FibreOP Mediaroom Features Discussion - Page 15 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

skram · 2011-12-04, 08:47 PM

@habskilla - I am in Halifax and I was under the impression we could only do 2HD and 2SD streams at a time (we are FTTH). We have gotten the all HD streams in use multiple times - usually when we are watching an onDemand HD stream and have 2 HD recordings start up.

I'll have to check what my setting screen show and if I have the upgrade (any one know what the version number is and where to check?)

doscott · 2011-12-04, 09:53 PM

I believe the key thing here is there is a limit for the house of 4 HD and a limit of 2 HD per box.

skram · 2011-12-05, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doscott

I believe the key thing here is there is a limit for the house of 4 HD and a limit of 2 HD per box.

Thanks doscott. That explains a lot of the confusion.

I had the boxes setup with the PVR on my main tv. Seems with this piece of information, it might make more sense to set it up on the least used tv. That way if you have 2 HD recordings, you could still watch a 3rd HD live or ondemand program on the main tv.

habskilla · 2011-12-05, 09:35 AM

Last night I had the too many HD streams in use error pop up. At the time I had 2 HD streams recording. When I tried to surf to a third, is when I got the error. Called up Aliant and the CSR said that is expected. She said recordings take up 2 HD streams.

Is this true?

doscott · 2011-12-05, 02:39 PM

Two HD recordings at the same time is two streams, your HD limit for the box.

habskilla · 2011-12-05, 02:55 PM

So the question here is, what are the available combinations of HD recordings and watching live HD are we allowed. In my case, if I'm recording 2 HD threads, I cannot view another HD channel.

Here4You · 2011-12-05, 03:34 PM

Hi Folks this is a confusing topic for sure. Still confuses me at times and I have been immersed in it for a couple of years now.

@ Habskilla, the short answer to your question is if you are recording 2 HD programs you should be able to watch 2 different HD programs before getting an error. Because there are other factors in play, the long answer is below. If you receive the error again I would suggest you try and determine if others have paused a TV in the house or are watching an HD channel on an SDTV (this is allowed). This latter problem is a common issue...if you subscribe to HD package all TVs in the house get all the channels you subscribe to. So tell users with SDTVs in the house to make sure they are not watching their programs on HD stations, tell them to use the regular stations...now, on to that long winded answer:

*************

There are limits to be aware of when trying to understand this topic. I have found during our testing, and have made tweaks to the messaging as a result of that testing, that the messaging is fairly intuitive and lays out your options before you in a straight forward manner. If you are unsure as to what is causing a message to appear or a reason why you cannot watch the HD program you are attempting to watch, re-read that message that appeared and look at the options presented. 9 times out of 10 you can determine what is causing the message to appear and avoid that situation in the future or at least understand you have crossed the limit of the service and need to take steps to correct.

To help with that understanding I will recap the limits below:

- FibreOP will allow for 7 total incoming streams. That breaks down to 4 HD and 3 SD streams. If there were no recordings taking place and no TVs using the pause feature you could watch 4 HD programs and 3 SD programs at the same time among 7 different TVs. (If you have 4 HDTVs and 3 SD TVs in your home perhaps you can invite me over...I can bring Chips, maybe even some beer.)

- The PVR itself will allow you to record 2 HD programs and 2 SD programs at the same time. If you are not recording any HD programs you can record up to 4 SD programs at once. When scheduling programs to record that overlap in time keep these limits in mind. If you have set 3 half hour programs to record at 930pm and 2 hour long programs that begin at 9pm there will be a conflict because at 930 you will be attempting to record 5 programs at once. The good thing is the PVR recognizes this and gives you the ability to make the choice as to which ones you will record.

**It is also important to remember that these two limits work in tandem and are not independent of each other. e.g. If you are recording 2 HD programs that run from 9pm to 10 pm than you are only able to watch 2 different HD programs and 3 SD programs between 9 and 10 pm. If you add them all up it is still within the limits of the 7 total incoming streams (2 HD programs being recorded, 2 HD programs being watched, and 3 SD programs being watched).

You will find some information below from our support page on this topic. The full page can be found by navigating to Bellaliant.net/support. Under "Category" select FibreOP, under "Product" select TV and under "Topic" select "Personal Video Recorder". Click "Retrieve" and browse the list of topics including "PVR Limits".

