[ghodlur]

Recently bought a Videocon d2H connection and sharing my experience.

Booked a HD connection online on 25th May and got a call in the afternoon for an installation request. The installation & activation took not more than 45 mins. The HD channels (21) with the Platnium HD pack are crsiper and a treat to watch. The SD channels are good to but in come of the channels the brightness seemed to have increased. The total cost of connection came to Rs 6980/- incl an annual Platinum HD pack with 417 channels (yet to ascertain) and the HD STB, installation & activation.

There is a definite lag in the channel selected and appearing. The installation guys shrugged it off saying its common with most service providers. I have been watching the DTH on my new LG 50in Plasma and the picture quality is fantastic. Definitely at par if not better than Tata Sky. I would say Videocon is a VFM buy when Tata sky was costing about 2.5K more for the same config.

[Monaro]

Ruining my love for Tennis. Missed the entire tournament and now the mouthwatering Rafa vs Nole match-up today!

Thank you TATA SKY, NOT!!!!! :(

[mykal shoemaker]

Enabled recording feature on my videocon d2h (STB model 2233) for recording world cup.
Tested with a 4GB pendrive. Records as expected.

But when you record a channel, you can watch only couple of other channels.
For eg. when I record Sony SIX, it allows watching of few other sports HD channels only. It won't allow watching other channels.

I don't know if the higher model (with inbuilt HDD) has better features.
My STB is normal HD box with usb recroding feature available.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by mykal shoemaker

...
But when you record a channel, you can watch only couple of other channels.
For eg. when I record Sony SIX, it allows watching of few other sports HD channels only. It won't allow watching other channels.
....

I doubt if this is correct.
Either you can watch another channel (as with the HDD box) or you simply cannot (as with the set top box with USB recording feature); there is no half way mark!
Would you please explain exactly what the status is?

[mykal shoemaker]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

I doubt if this is correct.
Either you can watch another channel (as with the HDD box) or you simply cannot (as with the set top box with USB recording feature); there is no half way mark!
Would you please explain exactly what the status is?

I've the set top box with USB recording option (model -2233- white box with RF remote). It allows recording of one channel and option of watching few channels on sam genre.(not all).

I've tested with 2 sets. While recording Sony SIX, I could watch Ten HD,star sports HD etc. Similarly it allowed 3 other malayalam channels ,when I tried to record 4th malyalam channel. (I read in some other place that, it allows few channles on the same genre). Don't know what is the technical limitations.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by mykal shoemaker

I've the set top box with USB recording option (model -2233- white box with RF remote). It allows recording of one channel and option of watching few channels on sam genre.(not all).
....

That cannot be correct.
I have the same system and I cannot record anything other than what I am watching!
You probably mean you set the recording for a channel for some future time and can watch a different channel only till the time the pre-set recording begins.

I am attaching a scan of the instruction manual. Please see the very first line!

[khoj]

SO this mens that the Videocon STB comes with only one tuner. The Tatasky+ box has two. A dedicated tuner for recording and then the second one which can be used for either watching a channel OR recording another channel in addition to the one being recorded by the other tuner. No genre restrictions, that I believe would not be possible at all.

It is only when one records two channels at once that one is restricted to viewing either of the two being recorded.

In case one does switch or tries to switch to a third channel, the box throws up a conflict warning. It is then the viewer's choice as to which of the channels being recorded should be cancelled or continued with.

Originally Posted by anupmathur

That cannot be correct.
I have the same system and I cannot record anything other than what I am watching!

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by khoj

SO this mens that the Videocon STB comes with only one tuner. The Tatasky+ box has two. .....

The Videocon DVR box has two tuners and two LNAs with two down leads.
We are talking about the box with one tuner and a USB port that allows recording to media provided by you.

[mykal shoemaker]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

That cannot be correct.
I have the same system and I cannot record anything other than what I am watching!
You probably mean you set the recording for a channel for some future time and can watch a different channel only till the time the pre-set recording begins.

I am attaching a scan of the instruction manual. Please see the very first line!

Attachment 1248550

No.Its record one watch "few" others option. I'm attaching few screenshots to explain it better.

Here, I'm recording Zee studio HD,while I've option to watch Zee cinema HD and Star Gold HD. All other channels which are not watchable are striked out with a red line.



In the below screenshot, it allows me 4 other HD channels, while recording one of them.



In the below set, I get 3 channels in parallel.



The number of other channles varies in SD and HD.Also it varies depending on the channel you select. In some SD channles I could get maximum 6-7 other channels viewable option, while recording.

Hope this clarifies.
Also, once you change the remote type to "compact" (under set up-->installation-->), the pause /rewind live TV options are also working with the box.

