My experience of Horizon from UPC

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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

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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
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.
Click to expand...

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

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
 
AlbacoreA said:
But if you put in a channel number that's not a favourite, it exits the favourites modes.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

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
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
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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