What features would you like to see in a Freeview STB?

[Tesla]

I run my own AV installation business and set-up lots of equipment for all sorts of people.

I have come to the conclusion that nothing I have set up as ever made me go wow, this is damn well designed.

Obviously if such kit did exist it would put me out of a lot of work! So perhaps that's not so bad.

Anyway, I am looking into designing a Freeview STB and looking into new ways of controlling the box and just revamping how to use it. I then want to progress from there to other AV kit.

What I would like to hear from you guys are the features you would love to have in a Freeview STB?

Many thanks in advance,

Chris

[sheargraphix]

I think one thing that most people would like to see is a box that follows there viewing habbits and perhaps even suggests shows they would like. For example if you watch alot football then it would suggest that you would like to watch the footy highlights on saturday night at 10. That would be simple enough if you split everything down into genres and then used a program to take note of which genres are most watched.

The above idea could possibly go further with the use of profiles, each person in the house being able to use there own profile. So dad picks up the remote logs in as dad, then he can navigate to a screen that recommends something he may like from his most watched genres. If he watched lost last week then this week it would be recommended to him, with an option to have it change to lost every week at that time.

Id also like to see a good recording option much like that of sky plus, with the ability to pause live tv. this would work well with the profiles, giving you the option to record a program every week. An EPG that shows you what is going to be on a week in advance would be great for this aswell, with the option to record a film thats on later in the week.

Sky have got the right idea with sky+, however i think with more user interaction and the use of profiles freeview could offer something to wide range of users who dont wish to pay skys ever increasing prices.

[LV426]

Just a receiver box - or a PVR too? And.....does your work include making proposals as to how (say) programme metadata might be improved by the broadcaster?

[Tony Hoyle]

The BBC (I think) came up with a plan for freeview PVRs that looked very tivo-like. Can't find it now but IIRC it mentioned things like suggestions and the ability to record an alternative showing of a show if the one you set was cancelled or clashed with an existing recording, and proper season passes.

No idea what happened to the idea though.. heard it mentioned once then it died.

Edit: OK found it in the middle of a thread on a forum (www.digitv-forum.co.uk), no atttribution so it could just be all made up unfortunately:

* EPG Available at all times
* Minimum 8-day schedule data in EPG
* EPG available within 10 seconds
* EPG information immediately updated without user interaction
* Can record video, audio, subtitles and audio description
* Can identify multiple EIT events and record only the single programme (Such as film split by news)
* Pause live TV for minimum 30 minutes
* OTR recording function. Recording not delayed by requests for further user interaction
* Record selection from EPG
* When series programme is selected to record, recorder offers option to record series
* When a programme has another associated with it, the recorder will also offer to record the associated programme
* Sheduled recordings display showing minimum date, time and title
* Series recordings display
* Tracks schedule changes even in standby
* Accuracy of recording - control for starting and stopping recording based on EIT.
* Back to back events on same service do not register as a conflict
* Alternate instance of programme may be used to resolve recording conflict
* Recording capacity indicator
* Runaway recordings prevented in case of EIT failure
* FF and REV speeds of up to 16x
* Chase playback

[Sonic67]

I agree about the EPG. Two of my set-top boxes are just 'now and next'. I was so used to it being there I couldn't believe it when I was having a lie-in and watching the TV in the bedroom that it wasn't there.

[Bizman]

I would like a STB that can do a programmed channel change without having to power down for two minutes. For example if I am recording on BBC4 a programme that ends at 8pm and then wish to record ITV3, say, from 8pm, I have to programme the box to power down at 19:59 and start up again at 20:01 or the channel won't change.

Secondly, if I want to record ITV4 which starts at 18:00, if I set the box to come on at 17:59 all I get is "ITV4 programmes start at 6pm", then come 6pm the sound is there, but the box locks up just displaying the above text. I can clear this with the remote, but that's not much use if I am recording something when I am out. I imagine this effect would occur on any channel if powered up prior to the transmission.