Horizon v Sky HD - how does the box compare?

JDxtra

If you exclude price, channel content, online offerings – how does Horizon compare with Sky HD?

I'm referring to the box itself, the remote, software and picture quality. I use Sky HD and have to admit it is rock solid. The plus points I see of Sky are…

• Recording – never misses a program in the schedule.
• Series Link that works.
• Excellent picture quality on major channels (low bit rate shopping channels of course excluded!).
• Fast, responsive remote.
• EPG/menu system layout that makes sense.
• Box very rarely freezes (maybe once in two years?).

Any UPC box I’ve seen before had some or all of these issues…

• Remote that does what it wants, not what you want.
• Confusing remote layout.
• Very slow EPG.
• Extraordinarily poor quality image on most channels – even when no cable signal issues.

Would I end up firing the Horizon box out the window within a few days?

paulboland

JDxtra wrote: »

If you exclude price, channel content, online offerings – how does Horizon compare with Sky HD?

I'm referring to the box itself, the remote, software and picture quality. I use Sky HD and have to admit it is rock solid. The plus points I see of Sky are…

• Recording – never misses a program in the schedule.
• Series Link that works.
• Excellent picture quality on major channels (low bit rate shopping channels of course excluded!).
• Fast, responsive remote.
• EPG/menu system layout that makes sense.
• Box very rarely freezes (maybe once in two years?).

Any UPC box I’ve seen before had some or all of these issues…

• Remote that does what it wants, not what you want.
• Confusing remote layout.
• Very slow EPG.
• Extraordinarily poor quality image on most channels – even when no cable signal issues.

Would I end up firing the Horizon box out the window within a few days?

I had on the trial issues with the remote and box freezing

There was a software update first week in August and I have not had any freeze with box or remote well so far I haven't

The Guide i like but it needs to be much better for choosing a day or type of programe using the remote
they need the colour buttons to be enabled to advance 24 hours and other functions

I tried series link 3 weeks ago and so far every episode has recorded over 3 weeks a tv3 programe on Tue
3 episodes are listed and all play


Picture Quality is fantastic better than Sky HD with a few exceptions
I have a Panasonic Plasma
The HD channels picture quality better on Horizon than from my Sky HD Box
Note I do have a top of the range plasma HD TV
so might be different on other customers TV
The standard non HD channels most are ok except
UTV is poor quality
Tv3 sometimes not great
Setanta Ireland
Non HD Brodcast is poor but a real HD Broadcast is very good

Is it better overall than a Sky HD Box
No of course it's not

But it took Sky a while to fix there original box and replace them with Amstrad boxes now owned by sky
Any one remember the Sky HD Thompson boxes god they were Bad

The horizon On Demand
is not and will never be as good as Sky On Demand as they have mostly there own channels and better choice for Movies and would never let another provider use the content of there on demand be used

Broadband I'm getting 154 MB download speed wired
Desktop PC wireless I get 80mb
Wireless Laptop gets 45-70 MB

iPhone gets 15-22 mb average
max 29mb but that's due to iPhone 4 limitation
iPhone 4
not iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 don't have one to test only have iPhone 4

Don't have other smartphone to test


With software updates and hardware updates
Horizon has a future

When I first got Sky HD back in 2005
I was not impressed 3 boxes had to be replaced constant recording problems
It took sky 2 years to sort out by removing Thompson box from been used and replace with Amstrad and Pace versions then they had to bring out a newer box in 2010 and are now just brought out a new box with built in wifi

Will horizon be better by next year and later years yes it will

It's new and comparing to Sky first HD box from 2005 is better

1)
What's needed now is Guide features improved and better use of the remote

2)
Better On Demand but I can never see it matching Sky for that

3)
Music media library using Twonky or any other dnla software needs ability when playing a song have next track function

JDxtra

Thank you for the very detailed reply Paul. Some food for thought.

dam099

paulboland wrote: »

It's new and comparing to Sky first HD box from 2005 is better

But that's not what Sky have now, they need to catch up to Sky's current offering not their 2005 box.

Heisenberg1

dam099 wrote: »

But that's not what Sky have now, they need to catch up to Sky's current offering not their 2005 box.

He is compaing the first release of the Sky HD box compared to the recently

launched Horizon Box to compare Sky's HD box now would be no comparision.

BonkeyDonker

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

launched Horizon Box to compare Sky's HD box now would be no comparision.