The maximum number of channels that your PVR service can record simultaneously is four. Only two of those can be HD channels. If you are recording two HD channels, the other two recordings must be SD channels.

Be aware that the number of users actively watching or pausing HD channels also influences your ability to record HD channels. The maximum number of HD streams that can run on all the Set Top Boxes in your household is four. This can be watching, pausing, recording, or a combination of these.

For example, if two other users in your household are each watching HD channels and they are each recording another HD channel, you will receive a conflict message if you try to watch and/or record another HD channel.

habskilla · 2011-12-06, 11:39 AM

Thx for the info. So I have an issue. If I'm recording 2 HD channels, I can't view another HD channel.

Can someone confirm that they can view a 3rd HD channel when 2 HD channels are recording?

Danster · 2011-12-06, 06:38 PM

Does it have to be on the same box? By this I mean if I record channel 1HD and 2HD, you want me to check if I can watch channel 3HD at the same place ie livingroom?

philster · 2011-12-06, 07:26 PM

I can record 2 HD shows on my PVR box in the living room, go to my office and watch a third HD show live. If I try and press the Pause button..I get "PVR service unavaliable"

habskilla · 2011-12-06, 08:23 PM

Thx philster.

I'll call in and hopefully get a CSR who can help.

philster · 2011-12-06, 11:36 PM

Good luck

I'm also lucky that the second reciever isn't used much, and I also have 2 ethernet runs by my tv. (one for PVR, second for PS3) so I can move the second reciever and place it beside the PVR when I want to record 2 shows on the PVR and use the second box to watch on my big screen

Just a matter playin with the cords

habskilla · 2011-12-07, 08:46 AM

Tough call. CSR insisted that FibreOp only gets 2HD streams. He even put me on hold and talked to second line support to confirm. It took 20 minutes to convince and prove to him that he was wrong.

He apologized for the mix up (good on him to do that). FibreOp does get 4 HD streams. Tech is coming by today to have a look. Maybe I can get the tech to put me on the 1 GB trial?

Where's that expensive bottle of rye...

habskilla · 2011-12-07, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philster

Good luck

I'm also lucky that the second reciever isn't used much, and I also have 2 ethernet runs by my tv. (one for PVR, second for PS3) so I can move the second reciever and place it beside the PVR when I want to record 2 shows on the PVR and use the second box to watch on my big screen

Just a matter playin with the cords

Interesting... I have cable for my TV. Wonder if that is the problem?

Another request. Can someone who has cable for their TV record 2 HD shows and try at the same time view a 3rd.

Here4You · 2011-12-07, 08:55 AM

Hi Guys...
@ Danster - Does not have to be on the same box. The streams can be allocated among any box. Another thing to be aware of is that if you are recording 2 HD shows and you wanted to watch one of those shows while recording you are still only consuming 2 incoming streams of your possible 7 total.
@ Philster: You should be able to watch a third HD show on your PVR receiver while recording two other ones. i.e.. you should not have to move the other receiver into the room to do so.

Here are some tips to keep in mind that may help with stream management:
1. Turn off any Receivers when not being used by pressing the Power button on your remote.
- The green ring around the Power Button on the receiver should NOT be lit. If the light is on, then the receiver is using a stream, regardless of whether the TV is turned on or not.
- Turning off your PVR does not prevent it from recording scheduled programs, or being used by another receiver to schedule or watch recordings.

2. Don’t watch HD channels on SD TV sets.
- If you subscribe to HD service, then the HD channels are available to all the TV’s in your home. If you watch an HD channel on a non-HD TV, the STB will down-convert the signal to SD for display on the SD TV. However, this uses one of your HD streams and may prevent you from watching HD on an HD set.
- We recommend customizing the program Guide on your non-HD TV’s to “hide” the HD channels that have SD equivalents (CBC, CTV, ABC, NBC, etc.)

3. Watching a program on the TV directly connected to the PVR uses both a Live stream and a PVR stream, since the program is being buffered to the PVR to allow rewind and pause Live TV.
- If your PVR receiver is not being used, turn it off using the Power button on your remote

4. The pause function will not be available until 10 seconds after a channel change. This is because the PVR is buffering the show you were watching and has to reset itself.
- In this case you will get a “Pause is not available. Try again message” or "PVR unavailable".

