions, but also to just let me know.

Thanks. The worst service I got on that front was when I was getting UPC Broadband for the first time. I already had the TV service so all that was going to happen was that someone was going to arrive, install a splitter on the co-ax line, connect a Cisco router and check the signal quality etc.

The guy who was scheduled to do the installation was an independent network engineer (i.e. a contractor) and he was supposed to arrive between 9 and 1 on the appointed day.

Having sat at home all morning, I eventually got a phone call from him at 1:30 p.m. He was calling to make sure that someone from UPC had called me (which they hadn't) to pass on the information that he wouldn't be able to make it. He told me (and I believed him, he sounded like a genuine guy) that he had phoned his contact in UPC at 11:30 to say that he had hit major problems with his first two customers that morning and as a result there was such a backlog that he wouldn't be able to visit me at all and my installation would need to be rescheduled.

Nobody in UPC bothered to call me so the whole half day was wasted.

RQ2013

Can someone please pm me the number they called today.
I got the email accepting me on the trial a few weeks ago but haven't heard anything since.
Cheers

Paulw

coylemj wrote: »

I'd be interested to know if any of you guys expecting the installers on Tuesday actually get a phone call before they arrive.

Any previous visits I have had, they did phone before arriving. Usually, it was to get directions, but also to just let me know.

coylemj

the varg wrote: »

Lot of people seem to be getting it next Tuesday, myself included, UPC better be good to their word I'm taking a half day from work to meet the installer....

The promise I got (for Thursday a.m.) is that the installers will ring me when they get their worksheet to give me an estimate of when they'll be calling on me i.e. they will try to narrow it down to a slot rather than the current 9-1 that I'm down for.

I told the UPC sales guy that I'd heard that before but that last time the guys had arrived with no prior warning, his response was that they'd had problems with that system but were improving all the time. I said I'd wait and see.

I'd be interested to know if any of you guys expecting the installers on Tuesday actually get a phone call before they arrive.

Craigels

Got an email to say my box will be updated on may 2nd during the night and I will be receiving a new remote control in the post shorty

the varg

Lot of people seem to be getting it next Tuesday, myself included, UPC better be good to their word I'm taking a half day from work to meet the installer....

thefishone

breeno wrote: »

Overall, would you say it's worth upgrading for? ie is it worth renewing for 12 months when sky TV bundled with their broadband is almost the same price and a smoother user experience? I've been accepted for the trial and have been eagerly awaiting getting my hands on the box but I'm having doubts now that they want a fresh 12 months and I've heard mixed reports about the box. Any help is appreciated!

I do think it's worth it,can't say I had any problems with it ,but has a lot of potential and if you can get it on trial then you should try it.

thefishone

coylemj wrote: »

That's not a 'small' complaint, that's a frigging show stopper - no 'Back' button :eek:

There better be one on the new RC.

There is a back button,it just doesn't do what we want it to do:(
It instead calls up NOW&NEXT

breeno

thefishone wrote: »

Also, the fact that all programmes recorded on the PVR are listed with thumbnails rather than programme titles makes them difficult to find. With a lack of original pictures, there is also an abundance of generic pictures making finding a particular recorded programme even more difficult.

Yes,this would be the most complained about thing in this house.
My own small complaint is you can't flick between two channels,having to input channel numbers all the time.

Overall, would you say it's worth upgrading for? ie is it worth renewing for 12 months when sky TV bundled with their broadband is almost the same price and a smoother user experience? I've been accepted for the trial and have been eagerly awaiting getting my hands on the box but I'm having doubts now that they want a fresh 12 months and I've heard mixed reports about the box. Any help is appreciated!

coylemj

thefishone wrote: »

My own small complaint is you can't flick between two channels,having to input channel numbers all the time.

That's not a 'small' complaint, that's a frigging show stopper - no 'Back' button :eek:

There better be one on the new RC.

thefishone

Also, the fact that all programmes recorded on the PVR are listed with thumbnails rather than programme titles makes them difficult to find. With a lack of original pictures, there is also an abundance of generic pictures making finding a particular recorded programme even more difficult.

Yes,this would be the most complained about thing in this house.
My own small complaint is you can't flick between two channels,having to input channel numbers all the time.

Bodan

thefishone wrote: »

Got an email about a major software upgrade on 2/5 (tomorrow night) and new RC being posted for delivery friday.
Also a letter saying a price decrease of 21cent:D

This article has some more details.

UPC plans major Horizon update

UPC Netherlands is planning a major software update and a new remote control for the Horizon Mediabox.

In a letter to its Dutch Horizon customers the operator promises a “better television experience”. Improvements will include faster navigation, a better menu structure with less clicks needed, more programme information when zapping through the channels.

The operator will also send a new remote control to all its Horizon customers, which has more buttons giving one-click access to a number of functions, such as the EPG and on-demand.

All Horizon boxes will automatically be updated with the new software.

Since its introduction, UPC was swamped with consumer complaints about the Horizon set-top box. The consumer organisation Consumentenbond opened a special website for complaints and cable users association Coax NL also bundles complaints. The unofficial UPC users forum Chelloo.nl also played its part in voicing consumer dissatisfaction.

The complaints centered about two major issues: bugs in the software, that made the boxes freeze as well as difficulties accessing the VOD and catch-up TV portals. A few other bugs also plagued viewers, including the fact that titles of recorded programmes on the PVR were lost and issues with the switchover from summer to wintertime.

