Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

That's my mind made up then; I'm going to scrap my NTL television account and get Freeview, with a nice Humax PVR.

Not getting a PVR out until 2007 (is that at least 2 years after Sky?) is an absolute shambles.

Also, seeing as I'm not going to need the HD function of the box, will i be expected to pay a monthly fee for this, on top of my package subscription?

NTL will have very few customers left at this rate.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Sky+ was launched in October 2001.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Sky + was launched late 2001, so that makes it about 5 1/2 years before ntl launch their PVR-& that's if ntl get it out on time (unlikely)

Telewest charge between £10 & 15 for the TV Drive (depending which TV package you have already)

http://www.telewest.co.uk/html/tvdrive/index.html

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

"Absolute shambles" describes this perfectly - ntl: have had years, not months to get their PVR service designed, tested, and rolled out and still they manage to screw up rolling out a HD capable version. So currently we appear to have a situation where perhaps 20 - 30% of the network (ex TW) have access to, or subscribe to the PVR whilst 80% of the companies customer base can't even pre apply and are left both annoyed and disappointed at the companies attitude to this.

The merger won't have helped either as it will have taken managers eyes off what Sky were doing and planning for, and yet as posted above, we have customers deciding to ditch the company for an alternative provider - less revenue to ntl: and a lost customer who probably won't come back because ntl: won't provide the right standard of service to their customer base. And they wonder why churn rates keep going up and retentions offer discounts to get people to stay - wonder what excuses they'll start giving out when people start to cancel because of the lack of a PVR and HD?

People see Sky as a leader in innovation rightly or wrongly, and would expect ntl: to keep up or offer something better than - now that "our" PVR is knocked back even further it gives Sky another 6 - 8 months at least to consolidate its position as PVR market leader, making whatever ntl: offer, regardless of whether its better specified, look like an inferior product and have less chance if any, because of ntl's lag factor of taking significant numbers away from Sky's HD service in the long game. They've basically missed their chance now to beat Sky at their own game - because of their lack of foresight and planning. Shame.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Absolutely spot on. :tu:

:clap: :clap: :clap::clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

ntl are takes ages they missed the boat ---------- Post added at 21:25 ---------- Previous post was at 21:24 ----------

well said :tu:

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Looks like the $ky bods are getting a big taste of cr&p service.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5003728.stm Interesting bit about $ky raking in £12m ... loverly jubberly.... interest in the bank!

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

It is very disappointing that NTL haven't shown much effort in even doing a PVR and HD box. If they only charged an extra £5 a month for PVR and HD box i would jump at the change to get one. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind the extra 5 squids just for pvr in the lounge.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

There will be a PVR available in 2007, only it will be £10 to £15 extra per month.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Great-"only" a year after Telewest their HD/PVR Box, "only" 4 1/2 years after Sky launched their PVR, & "only" a year after Sky launched their HD service.

Like I said before: ntl-they follow where others lead.....

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

I'm in no position to comment about what folk are saying here but can point you in the direction of an email interview with Mark Horley that Nick Flood carried out for HEXUS.

Worth checking out if you've not done so, and maybe commenting, in the related forum thread.


Bob

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

This bit has been added today to the interview: So that's confirmation from the horse's mouth that ntl: will indeed be introducing the TW TVDrive box and not the original MPEG-4 Explorer 8450 PVR announced before the merger.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

wht gets me mad is that if you ring ntl up who ever you get they all say that they are bring out a pvr and hd service with in a few weeks.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Yes - we've known about this change for a while on this thread - but ntl: just happen to mention it now, after being prodded by further questioning from another site.

This of course is the same box thats giving TW TVD subscribers, who essentially are acting as unpaid beta testers in some cases, no end of hassle with recording bugs and software faults, which by the tiime its released to us, may still be there, along with new ones created by the code rewrite and the fact that it wasn't originally meant to be used on our side of the network at all.

And alas, the call centres and us are going to be last to know whats happening with HD and PVR, at a guess I'd say that they're still working on the "old" pre-merger plans of the 8450 being released around now.

Sky management and their HD development team must be laughing their heads off at the mess ntl: are in on this one. Despite the initial problems that they're having with box supplies, in the long game ntl's lack of a coherent policy on the PVR and HD is an open goal for them to aim at and poach disgruntled ntl: subscribers who can't as yet sample any HD at all - not counting the TW subscribers that can potentially access TVD/HD.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Correct.


All together now....

I really don't want to say "I told you so" but........


















