Top Up TV Anytime Box patched to v2.44
Top Up TV has just released another patch for their Anytime box, which we reviewed in Show 10. V2.44 adds Series Link and parental control. The fix reportedly addresses the issues raised in the BBC Watchdog show – such as failed recordings, black screen and playback skip.
New Features: Series Link, Child Lock and display of programme synopsis information in the guide screen.
Fixes: Fix to Saved Items being deleted, Fix to Radio Services breaking up. Fixes been added to reduce the number of times that a DTR fails to make Top Up TV Anytime recordings. Improvements to Download Playback. Performance improvements to reduce the times when the box will need to be rebooted. Fixes to reduce loss of Video/Black Screen. Library now shows the actual start and duration.
Well here I am back again.
Still with TopUpTv. Have turned off most of the downloadable content there is only so many fishing, house build/fixing/decorating and really poor comedy channel programs one can watch.
I have a question for anyone out there…
Why does the box always tune to the weakest channel? and what’s the use of the tuner information option were it allows you to change the signal strength, if it does not stay where you put it.
When will the 0 key work, so you can change tuners.
And finally I thought I read somewhere on TopUpTv that there would be no repeats on Picture Box!!!! now getting films I saw on Picture Box just after Xmas…
Still think TopUpTV is a good idea but please get someone else to choose the downloaded content
I absolutely agree with most of the comments from the last contributor. I have turned off all the downloadable content apart from UK Gold and TCM. The rest is absolute rubbish – e.g. “Date My Mom” – give me strength! Some of TopUp TV’s pre-sale literature said “We think you will be presently surprised by what will have to offer”. I don’t think so somehow! The only other channel which was worth watching was “Discovery” and that seems to have gone. Breach of contract and Sale of Goods comes to mind, but no doubt they have covered that in their small print.
As regard to the actual DTR box, certainly version 2.44 seems to have cured a lot of the freezing up problems: I haven’t had to reboot for almost a week now instead of at least once a day. AND the “Swap” “0” button did work….for a day, but now doesn’t again!
The odd missed recording still seems to be prevalent: it failed carry out a pre-planned recording at 2am on Saturday of the Australian GP Qualifying. No message or anything to say why, yet the following Sunday morning, it recorded the actual Aussie GP (I decided to get up and watch it just in case it failed!)
I’ve also had it tell me that I’ve not enough time/space left for planned recordings, in once case only 37 minutes left, eventhough there was 71% free disk space! A few hours later it had changed to 30 hours available, without me having to delete anything else! Duh!
So, OK TopUp TV, some improvement, but a long way to go! Unless the reliablity and, equally as important, the programme content improves, Ill be cancelling my contract when my twelve months is up and just keeping the box to make personal recordings, which is basically what I’m doing now!
hey Dave I tried recording the F1 racing as well and it failed.
I am going to try another recording at around the same time to see if it works, think it might be something to do with the TopUpTv downloads..
The swap button worked after a reboot. The box still tunes to the weekest signal which is a pain. Box crashed twice, and it takes longer to delete content. Still it was a cheep Hard Disk recorder and you never know another update may soon arrive
Many of you will have received an email last week from “Claire” at TUTV (but actually from Roger Matthews, Sales & Marketing Director) saying how they were intending to “improve” the programme content, having listened to all our feedback. The main “bombshell” in this latest communication is that TCM is now to be TUTV Anytime only, i.e., not “live”.
Here is my reply to them:
“Dear “Claire”
With regard to the email (below) from Roger Matthews, I have to inform you that I am far from satisfied and even less impressed with your latest intentions to “improve” the service.
I assume from the statement (quote) “from April 10th, TCM will now only be available on Top Up TV Anytime” – that TCM will no longer be a “live” channel on your service, but only as a TUPTV overnight download? If so, then once again, as with other channels, such as the “Discovery Channel” which you have migrated away from “live” , I will have no control over the TCM programmes I receive, but will be dependant on your “handpicked” selections, which to date have proved less than satisfactory.
In my last email reply to you (which you failed to acknowledge), whilst agreeing that the latest software upgrade (2.44) had improved the reliability of the DTR box, I expressed my utter disappointment at the quality of the programme content. Your latest communication has done little to quell this disappointment.
