TalkTalk's YouView box gets Ab Fab reception

UK telecoms provider TalkTalk added YouView IPTV to its product portfolio in London today with the release of its own set top box. Although made by Huawei, the telco had a hand in its interface design and offers it free to all its Plus package customers. TalkTalk YouView set top box launch TalkTalk's STB is Huawei built but …

[Anonymous Coward]

'linear television'

Am I dreadfully out of date in not having a clue what that means?

[Trevor 3]

Re: 'linear television'

It's TV that's linear. ie. scheduled

This is (in part anyway) View on Demand or VOD

[Mike Brown]

Re: 'linear television'

If you dont know what it means, then its simply; television.

[Mondo the Magnificent]

I wonder....

..if the UK's most complained about ISP will become the UK's most complained about IPTV provider too?

Now we play the waiting game...

[RainForestGuppy]

In true TalkTalk style

That set top box is about as stylish as a brick.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: In true TalkTalk style

That set top box is about as stylish as a brick.

My brother is one of the "test subjects" for youview, and they recently switched the boxes due to the feedback that was given that the boxes were too expensive.

The cut in price clearly came from removing expensive styling in the case and the remote control that wouldn’t look out of place with a £18 freeview box from asda !

the big problem he has with it is a message box that keeps coming up (evey few mins at time) saying low signal when there clearly is no drop in signal. the box covers over 70% of the screen and interrupts viewing more than the alleged drop in signal

also, the so called on demand of the last 7 days of tv is not the case. less than 50% of the programmes are available.

[K]

Dildo Harding...

Thats so unfortunate..

[Pat 11]

That gag

is as funny today as it was in my Latin textbook, c1978.

[Quinnicus]

Free eh?

I like how the definition of free has been redefined lately (NOT). A mandatory £50 installation fee to take it out the box and plug it in (which thats my bit of fun though)

so not free eh?

[Anonymous Coward]

Dido PLEASE get your priorities straight

get TalkTalk up to the level of a professional, competent and reliable organisation, fully capable of providing meaningful customer support that is even remotely near satisfactory.

Then, once your orgainsation has been accepted as truly professional and not a complete bloody shambles then, and only then, go for the nice shiny bits.

[a well wisher]

design ?

"he telco had a hand in its interface design"

Thats odd since it looks just like the 'other' implementation of YouView to me

Unless stamping your logo on something counts as "interface design" nowadays

[DRHowells]

Re: design ?

The interface refers to the software on the box, not the box itself and yes they did have a hand in its design, because they are partners in YouView.

[RobH]

Free

Alan Sugar says that anyone who can't set up this box shouldn't be allowed to watch TV.

TalkTalk say I need to pay £50 for some muppet to come and fiddle with my AV kit and seem to be attempting to charge me £10 a month more than I pay at the moment.

Looks like both an insult and an untruth... so have opted out for now.

[Anonymous Coward]

"A set top box with a programming schedule that reflects those times"

Forgot to add that at this time of year all BBC1 programs during the day would be shunted onto BBC2 while BBC1 was devoted to live party/TUC conference coverage ... which was no good for kids in areas as yet unreached by BBC2!

Also, Joanna Lumley is in danger of letting her "national treasure" status slip if she can't be bothered to hit the car from the correct side!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Also, Joanna Lumley is in danger of letting her "national treasure" status slip if she can't be bothered to hit the car from the correct side!"

agreed..... but you have to really hand it to them for making the effort to match the number plates, even though the car is not the original (unless it has been restored) as driven by Basil....

but at least they used a photo of the original location for the backdrop....

bonus points for naming the type of tree the branch came from and the episode the scene featured

[Jim 59]

beardie professors from The Open University

I can't be the only viewer who misses the OU. Those profs were brilliant at explaining calculus and other tricky abstractions. With their animated graphs, big writing boards and affable manner, they explained it all much better than my 6th form maths teachers (who were pretty good).