Messages

Thanks folks for the extremely useful information.

I'll do a bit more research.

Hi all,

My Beyonwiz PVR is slowly dying and I'm thinking of replacing it with an IceBox. I have a Harmony Elite that controls the AV system and would prefer to link the IceBox into the Harmony system so I don't have to use two remote controls. Would anyone know if this is possible?

We will commence using and debugging it in a week or so.  I'd estimate it will go live in about two months but that is hostage to chip supplies and delivery of the hardware to Australia.

Thanks and good luck!

I'd "guess", as the whole software adaptation is a new world, the ETA of the IceTV miniPC PVR is three months maximum as Dan and I are about three weeks from initial testing of two units, then we'll give out three more for independent customer testing once our own testing establishes stability.  The target price is $449 1 x dual tuner, and approx $145 for an extra dual tuner. but the upward creep of chip prices makes that uncertain.

Hi MD,

Just wondering how the testing of your solution to not being able to get a IceTV compatible PVR is going. The reason for asking is that I currently have a Beyonwiz T3 that occasionally gives a hint it is not long for this world and I'd hate to lose IceTV capability. No pressure!

Thanks all - I might order myself a Christmas present.

I know there are few if any in the wild yet - but is the Beyondwiz U4 compatible with IceTV? My Toppy 2460 is dying and I'm considering replacements.

Thanks folks - took all the SD channels off the TV guide and the Toppy has been running for a couple of hours.  Would I be correct in surmising that this 'undocumented product feature' was not fixed before Topfield's latest dramas - so it probably never will be?

Hi all,

Just wondering if there is a problem with the EPG or if my Toppy is telling me it time to be pensioned off.

[Status Update 3]

Status Update 3

All Recorders should now be working properly - 10pm Thu 23rd June.

• Humax PVRs should be working normally now.
• Windows Media Centers should be working normally now. Click on the Login button in the IceTV Interactive program.
• Topfield PVRs should be working normally now.

Thanks for getting the servers back up and the advice at 10pm that it had happened, Dave.

On my Topfield 2460 the blank guide has green text at the bottom right-hand corner that is cut off at the end. It says "Make registration cod...". I assume it refers to IceTV and why the guide is blank but I would love to know for sure what the rest of the text actually says - or even if anyone else can see it and have they ever seen it before?

My was saying 'cooking' in green at one stage - which it certainly wasn't (it wasn't even working).

Is there any indication when the server will be working again?

Thanks Dave, I've tried deleting 31 and Food Network as well as reseting EPG.  We'll see how we go.

I would suppose the reality is that this will be an ongoing problem with Topfield PVRs as they are unlikely to be able to change the quantity of RAM (or whatever) installed to cope with the new Australian channels using a firmware update.  The reality is that I would imagine over time there will be more channels released as well - not a consolidation.  Is it time to consider replacing the Toppy with something that doesn't have restrictions on the memory?

This is GOOD news!

Ian

Not quite so fast.  I've just spent an hour and a half stuffing around with the 2460 [set for Brisbane] to get some form of it working again.  Surely IceTV know what the 'illegal' character that is causing all the problem really is and can search and remove it in the time between when it arrives from the ABC/SBS and when it is released on the server.

While I acknowledge that asking Topfield to fix the problem is the long term solution, there has to be a better work around than doing a factory reset!

Another +1 for Antman.

It's not a conspiracy by the CIA, KGB or anyone else.  The original IceTV has gone - it is an extinct company.  It's no use pining for the fjords, if you want to keep receiving the service you need to pay for it (again).  And by the sound of it, your loss is nowhere near the loss of the new company owner.

I'm a little confused on the timeline here.

Ice TV owned and run by Chris OBrien

A number of customers prepaid their service agreements in advance
A number of customers paid and didn't get their PVR's

So IceTV had a financial issue and went into administration.   

Administrators came in an essentially put the business up for sale because Chris's business could no longer function.

Chris came back in and bought the company back less all the obligations he previously had before it went broke.

Consequently, the owners of the old IceTV are the owners of the new IceTV less all the obligations they had to their customers (not to mention creditors and presumably staff as well).

All the customers are meant to run back and rebuy their services (not to mention hardware) from the same person who took their previous money?

Am I missing something here?

You are missing something: And "Chris" loses all his investments in and loans to the broke company, plus 10.5 years of work, and has to start again from zero.

Well said.  The reality is (with the possible exception of those that purchased the intellectual property in the last week or so) that none of us have lost much in comparison to those who were subject to the failures of numerous financial planners, travel providers and so on.

Yes, there is a better use for the money we've all lost - we're all in a better position than those who have lost all their super, tens of thousands they had saved for the holiday of a lifetime or similar.  If you want to stay with IceTV or go away, it's your choice, but the constant repetition of conspiracy theories (or even worse - we wuz robbed) is pointless.

Welcome back IceTV.  You would have been missed.

Ok well good to hear you guys are up and running again (EPG not Skippa).

however... 

I was really unimpressed that there was ZERO notification given to existing subscribers - all I received was the 3rd party Voluntary Administrator email which had news of our subscription $$ being lost quite literally buried 'in the fine print'. There was no information on when the service may be stopped/interrupted - although it stop getting updated on Tuesday. Short of staff/management here being banned from communicating with end users (which I doubt) - there's really no excuse for this behaviour - it just seemed like you guys decided 'stuff everyone, we're going under so why bother doing the right thing and letting people know what's going on'..  (PS: just posting stuff in the forum is not acceptable - you should have emailed at bare minimum).

Secondly, given it's basically all the same people/investors running IceTV v2 (whatever it's going to be called) - and essentially the same people who were holding the reigns - I think it's pretty unacceptable that you want to RECHARGE paid up subscribing customers a second time. I think all these users (including myself) should be given complimentary subscriptions for remainder of paid period + then you can start charging us again. If you go back and look at your records you'll see most of us have been subscribers for years (I think possibly 7 years or more for myself) - so it stands to reason that we'd resubscribe again as soon as paid period had expired (although monthly billing seems most sensible given risks to users).  While I understand the money has been swallowed in your Skippa fiasco (of which I have nothing to do with or a customer of) - it's about doing the right thing for goodwill and ongoing business - not doing a big short term money grab.

Once again sh*t happens, business goes stale, but it's about doing the 'right thing' no matter what. I try to support Aussie business where I can, but there's just a certain line that was crossed here. Anyhow - given the really poor behaviour/handling of what has happened (and the money regrab) - I'm now not sure if I've got the trust to resubscribe. There's plenty of working EIT + MHEG5 scrapers where I can just get the data myself - have all that working again now + was on verge of reconfiguring my setup to use it.

So I think it's in IceTV v2's court here, how about doing the right thing. You can start off by actually emailing everyone and telling them what's going on. Then have a good hard look at your recharge everyone business strategy - surely you can do better than that.

my 2 cents.

Niall

You clearly have no idea how company administration works.  Apart from that - put yourself in the IceTV staff and management shoes - whats more important a) working out a way to retain employment and provide a service or b) advising what the state of play is at a certain point, when the 'state of play' is rapidly evolving (AKA speculation based on incomplete information)