COMPUTERS, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

[PanBiker]

Mine is a Humax Freesat Box as well Tiz, Just plug it into your router and you will then have access to all the normal catch up TV plus YouTube. If you search around in the menus you will also find an entry for media, this will see any AV that you have setup to share on any other connected devices to your router.

[plaques]

Just to recap on my particular Humax recorder up-dating problem. The suggestion from Currys help was to connect to the internet and leave for 10 minutes until it did its stuff. I left it 30 min with no change. On to Humax help, they said go back to the standard aerial connection but the download would take 1.5 to 2 hours. I could watch the progress by selecting the HDMI input to the recorder. In all events the download took 1 40 mins but the installation took another hour. I'd probably been switching it off too soon and invalidating the update.

[Big Kev]

Mine is a Humax Freesat Box as well Tiz, Just plug it into your router and you will then have access to all the normal catch up TV plus YouTube. If you search around in the menus you will also find an entry for media, this will see any AV that you have setup to share on any other connected devices to your router.

Depends how old the Humax box is, Ian. The earlier models only provide BBC and ITV Player, like mine.

[PanBiker]

Have you seen if there are any updates Kev?

I'm on version UKSFAA 2.02..07 which gives me BBC, ITV, 4 and Demand 5 players plus YouTube, Curzon Home Cinema, Hopster, BBC Sport and BBC News.

[Stanley]

Tiz, good job there was no water pipe where I was drilling..... I still have a gas point in the front room next to the fireplace, there was a gas fire in there when I first came here and a connection for a gas poker. I have no idea whether it's live or not. Best left alone.....

[Big Kev]

Have you seen if there are any updates Kev?

I'm on version UKSFAA 2.02..07 which gives me BBC, ITV, 4 and Demand 5 players plus YouTube, Curzon Home Cinema, Hopster, BBC Sport and BBC News.

I'll have to have a look when I get home; what model is your box, Ian? THe earlist models I can find, that are still supported, are shown as having "Freetime" capability.

[Stanley]

I suspect that Talk Talk are still having problems with their servers. The SMTP server has been chucking up error messages but when you investigate the mail has gone normally. This morning there was a different problem, when I switched the FM£ on I had no internet at all. I did the usual, switched the FM3 and the router off at the mains. Brewed up and after a decent interval restarted. The brain fart had vanished and everything started normally. Nothing else at my end is peculiar so I suspect Talk Talk....

[PanBiker]

No problems with Talk Talk here Stanley

My Humax box is model: HDR-1000S/1010S Kev, it's last update was applied on 04/11/2014

[Big Kev]

No problems with Talk Talk here Stanley

My Humax box is model: HDR-1000S/1010S Kev, it's last update was applied on 04/11/2014

That's the model after mine, I have the Humax Foxsat HDR, I keep looking at the later models with the Freetime features but, all the time it ain't broke...

[Stanley]

50mb of new Firefox just installed quickly and with no problems. Thanks lads!

[Stanley]

74mb of brand new Libre Open Office downloaded and installed. Thanks Lads!

[Stanley]

80mb of new Linux generic code this morning from Canonical. Ubuntu users are well served and have some of the most up to date OS in the country. Thanks lads! It's a comforting feeling.

[Tizer]

There have been frequent Linux updates recently and I wonder whether it's due to Linux being challenged more often now by the malicious types out there, or just that a new versions has been released and that's triggered more updates for the long-term versions that we use?

As I sit here typing on my trusty old Logitech wireless keyboard I suddenly realise that it must be about 15 years old and has outlived numerous computers. A well-made bit of kit that's never let me down. The fact that I forget how old it is reflects how well it works, with no attention other than the occasional wipe down. Well done Logitech!

[Stanley]

I've noticed the same thing Tiz, big upgrade yesterday and not long since the last one. Mind you, everything seems to be working OK....
Funny you should mention the Logitech keyboard. It struck me yesterday that this one has been serving me well and unlike all the others I've had I haven't worn any of the letters off the keys. The ends of my fingers are pretty hard from the shed and tamping my pipe and as I don't touch type I have to see the letters on the keys. All my old keyboards have been chucked out because of the letters vanishing but this one seems to go on for ever. Mind you, the mating wireless mouse is down to only one rubbing pad now..... Good tackle and I would never have any other sort. By the way, mine is black with white letters.