I told you so! :PP: :angel:

---------- Post added at 07:18 ---------- Previous post was at 07:15 ----------

Yep, the whole industry is (again) laughing at ntl & their inability to make a good business decision between them.

ntl's open goal is there for all to see, & it always has been.

ntl-where others lead, they follow (eventually).....

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

heres the 8450 datasheet
http://www.scientificatlanta.com/cus...ce/7009100.pdf

does anyone have the direct link to the TVdrive to compare the spec?.

do the TW users get the full spec(whatever that is), or a sub-set and if so what is that?.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

There you go - http://www.sciatl.com/customers/Source/7004921.pdf

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

[quote]All together now....

ROTFL


i wonder if we can get more coverege on this mess and perhaps
have old Mark Horley from ntl re-consider his and his teams choice.....

---------- Post added at 12:20 ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 ----------
MPEG-2 TVdrive
MPEG-2/4/AVC Explorer 8450
rather than point out the obvious, ill mention this :
OMG, thats just so bad, i dont have time right now, but the first thing that jumps out is the 10baseT port rather than a real 10/100 (cant say moden, as even thats old) or even a far better for long term viability 10/100/1000 (a £12 retail card).

the 10baseT wont ever get near to the 10meg downloads they are about to switch to , so that rules out even faster speeds for the likes of future interactive content, or STB bound/embeded gaming.

the sound options on that TVdrive are so out there for todays commercial content, so it implys they will need to also mess about with the sound headend options in a few years( if not weeks OMG).

the fact that the tvdrive needs 2 slow 250mhz MIPS chips to do the business (you get better/faster MIPS CPU's on cheap wireless kit today) isnt very promising eather......

for the non-tech readers, the tvdrive is using obsolete/old tech thats being marketed as new NTL HD inovation and should have been bin'ed years ago for cheaper/better/more advanced tech hardware thats off the shelf and in full stock everywere today and the future too, not to mention (its using that liberate middleware shhh..... (the industry LOL's) )...... the BBC/itv/c4/c5 trials are using the real advanced/inovating HD MPEG-4/AVC video format just like the EU french.germans and others rather than the old US HD MPEG-2 video formats, so the TVDrive wont cut it/cant play it direct, and NTL will need to mess with the content and perhaps loose quality on the original content.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

[quote=popper]Reading those two data sheets through as a layman, there's just no contest as to which is the better, futureproof option to be using - and it isn't the one that this person has chosen.
Yes it should have been binned long ago, and so we also have to wonder what'll happen eventually when the MPEG2 broadcasts stop and become MPEG4 only - as the BBC trial is likely to confirm as the best broadcast option? Can you really see the broadcasters going back to MPEG2 broadcasts just for ntl when full services launch in the next few years? Unlikely I'd have thought, as MPEG4 uses less bandwidth.

So given that scenario, are we likely to see another bout of replacing TVD mk.1 (crummy TW rubbish) with the Mk.2 MPEG4 version in two to four years time perhaps to try and keep up with Sky/BBC who will have moved further on in product development by then?

The Liberate software is so slow and resource hungry in the STB's - the content has by definition to be basic so it doesn't crash the processors. It also means we are unlikely to see much more than the BBC ever providing us with "red button" content as the providers have to recode from the Open TV software used on Sky to our version so it becomes expensive to do and time consuming. And thats without Sky playing silly devils and witholding their E-TV applications for Sky only, despite the press release from ntl: at the time of launching Sky Sports Extra which made the "claim" that a version of Sky's red button stuff was being worked on for ntl customers. More rubbish.

As to HD content, if Hoarley and his "team" stick with this obsolete box to rollout, then all MPEG4 feeds will have to be downscaled at the headends back to MPEG2 so that the binbox can cope with them - which probably means that we'll lose some picture quality. And as for HD channels - well they don't seem to have access to Sky's HD channels anytime soon either. The TW areas aren't reporting seeing them or even a date for them launching on their side from ntl. My guess is that as with Sky Active, they'll be kept exclusive to Sky Digital until a majority of their customers have transistioned from digital SD to digital HD services, then they'll be offered to ntl: at a overinflated price for carrying them.

Realistically, we're only likely to see the BBC/ITV HD offerings in the short to medium term as they tend to be platform neutral on distribution. Whats even more annoying is that even Freeview are waking up to the value of having a branded version of a PVR called "Freeview Playback" this September, which although it won't be HD capable, will leave only ntl looking stupid with no provision.