Yes t would as they are both the current, competing offerings. That would be like a TV salesman saying that the TV he is trying to sell you is better than a 2005 model??

Heisenberg1

BonkeyDonker wrote: »

Yes t would as they are both the current, competing offerings. That would be like a TV salesman saying that the TV he is trying to sell you is better than a 2005 model??

He was comparing both boxes when they where both released Sky's offering

was released over 8 years ago so they have had time to perfect the box where

as UPC have only released there box. When Horizon is 8 years old then you can

drop back to this thread:D

BonkeyDonker

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

He was comparing both boxes when they where both released Sky's offering

was released over 8 years ago so they have had time to perfect the box where

as UPC have only released there box. When Horizon is 8 years old then you can

drop back to this thread:D

I understand that, however, given the UPC are competing with the 2013 Sky box (which I have) it would have been nice to get a comparison with current tech as I have considered switching back to UPC - which I originally left due to the poor quality of their TV service (I still have B/B and phone with them).

paulboland

BonkeyDonker wrote: »

I understand that, however, given the UPC are competing with the 2013 Sky box (which I have) it would have been nice to get a comparison with current tech as I have considered switching back to UPC - which I originally left due to the poor quality of their TV service (I still have B/B and phone with them).

HD Picture from HD Channels is better on Horizon 1080p compared to latest Sky HD 1080i if you have a good HD TV

0ph0rce0

paulboland wrote: »

HD Picture from HD Channels is better on Horizon 1080p compared to latest Sky HD 1080i if you have a good HD TV

I wouldn't agree with that, Sky HD picture is far superior than the UPC horizon box. You will notice it on any TV

The channels don't broadcast in 1080p only 1080i so i see no difference setting the Horizon box to 1080p

Overall the Horizon box is slow, to many bugs, and pretty much a bag of dump.

Too much going on that slows the whole UI down, if you have sky stick to it until UPC sorts it out, which more than likely will be never

paulboland

0ph0rce0 wrote: »

I wouldn't agree with that, Sky HD picture is far superior than the UPC horizon box. You will notice it on any TV

I have a Panasonic plasma Top of the range TV
History HD for example is much better from Horizon compared to Sky HD

SD Channels are better on Sky HD compared to Horizon

It would depend on your TV
Cheaper TV you would not notice a difference and it would have to be 1080p to see it

Edit if you have a TV that's 1080p
make sure you set horizon to 1080p not automatic

Note if your HD TV is from before 2011 you are missing out on HD Picture quality
Cheap HD TV are rubbish and if picture quality is most important to you will need a quality TV
Panasonic Sony and Samsung and Philips TV's from 2011 to latest 2013 are best
If you can afford it Get a Plasma HD TV From Panasonic
GT30B GT50B GT60B range all fantastic TVs
OR if money no object to you get the P65VT65B or P60ZT65B

Note 2014 Latest TV Models details will announced from Jan 2014 at the International CES
Panasonic Sony Samsung others

eoo1

paulboland wrote: »

It would depend on your TV .Cheaper TV you would not notice a difference and it would have to be 1080p to see it.

A decent tv will definitely show a difference but there is more to a display than resolution so it wouldn't have to be 1080p. I would take a cheap 768p PDP over an equivalently priced 1080p LCD.
I personally have a preference for 1080p displays as I don't like the Screen door effect (visible pixel structure) on a large screen lower res display. You would also need to take into account viewing distance in relation to screen size. A 1080p display is pointless if you're sitting too far away to notice.

wrote:

make sure you set horizon to 1080p not automatic

As pointed out by 0ph0rce0 the channels are outputting 1080i. Setting the Horizon box to 1080p is just letting the Horizon box deinterlace instead of your TV. Your "Panasonic plasma Top of the range TV" is likely better at this than a cheap cable STB.

wrote:

Note if your HD TV is from before 2011 you are missing out on HD Picture quality

Nonsense! I owned my first HDTV long before 2011 and my first 1080p display in 2007. The 1080p PDP I currently own was released in 2008 and is only now considered in the AV community to have been surpassed by the best other display manufacturers have produced.

wrote:

Cheap HD TV are rubbish and if picture quality is most important to you will need a quality TV

Completely agree.

wrote:

Panasonic Sony and Samsung and Philips TV's from 2011 to latest 2013 are best

Quite a broad timeframe, I'm guessing you bought your PDP in that timeframe. Those companies have released utter crap as well as some excellent displays in that time.

wrote:

