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[Gazzamagoo]

THAT is the message I see when I bring up CH 269 (Film Stream, and a few others  besides) yet I am connected to the internet, as confirmed with Openreach who attended last week. 

He found an issue with my internet speed, found a broken cable in the box up the street, fixed it, but it made no difference to my access issues NOW I'm due a TalkTalk Engineer, my THIRD TT Engineer, why 3?

Because Engineers 1 & 2 (could be the same guy) both failed to show.

The first visit was due between 09.00 & 12 noon on tuesday, but I received a call at about 09.20 (on the day) to advise the engineer wasn't coming, as he was ill, and no replacement could be found, so it was rescheduled for thursday, between 3 & 6. I received a confirmation email that he was on his way at about 1pm, but AGAIN he didn't show up.

I did receive a call from TT, as I have an ongoing complaint about this issue, and she was following up on the outcome of the engineer visit (she thought he'd been) she put in a call, found out he was sick...again, so NOW I'm due a visit this thursday, between 7 & 9, so at least TT can't *@#][!![]'#[@#]!* up another of my days.

Oh well, gives me time to check out the Ofcom site, re-compensation...third time lucky?   

[Gazzamagoo]

Hi y'all

Now, I'm guessing it's been a while since y'all had a good chuckle, especially on THIS site, SO (and finally...drum roll please) an UPdate, following a reply from Chloe of TalkTalk, via Trustpilot.

BUT FIRST

I can now get Film Stream....on my Hisense Smart TV, and it was ALL down to the settings OF the TV.

I erm, had  unchecked a box named HBB (is all it said, but it stands for Hybrid Broadcast Broadband, as I was later to discover) in Settings.

And I was fortunate enough to have Film Stream up on the screen (after a factory reset) as I started to tweak the settings again, because WHEN I unchecked HBB, I LOST the picture/channel again, so I then re-checked it, and the picture came back up. Yes, it was that simple  🙂

But what about Chloe of TalkTalk/Trustpilot? 

Well, she just HAD to go shoot herself in the foot, with a typically (it would seem) BS standard opener of a reply, AND an ABsolute HOWLER.....or 2?

Now then...if y'all been following this issue, see if you can spot the howlers in question from the robotic reply Chloe gave me, via Trustpilot. Here goes, cut n pasted, with a slight hint.    

Reply from TalkTalk, via Trustpilot 

"Hey Gary
Firstly, thank you for being a loyal customer *we always aim to be reliable*. 

*Please be assured our agents are aware and do understand the limitations of the TV box*

An Openreach engineer would of been booked to make sure the internet was working as it should be, apologies they was not able to fix the TV issue, our TalkTalk engineers are trained to work on our products/equipment, sickness cannot be helped and would of been too short notice to send out a different engineer on the same date/time.

*Different companies support different services, unfortunately we do not support film stream*

Thank you,

Chloe- TalkTalk"

This could be fun.

Still want to defend TalkTalk?

IF you truly understood the limitations of your product, you would have said FROM THE FIRST CALL "Different companies support different services, unfortunately we do not support film stream"

[Gazzamagoo]

Well done you, now send the link to TalkTalk CS AND TalkTalk Tech support why don't you.

Y'all STILL don't get it, do you...

I (for 1) accepted that TalkTalk boxes couldn't/haven't supported all the channels in the EPG AGES ago (with EITHER of its boxes @Karl) so it was a waste of both time and money for TalkTalk to send me out a 4K box, an Openreach engineer, and set-up 3 appointments with a TalkTalk engineer (resulting in 2 missed appointment penalties, and a 3rd engineer who couldn't figure out the problem)   when ALL they had to say was "sorry, but we don't support that channel"  and Ofcom agreed with me.

SO, like it or not, I can ABSOLUTELY lay this fiasco at TalkTalk's door.

[fr8ys]

Just found a list of all channels available by TalkTalk boxes, so it is detailed openly on the website.