If anyone higher up than the PVR team at ntl had any courage they'd be looking for heads to roll over this mess, and for the difficulties TW subs are encountering with the 8300, not to mention actually pushing them to get the PVR out now - not in a years time after the train has well and truly left the station and Sky are unable to be caught.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Sky are already unable to be caught.

As I've said before-ntl, where others lead-they follow.

The TW bods mays just be beginning to realise what a bad thing ntl taking them over really is.....

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Hehe, the monkey trying to put the cork back into the elephants bum comes to mind :)

Throwing a spanner in the works here...
 

Err, no it's not.

The ntl/telewest person said they will be launching the TV Drive next year. He made no mention of specs. You can, as all of you have done over the last few days/weeks assume that the MPEG4 boxes are dead, or you can wait and see what happens. Although, it will be a wait....

A couple of things:

TV Drive is a brand, not a spec. When the ntl person said ntl are launching the TV Drive to ntl areas next year. That does NOT mean it will necessarily mean the Telewest TV Drive...

The ntl person also said "There is a huge amount of work to be done to make sure that this box and the code that resides on it can interface with all the NTL back-end systems." This could just as easily apply to a new MPEG 4 box with the possibility of new middle ware, just as much as could to the current mpeg 2 Telewest box.

Finally, and as said before here, Scientific-Atlanta announced last September that ntl had "selected" their MPEG 4 box. But, SA made no mention of numbers ordered or whether there was a contract signed. If there was a contract signed, then it's MPEG 4 boxes for ntl...Interestly, ntl made no mention of this on their web site.. If a contract was signed then, some boxes should be ready by now.

I still live in hope that ntl might, might, be able to provide a decently specked PVR for customers and HD some time this century.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Having a huge multi billion dollar corporation that is willing to sink billions into you helps.

Having said that, HDTV has been around in some form for years, and likely to take off for at least 3 years. When you consider that NTL has had a mass replacement of boxes once in that time, and specified several new boxes, you may wonder why at least of those isn't capable of Hi Def..

Re: Throwing a spanner in the works here...
 

I think you should read that again...

There's absolutely no doubt that he is referring to TW's existing MPEG 2 box.

Not when he is referring to the existing box.

No doubt they are "coming soon"....

Don't hold your breath.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Where does the ntl chap say he's referring to the existing Telewest box? And what exactly do I need to read again?

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

I think ntl won't be using the mpeg2 box they'll be using the scientific atlanta 8450dvb. As stated before, had a look on the website and found this article.

http://www.scientificatlanta.com/new.../05Oct20-1.htm

We all just have to be patient and make sure we all get a good deal for this year. :o:

Although could we see video over ip with this:

http://scientificatlanta.mediaroom.c...eases&item=109
With the actual box shown here:
http://www.scientificatlanta.com/pro...TV_settops.htm

[Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

No HD for ntl but telewest customers get bbc HD channel from today, Come on NTL, NTL could have made a few £ÃÆ ’‚£Ãà¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ãƒââ‚ ¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ãƒâ€š £ÂÃâ €šÃ‚£ and taken some customer from sky if they got there hd receiver out there months ago, What a joke, So when the world cup starts all the telewest TVD customers can watch the world cup In hd ( If they have a high def tv that is)

Re: No HD for ntl but telewest customers get bbc HD channel from today
 

You make it sound as if its done by the switch of a button.. I dont think it is. :) Not many people have HD TV's yet, and not all of these bother about getting HD signal, so I can see why its not a high priority, yet. Couple of year, yes.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Re: Throwing a spanner in the works here...
 

It is worth noting that for financial reasons, Telewest actually took-over ntl. Therefore, any contract signed with ntl beforehand may now be null-and-void.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

i thought ntl tookover telewest.;)
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds29865.html

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

It was reworked so that could keep 50% control of UKTV. Any change in ownership could have meant that the BBC took over full control if they weren't suited to the new partner.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

A few points

MPEG 2 is stable. MPEG 4 is still a bit a bit flakey.

HDCP Problems have been experienced by early Sky adopters.

SKY will be turning off the HD via component at some point.

Only Sky's first production run from Thomson will have component.

What are the connections on the TW PVR and does it suport HDCP?