Originally Posted by khoj

SO this mens that the Videocon STB comes with only one tuner. The Tatasky+ box has two. A dedicated tuner for recording and then the second one which can be used for either watching a channel OR recording another channel in addition to the one being recorded by the other tuner. No genre restrictions, that I believe would not be possible at all.

It is only when one records two channels at once that one is restricted to viewing either of the two being recorded.

In case one does switch or tries to switch to a third channel, the box throws up a conflict warning. It is then the viewer's choice as to which of the channels being recorded should be cancelled or continued with.

All those features are available in the dedicated PVR STB box of Videcon d2h also. Here we are discussing about the normal HD box with a usb port option, where you can connect a usb disk and record.

[khoj]

Aah, my bad. Did not realise that.

Originally Posted by anupmathur

The Videocon DVR box has two tuners and two LNAs with two down leads.
We are talking about the box with one tuner and a USB port that allows recording to media provided by you.

[audioholic]

Made a quick switch from Airtel to Tatasky. Gave a missed call to Tatasky at around 5:30PM and the installation was scheduled and completed in an hour. Really quick and professional. The installer didnt even expect any tips which the Airtel chaps would nearly demand. Looks like quality isnt that good compared to Airtel. HD channels dont seem to look better but the Audio is definitely on the better side compared to Airtel when played through home theatre. Airtel HD was less noisier. SD channels are pretty good. Even after paying more than 500 a month to Airtel, the channels offered in the package was not to my liking and that is where TS plays better. Cost is secondary, but channel packaging is important. For the same money I pay to airtel, I can get more channels and services from TS. That was the reason I had to switch.

Another difference I had seen from one year of using TS in my farmhouse is that the customer care is miles ahead of the people present in Airtel. That was very important in case I needed to deal with them for any reason.

[ani_meher]

I am using DishTV TruHD+ for a month in Pune. A short review:

• Installation was efficient, though the first suggested route was to drill hole in the wall and get the cable wire through that hole. After a strong 'NO' the installation person routed the connection through the concealed wiring.
• 400rs per month HD pack, details at http://www.dishtv.in/DishtruHDplus/hd_world_pack.html I can't think of any missing channels.
• A 'CALL ME' SMS sent to their service will get a callback in half an hour.
• Only once it was not catching any signal, but only for a few hours.
• I can record or see one channel at a time, since there is only one connection. However this fits the task perfectly, as I prefer to record movies/serials and skipping all the ads. No more late night TV watching as it gets recorded smoothly.
• I have added a 1TB harddisk and have recorded number of movies and serials effortlessly. However I can see it only on the same TV using same STB, and can't copy the movies outside (this restriction is same for all the DTH recorders)
• No additional charge for recording. In Videocon (except DVR) and Airtel, there is a monthly recording charge.

I got the connection in 999rs, which was a terrific price for a HD recorder including installation. The interface is not as sleek as others, but I don't really care about the aesthetics of the menu. The HD channels look great, and SD are ok.

[saikatmandal04]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Made a quick switch from Airtel to Tatasky.

I did the other way around and installed AirTel in my second TV by disconnecting TataSky over the weekend. I was fed up with the high cost of TataSky.

I was getting a good deal and hence the change as I had disconnected my secondary TV long back. Unlike you, I find the sound quality of the HD channels to be much better in AirTel compared to TataSky. I have a Yamaha receiver connected to this setup and it does sound much better now than it used to be. The Dolby digital does sound dolby digital where different sound now comes from different channels. The picture quality if not better is at Par with Tata Sky.

[audioholic]

What's the issue with dolby digital in Tata sky? I just watched Final destination this morning and the sound channels were clearly distinguishable compared to before which was similar to dolby pro logic.

The problem with Airtel packages is, in lower packages, they omit all the popular channels. For example in english news they will omit NDTV and CNN. Same thing for sports etc. They will provide the less popular channels in every category. Hence we should opt for the higher packages. I didnt see the same with TS. Even in the 200 rupee package it seems to provide the popular channels, except for the really premium ones. Direct comparison, I get more channels for 500 a month in TS compared to Airtel

[saikatmandal04]

Originally Posted by audioholic

What's the issue with dolby digital in Tata sky?

Somehow the sound quality did not appeal me much in TataSky, It starts off with multi channel sound but soon fade out slowly into stereo mode and then again after a short while you can feel the sound change. There used to be short bursts of this phenomenon happening, especially in NatGEO and Discovery channels. It was clearly evident when the channel used to switch to its programme just after a commercial break. It used to be Dolby - Stero - Dolby. Not sure if this is continuing now though.

Someone else experienced this ?