Foxtel Owners & Discussion Thread

[maxicat]

Tv Scart to s-video+audio Neotech cable. Recorder Scart to dvd hdd is Scart adapter + s-video +audio lead with correct direction set. (ie no problems recording) Output from dvd is via component cable to tv for dvd playing etc. The picture that I get is clearly via the dvd recorder and not directly through the tv scart since I turn off the dvd then there is nothing! I have also tried composite output from the dvd in addition to the component out and get two channels of output video and sound when the dvd is on, but still no picture or sound when dvd is off. I'll have to think of another connection setup.

[cttc]

Sounds like your not selecting the S-Video input on your TV that is coming from the Foxtel scart. I would disconnect everything except S-Video to TV direct from Foxtel, then when you get Foxtel on your TV start connecting the dvdr. That would avoid any confusion and make sure your cable is working.

[Venus]

Tv Scart to s-video+audio Neotech cable. Recorder Scart to dvd hdd is Scart adapter + s-video +audio lead with correct direction set. (ie no problems recording) Output from dvd is via component cable to tv for dvd playing etc. The picture that I get is clearly via the dvd recorder and not directly through the tv scart since I turn off the dvd then there is nothing! I have also tried composite output from the dvd in addition to the component out and get two channels of output video and sound when the dvd is on, but still no picture or sound when dvd is off. I'll have to think of another connection setup.

Try swapping the adaptor and cable around and see what happens. At least you can then rule that out as your problem.

[vasko]

Well im gettin foxtel installed in my room on wednesday and i want it hooked up to me dvdr (Panasonic EH55) should i see if the foxtel techi can do it or should i just let him install it however he is gonna do it then i do it later?

Do i need to buy the SCART cables or will the techi have it on them?

[cttc]

Well im gettin foxtel installed in my room on wednesday and i want it hooked up to me dvdr (Panasonic EH55) should i see if the foxtel techi can do it or should i just let him install it however he is gonna do it then i do it later?

It varies, usually if you have a recorder they connect it up using a Scart to 6 RCA's (composite & audio in and out). Just ask for what you want (scart to scart for recorder probably) and you might be lucky.

[vasko]

Well because my room is upstairs and there is a pergola outside my window the foxtel techi reakons he cant install it, that its a too man job. I dont understand why he needs it from the outside, there is access to the roof upstairs from inside the house and he still says it cant be done.

I called foxtel and complained and now a supervisor is gonna call us tomorrow and set a date for them to come and do a site servey. Its bull, the samething happened when we got it installed downstairs. The other techi came out and was like it can be done.

Bah so it will be a while yet before i have foxtel now in my room!

[Valleyboy]

Hello.

I have recently upgraded to Foxtel IQ and was wondering if anybody here could let me know if purchasing the scart to component cable available from Dick Smith (CA0400) would improve my picture quality.

I have a Samsung 29"/68cm 50Hz CRT flat screen TV with a 4:3 ratio (CS29K10) which has the option of Y/Pb/Pr Picture Improvement and also Digital Noise Reduction but is not 1080i HD Ready.

Thanks for any help!

Valleyboy.

[BribieG]

Oscar (SD forum). This is the discussion I referred to, I have added this comment to bring it back to the front so you can read it, in relation to the PQ you are getting with Foxtel.

Cheers.

[oscar_01]

Thanks BribieG. Glad i've read this thread. I just bought a 42" plasma and subscribed to foxtel, mainly to watch A-League. Extremely disappointed in the PQ and thought it was a problem with my new telly. Here's hoping foxtel will improve PQ one day soon...

[vasko]

Can you buy Scart to Scart, because when the foxtel guy installed foxtel he has used scart to compastie cable (the yellow, white and red).

Looking on foxtel site there is no scart to scart.

Also i just bought a new samsung LCD TV, and bought the $200 component cables, now is there any need for them, like does it use them because its going from the recorder to the TV. Or does the signal get read from foxtel and componet is useless when watching foxtel?

The way my setup is at the moment is like this:

Foxtel Recorder scart -> DVD via (Scart to compasite cable)

DVD -> TV via (Component cable)

Does this sound right? Any use of the component cable for foxtel viewing?

Thanks

[cttc]

Can you buy Scart to Scart, because when the foxtel guy installed foxtel he has used scart to compastie cable (the yellow, white and red).

Looking on foxtel site there is no scart to scart.

Yes. Just no Foxtel branded cables. See the Cables section of this FAQ. Using scart to scart might be of no benefit if your going to record composite from the scart anyway.

