Foxtel Owners & Discussion Thread

[Guest 1920x1080]

had HD for a couple of months and have enjoyed the programs that have been broadcast in 1080i so far.

have the sports package and the movie package, and while not every program or movie is broadcast in full HD, who really cares. a lot of them are, and i enjoy that. you can't expect everything to be HD 24/7 yet, not for a few years i'd say. the quality of the HD sports and movie channels is pretty impressive to be honest, i see no difference between them and the FTA HD channels.

Edited June 8, 2010 by 1920x1080

[davmel]

the quality of the HD sports and movie channels is pretty impressive to be honest, i see no difference between them and the FTA HD channels.

Either your vision or your display is flawed because FTA HD is noticeably inferior to Fpxtel HD.

[Hosko]

Global has a HD flyaway kit...

Which doesn't get used for AFL

[rhysxanthis]

Which doesn't get used for AFL

...then you have a point!

[bergsey]

Just an update to the FAQ.

From an IQ2 box i'm successfully running HD component out to my projector and HDMI via extenders to my Plasma.

The FAQ seemed to indicate that the IQ2 would only output HD via component OR HDMI but not both unless you used SD component out via the SCART connector with HDMI.

Thanks

Edit: just when i thought i had this working have realised that the TV connected via HDMI needs to be turned on otherwise no picture is displayed from the HD component output due to HDCP issues (SCART SD component and composite not effected). This happens even with the HDCP warnings turned off.

Edited June 11, 2010 by bergsey

[dkint3]

They have contracts that state that every match must be in HD.

I'm assuming the contracts you are referring to is with the AFL.

If TEN has such a contract, then why isn't SEVEN forced to do HD for the AFL?

I thought Seven and Ten were the consortium partners for the current AFL rights, so I would have thought the same rules would apply to both.

Whilst FOXTEL games are sub-let from Seven/Ten, they also only do less than half of the AFL games in HD.

It would have been an expensive exercise to drive a HD truck all the way over to Perth for one football match.

Also add in the fact that it would be unavailable for anything else for about a week due to travel times.

[DansDans]

I'm assuming the contracts you are referring to is with the AFL.

If TEN has such a contract, then why isn't SEVEN forced to do HD for the AFL?

I thought Seven and Ten were the consortium partners for the current AFL rights, so I would have thought the same rules would apply to both.

Whilst FOXTEL games are sub-let from Seven/Ten, they also only do less than half of the AFL games in HD.

It would have been an expensive exercise to drive a HD truck all the way over to Perth for one football match.

Also add in the fact that it would be unavailable for anything else for about a week due to travel times.

TEN's "HD contract" is with their broadcast producer, not with the AFL

[laurie]

TEN's "HD contract" is with their broadcast producer, not with the AFL

Correct and that is what I was referring to if Ten can do HD from Perth why cannot Foxtel!

cheers laurie

[DansDans]

Correct and that is what I was referring to if Ten can do HD from Perth why cannot Foxtel!

cheers laurie

while I cant answer that Q for you Laurie, consider the following:

Ten has 2 games a week, Foxtel has 4. Its easy for Ten to get both of its games in HD, but Foxtel, with 4 games, and their broadcast partner need to work out the best locations for thier HD games every week. That best location may not be Perth. And considering most (or all) of their NRL stuff is in HD and that is either in Bris, Syd or Mel, its pretty clear where their resources will be used (if in fact they use the same broadcast partner for both codes.

Laurie, just relax mate. In due time you'd hope most sports, regardless of where they're played, will be in HD. Heck you'd hope one day ONE could do the netball in HD, right?

[laurie]

while I cant answer that Q for you Laurie, consider the following:

Ten has 2 games a week, Foxtel has 4. Its easy for Ten to get both of its games in HD, but Foxtel, with 4 games, and their broadcast partner need to work out the best locations for thier HD games every week. That best location may not be Perth. And considering most (or all) of their NRL stuff is in HD and that is either in Bris, Syd or Mel, its pretty clear where their resources will be used (if in fact they use the same broadcast partner for both codes.