[Tizer]

My Logitech keyboard is the usual `computer beige' with black letters on the keys and all the letters are still perfect even though I hammer away at them for hours.

[Tripps]

I had a pleasant surprise this week. Plusnet have sent me a cheque for £85, with an apology for over charging me for the last year. Seems I was put into the wrong category for my land line, and subsequent fee to BT. (I think?). I have been paying about £27 per month for unlimited broadband, and free phone calls - which I didn't think was bad value.

[Tizer]

? I'll have to look at my Plusnet charges again!

[Big Kev]

Just signed up for another 12 months with Skytalk. £16.40 line rental and £5 a month anytime calls. The unlimited broadband is free and I get between 16-20mbps download speeds.

[Stanley]

I don't understand the way providers charge nowadays and the plethora of offers is attractive but the bottom line with my Talktalk is that last months bill for everything except TV (including unlimited international calls free) was £33. I have an idea that if I were to ring them and ask a few questions they might improve on this but I am always wary of changing anything because I am out of contract and free to do whatever I want....I suspect any saving I get will be minimal. The ability to ring the US or Oz with no charge beyond the flat £3.50 a month the service costs me weighs heavily with me. It's very good value....

[Tizer]

I'm paying between £34 and £35 and my broadband isn't limited, so I'm doing badly compared with Tripps. I've written to Plusnet saying I believe I'm being over-charged and asking them to review the charges. They still had me down as a business and that might have affected the charge - although a couple of years ago I seemed to be on the same rate as Tripps. As Stanley notes, it's difficult to figure out the provider's charges, they have all sorts of ways of varying them. And how about this bit of smoke and mirrors from AT&T in the US? I wonder if it happens here?...LINK

A related question...we suffer a high charge if we phone a mobile number from our landline e.g. £2.50 for about 20 minutes, even though landline to landline the charge is zero. Is this typical?

[Stanley]

AT&T.... I suspect that happens here as well. Not just for unlimited users, they will use it to take load off the servers at peak times to speed up initial response which annoys customers the most. Once they have done it they are on safe ground because you never know if it is the connection to the IP or to the site you are downloading from is slow. They can play the blame game....
I think many charge more for accessing mobiles as opposed to land lines.
One thing is certain, they are always looking for any ploy that will maximise their income from the client. That's why I never trust to 'come and get me' offers of free this that and the other. I'll stick with my £33 a month that seems to work OK.

[Big Kev]

I don't understand the way providers charge nowadays and the plethora of offers is attractive but the bottom line with my Talktalk is that last months bill for everything except TV (including unlimited international calls free) was £33. I have an idea that if I were to ring them and ask a few questions they might improve on this but I am always wary of changing anything because I am out of contract and free to do whatever I want....I suspect any saving I get will be minimal. The ability to ring the US or Oz with no charge beyond the flat £3.50 a month the service costs me weighs heavily with me. It's very good value....

The Anytime International package, for Sky Talk, is £10 a month, plus their line rental of £16.40 and the broadband is currently free. The blurb says "Stay in touch with loved ones far and wide with unlimited geographic landline calls to 50 international† destinations, including calls to mobiles in Canada, Hong Kong and the USA. You can also catch up with those closer to home with unlimited calls to UK# landlines, including 0845 and 0870 numbers." I presume that's similar to TalkTalk, might be worth speaking to them as they'll probably match it.

With regard to calling mobile networks, it's 12.7p a minute on my landline.

[Tripps]

" I've written to Plusnet "

I think better to phone them, and just ask for a PAC number - Porting Authorisation Code.

They'll then put you through to a 'dissuader' who will ask you why you are leaving, and what can they do to keep you. That's what happened to me anyway.

I think Kev's winning at the moment, but like SCG - I value the lack of hassle, and don't really mind not getting the absolute cheapest deal. Actually last time we spoke I think they talked me into a two year fix - it seemed a good idea at the time.

[Big Kev]

My contract, with Sky, is for 12 months.

[Stanley]

I'm a believer in if it ain't broke, don't fix it. David is right, I don't doubt I could bet a better real if I went digging but like my attachment to BG, it works and I feel no pain.....