STB like Sky+
 

A a new member of the forum I'd just like to ask a couple of newbie questions.

1 - Does NTL ever plan to realease a service like Sky+, most of my friends have it and I'm feeling pretty 'left in the stine age' at the moment.

2 - Will the interactive content ever work ? Everytime I watch a program and it says "digital viewers press the red button for more information" I just get a "NTL doesnt have this pal" message.

I'm getting pretty hacked of with the whole setup.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

:welcome: to Cable Forum, a1970man :)

1. Rumours abound that ntl are trialing a video on demand option, whether it will compare with sky+, remains to be seen.

2. Someone else will have to answer this one - I'm still on analogue ;)

Re: STB like Sky+
 

Video on Demand is more than a rumour. The rollout is due to begin early 2005.
Take a look here for more information.

As for interactive servies, whereabouts in the country are you?

Browneggsandham :)

Re: STB like Sky+
 

:dozey: - thanks ;)

Re: STB like Sky+
 

i'd guess they are in London - no interactive there! :shocked:

Re: STB like Sky+
 

ntl plan to bring out a PVR box during 2005, according to their Investor Day. They had a nice timeline with all the thing that were to happen, and PVR appeared around the 2nd half of 2005.

:)

Re: STB like Sky+
 

Thanks for the info.


I'm in Sunderland.

We got NTL 3 years ago, just after electricitcy and runnignwater (before the jokes start.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

a pvr box ? or a perv box

Re: STB like Sky+
 

:D :D :D

If I'm not mistaken, Sunderland is a Langley area. You should have red button content on BBC1+2 so far, I guess ntl are working towards services on other channels aswell.

Browneggsandham :)

Re: STB like Sky+
 

It actually comes under Bromley area :tu:

Re: STB like Sky+
 

Oh ok, sorry - cheers Debsy. Thankfully the situation is the same there. The only difference would be if he was in a London area (although you don't need me to tell you that!!).

Browneggsandham :)

Re: STB like Sky+
 

I do have red button access on BBC1 but it doesnt really compare to Sky on that level.
Also I do find it very slow, and it often locks up the box needing an unplug !
.... and if I have to reset the screen setting to 16:9 one more time, I'll scream....

Re: STB like Sky+
 

I also want a PVR (Sky+/Tivo) type STB. I'd be quite happy to pay for it myself if it worked properly. Twin decoders too would be nice.

The VOD thing I am not sure about. If the VOD offering included all types of programming eg, BBC nature docs, sky one sci-fi stuff, c4 comedy stuff etc. then I'd be reasonably happy. But mostly VOD= movies which to be honest is a bit of a waste of time. I'd rather rent a DVD from the cheap rental shop down the road. At least I then get DD5.1 Audio, something that NTL cannot deliver !

Re: STB like Sky+
 

There is due to be a PVR next year if ntl investors presentation is anything to go by.

It seems quite accurate as it mentions, CR3, Speed Upgrades, MR2, New Interactive Portal, VOD, PVR and Metered Broadband over the next 6 months, give or take a 6 month delay here and there. Presumably a PVR would want to work in co-operation with VOD Creating a home media centre type environment, Where you could stream and record.

They are also trialing Broadband TV which has the potential to make Interactive Television much more entertaining running from the server allowing for Flash, Video and Audio all to be streamed to the STB, blowing away anything Sky could hope to offer.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

somehow i think we have been here before. There are a number of things NTL claim they will do and never get round tothe, I'm still waiting for a STB that can stay on for a week without needing a reboot of loosing the 16:9 setting.

Even if it's a new box I can't imagine NTL getting a PVR right first time. No doubt it will be 1 year of misery and then having to live with something that doesn't work as well as Sky +

Re: STB like Sky+
 

themelon: "Broadband TV blowing away anything Sky could hope to offer."
By the time ntl roll this out sky will have been broadcasting HDTV take it ntl will be doing this as well then ?

ntl full of great ideas poorly implemented if at all...

