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Bottesford
23-12-2003, 22:57
Another ex-.com person here...

I recently emailed Rapture TV asking when ntl will carry the channel. They replied (in only 1 hour!) with this:

"We have had a conversation with NTL but there digital plateform is full at the moment.

Perhaps if NTL customers request the channel then Rapture maybe added."

Full?? Surely not! And if it is then maybe time to drop pointless naff channels in favour of a decent one!
Tristan
23-12-2003, 23:05
Rapture was never good when it was on before. All I can ever remember is crap music and people falling off BMXs, but each to their own ;)

Anyway, is NTL cable full? Yes and no. I think they're in a position whereby it would be too much of a squeeze to add a new channel to the current multiplex structure (it would impact too much on existing channels). I don't know how much space there is left for new muxes; it's entirely possible there isn't any. So they'd have to turn off an analogue channel first, which would actually free up enough space for 10 or so digital channels...

So is it full? It depends on your definition!
Bottesford
24-12-2003, 00:06
Rapture was the only channel to actually show decent dance music as opposed to commercial cack all the time. The 'live' club feeds were especially good.

I do hope ntl does re-add Rapture soon. I'd be quite happy to loose some naff channels to compensate! How about some of now dozens of pop TV/radio stations..
Nikko
24-12-2003, 00:19
Rapture was never good when it was on before. All I can ever remember is crap music and people falling off BMXs, but each to their own ;)


Thats hardly fair - they only fell off the BMX when some lurker on a skateboard slid down the same stair railing and failed to notice them due to a hood/drugs/labotomy
andygrif
24-12-2003, 10:58
Rapture was never good when it was on before. All I can ever remember is crap music and people falling off BMXs, but each to their own ;)

Anyway, is NTL cable full? Yes and no. I think they're in a position whereby it would be too much of a squeeze to add a new channel to the current multiplex structure (it would impact too much on existing channels). I don't know how much space there is left for new muxes; it's entirely possible there isn't any. So they'd have to turn off an analogue channel first, which would actually free up enough space for 10 or so digital channels...

So is it full? It depends on your definition!


Thanks for the explanation! It seems a little crazy that ntl are adding four extra regional versions of BBC1 is the whole thing is full. Before the flaming starts, I know there are a lot of Scots, Welsh and Norther Irish people not living in their original regions, and yes some of the different programmes are quite interesting - but does taking up four extra slots on the system at the expense of other channels really make sense?

This is especially true as the majority of BBC1 regions' programme are the same and on at the same time! Oh, and could we have some more shopping channels too please?!?!?!?!?!??! They're really worth the capacity!!! :zzz:
JonSav
24-12-2003, 12:44
Depends on what you call useful. I have found some of the programmes on the BBC1 Variants to be really interesting. They are also good if you want a more detailed look at a news story in, say, Wales, which the BBC main news only covers briefly.

Being an analogue customer at home (watch digital at parents) I thinkthat it's about time ntl: decided to make us all an offer. Something along the line of cut-price subscription for less channels or to upgrade to Digital. They could survey all their analogue customers to see which channels thay actually wanted.

For those who do not want to upgrade to digital (if they can. Let's not forget I live in LE3!!) because they only watch, say, Sky Sports, offer them an icentive to upgrade. However the icentive would need to be fairly good. On-month free just wouldn't do it.

For those stuck on analogue, we should be givien the chance to create our own tv packs based on the channels we want to watch. on the present package structure, I have to subscrive to the full collection (£13) to get the channels I want to watch (1 in each tv pack). If I was given the chance to subscribe to 3 channelsfor £5, then that is an offer I would take up.

After ntl: have done both these things, they could then look at which channels are watched on analogue and then clear out the ones that arn't. I'm sure some (like SET) could be cleard out now, as the vast majority of viewers will be in digital areas.

Does all that make sense. I get the feeling i;ve waffled on abit, but do you get my point? :)
Shaun
24-12-2003, 13:45
(if they can. Let's not forget I live in LE3!!)