Laurie, just relax mate. In due time you'd hope most sports, regardless of where they're played, will be in HD. Heck you'd hope one day ONE could do the netball in HD, right?

yeah yeah son

cheers laurie

[bluestar_]

I don't mind that Foxtel can't do 4 HD games a weekend, although I do mind that picture quality from Perth is always worse than the picture from any other state. Channel 7, who only have 2 games a weekend, spaced out by nearly 2 days, have no excuse. You can see that One/Ten and Foxtel at least try.

On another sport, surely the Wallabies v England game from Perth tomorrow night will have to be HD, as UK viewers would be expecting it. Fox could then use the equipment for the Freo game on Sunday.

ps. why doesn't the edit box for posting work with Firefox 3.6 ??? Seems to have javascript problems

Edited June 11, 2010 by bluestar_

[Hosko]

Correct and that is what I was referring to if Ten can do HD from Perth why cannot Foxtel!

Simple reason is this, If ONE does a HD match in Perth on Saturday that truck spends Sunday driving back East instead of covering another sporting fixture on Sunday, I'm sure ONE pays a premium for this. Now if Foxtel/Fox Sports wants to have a match in HD in Perth on Sunday the truck would spend Saturday driving over. That means one of the NRL fixtures on Saturday wouldn't be in HD and they would have to pay a premium for the Sunday game because Global wouldn't be making any money back on their investment on Saturday. So they would have to pay more and get less HD coverage across the different sports. One don't have this concern because they only have to worry about two matches on Saturday.

Channel 7, who only have 2 games a weekend, spaced out by nearly 2 days, have no excuse. You can see that One/Ten and Foxtel at least try.

And Gearhouse their contracted production company already has a HD truck that 7 could use and they have another HD vehicle being built now, that might be a sign that 7 may be doing the AFL in HD next season. These companies only buildup equipment when they have a significant contract signed.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Hosko

[laurie]

Thanks Hosko so I assume Seven is waiting for the next broadcast rights to be sorted out to see who has what before spending $$$$!!

cheers laurie

[dkint3]

And Gearhouse their contracted production company already has a HD truck that 7 could use and they have another HD vehicle being built now, that might be a sign that 7 may be doing the AFL in HD next season. These companies only buildup equipment when they have a significant contract signed.

Seems odd that Gearhouse would have already built a HD truck which Channel 7 rarely commit to using... as it doesn't seem like Gearhouse is currently doing HD for anyone else either...

[laurie]

Straight from their web site

http://www.gearhousebroadcast.com/australasia/content/ob-1/

cheers laurie

[Hosko]

Seems odd that Gearhouse would have already built a HD truck which Channel 7 rarely commit to using... as it doesn't seem like Gearhouse is currently doing HD for anyone else either...

The question is why they need another, they do a fair chunk of concerts in HD as well but for them to build another HD vehicle they would need constant work for it.

[laurie]

The question is why they need another, they do a fair chunk of concerts in HD as well but for them to build another HD vehicle they would need constant work for it.

Maybe just maybe to make use of the HD vehicle prices may fall for stations to now broadcast events in HD why have a trailer sitting idle !!

cheers laurie

[Souwalker]

Hi Everybody.

I only noticecd this when I started watching the World Cup Football. After watching for about an hour or so, I get this grey warning display where it says the IQ2 is powering down (or something) after so many seconds...with a countdown clock.

Could this be the setting to stop the hard drive from spinning after a certain period? This can't be related, can it?

Before the WC, I watch TV via IQ2 for couple of hours straight and never seen this.

Many Thanks

Patrick

[Lorne]

Hi Everybody.

I only noticecd this when I started watching the World Cup Football. After watching for about an hour or so, I get this grey warning display where it says the IQ2 is powering down (or something) after so many seconds...with a countdown clock.

Could this be the setting to stop the hard drive from spinning after a certain period? This can't be related, can it?

Before the WC, I watch TV via IQ2 for couple of hours straight and never seen this.

Many Thanks

Patrick

yeah thats the power off save power settings you can change that in the menu from low medium high. if you dont press any buttons for 2 hours or sometime it will display that message then turn off if you dont hit a button.

[SiddoInOz]

Hi Guys

Great forum you have here! I have been frantically searching through the web trying to find a solution to my problem. I have the new foxtel iq1.5 (not hd/iq2) box connected to my pioneer plasma via the hdmi output on foxtel box to the pioneer media receiver then to the pioneer plasma (the pioneer plasma model is pdp-435hdg which is about 4 years old now). My audio is through optical out on the foxtel to pioneer receiver. I only got the foxtel iq connection about 7 weeks ago.