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

I spoke to NTL today and they said in about 1 months time, if it isnt out before my contract runs out i will be going to Sky for my Digital Television

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

There is a massive shortage of Sky HD boxes because Thomson (who are making the boxes)cannot get or make enough chips. Most people that pre-registered were given installation dates of 22nd or 28th May but most have also been contacted to say that they will not now get an install before the world cup starts.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

plus what ive heard now they are taking bookings for august.the ntl pvr/hd wont be out untill september or maybe jan/febwhat i was told on the phone yesterday but just think three tuners compared to skys two tuners.;)

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

well you can always goto a shop and buy 2 sky boxs, then youll have 4.

last time i checked you cant officially buy or even rent any DVB-C card with cam to put your payed for NTL smart-card into and get nice sharp .ts streams straight into your PC, nice option to have.
shame that we cant have it....

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

If you read back through this thread a few pages, you will see that ntl's PVR/HD box isn't coming until "early 2007".

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

So given the "early 2007" statement, is it likely they will roll out to all areas simultaneously, or is it likely they will focus on Langley or Bromley networks first ?

In terms of the upgrades needed to the networks, which is most similar to Telewest's ?

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Who knows with ntl?

Someone more techie needed! :D

I would guess Langley.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

I'm sure I read on here a while ago that Telewest's digital network had more in common with C&W than NTL at the time they all started developing it ... which would mean it's more like Bromley.

But I could be wrong. :p:

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Whats wrong with this list?
SKY HD - working;
DTT - HD working in London;
Telewest HD - working.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Apart from the fact that it doesn;t make a lot of sense? Nothing!

1) Sky HD is up & running with 9 HD channels.

2) ntl HD is non existent.

3)TW HD is 'active', but only in as much as they are showing the BBD & ITV HD preview channels currently, & as soon as they finish there will be very little HD content to watch.

ntl/TW have not signed any deals with Sky to carry their HD channels on Cable, these channels are as follows:

Sky Sports HD (1080i) - a mixture of content from the four standard sports packages with Premiership football, Rugby, and Cricket and probably Ashes) being the core sports and all being native HD-as this channel contains a mix of programmes from 4 other channels, this is why you can't just subscribe to one sports channel and then get Sky Sports HD (note that this also maximises the HD content available to the channel, and remaining time will broadcast content in SD)

Sky Movies 9 HD (1080i) - HD all the time.

Sky Movies 10 HD (1080i) - HD all the time.

Sky One HD (1080i) - simulcast of Sky One with some shows (e.g. 24, Weeds, Las Vegas, Bones, Battlestar Galactica, Rescue Me, Malcolm in the Middle) in HD and the rest in SD.

National Geographic HD (expected to be 1080i) - offering a selection of HD content.

Artsworld HD (expected to be 1080i) - a simulcast channel with a mix of true HD and SD upconverted material.

Discovery HD (expected to be 1080i) - offering a selection of HD content.

BBC HD (1080i) - minimum of 2 hours/day.

Sky Box Office HD (1080i) (two channels).

And coming/expected soon:

SKY have been granted a license for Sky Sports 2 HD that would extend ther coverage and allow two HD programs/sports at the same time.
History HD.

So if you want a guarantee of being able to watch the above channels then you need Sky, if you'd rather wait & take a chance on them arriving on Cable then go for Telewest.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Actually, I watched a HD demo in Selfridges A/V department in Oxford Street yesterday. TBH, the only channel that appeared to have a massively better picture than we get now was BBC HD. All the Sky ones looked rather fuzzy. Odd, considering they apparently all came from Satellite.

And, yes, I was watching on good equipment (a top of the range 60inch LG plasma) that was wired in with decent quality conections.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

You missed this bit: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds33946.html HD on Freeview

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Bromley and Telewest are the most alike :)

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

It doesn't matter what you were watching it on if the source was poor to begin with.

I'll bet it was the pre recorded DVD that's doing the rounds-what connections were used Stu?

---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 18:40 ----------

I didn't miss it, I deliberately excluded it as it is only a trial for 450 people in London. ;)

If you want true HD programmes, I'm afraid there's only one supplier to go to.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

new news good news. (yer right)

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

well not exactly new news or even good news, but it seems the current postal advertising "Look Into The Future,its 24mm across and it's called cable" the one with a hole drilled through it(more cost), states that it is the TVdrive(with old tech mpeg2 instead of AVC) that "It Should Be Available To Everyone By Early 2007".

in other news, it seems Virgin Mobile (aka NTL:tw) are going to use another off the wall standard (for todays and future markets) handheld mobile video format, instead of the growing DVB-H (or its future incarnation DVB-H2) they are going with the failing 'DAB digital radio system'.

http://informitv.com/articles/2006/0...movioprovides/
"
8 September 2006
« Prev | Index | Next »

BT Movio provides platform for Virgin Mobile TV

BT has launched the line-up for its wholesale mobile television offering, BT Movio, which will include the three leading channels in the UK. Virgin Mobile will be the first mobile operator to offer the service.