Also i just bought a new samsung LCD TV, and bought the $200 component cables, now is there any need for them, like does it use them because its going from the recorder to the TV. Or does the signal get read from foxtel and componet is useless when watching foxtel?

The way my setup is at the moment is like this:

Foxtel Recorder scart -> DVD via (Scart to compasite cable)

DVD -> TV via (Component cable)

Does this sound right? Any use of the component cable for foxtel viewing?

You are getting composite converted to component when viewing Foxtel via DVD recorder, so it is going to be no better than composite (ie no quality benefit). For viewing DVD's your component cables will give you component quality (although no need to spend $200 on them(assuming not very long)).

What most people do is scart to component cable from the Foxtel tv scart for watching Foxtel. (And record composite from Foxtel recorder scart (using scart to scart(composite) OR scart to rca's(composite))).

See the FAQ for more configurations for your DVD recorder (just keep searching for EH55 or whatever model). The recording quality and (tv)display quality vary, you can pick the one best for your viewing habits.

[vasko]

Hey cttc thanks for that. I figured out why i had quality issues when watching foxtel. It was because of my recorder. I had the recorder picture setting on Comb Filter, i turned the setting of and bam foxtel looks much better.

So ill keep the component cables then for dvd viewing.

Thanks again

[kepce]

You can watch one Foxtel channel while recording another Foxtel channel (to internal iQ HDD) with a Foxtel iQ.

Please help: whenever I try to record a channel using my new iQ box, I can only watch the recorded channel (I get a blank screen on every other channel with the sound of the recording channel coming through), except for one channel which views normally (channel 402). Oddly, when scroll go past this channel, I get the audio from this channel on every other channel.

This is very weird and I think I have a faulty box, but maybe as a newbie I am missing something obvious.

Any ideas?

kepce

[cttc]

Please help: whenever I try to record a channel using my new iQ box, I can only watch the recorded channel (I get a blank screen on every other channel with the sound of the recording channel coming through), except for one channel which views normally (channel 402). Oddly, when scroll go past this channel, I get the audio from this channel on every other channel.

Call Foxtel. Sounds faulty, is this a satellite one? If so, both cables from dish plugged in? Try switching off/unplugging from power. You could try a reset/firmware update.

[carsales]

Hi,

I have Foxtel Digital Cable at home and have just acquired a beach house that has Foxtel Digital Satellite installed (dish;cabling etc. but no stb). My question is "is it possible to take my stb from home and plug it into the connection at the beach house and expect it to work, or am I dreaming"?

thanks!

[MattyRid]

Hi,

I have Foxtel Digital Cable at home and have just acquired a beach house that has Foxtel Digital Satellite installed (dish;cabling etc. but no stb). My question is "is it possible to take my stb from home and plug it into the connection at the beach house and expect it to work, or am I dreaming"?

thanks!

I would be 85% confident in saying keep dreaming...if you look at your manual you will see that the satellite stb uses a bit more power due to the the transponder(?) in the box itself being slightly different so I would say... just keep walking oops should be dreaming

[carsales]

I would be 85% confident in saying keep dreaming...if you look at your manual you will see that the satellite stb uses a bit more power due to the the transponder(?) in the box itself being slightly different so I would say... just keep walking oops should be dreaming

Ha! Thanks for the feedback - guess I'm awake now!

[GrpA]

Heh, a late post to this thread.

I just got off the phone with Foxtel, after having been about to leave, mentioning poor picture quality, not worth shifting my antenna after I moved the TV/STB etc.

They asked if I wanted to speak to a tech, so I did. Foxtel does have some redeeming qualities, if not the picture.

So the answer to all my problems, they tell me, was to get rid of the Composite video cable and go component...

So foxtel tell me that RGB is available, but the technicians don't know more than "Dick Smith sell the cable and it plugs into your LCD"... Well, they did have two more pieces of information. One - That it's the same signal for a PAL TV but on component video. Two - Read this forum - it's apparently where the experts live and the foxtel techs read it.

It's nice to find others with the problem. Not nice that you have the problem, but nice to know I'm not alone and crazy about expecting better video.

So I'm guessing now after reading this that the picture quality from the foxtel STB is poor because the output video is poor (it's basically just PAL but with a higher "Colour" resolution over the luma) and because the encoding is poor as well.

Since I use a PC to decode my TV and don't go through any conversion, I tend to enjoy the FTA shows on what is essentially a 37" LCD monitor. And although there is a dearth of HD programming (at least based on the RAW TS file info) the SD stuff is still pretty good. Based on best estimates, I'm guessing that FTA SD has around four times the detail of the best Foxtel shows. The earlier pictures from this thread seem to confirm it.

