109 replies to this topic

[domi]

Smacca, on Aug 25 2011, 01:45 PM, said:

Yep, just go to Menu -> Advanced -> Installation -> DSD Status, and the bit that says DSD: SW is the version you're using.  It should read 2.22.2103 like in this screenshot.

Thanks, Smacca for the advice.

As we get frequent power failures in North Walpole I am wondering if I can get the dealer to download the newest firmware for me? Either via his broadband and USB stick or OTA? Power failure during OTA means the box becomes unusable.

One question: Noticed the question "ABC/SBS only" in the VAST approval form. Does this mean if I tick this box I cannot get the commercial channels in future? My bush location is Tingledale/North Walpole and I believe some commercial transmissions are already being sent.

I suppose if I want to hang on to Aljezerra I have to piggypack my Aurora box onto the VAST box.

Thanks.

[Smacca]

domi, on Aug 27 2011, 07:17 AM, said:

Thanks, Smacca for the advice.

As we get frequent power failures in North Walpole I am wondering if I can get the dealer to download the newest firmware for me? Either via his broadband and USB stick or OTA? Power failure during OTA means the box becomes unusable.

Have you tried doing one yourself? No harm in asking the dealer, though. I'm sure he's done plenty of them.

domi, on Aug 27 2011, 07:17 AM, said:

One question: Noticed the question "ABC/SBS only" in the VAST approval form. Does this mean if I tick this box I cannot get the commercial channels in future? My bush location is Tingledale/North Walpole and I believe some commercial transmissions are already being sent.

Yeah, I think in this special case where commercials were launched after you applied for ABC/SBS only, you will need to reapply or perhaps call them to activate the commercial services. What's your eligibility status with Aurora? Are you in a blackspot?

domi, on Aug 27 2011, 07:17 AM, said:

I suppose if I want to hang on to Aljezerra I have to piggypack my Aurora box onto the VAST box.

Yep. It sucks. I want an all-in-one solution like I had for many years with Foxtel/Aurora/AlJaz/D1, etc.

Edited by Smacca, 27 August 2011 - 06:53 PM.

[domi]

Smacca, on Aug 27 2011, 04:52 PM, said:

Have you tried doing one yourself? No harm in asking the dealer, though. I'm sure he's done plenty of them.


Yeah, I think in this special case where commercials were launched after you applied for ABC/SBS only, you will need to reapply or perhaps call them to activate the commercial services. What's your eligibility status with Aurora? Are you in a blackspot?


Yep. It sucks. I want an all-in-one solution like I had for many years with Foxtel/Aurora/AlJaz/D1, etc.

Smacca,

Yes, I am in a blackspot and have an Aurora card and it works well. During heavy rain I have lost ABC Qld but that may be because the sat footprint is Qld and not SW WA. It is an 85 cm dish.

So I do not have to worry as I can reapply later for the commercials. The link to ACMA to apply for VAST seems to be broken or overloaded with complaints (?), but my Perth landline is stuffed for my dial-up situation, so that could be the reason.  

KAKTUS: Thanks for info re PVR. So there may be a download to fix some previous problems and a second download for the PVR function (may be combined)  plus another contributor has said the skew on the dish may have to be adjusted. Readers may have to be warned not to fall into the trap I fell into:

My Olin PVR does not have the mA required to drive an external HD via USB power and it needed an exchange for a 1 TB HD with an external power supply. Most larger units these days have that anyway, but I was stingy and stuck initially to 500 MB. There also may a one TB limit with some units of PVRs. So much to learn, so little time!

[Smacca]

domi, on Aug 28 2011, 11:24 AM, said:

Smacca,

Yes, I am in a blackspot and have an Aurora card and it works well. During heavy rain I have lost ABC Qld but that may be because the sat footprint is Qld and not SW WA. It is an 85 cm dish.

So I do not have to worry as I can reapply later for the commercials. The link to ACMA to apply for VAST seems to be broken or overloaded with complaints (?), but my Perth landline is stuffed for my dial-up situation, so that could be the reason.

