Talktalk Youview questions

lukepev

I called Talk Talk about doing a self install.
My parets want to switch to TalkTalk and get the Youview package.

£50 is expensive to connect a couple of cables.
Since I work in IT I can set this up for them.

The Talk Talk sales rep said I couldn't do a self install.
I asked to speak to the manager who also wouldn't allow it.

I said to the Rep its obvious the price is that high because TalkTalk are recoving the cost of the YouView box which HE ADMITTED!

The whole thing about the BrightSparks Engineer running some "Speed Optimisation" is utter rubbish. I work with networks in my day job and I know whats involved. The speed is set via the SNR margins and depending on your distance to the telephone exchnage the Networks team at Talktalk will adjust your SNR based on your line attentuation. This will you the best speed while keeping your line stable. If you are with SKY its an automatic system now. Every so often SKY will re-train your connection to calibrate your connection.

I told TalkTalk if they wont waive the £50 charge we wont go with them.

Another thing to note is that the YouView standard says the box should either come with Wifi built in or be able to have a USB Wifi donlge plugged in. So are talktalk skimping by providing cheap rubbish Youview boxes without Wifi??

penrhyn

There is only ONE YouView box, the Humax DTR T1000, it has an ethernet connection only, much like a Sky+ HD box does.
If your your router is far away I imagine they will provide homeplugs at an extra cost.
If you don't like TT they why not just buy one? RS had them at a discount recently.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/digital-tv-recorders/humax-dtr-t1000-1090466/review

stevemcol

lukepev

I agree they are clearly using the £50 to recover some costs. Also a customer funded engineer visit will cut down their other costs slightly by reducing call centre hassle through botched self installs (clearly not you or hopefully me).
But.....I still think the package represents value for money. Haven't yet but I probably will go for it.

steven504

penrhyn wrote: »

There is only ONE YouView box, the Humax DTR T1000, it has an ethernet connection only, much like a Sky+ HD box does.
If your your router is far away I imagine they will provide homeplugs at an extra cost.
If you don't like TT they why not just buy one? RS had them at a discount recently.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/digital-tv-recorders/humax-dtr-t1000-1090466/review

Actually Talktalk has their own vastly inferior Huawei box.

penrhyn

steven504 wrote: »

Actually Talktalk has their own vastly inferior Huawei box.

Thanks for the heads up, but that won't be YouView, it may be Talk Talk TV.

Trapdoor

penrhyn wrote: »

Thanks for the heads up, but that won't be YouView, it may be Talk Talk TV.

Nope. Sorry, it's a true YouView box that also has the TalkTalk TV player app which will load so long as you are a) connected to a TalkTalk DSL service and b) have the TalkTalk TV service activated (although some seem to report the app is available just doesn't offer content).

As a YouView tester, I have both boxes, but don't have a TalkTalk broadband service, so the Hauwei box operates in exactly (well, almost) the same way as the Humax DTR-1000, just has a smaller HDD, a much worse ergonomically remote and a nasty cheap case with no nice status display on the front.

And no, TalkTalk will not activate a retail purchased Humax to their service .... It HAS to be a TalkTalk supplied box.

penrhyn

Interesting dd has my Humax box and it does appear to have the Talk Talk player running.

stevemcol

i've pm'd the talktalk rep and asked to clarify on this thread. See if he/she shows up.

VisionMan

penrhyn wrote: »

Interesting dd has my Humax box and it does appear to have the Talk Talk player running.

Oh it has the TT Player showing, but apart from Lovefilm box office, it won't let you access anything. The TT YouView TV/VOD content can only be accessed via a TT Hewie box only.

penrhyn

VisionMan wrote: »

Oh it has the TT Player showing, but apart from Lovefilm box office, it won't let you access anything. The TT YouView TV/VOD content can only be accessed via a TT Hewie box only.

So no downside at all then.:rotfl: