NTL TV Dilemma

[Paul Andrews]

OK, I'm a cheapskate. We have NTLs analogue service. I'm thinking of going digital.

The TV reception around here isn't fantastic, but maybe I could go freeview with a new ariel and perhaps a booster.

I'd be happy to go digital with NTL, but this is what bothers me: Currently we have an analogue box that feeds our DVD recorder and then goes onto the TV. If the NTL box is set to one channel (say ITV2), we can still pick up terrestrial TV. If we wen't digital, we'd be stuck with a single TV source wouldn't we? This would prevent us from recording one channel while watching another.

I understand I could get a second set top box from NTL, but I really don't fancy paying £15 a month for that.

What do people do?

Paul

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Stick with the basic 5 analogue channels on the TV.

Why waste money in watching 95% of stuff thats been on the TV already.

/looks at wallet...hmmm! still fat.

[Bob Minchin]

You will still get an analogue feed to the input of the digitalbox so just tap off that for your DVD recorder as now. Use your tv to select from the digi box, DVD output or the analogue feeds via the aerial socket for Ch 1 to

2. Bob

[Paul Andrews]

Thanks Bob, I didn't realise that there was still an analogue passthrough of the terrestrial channels on the digital box.

Thank you.

Paul

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[Christian McArdle]

Also, if you do go FreeView, then you just buy two boxes. They are down to about 20-25 quid these days. No subscription. If you've got a bit of cash replace the dinosaur VHS with a decent twin digital tuner PVR. Then you can record two channels at once whilst watching a third (or playback a previous programme whilst recording 1 or even 2 other channels).

We ditched our NTL a year ago and haven't looked back. You don't want to stick with analogue. It has no widescreen, no BBC3, no BBC4 and will be switched off soon. I can't believe NTL are still selling it. Sky stopped years ago. Terrestrial analogue is on its last legs, thank god. It isn't fair that Luddite analogue users get all the spectrum, meaning that many people can't receive digital.

Christian.

[tony sayer]

In article , Christian McArdle writes

And what's it been replaced by? Like DAB radio a crap digital system that reduces the signal content by bit rate compression and adds in artefacts of its own and sods up the colour rendering and produces pictures inferior to the analogue system it replaces!.

Give me a few decent channels on analogue rather than all that digi crap anyday!.....

[The Natural Philosopher]

Sadly fairly true...

The trouble is, all the good stuff is on digital. The main channels are now just sport, lowbrow quiz shows and soaps.

Its a rarity to actually watch one of the 3 main channels..channel 4 and five are still not bad though..

[Christian McArdle]

Actually, the analogue was also "compressed", producing its own artifacts, which can actually be considerably more annoying. The bit rate compression on the main channels isn't too severe. The artificats aren't usually too bad. Obviously when you go to some minor channels, (i.e. BBC News 24), the bit rate is much lower. But who cares?

Christian.

[Stuart Noble]

I've just ditched NTL tv in favour of a £25 box from ASDA. Saves me £10 a month and is faster and easier than the jokey NTL interface. My plan would be to try the ASDA box. If reception isn't good enough, take it back for refund (only ASDA offer this IIRC) and then ring NTL and tell them you're switching to freeview. They will almost certainly offer you 6 months free

[Paul Andrews]

When we moved into the house, the tv reception looked quite good. I discovered the ariel was boosted. Later we went with NTL. On a boring old set top ariel reception is pretty poor. The TV in the kitchen has very dodgy reception. I could go for a new ariel and boost that but I'm wary of going to a lot of expense and hassle to find freeview just isn't doing it for us. Maybe I need to ask the neighbours!

Paul

[tony sayer]

In article , Christian McArdle writes

Hokum, analogue isn't compressed at all it uses a lesser rate of chroma but all in all its quality is superior to DTV as is in this country like FM radio is to DAB.

Like what line crawl which can be taken out with a good PAL decoder?..

Its severe enough.

Precisely who gives a f*ck?, perhaps thats why we get what we deserve:(

[Peter Ashby]

You should be able to feed the old arial into the back of your NTL box. Ours feeds into our Telewest box and works just fine, except the pigeons roosting in the arial have loosened the plate at right angles and in a strong wind there are some artefacts on the analogue channels, and I don't much like heights (its on the chimney, two stories plus the attic up).

Peter

[tinnews]

Can't anyone spell aerial? :-)

[Paul Andrews]

The amplifier was in the living room. Some of the bedrooms had TV cables running into them from the loft. The didn't seem to really work well. On investigation I found the ariel fed a splitter to which these other cables were connected. It looked as though the splitter should be powered, but it wasn't. I've disconnected the splitter and just have a single feed from the ariel into one room.

Maybe I should check out a booster/splitter for the loft, though I wouldn't want it bursting into flames..

Paul

[EricP]

Go find a neighbour that has it and ask what it is like. Sky have done more business from areas switched from analogue to digital, than they dreamed of.

[Christian McArdle]

Yes, that was the other reason we switched from NTL. The boxes are appalling. It takes about 2 seconds to change channel, even on the programme guide. It takes almost half an hour to flick through. When I press "up" or "down", I expect it to respond now, not in 2 seconds. Completely unacceptable.

Christian.

[Chris]

Thats my experience of my Brothers NTL cable. The box is just awful, really slow and locks up all the time. I bought a TV with an integrated Digital tuner recently and thats far better than either his NTL or my old OnDigital pioneer tuner.

Its a Pioneer telly and the EPG and on screen info are both lag free, much better than anything else I've used, the digital text seems better than on my old box but still far inferior to teletext in terms of speed. (Same with picture quality of digital terestrial imho)

[EricP]

My new Toshiba 32 inch is like that. The built in freeview box, even knows we have an empty card slot and does not show those daft Topup channels, so i don't have to delete the damn things from the list. It also announces new channels automatically. The speed of working is far better than a seperate box, it is like analogue channel changing.

[Peter Ashby]

Oh the joys of taking over a house replete with yesterday's technology. We have a cable that obviously used to connect a Sky dish that runs from the back of the house, over the roof and down to the front corner of the lounge. It bangs in some high winds. One day I might get around to removing it...

Peter

[adder1969]

It never was great but NTL is really slow since they "upgraded" the service which as far as I can tell just reset my channel order. NTL are very much a "take your money then tell you to sod off" kind of company.

The other thing that I get is 1 second blackouts on the TV during most shows.