Hopefully these tips help you guys work through the issues. I know...its like I said awhile back...confusing as heck.

Good luck!

2011-12-06, 06:38 PM	#219
Danster Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lincoln.NB Pop 465,123 Posts: 5,307	Does it have to be on the same box? By this I mean if I record channel 1HD and 2HD, you want me to check if I can watch channel 3HD at the same place ie livingroom? __________________ Home Theatre: Yamaha HTR-6190, Klipsch Speakers, SANYO PLV-Z4, TOSHIBA HDDVD, LG BD555C, Cerwin Vega HTS12 Sub, VIP2300, XBox 360, HTPC.

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2011-12-04, 08:47 PM	#211
skram Join Date: May 2005 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 112	@habskilla - I am in Halifax and I was under the impression we could only do 2HD and 2SD streams at a time (we are FTTH). We have gotten the all HD streams in use multiple times - usually when we are watching an onDemand HD stream and have 2 HD recordings start up. I'll have to check what my setting screen show and if I have the upgrade (any one know what the version number is and where to check?)

2011-12-04, 09:53 PM	#212
doscott Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Brunswick Posts: 44	I believe the key thing here is there is a limit for the house of 4 HD and a limit of 2 HD per box.

2011-12-05, 09:35 AM	#214
habskilla Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Moncton, NB Posts: 866	Last night I had the too many HD streams in use error pop up. At the time I had 2 HD streams recording. When I tried to surf to a third, is when I got the error. Called up Aliant and the CSR said that is expected. She said recordings take up 2 HD streams. Is this true?

2011-12-05, 02:39 PM	#215
doscott Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Brunswick Posts: 44	Two HD recordings at the same time is two streams, your HD limit for the box.

2011-12-05, 02:55 PM	#216
habskilla Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Moncton, NB Posts: 866	So the question here is, what are the available combinations of HD recordings and watching live HD are we allowed. In my case, if I'm recording 2 HD threads, I cannot view another HD channel.

2011-12-05, 03:34 PM	#217
Here4You Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 30	Hi Folks this is a confusing topic for sure. Still confuses me at times and I have been immersed in it for a couple of years now. @ Habskilla, the short answer to your question is if you are recording 2 HD programs you should be able to watch 2 different HD programs before getting an error. Because there are other factors in play, the long answer is below. If you receive the error again I would suggest you try and determine if others have paused a TV in the house or are watching an HD channel on an SDTV (this is allowed). This latter problem is a common issue...if you subscribe to HD package all TVs in the house get all the channels you subscribe to. So tell users with SDTVs in the house to make sure they are not watching their programs on HD stations, tell them to use the regular stations...now, on to that long winded answer: *********** There are limits to be aware of when trying to understand this topic. I have found during our testing, and have made tweaks to the messaging as a result of that testing, that the messaging is fairly intuitive and lays out your options before you in a straight forward manner. If you are unsure as to what is causing a message to appear or a reason why you cannot watch the HD program you are attempting to watch, re-read that message that appeared and look at the options presented. 9 times out of 10 you can determine what is causing the message to appear and avoid that situation in the future or at least understand you have crossed the limit of the service and need to take steps to correct. To help with that understanding I will recap the limits below: - FibreOP will allow for 7 total incoming streams. That breaks down to 4 HD and 3 SD streams. If there were no recordings taking place and no TVs using the pause feature you could watch 4 HD programs and 3 SD programs at the same time among 7 different TVs. (If you have 4 HDTVs and 3 SD TVs in your home perhaps you can invite me over...I can bring Chips, maybe even some beer.) - The PVR itself will allow you to record 2 HD programs and 2 SD programs at the same time. If you are not recording any HD programs you can record up to 4 SD programs at once. When scheduling programs to record that overlap in time keep these limits in mind. If you have set 3 half hour programs to record at 930pm and 2 hour long programs that begin at 9pm there will be a conflict because at 930 you will be attempting to record 5 programs at once. The good thing is the PVR recognizes this and gives you the ability to make the choice as to which ones you will record. It is also important to remember that these two limits work in tandem and are not independent of each other. e.g. If you are recording 2 HD programs that run from 9pm to 10 pm than you are only able to watch 2 different HD programs and 3 SD programs between 9 and 10 pm. If you add them all up it is still within the limits of the 7 total incoming streams (2 HD programs being recorded, 2 HD programs being watched, and 3 SD programs being watched). You will find some information below from our support page on this topic. The full page can be found by navigating to Bellaliant.net/support. Under "Category" select FibreOP, under "Product" select TV and under "Topic" select "Personal Video Recorder". Click "Retrieve" and browse the list of topics including "PVR Limits". The maximum number of channels that your PVR service can record simultaneously is four. Only two of those can be HD channels. If you are recording two HD channels, the other two recordings must be SD channels. Be aware that the number of users actively watching or pausing HD channels also influences your ability to record HD channels. The maximum number of HD streams that can run on all the Set Top Boxes in your household is four. This can be watching, pausing, recording, or a combination of these. For example, if two other users in your household are each watching HD channels and they are each recording another HD channel, you will receive a conflict message if you try to watch and/or record another HD channel.

