BSNL IPTV FAQ


FAQ:-
1.       What is WICE TV?
              WICE stands for Window for Information, communication and entertainment. WICE TV is a multiplay, which supports all interactive applications. WICE TV lets users get a lot more out of their existing TV experience. It combines all the    benefits of Pay-TV and Digital TV. WICE TV enables you to have a two-way relationship with your TV, with you in full control.

2.       What is this “Multiplay” that every one is talking about?
Multiplay is an extension of Triple-Play technology, meaning, running all sorts of services on the same medium. BSNL Multiplay aims to make your telephone wire carry multiple applications of voice, data and video through the WICE.box.. We will be offering services like Video-On-Demand, Radio, Television Channels, T-Education, T-commerce, Virtual Shopping, Video-Conferencing, Audio-On-Demand and many more.
3.       What do you mean by “Interactive” services?
Interactive means having a two-way flow of information. At a more basic level
you see interactivity in nearly all entertainment devices. But this is restricted to interaction with the device, which has a restricted amount of memory and processing power. We have taken interactivity to a much higher level wherein you will be communicating with the high-end servers and specialized devices which have a vast amount of memory and huge processing power. You will also be interacting with other users using the same service through the WICE.box. This means a nearly unlimited number of services and tools can be provisioned on this platform. A classic example would be the VOD service where every user gets to play, pause, forward or rewind the movie he is watching. This is not available on any other platform. Some televisions are offering a close alternative but that too is restricted to the amount of memory on the device, also known as time-shift viewing. With the WICE.box, you can pause a movie and start it any time within the next 24 hours and it will start from the point you paused it. And if there are a number of movies that you have paused, you have the luxury of resuming any of them at your convenience.
Another example is TV-to-TV chatting where what you write on your TV screen (using a tablet PAD) will be displayed on the TV screen of the person with whom you are chatting.
In T-Education the student and teacher can communicate with each other through their television sets.
4.       What do you mean by “T-Educational Services”?
Educational services include providing academic syllabus based Course contents, interactive questions and answers covering board exams, competitive exams etc. Additional features of this service are progress tracking, personalized advice to students etc. Progress tracking and personalized advice means maintaining a record of the students progress in a particular subject and suggesting improvements in the weaker areas.
Interactive Education is an addition to the conventional educational service. Multiple Private Tuitions with few students, t-blackboards, t-Notebooks, text, voice, video interaction etc figure on the list.
A T-Blackboard is a virtual blackboard where by the teacher writes down matter on his TV set using a pen tablet and it is displayed on the student's television. The teacher and student can interact with each other by actually penning down matter which will be displayed on their television sets.
The television can also be used as a notebook i.e., a T-notebook. For e.g. a student can use it to record all his notes and review them later. His current tuition teacher can approach us and hold classes over the network via his television. Such services are currently in the pipeline.
5.       What do you mean by saying that my telephone line is capable of carrying more than just telephone calls and Internet?
A standard telephone installation consists of a pair of copper wires that the phone company installs in your home. The copper wires have lots of room for carrying more than your phone conversations -- they are capable of handling a much greater bandwidth, or range of frequencies, than that demanded for voice. DSL exploits this extra capacity to carry information on the wire without disturbing the line's ability to carry conversations. The entire plan is based on matching particular frequencies to specific tasks. So the same line can be made to carry voice, data and video without one interfering with the other.
The telephone cable that comes to your house comes directly from the telephone exchange. This means that there is no component between your telephone and the exchange. The wire going to other users cannot influence the working of your telephone or any service offered on your wire. Alternatively, in a cable network, this is not the case as it is a shared network.
6.       What is DTH? How is it different from what you are offering?
DTH is a satellite based entertainment service that requires a small dish antenna and a set top box to be installed at the customer premises. It is a one-way communication medium in which the set top box can only accept signals from the satellite but is unable to send any back.
Currently the major DTH providers are offering television channels, satellite radio and pay-per-view movies. The can offer a limited amount of local interaction like multiple angles, zoom, picture-in-picture etc.
6. What are the benefits of IPTV over normal cable/ Dish TV?