GT30B GT50B GT60B range all fantastic TVs

Personally didn't rate Panny's 14th and 15th Gen PDP's. Panasonics current High end range is excellent and a very decent alternative if my pre 2011 display dies

Personally I find the HD picture from UPC to be superior on both the Horizon and older HD boxes than on Sky HD. I notice less posterisation on HD channels via UPC than when I view SKY. But for the most part I find broadcast HD to be poor. Football in HD can look excellent though, the BT channels in particular

ADSLUSER

What is the HD size on the Horizon? - I have the Sky 2TB box and having that space is awesome, especially if you record HD and download boxsets on demand. However, I'm always opened minded to switching if there is a better option and Horizon on paper looks good, at least on paper.

ted1

ADSLUSER wrote: »

download boxsets on demand.

UPC stream box sets so no need to download them.

ADSLUSER

ted1 wrote: »

UPC stream box sets so no need to download them.

SKY can stream too but handy to download box sets when you go to bed etc. But what I really wanted to know is how much space a Horizon box has, just for recording day to day stuff, series links etc...

ADSLUSER

Ok, found the answer on the UPC site. Looks like Horizon only has 400GB which is pretty small, considering you can record 4 channels at any one time. The box could fill up very quickly in a few months. Wondering if you can attach an external drive? 2TB SKybox beats this hands down!

Wabbit Ears

The USB is disabled so no external drives

7upfree

ADSLUSER wrote: »

Ok, found the answer on the UPC site. Looks like Horizon only has 400GB which is pretty small, considering you can record 4 channels at any one time. The box could fill up very quickly in a few months. Wondering if you can attach an external drive? 2TB SKybox beats this hands down!

Eh, not really!

JDxtra

400gb should be fine for most, as long as you occasional do some house keeping.

And it doesn't matter how tuners it has to record simultaneously - you only have one pair of eyes to watch the stuff!

ted1

ADSLUSER wrote: »

SKY can stream too but handy to download box sets when you go to bed etc. But what I really wanted to know is how much space a Horizon box has, just for recording day to day stuff, series links etc...

How is it handy? You just press play and it streams, UPC have invested in infrastructure so they aren't restricted by poor satellite speeds or slow eircom lines. The film/ on demand stuff is just there when you press play

ADSLUSER

ted1 wrote: »

How is it handy? You just press play and it streams, UPC have invested in infrastructure so they aren't restricted by poor satellite speeds or slow eircom lines. The film/ on demand stuff is just there when you press play

On skyboxes, on any programming u recorded or downloaded, u can add bookmarks or play from where last last stopped watching. I don't think u can do this for streaming, u need to remember the time u last played which is tricky if u watch a lot of stuff. Also extra space is great when u have kids. They just record so much stuff so even house keeping doesn't do the trick. Honestly though, from experience, HD programming takes a lot if space compared with standard definition. This is the first gen Horizon boxes, expect the next gen to be in the Terabyte ranges like Sky, Virgin, TiVo etc. unfortunately that's a deal breaker for me. Perhaps they will enable use of an external hard drive in the future? However for those that keep up with their programming, 400 should be ok.

7upfree

ADSLUSER wrote: »

On skyboxes, on any programming u recorded or downloaded, u can add bookmarks or play from where last last stopped watching. I don't think u can do this for streaming, u need to remember the time u last played which is tricky if u watch a lot of stuff.

UPC OD is the exact same.

offer rider

I got rid of sky for horizon worst mistake ever im on my 3rd horizon box now thats working my phone has no signal,im on first name terms with their engineer.with everything working now its nothing compared to sky as far a tv is concerned okay bb is good.going back to sky for my tv and keep upc bb .the gas thing is when i was leaving sky the agent said he would bet that id be back within months hell be glad to hear he was right

ADSLUSER

7upfree wrote: »

UPC OD is the exact same.

Good to know! Thx.

ADSLUSER

I'm currently have Sky and UPC BB. Sky BB just doesn't cut it compared with UPC BB, that's why I'm always considering moving to UPC for TV if their box and TV service is up to the mark.

7upfree

ADSLUSER wrote: »

Good to know! Thx.

And you don't have to add bookmarks. It's automatic.

ADSLUSER

7upfree wrote: »

And you don't have to add bookmarks. It's automatic.

To clarify, Sky allows for resume play but also lets you add Bookmarks so you can resume play at any point in the recording you bookmarked. So different people can have different bookmarks to resume play.