Hmm. Are you going through MySwitch?

domi, on Aug 28 2011, 11:24 AM, said:

My Olin PVR does not have the mA required to drive an external HD via USB power and it needed an exchange for a 1 TB HD with an external power supply. Most larger units these days have that anyway, but I was stingy and stuck initially to 500 MB. There also may a one TB limit with some units of PVRs. So much to learn, so little time!

The same situation exists with the (future) UEC VAST PVR function. Powered HDD's only and no larger than 1TB.

Edited by Smacca, 28 August 2011 - 01:41 PM.

[KAKTUS]

Smacca, on Aug 25 2011, 03:45 PM, said:

Yep, just go to Menu -> Advanced -> Installation -> DSD Status, and the bit that says DSD: SW is the version you're using.  It should read 2.22.2103 like in this screenshot.

Thank for this information Smacca.

You asked earlier what people thought of the UEC box, Personally I'm quite satisfied with It's compact design and cool running after Humax's, with power supplies that cooked your breakfast.

I'm sure that the artificial restrictions placed on it by the government can be "Loosened" in the future by minds far brighter than mine, so now for me it's just a matter of reliability.

[Smacca]

KAKTUS, on Aug 30 2011, 05:10 PM, said:

Thank for this information Smacca.

You asked earlier what people thought of the UEC box, Personally I'm quite satisfied with It's compact design and cool running after Humax's, with power supplies that cooked your breakfast.

I'm sure that the artificial restrictions placed on it by the government can be "Loosened" in the future by minds far brighter than mine, so now for me it's just a matter of reliability.

For a standard box, it's pretty good. I have had much worse ones in the past (like Coship, yuck!)

[domi]

Just looked at the AUSTECH forum and read more stink about our beloved VAST UEC box:

UEC has decided to no longer make the remote and the s/w available for the PVR function!

The moderator of that forum is going to have this rumour confirmed and at the moment the forum members are having no luck in getting definite answers via the telephone number from UEC.

There is even talk of a class action as a lot of customers bought the naked box without PVR functionality on the promise that a s/w upgrade and remote will become available. Perhaps Conroy needs to be told of this fiasco and the fiasco of Optus demanding $20,000 license fee PLUS $30,000 per annum for the privilege to be allowed to build a sat decoder. No wonder there is a shortage of competitiors.

So what are the dealers going to do with their naked boxes? Are they keeping quiet about the upgrade denial???

[domi]

My thanks go to the Tassie Devil for contacting as many ministries as possible to highlight the current problems with VAST/UEC/Optus. As usual in the public service, the idea is to "maximise authority and to minimise responsibility" and the duplication and triplication is costing us as taxpayers.

[mtv]

domi, on 15 January 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

Just looked at the AUSTECH forum and read more stink about our beloved VAST UEC box:

UEC has decided to no longer make the remote and the s/w available for the PVR function!

The moderator of that forum is going to have this rumour confirmed and at the moment the forum members are having no luck in getting definite answers via the telephone number from UEC.

There is even talk of a class action as a lot of customers bought the naked box without PVR functionality on the promise that a s/w upgrade and remote will become available. Perhaps Conroy needs to be told of this fiasco and the fiasco of Optus demanding $20,000 license fee PLUS $30,000 per annum for the privilege to be allowed to build a sat decoder. No wonder there is a shortage of competitiors.

So what are the dealers going to do with their naked boxes? Are they keeping quiet about the upgrade denial???

From your post, it appears you haven't read the entire thread on that forum, as UEC have confirmed there is no intention of them withdrawing the PVR remote and firmware upgrade.

[domi]

Thanks, mtv. Good to hear it has been resolved. Will try to find out what is cheaper, paying $264 for the naked box and extra for the upgrade or paying $349 for the box with PVR functionality.

Anyway, Conroy should make a comment re those license fees Optus demands; the money flows to Singtel.