I think it's time I rationalised whether the Foxtel STB is worth keeping (and moving my antenna cable) or whether it's time to send it back and watch more DVDs.

Thanks for the thread -

GrpA.

[GaryCook]

Heh, a late post to this thread.

I just got off the phone with Foxtel, after having been about to leave, mentioning poor picture quality, not worth shifting my antenna after I moved the TV/STB etc.

They asked if I wanted to speak to a tech, so I did. Foxtel does have some redeeming qualities, if not the picture.

So the answer to all my problems, they tell me, was to get rid of the Composite video cable and go component...

So foxtel tell me that RGB is available, but the technicians don't know more than "Dick Smith sell the cable and it plugs into your LCD"... Well, they did have two more pieces of information. One - That it's the same signal for a PAL TV but on component video. Two - Read this forum - it's apparently where the experts live and the foxtel techs read it.

It's nice to find others with the problem. Not nice that you have the problem, but nice to know I'm not alone and crazy about expecting better video.

So I'm guessing now after reading this that the picture quality from the foxtel STB is poor because the output video is poor (it's basically just PAL but with a higher "Colour" resolution over the luma) and because the encoding is poor as well.

Since I use a PC to decode my TV and don't go through any conversion, I tend to enjoy the FTA shows on what is essentially a 37" LCD monitor. And although there is a dearth of HD programming (at least based on the RAW TS file info) the SD stuff is still pretty good. Based on best estimates, I'm guessing that FTA SD has around four times the detail of the best Foxtel shows. The earlier pictures from this thread seem to confirm it.

I think it's time I rationalised whether the Foxtel STB is worth keeping (and moving my antenna cable) or whether it's time to send it back and watch more DVDs.

Thanks for the thread -

GrpA.

My 20 cents worth, I am not a technician, so please excuse the simple language.

I have the Foxtel IQ connected via a scart to component cable, direct to the Sony LCD (video only)

Audio is connected via fibre optic from the Foxtel IQ to the Denon Receiver (it has the better DAC)

I also have the Foxtel IQ connected via a scart to component cable, direct to the Sony SD DVD Recorder

Audio is connected via fibre optic from the Foxtel IQ to the Sony SD DVD Recorder (the difference in DAC's is neglible)

The in built Sony LCD HD tuner is used for watching FTA HD transmissions

The Foxtel IQ is used for all other watching of SD transmissions (Foxtel and FTA)

I have compared the PQ between the FTA SD via the Sony tuner and via the Foxtel IQ. The FTA SD is slightly better PQ wise, but it is subject to the usual antenna reception problems (low flying aircraft, weather etc). So, on balance, the interference free Foxtel IQ watching experience is superior, plus I have the usual IQ recording features.

cheers

[Phantomguy]

For anyone interested you may want to read my posting on this other thread.....

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=44303

Phantomguy

"skull cave with HT and no TV looking better all the time

[Doug1503559538]

My 20 cents worth, I am not a technician, so please excuse the simple language.

I have compared the PQ between the FTA SD via the Sony tuner and via the Foxtel IQ. The FTA SD is slightly better PQ wise, but it is subject to the usual antenna reception problems (low flying aircraft, weather etc). So, on balance, the interference free Foxtel IQ watching experience is superior, plus I have the usual IQ recording features.

cheers

My experience exactly - the PQ on my IQ is absoluely fine and any minute difference between it and my FTA STB are by far outweighed by the convenience of the IQ (and there is no interference on the IQ).

[Kosmo]

This whole thread reminds me of the Hi Fi thing years ago.

People used to get so wound up in the technicality's of sound reproduction.

woofers and tweeters and tracking weights of the cartridge and sitting with your ear against the speaker trying to hear where the distortion in the midrange was coming from then taking the record off and running an antistatic cloth over it and trying again that they ended up listening to their equipment and not the music and disappeared up their own technophile fundaments.

This whole thread is really just the modern equivalent of hI Fi freaks who only care for the music in that it shows up how wonderful (or not) their equipment is.

I have a WS phillips CRT. The picture I get through foxtel craps on anything i've seen on plasma or LCD. I have the TV set to Widescreen and let the IQ decide the picture format. I don't get coniptions if what I'm watching is in 4:3. Most of the shows in that format were made that way. It would be nice if more channels were 16:9. I have a feeling they will be with the new Optus Sats.

I'm one of the few people on this list who are ,it seems happy with the Foxtel service. The day i'm not happy with it i'll cancel.

I guess it's all about expectations. My guess is most of the people who get their knickers in a knot over ,lets be honest, minor technicality's, are too young to remember the days of three channels in black and white.