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/TV-Channels-Guide/ta-p/2204377

[ferguson]

That's good to know, you have given us all a bit of a laugh too!  🙂

[Gazzamagoo]

Seems like you're at it again Karl.

YOU say...again  "The TalkTalk TV 4K Box cannot receive these specific freeview IP channels" 

Where as you know full well, or should do...by now, that TalkTalk boxes OLD AND NEW can't or ever could receive these specific freeview channels,  so it was a complete waste of time, both TT's and mine, to even OFFER to send out an engineer.

Then we have a couple of community members on this site, hell bent on defending TalkTalk, whereas MY point is and has ALWAYS been that TalkTalk SHOULD be aware of the limitations of the service it offers, much in the same way as you are telling me now, that "the 4K box cannot receive"...etc etc. I guess the Tech used in your boxes are the same as the Tech used in my Hisense TV's built-in freeview.  

End result

1 4K box supplied (pointless) that has also resulted in errors on my bill

1 x Openreach engineers appointment, perfect, but resulting in 

3 x TT engineers appointments (2 missed by TalkTalk) 

On the PLUS side? Openreach (the 1st engineer) did find a fault with my internet service I hadn't noticed I had, and was able to speed things up, not that I found it slow in the first place.

I don't mean to get on at you Karl, it's just that IF TalkTalk knew its business, when I FIRST raised the issue of not being able to access CH (as was) 269 FilmStream it would have saved a lot of time, money and effort for both of us, and as a bonus? I wouldn't of had to deal with the TalkTalk forum appreciation society, mind you, it has made me laugh on occasion 😉  see...see, I'm still laughing.  

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

The TalkTalk TV 4K Box cannot receive these specific freeview IP channels,  as you have raised this to complaint, our complaints Team will discuss this more with you and any compensation issues.  30 days is the standard time for auto compensation to apply and if not automatically credited, our complaints teams will pick this up with you.

Thanks  

Karl. 

[Gazzamagoo]

Well well well, looks like we could be making progress.

BTW

I notice you mostly get 2 votes for your pearls of wisdom, but I only see the 1 person when I click on the votes, that being your other friend, fr8ys. Working as a double act are we?

You say

"boxes.". None supplied by TalkTalk have ever supported these channels" .

Now why don't you make this clear to friend Karl, and TalkTalk CS/Tech support eh?

Oh, and on the subject of being puzzled?

I am really puzzled as to why TalkTalk would send out (eventually) an engineer to fix the unfixable.

[ferguson]

OK, "boxes." None supplied by TalkTalk have ever supported these channels. And many other devices don't, either. I am really puzzled why you can't understand this after all that has been said?

[Gazzamagoo]

Boxes ferguson, he was on about boxes, the old and the new, both SUPPLIED by TalkTalk, in fact his main point of focus was on the new 4K box I believe.

It has been made crystal clear by me that I first had  (noticed) the issue with my older original box (yes, supplied by TT) and that I was supplied the new 4K box to rectify the issue, but obviously that was never going to happen. THEN I happened to notice my smart TV had the same issue that a different TV brand (Samsung) didn't have, and that the Samsung could play the channel in question, with perfect reception, via its own built-in Freeview player + BT Internet.

And if TalkTalk want to send out an engineer, why should I listen to you over them  🙂   and as for compensation? IF the TalkTalk engineer had arrived the first OR second time, it wouldn't have become payable, now would it, eh. Just sayin.

The TalkTalk fan club do seem to be getting a little upset I note, why don't y'all go work on TalkTalk, and help THEM better understand the limitations of the service they supply. 

As for your friend Karl, the official voice of TalkTalk? I look forward to hearing what he has to say, after all, Ofcom aren't going anywhere, anytime soon.

[fr8ys]

@Gazzamagoo well you could have accepted the explanations given to you at the outset rather than waste everyone's time and continue to receive the same answer. You knew the outcome of the Brightsparks visit on Thursday before he arrived, but you insisted he still attend.

TalkTalk make it clear that their boxes deliver Freeview channels.