Delivered using the DAB digital radio system, the BT Movio service combines live television and digital radio with a seven-day programme guide and ‘red button’ interactivity."

and heres the good news, considering all the NTL:tw users are being pushed in to the virgin mobile direction for service and you get a Lobster phone as incentive then you might think you can use that new phone for this as a valued NTL:tw/Virgin user...

errr hange on..., NO YOU CANT ! use that free mobile phone for this mobile video service.........
plus it doesnt seem to be included in the special upgrade phone offers if you follow the official NTL:tw links to the virgin sites, and dont be suprised if you get put on a totally different pricing package with hidden costs as the T&C seems to emply you will be.

"
Virgin Mobile will be the first mobile phone company to offer the service. The mobile operator was recently acquired by cable company NTL Telewest.

Alan Gow, managing director of Virgin Mobile said: “We are really excited to be able to offer our customers the same brands and high quality of programming that they expect on their television at home.”

The service will initially only be available on just one model of phone, the Virgin Mobile Lobster 700TV, manufactured by HTC, which is the first DAB-IP enabled device in the world. A series of other models is being developed to support the service."


and its " the first DAB-IP enabled device in the world" because almost everyone else in the world has already bypassed DAB-IP and moved almost wholesale to the far more standard better speced and supported DVB-H(2) format,another steller move from the board members there it seems.... arrr well.

i guess we wont be seeing any of this http://informitv.com/articles/2006/1...liverscurrent/
“This is a big step in fulfilling Current’s mission of sparking a global conversation among young adults,” said Al Gore, the chairman of the channel and former vice president of the United States. “Bringing our viewer created content model to the UK and Ireland will give millions of young viewers the opportunity to not only watch, but also to create, television programming that is relevant to them.”
interactivity (remember my user video blogging/streaming using faster upstream and even multicasting etc)from the under speced/under powered TVdrive.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Whether you get any advantage with MPEG 4 (whichever type) depends on the codec used by channel broadcasting. Sky (for instance) buy mostly American TV. A lot of their Hi Def shows are (AFAIK) encoded for the American market. Therefore, the source material Sky transmit from may well be MPEG 2 encoded. They would then have to re-encode this as MPEG 4. As both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC are lossy codecs, you will lose quality each time you re-encode. If Sky do this, then their quality is actually LOWER than MPEG 2. Of course, if NTL then take the MPEG 4 AVC encoded Sky Feed and re-encode it as MPEG 2, you will lose quality again.

The main advantage of MPEG 4 (all forms) over MPEG 2 is that it can encode higher quality video using a lower bitrate. Therefore, there is room for more channels. However, Cable has a higher bandwidth than Satellite, so is not so much of an advantage on Cable.

Having said all that, I would still prefer MPEG 4 as it gives NTL more room for expansion.

As hi definition footage is NOT practical on mobile phones (at least not for the forseeable future), discussion of mobile phones is off topic in a thread about HD TV.

We have rules about thread topics for a reason, please respect them.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Glasgow and Wales should have the NTL TV Drive by november hopefully. Everywhere else early 2007.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Actually, the opposite is true. There is far more digital bandwidth available on satellite than on cable. On cable, a massive chunk of the spectrum is still taken up by analogue signals. That's how Sky are able to do things like Sky Movies multistart and 8 "red button" channels for the football.

Agreed. As it is, NTL are probably now going to be stuck with MPEG2 forever. If they don't start closing down some analogue channels, this could lead to a major squeeze on bandwidth once the number of HD channels increases*.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

you make some very interesting and informed points there stuart, and its true all this re-coding would indeed degrade the final end user picture.

however AVC by design has the LossLess decode/encode Option that the old Mpeg-2 does not, and hence is designed to produce a far better output
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...856#post777856

stuart already knows this, but the reader might not so,for commercial broadcasting i think its important to stop being so generic (I.e Mpeg-4)regarding the Codec used as it only serves to muddy the waters, the old mpeg-4/ASP (aka divX/Xvid) is not and never will be used as a commercial option (god, i hope not anyway 8 and that includes the Divx with bells on MS VC-1) by NTL:tw and only the old tech Mpeg-2 and AVC (aka Mpeg-4/AVC H.264) need apply.

