X1 IPTV service

[536]

Last year Rogers announced that it will be using the American IPTV platform X1.  Does this affect any of the current cable television customers?  Will current customers automatically be updated to this new platform or will this be in addition to the current cable service?

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[Datalink]

@mcsandy at some point, the channel utilization becomes important, which is the measure of how much of the channel time is actually used.  When does that become a problem, don't know at the present time.  Is it 25%, 50%, 75%, don't know.  Unfortunately, depending on which wifi channel you are using there are two basic elements to contend with, the channel utilization which results from all of the modems and routers on that channel and the interference from nearby channels depending on which band you happen to be using.  I suspect that most users never get to a point where they are dealing solely with high channel utilization as signal levels, signal to noise ratios and interference from adjacent channels fouls up the picture before the high utilization is ever reached.  

What you could do, if you were interested is download a freebie program called WifiInfoView:

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

That program has some summery modes available that you can display.  There are a couple of screen shots further down the page.  One of the columns that isn't shown as its located further to the right is the Channel Utilization column.  There is also a station count available as well.  Give that program a go, switch to summery mode and drag those two columns to the left if you can.  There might be a right click menu that you can bring up which will allow you to move columns up or down in preference.  Its been a while since I've looked at that program, but the channel utilization is useful.  If you look at your wifi channel now to see its base load, that would give you a comparison point if you installed the X1 and ran it via wifi.  You should be able to see the changes in the channel utilization that accompany different screen resolutions that you might select on the supported TV. 

[Datalink]

@ivanpetrov, if the product sticker at the back indicates CGN3, then you have the very first Puma 6 modem that Rogers introduced.  If you happen to be a gamer should find the Intel Puma 7 modem to be a vast improvement in terms of latency.  Beyond the Arris XB6, there is a Technicolour XB6 that apparently is out for employee testing.  That uses a Broadcom BCM-3390 chipset and it should be a vast improvement over the Intel Puma 7 chipset.  I don't know when that will be released.  If Technicolour hasn't done too much damage to the firmware in order to be compatible with Rogers network and the X1 specifically, it should be a much better modem than either the Hitron CODA-4582 or the Arris XB6, if not in terms of features, then in terms of latency thru the modem.

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Technicolor_CGM4140COM

[Sundog1966]

Bell is installing fibre in my neighbourhood as well but they have done a pull to the house beside me and they will not be installing a line into my rooming because my landlord TCHC has refused access to the electrical room so I will not be able to get fibre even if I wanted it.

[Sundog1966]

I have an iPad from the source. It comes with Bell’s FibeRc package. I am paying $35 a month including the tablet payment. So why on earth would any one spends hundreds of dollars for a similar collection of channels plus YouTube and Netflix. I cast it to my tv when I am at home.

[Sundog1966]

Rogers does not understand that most people are using their phone for internet access.

[Gdkitty]

They may be using the phone to ACCESS the internet.
But anyone using their phone FOR internet access.. is spending way too much money on a cellular package 😛
Wired will always be cheaper in that regard.

That is one reason with a lot of these services (bells and rogers) you can do a lot of the viewing from the phone & tablets as well.
You would get one box free regardless with the package.. put it on your main TV.
But you could access otherwise solely from other devices if you wanted.

(and while I do watch some videos, etc in bed before I go to sleep, etc.. 90% of the other times.. i am watching stuff one of my TVs.. why would I watch it on a 14-17" screen, when I can watch it on a 50+ with surround sound?

[Hybrid_Noodle]

I wonder if Rogers will allow 3rd party devices like Bell for TV service eventually. As apparently you can use an AppleTV, AmazonFire (I Believe)and android boxes which people may already have which could help lower bills and increase adoption rate.

[Pauly]

Hold on, not so fast. Rogers is just launching IPTV, give them a break, they can not jump right into an alternative TV services just like that and that fast. They probably do not even know the answer because they are focused on IPTV first. They need to check with their IPTV licencee to see if that is an option down the road too.

It might be possible down the road in the not so distant future. I did predict like close to 10 years ago that in the not so distant future, companies like Rogers Cable, Bell TV, Telus, and Cogeco Cable will no longer be thru the cable wire and will simply be APPS on your smart TV or devices such as tablets, computers, smart phones. and it looks like this is one step closer to making this happen.

