Cable Help Needed

[paulypaul]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advise re cables that are used for Virgin media.....
My Mum & Dad have got virgin tv, broadband and telephone package. They want to give up the TV part of things and just utilise the freeview thats built into their tele. My question is, would it be a simple case of just using the cable that runs from the inlet box on the skirting, into the back of the virgin box, and then plugging that directly into their tele, or isnt it that simple.
Any help or advise that I could pass on would be really appreciated, as I dont want to see them getting ripped off with incorrect advise etc, and as I live 3 hours away from them I cant see for myself.
Many thanks,
Paul

[v0id]

They'd need to get an aerial to receive Freeview.

[Kymmy]

I thought that TV (M) package was free with the telephone line? So they can still use the vm box to recieve TV if they wish too. If though they cancel the TV then there are no signals coming through the VM cable that can be recieved by anything but thier own set-top box. As V0id says they'll need a TV antenna to recieve freeview..

[paulypaul]

Thanks for the replies. I'll let them know.

[djmagnifique]

Have a check in there loft, if there is an aerial there thats connected to a socket in the the living room then give it a try. I just hooked up my LCD tv to get the freeview channels in case of virgin outages. The aerial in my loft is about 40 years old.

Also there was an episode of rouge traders on recently that went on about digital aerial installers and the fact that there's no such thing as a digital aerial, its more down to the size and condition of the aerial and the cables used.

[Kymmy]

As I've said before in another thread, 'digital' antenna's just tend to be the generic name for an antenna with more gain than one needed for analogue signals.. Remember that digital is more likely to give no picture at all below a certain signal threshold where as analogue would still give a picture.. Hence it became common practice to say a 'digital' antenna ;)

[paulypaul]

Have a check in there loft, if there is an aerial there thats connected to a socket in the the living room then give it a try. I just hooked up my LCD tv to get the freeview channels in case of virgin outages. The aerial in my loft is about 40 years old.

Also there was an episode of rouge traders on recently that went on about digital aerial installers and the fact that there's no such thing as a digital aerial, its more down to the size and condition of the aerial and the cables used.

Funny you should say that, we bought a 19" tv for the bedroom thats got built in freeview, we too tried it out on an aerial socket in the living room that belongs to an old tv aerial on the chimney, amazing how well it worked, we are on sky so that aerial is redundant for us,. but as far as my mum and dad go, I was hoping that they would get away with spending as little as possible. Cowboy installers are a real worry for me, they are elderly and easy prey for unscrupulous con men.

[Kymmy]

Is there any reason as to why they can't keep the VM box?? As I said for telephone subscribers M channels (basically a freeview lineup) are free (don't confuse it with M+ that is chargable)

[v0id]

Don't you also get a wider selection of channels (and access to 'catchup service') with Viginmedias 'free with a phoneline' TV than you do on Freeview?

[paulypaul]

I have to admit, I may have given some duff info here, I pressumed they had the whole package off Virgin, but thinking about it now, their email address is @ntlworld.com so I am not so sure now. I'll check with them tomorrow and report back....thanks for all the info so far though, much appreciated!

[Kymmy]

NTL was rebranded as VirginMedia a few years back.. The channels they should get is on this page http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/tv/channels/index.html (M which is free with a phone line (not M+))

They will keep the same box and will still be able to access the catch-up service (as v0id has already said :tu: )

[Pauls9]

Just to add emphasis to v0id's and Kymmy's posts: We were about to drop VM's analogue TV and go Freeview when they persuaded us to go for the TV M package. All free and the catchup is a fantastic extra. Also got a £8 discount for taking three services. Highly recommended.

Might be worth getting on to Retentions, telling them you're thinking of going Freeview and seeing what they offer.

[Digital Fanatic]

Just to add emphasis to v0id's and Kymmy's posts: We were about to drop VM's analogue TV and go Freeview when they persuaded us to go for the TV M package. All free and the catchup is a fantastic extra. Also got a £8 discount for taking three services. Highly recommended.

Might be worth getting on to Retentions, telling them you're thinking of going Freeview and seeing what they offer.

It's Customer Relations now (taken from Telewest) ;) :)