 • DVD quality picture and sound
 • All Broad cast channel/live events (free as well as pay channel)
 • Video on demand (see any movies as per your choice)
 • Interactive Games, Dictionary service on TV
 • PVR: Record TV programmes and can be seen at any convenient time of the customer
• On line training and video class
• SMS alert and many more…
7.       What is shared and unshared bandwidth?
Bandwidth is a measure of frequency range and is typically measured in hertz. It is also a measure of speed of data transfer in a medium.
When lots of people are using the same media to communicate either with each other or with a server, it is known as a shared medium. The bandwidth is shared among all the users. When an individual path exists between every user and the server it is known as an unshared access. The bandwidth that is allotted is called unshared bandwidth. Typically, cable technology is shared bandwidth while ADSL is unshared.
8.       What do you mean by upstream or downstream bandwidth?
The data that is transferred from the user back to the server is called upstream and the capacity of a medium to carry this data is called its upstream bandwidth. The data that is transferred from the server to the user is called downstream and the capacity of a medium to carry this data is called its downstream bandwidth.
Upstream bandwidth is required when data is to be sent to another user on the same network or to the servers for processing. For example, file sharing, photo album sharing, true VOD (including fast fw, rew etc.) , Audio-on-Demand, network gaming etc.
9.       What all do I need to avail BSNL Multiplay services?
The prerequisites for BSNL Multiplay services are a Bfone and a Data One connection. Both these services are available from BSNL and you can get more details by either calling 1500 or visiting www.gujarat.bsnl.co.in.
10.    What kind of TV required?

All normal TV as well as TV on latest technology.

11.    Can I avail BSNL Multiplay services without having a Data One connection?
No. At present BSNL is providing this service only to its Data One customers.
12.    I don't have Data One. If I have to take both Data One and Multiplay, won't this be more expensive than my cable provider?
Data one is an Internet service and should be considered as a separate entity. It is not combined with BSNL Multiplay except that it is a prerequisite. If you already have Data One, BSNL Multiplay will be priced competitively.
13.    What is a WICE.box? Where do I get one?
A WICE.box is is a smart device that acts as an interface between your television set and the services being offered on BSNL Multiplay. It provides an intuitive on-screen menu allowing the viewer to easily navigate through and search for programs. You can select radio and TV channels, send e-mails and SMS messages etc. and much more. A user-friendly 'Remote Control' is provided with the Set-top box to increase the flexibility of operation.
14.    How will my WICE.box give me new services that will be offered later? Will I have to bring my WICE.box to you?
The WICE.box will be remotely upgraded to include any new features that are launched. This will be done seamlessly and transparently without you having to do anything.
15.    I have a modem where I see only one port for my PC. Where do I connect the WICE.box?
You have what is called a single port modem. In this case, you will require a small Ethernet switch, similar in size to the modem. As shown in the diagram below, this switch will be placed between the Modem and your PC. The WICE.box, Modem and your PC will be connected to the ports of the switch using Ethernet cables.

