Just a comment
 

From what I read here and elsewhere about these various set top boxes and
tvs, makes me wonder how much real testing of the equipment and software
running in them is actually done before they are released on an unsuspecting
public. One would have thought, that by now, after the problems with split
nits etc, that the gear ought to be pretty robust, but problems with
setting new channels and putting channels where you want them or missing
channels etc, seem to be suggesting otherwise.


Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!

Just a comment
 

Brian Gaff wrote:
From what I read here and elsewhere about these various set top boxes and
tvs, makes me wonder how much real testing of the equipment and software
running in them is actually done before they are released on an unsuspecting
public. One would have thought, that by now, after the problems with split
nits etc, that the gear ought to be pretty robust, but problems with
setting new channels and putting channels where you want them or missing
channels etc, seem to be suggesting otherwise.


Brian



DTG, and the BBC before it, did check every DTT one marketed and
suggested any modifications to the manufacturer.

And now, to try and regulate it a bit, to meet the digital tick, and
other marks all DTT TVs and Set Top Boxes have to pass a rigorous test
set by the DTG testing group.

But, manufacturers only see the pounds sign, and are reluctant to delay
things coming to market. They are slowly getting there.

Richard

Just a comment
 

"Dickie mint" wrote in message
...
Brian Gaff wrote:
From what I read here and elsewhere about these various set top boxes and
tvs, makes me wonder how much real testing of the equipment and software
running in them is actually done before they are released on an
unsuspecting public. One would have thought, that by now, after the
problems with split nits etc, that the gear ought to be pretty robust,
but problems with setting new channels and putting channels where you
want them or missing channels etc, seem to be suggesting otherwise.

DTG, and the BBC before it, did check every DTT one marketed and suggested
any modifications to the manufacturer.

And now, to try and regulate it a bit, to meet the digital tick, and other
marks all DTT TVs and Set Top Boxes have to pass a rigorous test set by
the DTG testing group.

I doubt that this (or the manufacturers) includes comprehensive "usability
testing" by ordinary users under the conditions they are likely to meet in
real life, such as multiple transmitters, frequently changing channels and
the need to retain existing information.

--
Max Demian

Just a comment
 

Max Demian wrote:

I doubt that this (or the manufacturers) includes comprehensive "usability
testing" by ordinary users under the conditions they are likely to meet in
real life, such as multiple transmitters, frequently changing channels and
the need to retain existing information.


BBC R & D did!

DTG have a scenario test to cover such things.

There's quite a lot here :-

http://www.dtg.org.uk/testing/conformance.html

Richard

Just a comment
 

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
.. .
From what I read here and elsewhere about these various set top boxes and
tvs, makes me wonder how much real testing of the equipment and software
running in them is actually done before they are released on an
unsuspecting public. One would have thought, that by now, after the
problems with split nits etc, that the gear ought to be pretty robust, but
problems with setting new channels and putting channels where you want
them or missing channels etc, seem to be suggesting otherwise.


Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!

it's a bit like the motor car evolving in 5 years instead of 50?
--
John the West Ham fan

Just a comment
 

"Dickie mint" wrote in message
...
Max Demian wrote:

I doubt that this (or the manufacturers) includes comprehensive
"usability testing" by ordinary users under the conditions they are
likely to meet in real life, such as multiple transmitters, frequently
changing channels and the need to retain existing information.


BBC R & D did!

DTG have a scenario test to cover such things.

There's quite a lot here :-

http://www.dtg.org.uk/testing/conformance.html

I can only see the technical tests and stuff about the digital switchover,
which clearly would involve deleting all the channels and rescanning from
scratch. It's the actions required for a minor change, such as a new channel
or changes to existing channels (such as the 30 September ones) that are
more complicated.

--
Max Demian

Just a comment
 

"housetrained" wrote in message
...
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
.. .
it's a bit like the motor car evolving in 5 years instead of 50?

Mine hasn't evolved at all.

Bill

Just a comment
 

Actually, speaking as an ex-DTV engineer and tester, I can assure you that
the testing is exhaustive ...

And exhausting (I used to love getting a software update on a Friday
afternoon for a Monday morning release with a 96 hour test cycle to be run
first).

Commonest post-release problems are RAM usage (huge amounts of DVB-SI that
suddenly appear without warning), and, frankly, clueless broadcasters.

You would not believe the number of workarounds I've had to put into
software to get around the BBC not playing nicely.

Of course, organisations like the DTG are supposed to cover a lot of the
required test specs, but the work there is so utterly dull that even I
wouldn't take on a contract at a stupidly high hourly rate.

UK cable and satellite receivers are very well tested (well, I would say
that) :)

I worked on the US Directv network for a year or so. That was seriously
tough testing. But then they have a huge customer base. And they produce
their own test streams. Which are often broken. Oh, and their 'secret' test
lab is really secret - They tell you that you receiver has failed a test
but won't tell you what the test actually was!

All good fun.

Regarding recent retune problems - Basically nobody gives a toss. Bite me.

Al.

Just a comment
 

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...

"housetrained" wrote in message
...
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
.. .
it's a bit like the motor car evolving in 5 years instead of 50?

Mine hasn't evolved at all.

Bill

your car or your STB?
--
John the West Ham fan

Just a comment
 

Hmm, well, I don't think the car and the set top box can be compared, as
nobody put a really tight spec on the car, so its constantly evolving and
apart from very basic things, there are no hard and fast rules to adhere to.
In the case of electronic devices sold to receive given signals with known
possible variations, its surely not unreasonable to expect that when said
variations occur, that the equipment can cope with it.
I mean its not as if they cannot fix bugs, as they can via the transmission
of updates.

The basics like not erasing channels properly and refusing to see some
channels ought to have been very easy to test for one would think.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...

"housetrained" wrote in message
...
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
.. .
it's a bit like the motor car evolving in 5 years instead of 50?

Mine hasn't evolved at all.

Bill