Iskratelecom IPTV Review (and Not Only)

Good evening!



For some reason, on Habré review of only one IPTV provider.

I decided to review my provider - Iskratelekom . At the same time I will review the providers: Westcall-SPB, Butovo.com, Gars, Tel, WestCall-MSK.



So, what do all these providers have in common?



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Ways to view

1) On TV using a set-top box.

2) On the computer using the ViewRight player.

3) Free on computer using VLC / IP-TV Player.

IPTV via set-top box

If you already have Internet from Iskratelekom and you have a router supporting Bridge, then you are lucky, you will not need any additional equipment, after calling the company an engineer will come to you who installs the prefix, activates it, demonstrates the work.



If you do not have a router, you will have to purchase a switch, any unmanaged one will suit you, the company offers D-link DES-1005D or ASUS GigaX 1005B.







When connected, the subscriber receives the Sagem iad85hd prefix, in rare cases Amino 130 or ADB-3800W.



The fastest of them - Sagem. The slowest is ADB (it works slowly only with HD resolution).



It looks simple, quite modern, it does not overheat in the process. When viewing HD video does not slow down at all, the menu responds quickly. The console does not stand out with anything - it is simple, it lies comfortably in your hand (unlike the Amino remote control !!).











Prefix received, hooked up, turn on:







On the welcome screen (or channel 0) we see screenshots of popular TV channels, links to watching movie trailers.

Press "OK" on the remote and get to the selected channel:







This is what the Iskra Middleware interface looks like. Shows the current and next TV show. The “INFO” button displays information about the program, the button with the speaker allows you to switch the audio track if there is a choice, the pause button - you know what you are doing, and the “REC” button sets the program to be recorded and allows you to watch it later. Servers always write programs, which allows you to start recording in the middle of watching a movie, and then watch it from the beginning.



Demonstration of the work of nPVR (put a pause, remove the pause, rewind, return now):







HD movies predominate in the video directory on demand, which is good, the average price for a movie is 70 rubles. After purchase, you can watch an unlimited number of times within two days.







From additional services we have weather, news, a reminder of the transfer, channel sorting:











In the near future, it plans to introduce such additional services as Yandex.Jugs, Twitter, Photos, while they are available only from test users, which I am just:

About speed

To use IPTV was comfortable, the interface must instantly respond to keystrokes on the remote. Recorded a short video demonstrating the speed of Middleware.

View on computer

Download from the site IP-TV Player, install, run ...

We have available for free viewing as many as 50 TV channels!







The program hooks from the Internet program guide and allows you to put the channel on pause, caching data to disk. If you don’t have a TV at home and you don’t need paid channels like NTV Plus or National Geographic, then this is a great solution!



Of course, you can watch IPTV not only with a computer, but with the help of any device that can receive multicast.

For example, I sometimes look at my Android phone using the IPTV application.

View on computer via ViewRight

Unfortunately, I do not have this program, I will take a screenshot from the site:







Unlike the free player, we have the opportunity to view all ~ 140 TV channels and buy VOD (who needs it on the computer? :)).



When I used it, it seemed to me slowed down, the TV channels slowly switch. Hard to install (you need to change the security settings in IE, configure the firewall). And it costs a lot of money - 1000 rubles.

Results

+ A large number of channels, including HD.

+ A decent selection of movies in the catalog.

+ nPVR: you can pause a channel, rewind, record a program.

+ Program schedule on all channels (almost all, for example, there is no program on advertising channels).

+ The prefix does not overheat, shows time :)

+ A large number of free channels.



- You may have to install a switch.

- Another remote, inconvenient to use, I am glad that the sound can be switched from the console console.

- One console - one TV.



Oh, I forgot to tell you about Westcall-SPB, Butovo.com, Garstelecom, Tel, WestCall-MSK. I tell them: they have the same thing, these companies are partners and take TV from Iskra.



The picture at the beginning is part of the profile selection screen.