# My experience of Horizon from UPC



## Brendan Burgess (30 Jan 2015)

I signed up for it in early January 2015, and here are my views on it so far.  In summary, I am happy enough with it. I have not watched a huge amount of TV, so my opinions are interim. I haven't used any of the Apps or tried to record 4 programmes at the same time. 

1) With the old system, I had my modem upstairs in my office, and the broadband speeds downstairs were very poor.  Now I have the Horizon at the TV box, and the speeds throughout the house are much better. Not sure if this is due to Horizon or the location. 

2) As with any new system, it takes a bit of getting used to.  Much of the stuff is not intuitive. The comments  of these other users on reddit.ie  worried me, but when you get used to it, it's ok. 

3) Finding the channels is easy. Just input the number. Of course, you have to remember the number. 

4) There is a "Favourites" system. So I have marked BBC 1 as Channel 1, and I can get BBC 1 simply by pressing the 1 button on the remote.  Oddly enough, it doesn't remember that it's in Favourites mode, so you have to set the favourites mode every time you turn on the box. 
Even more odd, the guy in UPC did not know about this feature. When I asked him what "Favourites" was for, he told me "all it does is put a star beside your favourite channels". In general, he was very poor, and told me "play around with it yourself is the best way to find out how it works" 

5) Recording is straight forward. Find the programme on the guide and press record. 

*Some criticisms (*I will follow up with UPC when I have time to see if these are user error)
6) As stated earlier, the Favourites Mode seems to be forgotten when you switch off the box. 
7) If I want to check the guide for some day next week, e.g. to timer record a programme, I have to scroll through every day to get there. There isn't a button which allows you to choose a day. 
8) I choose "record series" by mistake, when I wanted to record a particular episode only, and can't figure out how to stop it recording the series. 
9) I am not 100% sure how to get from the guide to the actual programme. The guide keeps popping up. I am sure that this is user error.


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## monagt (30 Jan 2015)

Did you do an analysis of the alternatives to UPC Horizon such as UPC Broadband only, Free to Air with once off payment. etc?


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## Brendan Burgess (30 Jan 2015)

*Tips if you are changing *

1) They take the old box back, so if you have recorded stuff on it, you will lose it.
2) You can keep the old modem if you wish and get the internet through it, instead of the internet box.
3) UPC has a dedicated forum on [broken link removed] which is handy for getting answers to questions.


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## Brendan Burgess (30 Jan 2015)

Hi Monagt. No. I had broadband, TV and landline from them. I hadn't checked it for some time, and Horizon was way cheaper than what I was on because of the free calls.

I listen a lot to BBC Radio 4, so it appears I am stuck with UPC as they are the only ones supplying it on cable to my radios.
Brendan


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## Delboy (30 Jan 2015)

Thanks Brendan....have being offered a free upgrade to Horizon and was unsure of what to do, given the amount of scare stories out there.
Might as well take the plunge


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## MoneyMaker (30 Jan 2015)

Friend of mine works for UPC and she said Horizon is rubbish, and that UPC know it is. She still has the two separate units for BB and TV. That was enough for me to keep my existing setup.


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## AlbacoreA (30 Jan 2015)

Brendan Burgess said:


> ...
> 4) There is a "Favourites" system. So I have marked BBC 1 as Channel 1, and I can get BBC 1 simply by pressing the 1 button on the remote.  Oddly enough, it doesn't remember that it's in Favourites mode, so you have to set the favourites mode every time you turn on the box....



The way favourites changed mid-year. It works better now. But if you put in a channel number that's not a favourite, it exits the favourites modes. 

I use it to get rid of all the stations I don't watch and to put all the HD versions of channels to the top of my list.


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## rgfuller (30 Jan 2015)

Brendan Burgess said:


> *Some criticisms (*I will follow up with UPC when I have time to see if these are user error)
> 7) If I want to check the guide for some day next week, e.g. to timer record a programme, I have to scroll through every day to get there. There isn't a button which allows you to choose a day.
> 8) I choose "record series" by mistake, when I wanted to record a particular episode only, and can't figure out how to stop it recording the series.
> 9) I am not 100% sure how to get from the guide to the actual programme. The guide keeps popping up. I am sure that this is user error.



7. If you press fast forward on the UPC remote it moves you a day forward at a time (recently added feature).
8. If you chose Menu, you can scroll to (I think it's called Horizon Planner or Recordings) and delete the relevant series recordings there.
9. Choose the current program from the guide and it should take you to the program.


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## AlbacoreA (30 Jan 2015)

Brendan Burgess said:


> ...
> 
> *Some criticisms (*I will follow up with UPC when I have time to see if these are user error)
> 6) As stated earlier, the Favourites Mode seems to be forgotten when you switch off the box.
> ...



If mine is in favourites mode when I turn it off, its comes on in favourites mode. 

You can hit FFWD or RRWD to jump a day on the guide. 

I think its in menu under My Library. There an option called "MY HORIZON PLANNER" and you can delete a single scheduled recording, or a series that's scheduled to be recorded. 

When on the guide you click ok and then select view from the menu.


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## AlbacoreA (30 Jan 2015)

For me the Horizon box was an extra €20 a month over BB only. So for that I get a bunch of HD stations and combined (UK and IRL) EPG a few weeks ahead. Theres nothing like this on the free boxes. So for example I can record HD movies on BBC or other channels in great quality. Much handier then renting them, or messing around with streaming. Though I also use Netflix and NowTV occasionally. You can record up to 4 channels. Though I think it struggles with this. 

Sky is more expensive. All the free boxes would cost a few hundred to set up and it wouldn't as well integrated, EPG etc.  

