Breaking the Terms and Conditions - Your Views Welcome

[James67]

Originally Posted by Undecided Adrian

I can't see any of these routers being able to support VOIP or video on demand anyways and without a little stability from the v1 I wouldn't even want to try and watch a 2+ hour movie on download just in case the router needed rebooting halfway through.

With the right firmware, it would definitely be possible for any of the three Sky routers to be able to support an IPTV stream and a VOIP stream. I can't remember what the "Alice Gate" router in Italy uses, but it's nothing more sophisticated than a BCM6348 or a TI-AR7 chip. And the same applies to BT's "Vision" product. Remember, the router is only handling the IPTV data, it's the set-top box that is doing the work of actually presenting the user interface and the MPEG decoding.

[fihart]

It does seem incomprehensible that Sky have adopted non-standard firmware and not updated it to remedy well known faults when Netgear themselves have done so in that period.

As a member of Netgear's Forum, I also deplore the fact that by using custom firmware Sky have to, some extent, cut their customers off from a resource that can benefit almost all other Netgear users. There are frequent question on the Netgear Forum from Sky customers and my usual response is to send them here to Skyuser.

[Isitme]

it's the set-top box that is doing the work of actually presenting the user interface and the MPEG decoding.

I thought that would be the case, but how many of Sky's boxes have an ethernet port to allow the router to be connected to it? I have one of the latest Plus boxes and there is no way I can see a way to connect a router to it. I suppose it would be possible to connect through a PC, but that would defeat the object. To me this means that before you could use the set top to receive on demand video through the router, the boxes would have to be upgraded. This to me seems to be a bigger stumbling block than the type of router used, the cost of replacing millions of Plus boxes would be phenomenal.

I helped a friend set up his BT Total at the weekend, he has it on a 30 day trial. Unlike the Sky boxes, the BT box is fully enabled for internet connection with ethernet ports for connection to the router. On the whole it looks a far superior box to the Sky Plus. I don't know if it is standard issue, but he was even supplied with Powerline network adapters, which allows him to keep the router downstairs and have his Box/TV upstairs. BT appear to have beaten Sky to the punch with this aspect of Video on demand over internet.

To be honest, I am a bit confused about why Sky even want to bother with the idea, they have a perfectly good delivery system with the satellite. But maybe I am not looking far enough ahead.

[RupertTHEbare]

Originally Posted by James67

And I'm definitely going to grass Sky up on the security issue. I want to see if I can get the story into the main news bulletins on TV. Really, it's the only ethical thing to do. With all the talk about government data losses, the idea that up to million Sky Broadband customers are unwittingly broadcasting all a hacker needs to access their broadband connection might tie in with a current "hot topic". I'll have to remember to Sky+ and series link the BBC Ten O'Clock News!

Hmmm. Its an interesting question, how one should deal with such a complaint; the process you would need to follow when both Sky, and I presume Netgear too, are being so cavalier about protecting their customers' on-line security. I imagine a big enough stink would knock several dollars of the share prices of both companies, which often is the only way to get these large companys' attention these days.

The question is, how to cause said 'stink'. I shall retire to the smallest room of the house and give it some further thought.

RTB.

[Undecided Adrian]

The only ethernet capable boxes I know of are the HD boxes although for the Sky+ boxes I suppose the usb ports could have an adaptor for them to go from usb-ethernet or even wireless like the Xboxes.

With BT vision the boxes are made by philips and the operating system by Microsoft, unfortunately BT doesn't seem to have captured the imagination of the public as they have only managed to sign up 100,000 users in 15 months.

Video on demand has a potentially huge market, 90% of evening and nightime internet traffic is down to p2p much of it movies and tv shows, the problem is that the content providers failed to see this as a potential money making scheme until a huge amount of people were doing it anyways.

Anyways if sky were to operate a video on demand service who is to say whether or not it will do any better than BT, but considering the relative poor performance of the set up of my line (over 9 weeks with a large amount of pushing from us to get it sorted), a fairly rubbish router and no option for anything else to be used and if I need to reboot my router I have to do it constantly all day until it's stable late at night, and now laughable terms and conditions that seem to violate several laws and seem to violate the intellectial property of the original authors code.

This is a critial time for Sky it has grown rapidily and now it should be looking at not only securing more customers but consolidating what they do have otherwise they will have a sudden slowdown of new connections and if they really drop the ball they could stall or even see the customer base drop.

[djkemp1]

i think they need to re-write the t&c's to be honest and not make it against t&c's to use your own equipment if you feel the need too.

[RupertTHEbare]

Originally Posted by Isitme

I thought that would be the case, but how many of Sky's boxes have an ethernet port to allow the router to be connected to it? I have one of the latest Plus boxes and there is no way I can see a way to connect a router to it.

There's definitely an RJ45 socket in the back of mine but I haven't opened the box so I have no idea what/how it is connected. One thing that had crossed my mind though, with all this talk of IPTV, is the question of running CAT5 cabling to the TV. Bearing in mind that every one's CPE is currently a NIC in a computer and a WiFi somewhere, it would seem logical to me that they would use a USB dongle and avoid the CAT5.

So what's the RJ45 really for?

RTB.

[RupertTHEbare]

Originally Posted by James67

With the right firmware, it would definitely be possible for any of the three Sky routers to be able to support an IPTV stream and a VOIP stream.

With figures like these, I should be able to watch anything I want to, providing I start downloading it 2 days before I know what I want to watch.

RTB.

[vandal]

Originally Posted by RupertTHEbare

With figures like these, I should be able to watch anything I want to, providing I start downloading it 2 days before I know what I want to watch.

RTB.

You think yours is crap?



I win.

As for getting it on the news about the security problem, try BBCs watchdog first, they love stuff like this.

[Undecided Adrian]

The technology section of newScientist usually runs stories like this as well, especially if netgear and sky don't care.