[DrP]

I think you'll find that Freeview has a hand in the certification fees.

[mtv]

DrP, on 16 January 2012 - 10:15 AM, said:

I think you'll find that Freeview has a hand in the certification fees.

I'm sure you're correct.

There's a few hands dipping into the stitchup.

Just another discriminatory factor between those who need to get FTA via satellite, compared to their terrestrial counterparts.

[mtv]

domi, on 16 January 2012 - 09:15 AM, said:

Thanks, mtv. Good to hear it has been resolved. Will try to find out what is cheaper, paying $264 for the naked box and extra for the upgrade or paying $349 for the box with PVR functionality.

Anyway, Conroy should make a comment re those license fees Optus demands; the money flows to Singtel.

The upgrade is available now, but only if you send your decoder to UEC for them to perform it..... no DIY yet.

The UEC-performed upgrade is $69.00 (plus postage) so I think costwise, it would be comparable, so I'd recommend buying the PVR enabled kit up front.... saves posting back, etc.

As for Conjob..... I'm sure the Gov't are getting a slice of the pie with fees as well, so I wouldn't expect any help from him.

[domi]

Col,

"Like This" says I have reached the quota of positive votes, which is incorrect, so I thank you this way for the cost. One dealer in Perth I contacted has neither for sale, the upgrade nor the PVR box. All things come to the ones with patience!

[mtv]

domi, on 19 January 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

Col,

"Like This" says I have reached the quota of positive votes, which is incorrect, so I thank you this way for the cost. One dealer in Perth I contacted has neither for sale, the upgrade nor the PVR box. All things come to the ones with patience!

I don't know what the issue with the 'Like This' button is.... same happens when I try to use it.

As for VAST dealers... did you try Sciteq in Perth?

[domi]

Col,
Thanks once again. Prices vary from $349 to $379 and Scitech may have been the dearer one. Once I have set up my dish properly with the old Aurora box, then I am going to think about VAST in earnest. And the hope is prices will have dropped by then and pigs will fly!

[KAKTUS]

Quote

Remember that VAST is primarily designed for the 200,000 people in the eastern/central remote area TV licence area which is basically all of the NT except Darwin, inland Queensland for places like Mt Isa, Long reach, inland NSW excluding Broken Hill but for places like Lightning Ridge, a tiny part of Victoria, a part of Tasmania and inland SA. In WA it is most of the state excluding Perth. A new feature in VAST will require the local news of each commercial broadcaster by region to be transmitted on a separate channel sequentially. ABC/SBS is their appropriate state feed.

I've just recently noticed that Imparja is trolling for new advertisers and telling them that Imparja can give them access to nearly 500,000 new advertisers through VAST satellte TV, Somewhat more than the 200,000 figure you quoted.

I'm in the Blue mountains of NSW and still get advertising for Qld, NT and SA.

[mtv]

KAKTUS, on 26 January 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I'm in the Blue mountains of NSW and still get advertising for Qld, NT and SA.

And I'm sure all those extra viewers their advertising reaches (like yourself) are going to rush out and buy from those stores.

Like.... you go to Alice Springs because there's an excellent special on paint there... don't you?  

[KAKTUS]

It knocks alanh's figures on satellite viewer numbers or Imparja's numbers into a cocked hat.

Methinks someone juggleth the the truth.

[domi]

I liked BELLOTV's list of things which upset DTV, especially arcing insulators on Transformers. Why? I live next to a quarry with an arcing transformer and it is a private transformer, which does not belong to the state electricity company.

What was interesting to us taxpayers and tech people, ACMA sprouted severe penalties for anyone with a PC or network emitting stray electromagnetic noises. But ACMA is federal, so any law or recommendation they make is ignored by the state and companies. When I complained to the state electricity co about the noise from the privately owned transformer, which a consultant confirmed, I was advised it is a private transformer and they cannot do anything about it.

So, as taxpayers we find that the federal bureaucrats (ACMA) and the state gov. take our money, maximise their authority and minimise their responsibility at the same time. If I am lucky Boral, the quarry owner sends out the electrician with a pulsing water jet to clean the insulators.