Freeview is only free over air channels. The internet channels are in addition to Freeview channels, not part of Freeview protocols and broadcast using old technology as we've explained before.  

The only good thing from your perspective is that you appear to be receiving compensation for something that was never going to be fixed.

[ferguson]

I am sure Karl will speak on his own behalf, but I guess the reason he only referenced the 4K box is because TalkTalk supplied it. None of us are in a position to comment on any other TVs you use. And channels on Freeview move around regularly, you may find if you retune the old box it will update to the new number. It won't make any difference, it still won't work, as explained repeatedly. 

[Gazzamagoo]

Well, if you thought HE was gonna struggle, I never had a cat's chance 😉

The Engineer

He was good as gold. I mentioned what I was told regards the different Tech, and the fact we could get FilmStream on a Samsung TV's built-in Freeview, but not my Hisense, or the 2 different TalkTalk boxes....where as Karl (on this forum) only referred to the 4K box having this issue?.

I did find it strange that FilmStream had changed channel number (now 257) on my older Youview box, but was still CH269 on the 4K & the Hisense's inbuilt tuners.

Oh yes, I almost forgot about the lovely Patience (as she's known by)

I recall we talked in general about the issues, but don't remember much about the details. 

Oh well, that's you and ferguson answered, now I'm gonna go see who the 3rd person is, Karl perhaps? 

[Gazzamagoo]

Cheers , but I get it.

Bottom line...TalkTalk should know the limitations of the service it provides, just sayin. 

[ferguson]

@Gazzamagoo 

Have a look at this for a more detailed explanation:

https://www.freeview.co.uk/help/viewing-ip-channels

[fr8ys]

@Gazzamagoo I thought he might struggle as it's not a widely known issue with the technology not being incorporated into the devices. Maybe there should be a note somewhere that the boxes cannot decode internet channels so that all support staff are aware.

I doubt you enlightened him either did you?

As I said, no one is going to get these channels working for you on your existing devices.

As to your lovely lady, have you pointed her in the direction of this thread so she is has access to all relevant information?

Is she from the CEO office handling your complaint? If so then staff here cannot get involved once they are investigating.

[Gazzamagoo]

You know Karl, given YOU are TalkTalk staff, AND a support member, I'd have expected you to have been a bit more.....proactive?

ANYway peoples

I finally had a TalkTalk engineer turn up, bright n early on Thursday. 

This guy covers for other engineers who can't make appointments. 

This one's for you @fr8ys 

He could find no reason why I couldn't receive the initial channel (FilmStream, at 269) but as I had 2 boxes side by side, we checked the EPG on each, in fact all three, as we also checked the EPG of the Smart...ish Hisense TV, and what we found was that none would play, BUT interestingly (sadly) was that the EPG on the old box now put FilmStream as CH 257, but still at 269 on both my Hisense TV & TT4K box.   

My open complaint with TT

Has been about the way TT CS & Tech  have handled my enquiries, and I've had a lovely girl from that department call me to check on the progress of the engineers "visits", who also arranged the last 2 of 3  of the TT appointments.

I AM due compensation Karl, for the 2 missed appointments, and it is "being investigated". This could take up to 30 days  so I was told. 30 days?, why, when it's clear your engineer failed to arrive... TWICE, with notice given for the 1st missed appointment, but some 20 minutes in to the 3 hour window, and zero notice for the second.

What do you think Ofcom would make of it?

Perhaps you would be good enough to check on my compensation?

[Gazzamagoo]

"But it's been like this for years, and is not a recent thing"

Then TalkTalk should have known.

Complain to Freeview? I think I'm going to stick with Ofcom. 

[Gazzamagoo]

Strange that.

Only up till yesterday it was 269, and today I see channels I don't remember seeing B4. 

[ferguson]

It's still on 269 for me and still an appalling quality stream.

[fr8ys]

Maybe a complaint to Freeview for misleading info on the holding card?

But it's been like this for years, and is not a recent thing.