Apart from F1, I am not a sports fan, so British Eurosport is of little interest to me. The other channels; Paramount Comedy, LivingTv, UKTV Style and UKTV Food are, in my opionion, devoid of very much quality content. A quick search on the internet confirms that many people are of the same opinion, so I am surprised that you ascertain these to be “popular”.
Allow me to be perfectly blunt. Most of the programmes downloaded overnight to the DTR box from TUPTV Anytime are utter rubbish. Each evening, I scan through the previous night’s downloads and delete them all (a process which now takes even longer since the latest software upgrade) .
Once again, I re-iterate my intention to cancel my subscription to TUPTV Anytime at the end of my existing contract, unless the content quality of programmes are substantially improved by that time.
David Weaver
West Calder
Many of you will have received an email last week from “Claire” at TUTV (but actually from Roger Matthews, Sales & Marketing Director) saying how they were intending to “improve” the programme content, having listened to all our feedback. The main “bombshell” in this latest communication is that TCM is now to be TUTV Anytime only, i.e., not “live”.
Here is my reply to them:
“Dear “Claire”
With regard to the email (below) from Roger Matthews, I have to inform you that I am far from satisfied and even less impressed with your latest intentions to “improve” the service.
I assume from the statement (quote) “from April 10th, TCM will now only be available on Top Up TV Anytime” – that TCM will no longer be a “live” channel on your service, but only as a TUPTV overnight download? If so, then once again, as with other channels, such as the “Discovery Channel” which you have migrated away from “live” , I will have no control over the TCM programmes I receive, but will be dependant on your “handpicked” selections, which to date have proved less than satisfactory.
In my last email reply to you (which you failed to acknowledge), whilst agreeing that the latest software upgrade (2.44) had improved the reliability of the DTR box, I expressed my utter disappointment at the quality of the programme content. Your latest communication has done little to quell this disappointment.
Apart from F1, I am not a sports fan, so British Eurosport is of little interest to me. The other channels; Paramount Comedy, LivingTv, UKTV Style and UKTV Food are, in my opionion, devoid of very much quality content. A quick search on the internet confirms that many people are of the same opinion, so I am surprised that you ascertain these to be “popular”.
Allow me to be perfectly blunt. Most of the programmes downloaded overnight to the DTR box from TUPTV Anytime are utter rubbish. Each evening, I scan through the previous night’s downloads and delete them all (a process which now takes even longer since the latest software upgrade) .
Once again, I re-iterate my intention to cancel my subscription to TUPTV Anytime at the end of my existing contract, unless the content quality of programmes are substantially improved by that time.
David Weaver
West Calder
I had the box less than a week and returned it. The download content was total rubbish and the only live channel worth watching was UKTV-Gold, and this just did not warrant the monthly subscription. The EPG was just appalling, the program synopsis popping up and overlaying the guide how stupid is that! why not put at the top out of the way? like they do in most other EPG’s
Hi, i have just bought one of these boxes and was wondering if anyone knows how long it takes for the software to be updated as my box shows version 2.0.I am not subscribing to top up anytime tv , but this shouldn’t make any difference should it?
Hi.
Have had my Thomson DTI6300-16 box for a month now and have had to reboot several times by switching it on/off.(Programmes freeze up)
This time however its not solving the problem.I seem to have a programme locked in the Programme Library and it will not delete.I cannot record any other programmes.
Not impressed.
Do Thomsons have a helpline number? or can anyone help me out??
Cheers
You lot are certainly on another planet, 2.81 has solved alot of problems for me.
My box RARELY crashes, and I find the content to be what I wanted.
you need to give the service some time, box crashes are most probably related to things like, using remote too fast, trying to delete a recording when the HDD is in use, or trying to record and watch whilst the 1AM downloads have kicked in.
so all in all quit complaining about the content if you want what you want then move onto another platform if you can get it.
We recorded Country File this morning (23-11-08) the duration of the program was 60 minutes, however when we come to look it had only recorded a duration of 21 minutes! Can anyone suggest what might have gone wrong etc