16.    Can I switch on my PC or use my phone when I am watching any of the Multiplay services on the TV?
Yes you can. The operating of a PC or Telephone has no bearing on the working of Multiplay services or vice-versa.
17.    Can I connect to the Internet on the PC while I am watching any of the Multiplay services on the TV?
Yes, you can connect to the Internet and work while Multiplay services are running on the Television.
18.    Will watching Multiplay affect my download speeds?
No. Your ADSL modem is configured during installation to ensure that either service does not affect the other one. In case you change or reset your modem configuration, you will have to register a call at the customer care center for modem reconfiguration.
19.    Wouldn't Multiplay show an increase in my Internet bill?
Multiplay services are independent of your Internet usage. Since this is a closed network and does not require a connection to the Internet, you need not even switch on your PC to avail Multiplay services. Using Multiplay will not reflect in your Internet usage bill.
20.    Why have you given a “USB” port on the WICE.box? What use is it to me?
You can connect your 'plug and play' devices like your web-camera, mouse, keyboard, Pen drive, tablet etc to your ¨USB¨ port.
21.    Can I connect a second television to the same WICE.box?
The WICE.box has two separate output ports, one AV and one S-Video. You can connect your television to either of these ports and both will work at the same time. For example you may want to connect your TV to the AV port and your projector to the S-Video port. But do remember that the same signal is available at both the ports.
22.    How about me getting a second WICE.box? Can I use it on the same DataOne connection?
No. Currently we are allowing only one WICE.box on one DataOne connection.
23.    Even DTH claims VOD. How is your VOD different from it?
The Video-On-Demand offered on the DTH system is quite different from the VOD offered on BSNL Multiplay. In DTH, since there is no way to communicate with the service provider through the set top box, you have to call them or SMS them your request. They will then give you a time and a channel number where you will be able to see the movie of your choice. This choice is also currently limited to a few movies. This service is at best a Pay-per-View service, in which you pay for a single view of the movie. They decide how many times you can see the movie and they decide when you can start seeing it and stop seeing it.
In true VOD, which is offered by us, the WICE.box behaves just like your DVD player. You can start a movie when you like, pause it when you like and for whatever time you like, forward it and rewind it for whatever duration and even stop it and see the remaining movie later. This is only possible because of the two way communication between the WICE.box and the server. You have a choice of selecting from hundreds of movies while VOD offered by DTH providers have only a few movies in their repertoire.
24.    Can my cable operator offer this VOD?
At present the cable technology used is predominantly analog. This means such services cannot be offered. Theoretically, all cable operators (and there have been very few) who upgrade their system to bidirectional digital communication can offer this service. This will still not be able to provide most other interactive services as the technology involved does not provide sufficient individual bandwidth for data intensive services, it being a shared medium.
Currently very few operators have upgraded to digital and out of them, all are unidirectional. Unidirectional means data can only be sent from the server to the set top box and not vice versa. This is also due to the fact that no cable set top box is designed for sending responses back to the provider.
25.    Is the choice of content in VOD restricted to only Hindi movies?
We are offering various content including regional language movies, Marathi plays, Informational content like documentaries, educational content, Audio-Video tutorials, Songs, animation content etc are also being provided.
26.    What are the channels I'll be able to view on the WICE.box?
All major entertainment and educational channels are available on BSNL Multiplay. A complete list is available at http://www.wicebox.com/channels.html We will be adding to this list as and when we get the distribution rights for other channels.
27.    Which radio stations are available on the WICE.box?
Currently, ten Satellite based FM channels are available on the WICE.box. Some high quality WorldSpace channels are also available on a trial basis on the WICE.box.
28.    How many movies are hosted on the Multiplay system? When will these be updated?
We have hosted about a hundred movies under various categories on the VOD server. You can see the list when you access VOD on the WICE.box. These movies will be constantly added to the list and approximately every fortnight you will see quite a few new movies coming in.
29.    What if I want to request a movie/channel to be provided on the system?
You can send us an email at content@divinetaccess.com with details of what you would like to see in VOD, Audio-On-Demand or Channels and we will try to source it.
30.    How many times and for how long can I see a movie that I have “Accepted” to pay for?
As soon as you select “Accept” in the VOD menu for a movie, you are allowed to view it as many times as you like within the next 24 hours. After 24 hours of the “Accept” the session expires and you cannot continue the earlier session.
31.    I want more detailed help on something. Who do I contact?
Please feel free to contact us at wicebox@divinetaccess.com for any questions or queries. We will be happy to be of assistance.
32.    Where can I find a list of customer care centers that I can call for assistance?
You can call 1500 for assistance regarding Multiplay services. A list of customer care centers is available on the BSNL website at http://www.bsnl.co.in. You can walk into the nearest CSC and get the necessary assistance.
33.    Are these customer care centers open 24X7?
The local customer care center is open during business hours but you can call 1500 anytime. It is a 24X7 customer help service.

  1. Where can I signup for WICE TV Services?
You can sign up for WICE TV by registering yourself on www.wicebox.com. You can also call on WICE TV interaction center number 020-25666363.

       For termination of service customers have to call on WICE NOC center number 020-25665243

            No, customer would need a BSNL Telephone Line for the WICE TV Service. If you terminate your BSNL Telephone line, you will no longer enjoy WICE TV Service.

35.Where can I change my channel subscription plan?
  There is only one plan available for the customers.

36.Can I transfer my WICE TV service ownership anytime?
NO, you cannot transfer your WICE TV Service ownership.

37.I am relocating, what are the arrangement for my WICE TV service?
 Yes, Relocation of WICE TV service can be done by calling WICE Interaction center number 079-26579994. It will be relocated within 3 working days.

38.What is PVR feature?
PVR stands for personal Video recorder. PVR help users to record any TV programmes which cannot be watched on scheduled time but watch the same at one's own freedom.

39. Can I record all channels through PVR on my WICE TV service?

       You can only record FREE-To-Air channels. You can avail PVR recording channel list on our website www.wicebox.com OR using “HELP” button on your WICE remote.

40. Can I schedule remote recordings even when my set-top box or modem is off?

Yes, your Set-Top Box and modem can be turned off when you are scheduling remote recordings online. However your set-top box and modem need to be switched on in order for your recordings to take place.

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