I can say that my experience with Airtel IPTV is unique as I have both TS+ and IPTV connected to same 42 inchTV.I will like to think that IPTV is the best possible solution for watching
TV (Technically that should be the case) But unfortunately Airtel Leaves us asking for more and in its current experimental stage (where international IPTV providers have mastered the tech behind it like Now TV in HK). There are too many glitches whch make you think have you made the right decision. At times viewing IPTV gives you a real frustrating experience. BUT we can wait for Airtel to upgrade its servers, similarly as we are waiting for TS to get more TP space on its satellites and add a phone and ethernet line to TS+ Boxes.Now when I compare both the images most of the channels of TS are much better viewed on TS than on IPTV. Better part of TS is that there is a constant stream rather than viewing TV as you are wathing youtube with low bandwidth. pictures do keep jumping(Definite buffer lag) in all modes of IPTV, that is, either live, timeshift or VOD. I have tried all methods and also have shut down the broadband, then have had the broadband on with Torrents on and in day or in night.There have been some unique problems too. Like my mute button does not work, to mute I have press the volume down to zero. Volume is not levelled for all channels, so you have to adjust volume every time you change a channel. There was an even uniquer problem today. When I put on the IPTV Box (which always goes in standby if you don't put it off from the mains, that is, no boot delay) which has not seen a mains off since two nights, there was no picture on the screen but there was audio, so I switched it off and the sound was coming thru my speakers even though the red light(indicating system standby) was on. I tried putting it on and off by remote a few times changing channels , but no picture. I checked all connections but nothing wrong with connections so I put the mains off for the box and put it on again and voila, there was light..I mean I could see the boot screen
as well as TV. Very funny situations in less than a week of installation.There many channels in IPTV that are missing, but the ability to change language of a broadcast...that's a sad part with IPTV. They give you two extra channels, and they do count in the 139 channels that they promise (there are only 137 channels actually) when they give you disney and disney xd in hindi and the funny part, you will expect the hindi channel to follow the english channel immediately, but no, there is a different channel in between and then there is no orderChannel numbering is totally jumbled up when they shud at least take a queue from TS...The numbering is far better in TSEPG...well there is an EPG with IPTV but it only states what is the name of the program if you press the info button....you have to go to the TVguide and to the particular channel in that to actually know anything about the current program or movie, which is done by pressing the info button just once on TS. Also if you use the mini EPG (that's what the call the banner giving the the current and the next program) to know what's playing on other channels, Sadly you can not jump to that pprogram by pressing OK. you have to manuaaly type the channel no. or press up or down button as many times as you pressed the up/ down button which you have already pressed...Duh..what a pain...and setting reminders....forget setting reminders as Airel Thinks that it is recording all programs for you so why do you need to be reminded what's going to play on your favourite channel...BUT what happens if your favourite channel is SAB TV and Airtel somehow forgot that it shud have been in Timeshift. How do I know if Lapataganj has started when I am viewing some TimeShifted thing on Discovery. No help there.....I belive Airtel has the potential to make this work, but given the limited no. of users...and thus money...it will really take much effort from airtel to get this, great potential that it has, to work out in a great way for the consumers, that's us
now when i check DTH i like the speed of channel changing. but the inability to pause or watch older programming? i am extremely happy with my IPTV.