Compared to that what we have now is a heavenly miracle

[DrP]

I can remember the days of one B&W channel and ye olde style HMV B&W valve set that weighed two tonnes and took 15 mins to warm up.

Does that mean I'm qualified to complain about Foxtel's PQ?

[balki]

...

People used to get so wound up in the technicality's of sound reproduction.

...

This whole thread is really just the modern equivalent of hI Fi freaks who only care for the music in that it shows up how wonderful (or not) their equipment is.

...

Where to even begin...?

Firstly: Who says "people" don't still get "wound up in the technicality's [sic] of sound reproduction"?

I think you'll find that high fidelity reproduction is as important, if not more so, with modern sources and, particularly, modern home theatre set ups.

I have a WS phillips CRT. The picture I get through foxtel craps on anything i've seen on plasma or LCD.

...

Well, see, that's really the point. As many have mentioned, the PQ of Foxtel is often inferior, a fact that is heightened and magnified by high res displays that are capable of discerning the difference.

Your hi-fi analogy is quite apt: If you have high quality equipment [some plasma/lcd panels], then the quality of the source material [Foxtel] is of paramount importance, as your equipment will be capable of distinguishing between higher quality and lower quality source material. If you have a cheaper set up, the source quality is not so important as no matter how good the source, the equipment is unable to reproduce the higher fidelity.

For many of us that have spent a significant sum of money on a high quality display, the PQ of Foxtel is often dissapointing.

I guess it's all about expectations.

True. If you're happy to expect less for your (potentially) $100+/month, then be my guest. Personally, I think we pay a premium price, we should expect premium quality.

My guess is most of the people who get their knickers in a knot over ,lets be honest, minor technicality's, are too young to remember the days of three channels in black and white.

Here is where, in my opinion, your post has gone off the rails... so much so that it almost didn't warrant a reply.

Of what possible relevance is it that we used to only have three black and white channels?

Many parts of the third world have no safe, clean drinking water... does that mean that I shouldn't complain to the water company if I turn on the tap and get dirty water? I guess their response should be: 'Well, you have it better than 1 billion+ people in the third world; stop complaining.' Or, even: 'We didn't have running water 150 years ago. Consider yourself lucky.' Better yet: 'Your water is only costing you 10c/1,000L. You need to lower your expectations.'

Compared to that what we have now is a heavenly miracle

And compared to the rest of the developed world, our pay TV is a joke. What's your point?

[GrpA]

The main problem with the PQ that I have noticed isn't a few more wrinkles on older actresses, or a slightly lower quality news broadcast.

If 30 years ago, you got pay TV and all they broadcast was Black and White while FTA was colour, it would be considered a bad joke, unless you only had a B&W TV set (as many did then).

The only thing that saves Foxtel is that people don't have high quality TVs. So they don't know what they are missing.

The real problem now is that new content is being designed for higher resolutions. 720x576 (PAL) is very detailed. Really. All kinds of things show up in detail on TV that only ever showed up before on the cinema screen. And even made for TV shows use this to advantage.

This makes the difference much more noticeable.

Text is a big one. I don't mean blurry credits. I mean when the text is integral to the plot. When a character holds up a letter with writing on it. On Foxtel, all you see is a blur where the writing should be. On FTA, you can actualy read the words. The resolution of Foxtel Vs FTA is just across the threshold on that one.

And sporting events or shows when you get a wide shot with the action occuring in a small section of screen.

On FTA you can't see what is going on. On Foxtel you can make out a blur.

The simple issue is one of pixels (and without a SCART plug, also the one of colour resolution).

The other day I watched Ghost In The Shell- Stand Alone Complex on SBS. It was great. As the show starts, you can see the story details scroll down the left side of the screen quite clearly. It really looks good on SD even.

On Foxtel, the same show was of such poor resolution, you could only tell that they were supposed to be words - you couldn't actually read them though.

That really detracts from what I'm viewing... It's not just me being picky - it's a case of Foxtel shows being of significantly inferior quality.

For me that gave me question to consider the value of what I am paying.

Even on basic with IQ and Movies, for around the same, you could hire around 20 to 40 new release movies from the video show and watch them when you're ready. Pause, break, play whatever.

That really brings the total worth of Foxtel to question since I've upgraded to a decent LCD system.

I guess if I paid around $40 per month, including IQ, it wouldn't be so bad, but if you pay the big money, you expect the quality.

It's just not there.

Anyway, just as 3G networks let Hutchison get the jump on Telstra, Lack of SD/HD support and no easy upgrade (Replacement STB with High Frequency output is it!) how long before we see a competitor drop directly into this niche? Even a decent Internet based subscription/download service might provide better quality.

David.