The main problem with Horizon are as follows. The Wifi range/strength on the Horizon box is very poor. If you want the best wifi speed, you'd have to use your own gear and know what you are doing.  UPC keep increasing the price. The horizon box is buggy and slow. If you are a big watcher of TV then this will annoy you. If you're more casual user, you'll probably find it ok. They are difficult to deal with. Everyone I know has had billing issue with them. I'm not that bothered if something doesn't record properly, but if you are, I think the Horizon box at some point will let you down.

I've actually enjoyed it. But I wouldn't pay full price for it.


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## 44brendan (30 Jan 2015)

radio





> I listen a lot to BBC Radio 4, so it appears I am stuck with UPC as they are the only ones supplying it on cable to my radios.
> Brendan


Have you considered downloading an app such as Tunein Radio where you can access virtually all radio stations on line and buy a good Bluetooth speaker? I am a big radio fan and have access to worldwide radio through this format.


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## AlbacoreA (30 Jan 2015)

You can also buy Wifi radios, that can stream radio from the internet. If its for a kitchen or such.


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## Brendan Burgess (31 Jan 2015)

rgfuller said:


> 7. If you press fast forward on the UPC remote it moves you a day forward at a time (recently added feature).
> 8. If you chose Menu, you can scroll to (I think it's called Horizon Planner or Recordings) and delete the relevant series recordings there.
> 9. Choose the current program from the guide and it should take you to the program.



Thanks, I have just spent ages figuring it out, and then I find that you have answered all the questions. 

To delete a "booking" as they call a planned recording, Menu/My Library/My Horizon Planner


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## Brendan Burgess (31 Jan 2015)

AlbacoreA said:


> But if you put in a channel number that's not a favourite, it exits the favourites modes.



Thanks Albacore

I noticed it was still in Favourites Mode when I turned on the TV just now.  Your explanation, explains why. 

I am not sure I understand the rationale for that though? But I have all my favourites in now.

The astonishing thing is that the guy on the help desk did not know about the favourites feature.  It's essential to making it work.


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## Brendan Burgess (31 Jan 2015)

44brendan said:


> radio
> Have you considered downloading an app such as Tunein Radio where you can access virtually all radio stations on line and buy a good Bluetooth speaker? I am a big radio fan and have access to worldwide radio through this format.



I timer record a lot of radio on my actual radios.  It's very simple and straigtforward and good quality.



AlbacoreA said:


> You can also buy Wifi radios, that can stream radio from the internet. If its for a kitchen or such.



I have a Wifi radio as well. But I can't timer record on it. Also, I find it very fiddly to find the  podcasts. And if it's a long podcast,  I have to listen to it all at the one go. If I turn off the radio, I lose it. 


Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (31 Jan 2015)

Albacore

Do the comments on this Reddit discussion make any sense to you? 

I understood them a bit, when I was trying to figure it out, but now I have figured it out, it seems ok.


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## Delboy (5 Feb 2015)

2 questions for you Horizon experts out there:

1. To get to UPC on the TV itself, I have to go to the HDM1 channel. On regular UPC, I just hit the TV button on the UPC remote and moved to HDM1 channel. But with Horizon, I now have to use my original Philips TV remote 1st to get to HDM1 as the Horizon remote only moves channels on the Horizon box (yes, I've paired the remote...the Horizon remote actually volume buttons now work the TV volume itself)

2. When watching TV on the old UPC, you could arrow up the channels to see what else was on while leaving it on the original channel.
With Horizon I only can get that option immediately after changing channel. A few seconds after changing channel that option is gone.
Must be some way of doing that


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## vandriver (6 Feb 2015)

No(1) The middle button on the top row changes the av input.


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## Brendan Burgess (10 Feb 2015)

I have just noticed an irritating bug just now. 

I had the upc box left on.  I switched on the TV to watch the news at 6.01. I could not change the channel. I put in the number 5 and it said "Give me a valid number" 

I switched off the upc box and switched it back on. It still did not remember the favourite channels.

I pressed channel + to get to RTE but I had missed the headlines. 

I am not sure how I had set up the old system, but when I turned on the TV the stations came up immediately. 

Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (12 Feb 2015)

Another problem is that it seems to drop the internet every so often which is frustrating. 

Under the previous set up I had my pc cabled into the modem. Now I have the TV cabled into the modem and my pc connected through a power cable extender. 

As I don't actually use the internet on the TV that much, maybe I should reconnect my pc directly to the modem.

Brendan


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## Delboy (12 Feb 2015)

I've had it in a week and use the Wifi for my laptop. It has dropped out about 3 times in that week, even if the laptop telling me it still has a full connection.
Had to switch the box off and restart. Very annoying


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## Brendan Burgess (23 Feb 2015)

The internet dropping off was causing me a big problem. I rang UPC to see if this was due to Horizon being less reliable than the old system or if it was due to the fact that I am now going over wireless rather than being cabled in directly. 

They suggested sending me out a new modem which will allow me to plug in directly.  Although I had kept the old modem, they are sending me out a new one as it has the capacity for the 240  speed which the old one does not.  There is no charge for this. 

Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (2 Mar 2015)

I rang UPC and told them I wanted to reconnect my old modem. They actually sent me out free of charge a new modem more suited to the speed of Horizon.

I cabled it directly and haven't lost the internet since. 

Brendan


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## Frank (2 Mar 2015)

Interesting that UPC all in one option still doesn't work.

Although at least they sent out the new modem.
Is the modem a white thompson 

What speed do you get on wifi?

240 sounds great as long as you can plug in a network cable 
I am getting about 25 of 100MB over wifi loads I know but curious if the new modem is better.

Overall do you like the horizon now that the internet is fixed?


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## Brendan Burgess (2 Mar 2015)

No it's a black one. The manufacturer's name seems to be : ubee 



The speed is not critical to me as I don't do anything very demanding.

However, when the dropped connections were very frustrating. 

Brendan


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