The second major issue concerns basic design faults in the menu structure. Viewers complained about the complicated way to get to the EPG and on-demand services. Also, the fact that all programmes recorded on the PVR are listed with thumbnails rather than programme titles makes them difficult to find. With a lack of original pictures, there is also an abundance of generic pictures making finding a particular recorded programme even more difficult.

In its letter to Horizon customers UPC said “we take your feedback very serious,” and “we want to you to have the quality and experience you deserve”. During the past few months, the cabler already issued a few software patches to mend a few bugs as well as a few workarounds to address issues with the navigation and speed.

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/04/15/upc-plans-major-horizon-update/

it sounds like we have the same horizon development team as in the Netherlands.

flanna

Talking to a mate in UPC sales and he said if you upgrade your package by moving to horizon but also get the phone this will put you into a new 12 month contract otherwise your contract status should stay the same. Sales will always try and get you to take the phone by saying its better/cheaper to go into this new bundle with the phone even if you never use it. It just means that they get credit for selling you the phone.

Evilbart

Hootanany wrote: »

The trial is over we are just getting advanced boxes before the general populace are offered it.
So i was told getting installed tuesday as well.

Wow seems like more misinformation from the sales staff

Did you get the email that said you have been accepted for the "trial"

Pyro Boy

Could someone send me the number too :-) I'm on the trial too but can't wait.

Hootanany

The trial is over we are just getting advanced boxes before the general populace are offered it.
So i was told getting installed tuesday as well.

Paulw

allforju wrote: »

could somebody please let me know of the dimensions of the horizon box? Thanks.

Was wondering that myself. Also, what connections are on the box? Anyone got picts of the back of it?

allforju

Installation booked for next Tuesday. Looking forward to receiving. Kept the same (HD MAX) package but upgrading from 30mb to 100mb. could somebody please let me know of the dimensions of the horizon box? Thanks.

Burkey1983

Can someone PM me also with number, im signed up for trial but got no email this morning.

Thanks

Paulw

Definitely is a Dublin office that called me about install.

I am scheduled for Tue. It will cost me an extra €6 per month, but the €90 credit balances that out. So, I am a happy customer.

I still keep my 100mb broadband, phone service and keep my current HD box for the 2nd room (I have multiroom).

Roll on Tue.

coylemj

thefishone wrote: »

From what I was told,there is only one office(Dublin?) dealing with the Horizon box and sales know little.if nothing about it.Indeed the two times I had to ring about,it was the office dealing with it that rang me back,sales knew nothing.
Is there a case of crossed wires?

I don't think there's any crossed wires, it sounds to me like a subset of their sales people have been trained on the new box and they've just been unleashed on the unsuspecting subscribers today.

Clearly they're using the carrot of getting your hands on new technology as a method to upsell

thefishone

From what I was told,there is only one office(Dublin?) dealing with the Horizon box and sales know little.if nothing about it.Indeed the two times I had to ring about,it was the office dealing with it that rang me back,sales knew nothing.
Is there a case of crossed wires?

Evilbart

Here is the email from a few weeks ago

You have been successful in registering for our Horizon TV trial and we will be in touch in the coming weeks with full details.
You'll be among just a few hundred people who'll get to experience this amazing new leap forward for UPC and TV lovers.
Kind regards,
Rhona Bradshaw
Head of Marketing

It mentions it is a trial,It doesn't seem right that the sales staff are getting people to agree to 12 month contracts, the email also said congratulations like we were being privileged and that we are a select few who would get to experience this amazing new product

They really need to clarify what exactly is going on here,seems like all their sales staff have different things to say

Jacob55

It was very much a hard-sell on the phone which wasn't very nice. The guy was explaining how great Horizon was.

There didn't seem to be an option for just the trial, just a new 12 month contract. Also I had to take a phone and increase the broadband speed! It would end up costing me a lot more than I currently pay so I said good luck!

Its disappointing that people are being given different information form UPC. I think clarity on the matter would be good. I don't now why the emails we received didn't include the price of the packages. It seems it is just a tactic to increase sales and up sell.

I wonder would it be worth while phoning again and insisting on a trial.

Eamo71

My friend who got selected for the trial was told he'd have to surrender his existing box and it was a 12 month contract. There seems to be different info being put out. Also all the recordings on existing box will be gone.

who_me

Seems odd to me that you have to sign up for a 12 month contract to be part of a trial. I'd understand it when it's the final release - given UPC own the boxes - but for a trial it seems a bit extreme.

Sounds like it's a bit of a win-win for them. Get users to sign up for a year, users feel they're part of some exclusive club and generate the hype for you online, and are likely to be more understanding of issues since it's just a trial.

thefishone

Kop On wrote: »

Can someone confirm please if you need to surrender your current digibox or can you keep it "just in case" ?

I only recently got a HD+ box from them and would like the reassurance that if the Horizon box is acting up I can reconnect my HD+ and go back to what I had.

If you get the horizon trial you will be able to hold onto your old box.just in case.
To join the trial,didn't have to sign up to a contract extension.

swampy353

Have install booked for next Tuesday, on trial but didn't get the email. Just rang 1908 option 3 for sales and got sorted

seamey beag84

wait..****e! i signed up for the trial, have the box a couple of weeks now but Im moving in a month or 2 and have tv and internet sorted in the new house already.
hope that they don't think that i signed up for a new contract. Must cancel the direct debit soon as so.