[Hybrid_Noodle]

@Pauly

My statement regarding other devices was just a thinking out loud question. Nobody would expect any company to launch with their and 3rd party hardware/software as an option. Was more of a “hey this would be cool if one day” kind of situation.

[VivienM]

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@Gdkitty wrote:

But have talked with two of the concierge people, and both have said that you CAN bridge the modem to your own router.. and you can then in the TV, connect it to your own routers wifi..  The only thing being.. if you have any issues? Tech support cant help you.
I will let them set it up their way.. and run it like that possibly for a bit.. haven't decided yet.

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This is one of the key things I don't understand. If you bridge the modem... is there a separate VLAN/SSID/etc coming out of the modem that continues to serve the TV stuff? Or is the expectation that you connect your TV boxes to your existing wired/wifi Internet network behind your NAT? (If the latter, in some ways that would be amazing... major wiring simplicity)

Let me perhaps ask the question in a sillier way - when you have it non-bridged (which I gather is how you have it now), do you see one network or two?

[AccordXTC]

So the Ignite TV is out and decided to call in for pricing. Currently I'm paying $173 for Gigabit Internet, Popular TV package and Canada Wide LD phone. I was perfectly fine with a price increase as this is a new service to be $205 a month. What I'm not ok with is paying $149.99 one time for a "Rogers Tech" to install the services properly and explain how it works to me. 

I opted to not make the switch based off that one time cash grab from them. If they want to be more competitive with Fibe in my area then will talk other wise I think Bell Fibe might be the way to go.

Anyone else jump on the Ignite Scam 

[Sundog1966]

I am going to bet that they have utilized a technology called Software defined networking. They have a network controller at their end that can create virtual networks with in the channel. (For this discussion think of it as two separate virtual private networks managed. by controller. When you bridge you are only bridging the public internet virtual network connection. Meanwhile the other SDN is talking to the rogers X1 box completely isolated from your now bridged network. It is still  using the channel defined (encapsulated...that may not be the correct technical term but it  conveys the idea)  by Rogers SDN controller and connected to thier modem. It is a virtual channel that   doesn't have a direct dependence on the modem specifically just an IP traffic stream. You don’t see it and can’t touch it. Only the Rogers box can and the remote control is talking to the box with commands like channel up and channel 654. This is how hotels do it. There is a good video on YouTube about it. I will post a link later. The SDN's for the TV and the phone  connect through rogers modem not your bridge modem because they are not on the same virtual network as your bridged modem. 

[Sundog1966]

SDN Configuration for a Hotel This is likely how Rogers is  doing thier network (except the end box is the X1) on the back end so when you bridge you don't affect the TV (its  a isolated separate virtual software defined network) and you can have voip (Another virtual SDN) as well and they can also have a troubleshooting and support network as well (another SDN for client reps to look at your account, change packages add and remove services, etc. etc., etc.).

[Gdkitty]

I dont think its issolated..

I am still not able to see in the menu HOW/WHERE to change where it connects to yet..
But it does show, that its connected to my regular internal SSID.  Nothing segregated.

[Sundog1966]

Saw the box it’s about 4 x 4 and 1.5 high

[Sundog1966]

Here is the new box its about 4 x 4 x 1.5

[andrew9446]

The box and remote that i have are different than the one seen in the above photo. The unit I have is more stylish looking, about the same size, and the remote is slightly different.

[JeromeM]

@andrew9446

Same here it's not the same as that.

[pvanb]

Hopefully the new remote is more sane than the “classic” Rogers remote.

[Gdkitty]

Agreed.  Looks about the same size.. but it IS a different box.

I havent been able to find anything online about this box.. must be NEW NEW.. and even xfinity chose a different model? 
From what I have seen, the remote that we currently have is the one that the xfinity has available now for their other boxes.

Its a very different remote from the rogers classic one.

Some buttons 'missing' that Im used to.  Can access via different methods, etc.. nothing horrible.. but you get muscle memory for the old one 🙂

[pvanb]

@Gdkitty — My TiVo remote I could pick up, orient, and use without so much as glancing at it. The Rogers remote though... my muscles don't have nearly enough memory to make sense of it, even after years of daily use.