In Austria and Germany and probably all over Europe there are sat dishes galore, mind you, for every TV and radio and even your car radio you have  to pay a licence fee. Similar to our NBN, the German Post Office put cable (coax) into every cellar of every house believing (or secretly hoping) every German will sign up to cable TV and all German pigs started to fly soon thereafter!!

Despite a six meter antenna I get dropouts due to trees in the hills around Perth.

[beeblebrox]

Not that I don't agree with most of this thread but where does it say that you'll get DTV without dropouts???  If you have a look at the original planning documents for DTV the assumptions on reception will no doubt astound you.

My personal belief is access to VAST should be universal  it appears that even in bad reception areas after switchover you still need to go through the rubbish B58 process to get access to VAST even though it was suggested (promised even) by the powers that be that the process would be much simplified.

[nbound]

beeblebrox, on 10 February 2012 - 06:08 AM, said:

Not that I don't agree with most of this thread but where does it say that you'll get DTV without dropouts???  If you have a look at the original planning documents for DTV the assumptions on reception will no doubt astound you.

My personal belief is access to VAST should be universal  it appears that even in bad reception areas after switchover you still need to go through the rubbish B58 process to get access to VAST even though it was suggested (promised even) by the powers that be that the process would be much simplified.

The B58 wouldnt bee too bad if they'd just change the borders of RC&E to closer match the areas that are actually signal deficient. There are no questions asked VAST areas within a few kilometres (and still very much LOS) of some transmitters! (Example [on digitalready]: Place a marker on Goulburn Airport after seeing where Goulburn transmitter is located and even check terrain), and on the other hand there are areas which are in the middle of nowhere and are supposedly fed signals by the ultra-ultra-ultra-fringe areas of transmitters, or are excluded for being on the wrong side of a road (and sometimes the signal readings are much better on the VAST side!).

[M'bozo]

beeblebrox, on 10 February 2012 - 06:08 AM, said:

If you have a look at the original planning documents for DTV the assumptions on reception will no doubt astound you.

As do some of the discussion papers post restack, particularly for areas with SFNs.

beeblebrox, on 10 February 2012 - 06:08 AM, said:

it appears that even in bad reception areas after switchover you still need to go through the rubbish B58 process to get access to VAST even though it was suggested (promised even) by the powers that be that the process would be much simplified.

ACMA B58 now allows for VAST authorisation if mySwitch shows "No coverage" or "No transmitter".


Edit: Clarity & add link.

Edited by M'bozo, 13 February 2012 - 06:25 AM.

[The Baja]

Ok there are areas that indicate signal for VAST as good, but in reality it is poor or very bad. I have had more than one site that had these issues (MER 15-21). You need to be at that location to take the readings and NOT just assume.

I Do NOT have to fill out a B58. Just 2 phone calls to the Broadcasters and I got written Permission to Reticulated the VAST Service via QPSK. This written permission was then sent to VAST and within 20 minutes the Cam’s & Card’s were activated.

VAST is run by RBA Holdings.

Cheer’s


Baja

[domi]

KAKTUS, on 08 August 2011 - 12:28 PM, said:

QUOTE (Smacca @ Aug 7 2011, 05:54 PM)
Still ironing out some bugs with the PVR function, but I can tell you it works pretty well. Recording quality is great and the remote is a hundred times better than the current one. There's just some issues at the moment with the broadcaster-provided EPG and other buggy bits like fast forwarding and playback.

Thanks for that information mtv and smacca, I missed the earlier post.

EUC seem to be taking steps in the right direction but I still think the box when released was a bit primitive.

My OLIN box can record and I can watch a channel at the same time AS long as the other channel is not in the same channel group (?) like SBS1 and SBS 2..

From reading one dealer's description of the UEC box that is not possible to watch one program and record another because it is a single-tuner box. Well, the Olin box is also only a single-tuner.