I never really understood what the big problem (on Ntl's part) was with LE3, after all I live in LE2 (virtualy next door to some of the problem areas) and I used to get digital TV. After all the cables were installed by the same company (diamond cable, if I remember right) surely they are all the same??
RamJet
24-12-2003, 18:39
[QUOTE=Bottesford]Another ex-.com person here...



"We have had a conversation with NTL but there digital plateform is full at the moment.

There's no question of NTL being *FULL*

It's not for nothing that :-

1. The Cable Converter can actualy carry 1000 channels

2. The exactly equivalent digital cable converters in larger US cities regulary carry 300 TV channels (including Spice Platinum http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/images/icons/icon7.gif !)

It's probably a Cost Thing or Can't Be Bothered Thing

RamJet
TigaSefi
24-12-2003, 19:26
Wales have news ? ;)
kronas
24-12-2003, 19:28
Wales have news ? ;)


well thats news to me :rofl: :rolleyes:
asdf
25-12-2003, 01:15
I never really understood what the big problem (on Ntl's part) was with LE3, after all I live in LE2 (virtualy next door to some of the problem areas) and I used to get digital TV. After all the cables were installed by the same company (diamond cable, if I remember right) surely they are all the same??

Not entirely sure but I believe a company called Leicester Cable laid the LE3 area? A while before Diamond came along.
LooeyUK
25-12-2003, 11:38
Get rid of all those crappy shopping channels.
poolking
25-12-2003, 19:12
Get rid of all those crappy shopping channels.
But then what would they do with all of the cheesy presenters? :D
asdf
26-12-2003, 13:28
I thought they were already employed by ITV for World Idol
DrAwesome
01-01-2004, 17:09
Yikes!! Heads up
This means that NTL will have to make room for the new FoX Channel (http://www.fxuk.tv/) "FX289" (if they decide to carry it)

FX289 is suposed to start on the 12th of Jan 04 on Sky

NTL probably will carry FX289 when they pass on the increased charges that Sky have imposed this month for their customers.
Stuartbe
02-01-2004, 04:55
But then what would they do with all of the cheesy presenters? :D

Ah yes - but you have to admire them in a way !!! could you talk non stop for three hours about a screwdriver ? - I couldn't :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
orangebird
12-01-2004, 09:06
Ah yes - but you have to admire them in a way !!! could you talk non stop for three hours about a screwdriver ? - I couldn't :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


The shopping channels are one of the biggest revenue generators for ntl - QVC was THE biggest channel in 1998.
asdf
12-01-2004, 09:48
I can put up with them being there if they generate money. I just skip them out anyways, so they don't bother me too much.
DrAwesome
12-01-2004, 20:08
As predicted Sky have slotted "FX289" the new (FX) fox channel on sky channel 289 today (just before the sky movies 1)

i wonder how many days/weeks/months before NTL tv subscribers get the channel (might be a good idea to phone up your local NTL franchise and request that it be carried)
Rillington
25-01-2004, 22:21
Cable is supposed to have far more capacity than satellite and their bandwidth is supposed to be almost unlimited.

Therefore, if they are claiming to Rapture that ntl is full then this goes directly against the schpeel that cable out out all those years ago.
Proppinupthebar
25-01-2004, 22:28
Cable is supposed to have far more capacity than satellite and their bandwidth is supposed to be almost unlimited.

Therefore, if they are claiming to Rapture that ntl is full then this goes directly against the schpeel that cable out out all those years ago.

Theres more to it than that. For each multiplex theres new equipment needed, that needs paying for, ntl have to pay for it. Also in each of the regional sites, there needs to be bandwidth available. With analogue cable the individual channels need to be 16MHz apart to avoid Adjacent Channel Interference, digital cable doesnt need this, but the analogue and digital cable networks have to share the same networks. More space will be freed up if analogue channels are turned off.