For the first 4 weeks it worked perfectly via the hdmi output for picture and optical for sound, with a much higher quality pic compared to the standard scart to composite connection (as youd expect) then all of a sudden no pic and just a black screen. Interesting the tv guide and the channel info graphics display no problems and the audio still works but no actual picture when viewed through hdmi just a black screen. The scart to composite connection still works fine.

I have had the foxtel tech out twice and they have replaced the box 3 times but all continue to display a black screen on the plasma when on hdmi input. So they are telling me it is a problem with the pioneer. i have a pioneer techy coming out next week.

I assume there is now some sort of compatability issue between the lastest software update for the foxtel box and/or encryption and the pioneer display??? The scart to composite display still works as normal but not the hdmi??

Have you come across this problem on your forum? Were you guys able to fix the problem and if so how?

Do i need a software/firmware upgrade for my pioneer plasma and/or foxtel to make them compatable? Or is it some sort of HDCP problem?

I would like to post a thread with this problem to see if anyone else has come across this and what peoples suggestions are but at the moment i cant start a new thread only reply to them?

please help as i cant stand to watch the footy on foxtel through the standard composite connection as the pic quality is shocking!!

Thanks

Sorry for a late reply on this one, totally missed it when I was reading through the thread. Did you have any luck with the Pioneer Tech?

I would also try changing the HDMI cable, I had trouble with two of my foxtel supplied cables. I don't know if the IQ 1.5 box has HDMI output settings but you could try lowering the output to 720p and see if this helps? Failing that you could upgrade to IQ2 and try and get a deal out of foxtel for the unresolved problems you've been having. IQ2 is so much better than the original IQ as it has four tuners, you can record two while watching another and you can still live pause whilst you are watching the third.

HTH

Siddo

[justin25]

I think i have found another bug when you press select in the sky news active to read the stories the select button dosent bring up the story you have to hold the button bown for 5 seconds or more for it to respond

[ILUVFOXIQ]

I like the power saver option with the IQ2 (Set At High).....That is, the HDD shuts down completely a few seconds after you've put the box into standby. In saying that, why does the HDD start spinning again after a few hours? Even though i'm not recording anything.

For example, I may put the box into standby at 11pm and the HDD completely shuts down.......A few hours later the hard drive will start spinning again, but the unit stays in standby........after a half hour the HDD will once again completely shut down. I don't understand why the HDD starts spinning even though I'm not using it. It should stay off until the next time I turn the box on. Has anyone noticed this? I guess it's easy for me to notice because the box is in my bedroom. Most people don't sleep next to their IQ2.

[ozasis]

I like the power saver option with the IQ2 (Set At High).....That is, the HDD shuts down completely a few seconds after you've put the box into standby. In saying that, why does the HDD start spinning again after a few hours? Even though i'm not recording anything.

For example, I may put the box into standby at 11pm and the HDD completely shuts down.......A few hours later the hard drive will start spinning again, but the unit stays in standby........after a half hour the HDD will once again completely shut down. I don't understand why the HDD starts spinning even though I'm not using it. It should stay off until the next time I turn the box on. Has anyone noticed this? I guess it's easy for me to notice because the box is in my bedroom. Most people don't sleep next to their IQ2.

In short, the box has a 4th tuner which you can't access. This tuner is used exclusively by the iq2 to record content to your on demand and box office on demand sections which is stored in a seperate partition on it's HDD. Unfortunately you have no control over this, and provided the box is connected up and has standby power, it will occasionally start obtaining content.

[ozasis]

I think i have found another bug when you press select in the sky news active to read the stories the select button dosent bring up the story you have to hold the button bown for 5 seconds or more for it to respond

I too have noticed this, but always just went to read the second story first, and then the first story would have "unlocked" itself... I'll try your method from now on!

[Souwalker]

yeah thats the power off save power settings you can change that in the menu from low medium high. if you dont press any buttons for 2 hours or sometime it will display that message then turn off if you dont hit a button.

Thanks Lorne.

rgds

Pat