2011-12-06, 11:39 AM	#218
habskilla Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Moncton, NB Posts: 866	Thx for the info. So I have an issue. If I'm recording 2 HD channels, I can't view another HD channel. Can someone confirm that they can view a 3rd HD channel when 2 HD channels are recording?

2011-12-06, 07:26 PM	#220
philster Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Saint John, NB Posts: 163	I can record 2 HD shows on my PVR box in the living room, go to my office and watch a third HD show live. If I try and press the Pause button..I get "PVR service unavaliable"

2011-12-06, 08:23 PM	#221
habskilla Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Moncton, NB Posts: 866	Thx philster. I'll call in and hopefully get a CSR who can help.

2011-12-06, 11:36 PM	#222
philster Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Saint John, NB Posts: 163	Good luck I'm also lucky that the second reciever isn't used much, and I also have 2 ethernet runs by my tv. (one for PVR, second for PS3) so I can move the second reciever and place it beside the PVR when I want to record 2 shows on the PVR and use the second box to watch on my big screen Just a matter playin with the cords

2011-12-07, 08:46 AM	#223
habskilla Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Moncton, NB Posts: 866	Tough call. CSR insisted that FibreOp only gets 2HD streams. He even put me on hold and talked to second line support to confirm. It took 20 minutes to convince and prove to him that he was wrong. He apologized for the mix up (good on him to do that). FibreOp does get 4 HD streams. Tech is coming by today to have a look. Maybe I can get the tech to put me on the 1 GB trial? Where's that expensive bottle of rye...

2011-12-07, 08:55 AM	#225
Here4You Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 30	Hi Guys... @ Danster - Does not have to be on the same box. The streams can be allocated among any box. Another thing to be aware of is that if you are recording 2 HD shows and you wanted to watch one of those shows while recording you are still only consuming 2 incoming streams of your possible 7 total. @ Philster: You should be able to watch a third HD show on your PVR receiver while recording two other ones. i.e.. you should not have to move the other receiver into the room to do so. Here are some tips to keep in mind that may help with stream management: 1. Turn off any Receivers when not being used by pressing the Power button on your remote. - The green ring around the Power Button on the receiver should NOT be lit. If the light is on, then the receiver is using a stream, regardless of whether the TV is turned on or not. - Turning off your PVR does not prevent it from recording scheduled programs, or being used by another receiver to schedule or watch recordings. 2. Don’t watch HD channels on SD TV sets. - If you subscribe to HD service, then the HD channels are available to all the TV’s in your home. If you watch an HD channel on a non-HD TV, the STB will down-convert the signal to SD for display on the SD TV. However, this uses one of your HD streams and may prevent you from watching HD on an HD set. - We recommend customizing the program Guide on your non-HD TV’s to “hide” the HD channels that have SD equivalents (CBC, CTV, ABC, NBC, etc.) 3. Watching a program on the TV directly connected to the PVR uses both a Live stream and a PVR stream, since the program is being buffered to the PVR to allow rewind and pause Live TV. - If your PVR receiver is not being used, turn it off using the Power button on your remote 4. The pause function will not be available until 10 seconds after a channel change. This is because the PVR is buffering the show you were watching and has to reset itself. - In this case you will get a “Pause is not available. Try again message” or "PVR unavailable". Hopefully these tips help you guys work through the issues. I know...its like I said awhile back...confusing as heck. Good luck!