as per your points, its clear that the best short to medium (2 to 5 years) term options would be to have the ability to take both Codecs and have the STB/PCi/USB decoded eather Codec as the provider wishes, the Sky HD boxs can ofcourse already decode both Mpeg-2 and AVC and are hence ready for direct transmission of HD Mpeg-2 content without the re-Encoding an AVC HD.
http://www.satone.tv/thomsondsi8215.htm

the Mpeg-2 TVdrive however can not decode AVC so its only half way there even if NTL:tw were to get some multi input (Mpeg-2 and AVC) headend Kit such as the latest Tier-1 broadcast quality TANDBERG units, perhaps Creative could comment.

the fact is, from a user perspective it might be said that they dont know or care, but they will care once its clear in the future that they cant get all the options everyone else will be able to provide and yet the users are expected to fund all this
bad judgment in higher fees etc.

to be fair stuart, i did say "handheld mobile video format, instead of the growing DVB-H" and not "on mobile phones" its perfectly possible to use an existing DVB-H equiped mobile phone as the transmission device by which a DVB video transport stream might be displayed, there is already AVC/H.264 hardware decoders for these devices
http://www.dvb-h.org/products.htm
"Broadcom Corp

as the tech currently stands, its all possible right now, and the only drawback is the data rate DVB-H to allow good quality at low bitrate (thats what AVC is good at)HD AVC and a HD capable mobile screen at least if A PREMIUM ON PICTURE QUALITY is the long term goal.
ofcourse theres always the HD laptop as your AVC display and the right DVB-H mobile handset or mobile datacard i suppose and the near future.

Quote:

We have rules about thread topics for a reason, please respect them.

:Yikes:

theres always my http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...856#post777856 i supose if readers want to take it there and cover all interesting related facts etc.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

analogue is holding ntl back but they can only ditch it by removing service from some regions or investing in upgrading them?

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

That is true, the question is, do they have the time/money to upgrade all analogue only areas before they switch off analogue? I believe they do (except ex-BT areas) but are unwilling to do so on a mass scale because the upgrade process causes a huge amount of disruption and issues for customers while it happens. As an example, they started upgrading Leicester earlier in the year but had to stop because of the issues.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Perhaps they should upgrade my area their is no broadband on ntl here to disrupt so since they cant offer triple play here I bet they have low customer penetration, tons of sky dishes.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Neil (you still around?), 5 months down the line now since your above post,and NTl are about to shell out for a new batch of the TVdrives , is it known yet what % of programs that 'upscaling of SD channels to 720p/1080i' is or soon will be?, and are the current readers aware thats what their going to be paying for?.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

I think you missed Neil's point. The answer is 100%, because it's the box that does the upscaling of SD channels. (It also rescales HD where necessary)

NTL won't be upscaling anything. Why waste bandwidth and exclude SD-only boxes from receiving the broadcast when the PVR itself is capable of upscaling?

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Do we know when these boxes will be available and what they will cost by way of installation and rental?

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Thanks for that. I wonder what they do if, like me, you already have a second box rented monthly for £15?

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Here is your answer

Existing customers can avoid the £75 one-off hit by opting to retain their existing set top box and connect it to a second TV elsewhere in their house, taking out a ‘second box’ subscription of £5 a month.

You still pay the £10 a month for the TV Drive and the 2nd box becomes £5 a month.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Not quite. I already have two STBs at the moment. The TVDrive will replace the main STB and the old STB then becomes a second box or in my case a third box.

Does this mean I will have two extra STBs or will they simply remove the existing second STB and replace it with the old main STB?

If the former is the case I will have one extra STB at £15 per month and another extra STB at £5 per month.

If the latter is true, I will save £10 on my existing second STB which will offset the TVDrive cost and be charged £5 per month on the second STB so I'll be paying the same monthly charge.

Dioes that make sense?

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

I don't know how it will work with already having 2 STBs.

Re: [Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?
 

Ah - good to see that the marketing department people haven't figured that situation into their planning then for customers who already have 2 STB's.

In theory though, wouldn't it be simple enough to be treated the same way as keeping the original box, only it would be the second box moving not the master perhaps, because we're going to be in the same boat as ntluser with 2 STBs in the house and no spare drops off the master network connection on the brown dropbox outside.:confused:

All the same, it is good to have confirmation of the pricing structure for the TV Drive at last - shame there's going to be a restriction of one per house on ex CWC side of the network initially.