Re: STB like Sky+
 

Sky + doesnt work very well from what ive seen and heard.........lots and lots of problems and boxes giving up the ghost. Id rather a video recorder.

Incidently My box has been on for several months, and never loses the 16:9 setting.

Recently I heard of someones Amstrad Sky+ box nearly catching fire...........luckily they were there to put it out, imagine if they hadnt been.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

I can't comment on boxes failing, but what are these "lots and lots of problems"?

Re: STB like Sky+
 

No idea on HDTV...........Sky predict it will start in 2006, but you arent going to see 200 channels suddenly broadcast in HDTV, probably 1 premium content channel initally or a selection of premium content channels that Sky will charge an absolute fortune for as ever. Probably trying to reach an Annual Revenue per Subscriber of £50 a month. It will also require new equipment if its worth having it on your current TV which is likely to cost £200+. Compared to a free cable of SDTV box I know what id choose.

But I cant really see HDTV Becoming widespread for at least 10 years, yeah its great but how many TVs are gonna be compatible. It will require a new compression standard and new equipment

Re: STB like Sky+
 

You make it sound like Sky are only interested in parting you from your money but NTl charge you £ 8.50 more than Sky for a DTV package with Movies and Sport. Yes you get a phoneline in with NTL, but you may not want it. It makes a mockery of NTL web pages saying you can get DTV from £10. No way can you.

When NTL eventually have things like PVR do you think they will give the boxes away for free?

As for Sky+, what are all these problems with it? I have had it for a year and it's been perfect.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

Heard of frequent overheating problems, certain problems with hard drives not spinning down or spinning up, missing programmes due to not spinning up, and not retrying after a few seconds, time freezing, time lagging, psu interfering with recorded pictures, very buggy software slowly improving, and numerous other things ive heard happening.

Admittedly the trend seems to look like Amstrad boxes being particularly crap, having once had a standard Amstrad box...........I can understand why!

Re: STB like Sky+
 

I have an amstrad Sky+ box and I can say I have never experienced any of those problems.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

It swings in roundabouts really............Sky are only interested in making you part with your money as most companies are.

Ntl charge £8.50 more for a DTV Package with Sports and movies, but if you have Sky and get a 'Free' install you need a phoneline from BT at £10.50 a month anyway for 12 months or if you have Broadband on ADSL You need to pay BT £10.50 a month.

I think most companies assume you will have a Phoneline.......whether you should be forced to pay a particular provider I dont know, hopefully LLU will stop this and I agree ntl should unbundle TV and Phone.

See above post for a few problems ive heard of. Of course some people are lucky and recieve a great service..............in the same way I am lucky and recieve a great service from ntl.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

seeing what the spec of the current STB is like i think NTL will got the cheapest option so we will still be left with a box that doesn't have the mem or CPU power to cope with PVR and VOD as well as broadbant etc.

My current box can barely cope with surfing the net and watching TV and I can'r see the next gen being much different.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

In all fairness the majority of ntl boxes are about 3/5 years old which in technology terms is very old.

But if it aint broke dont fix it, of course new boxes will be phased in, but only when the old ones break.

Re: STB like Sky+
 

"I can't comment on boxes failing, but what are these "lots and lots of problems"?

I have an Amstrad SKY+ box also and never had any problems, I notice everyone who says this doesnt own one funny that!!!, I had NTL tv and broadband for over a year, dropped the ntl tv cos sky picture quality was so much better plus getting the sky+ box for £99 was such a sweetner, so ntl tv users whats your movie channels like in Dolby Digital ?, oh sorry you cant get that yet, now how long has sky+ been out ? hmm enough said really.....

Ntl have the ability to do tv beyond what we already have they have a direct cable connection into every subscribers home unfortunatley they make a mess of everything jeez we still cant get caller id in leeds area bleeding caller id what a really complex high tech service that is eh!

Re: STB like Sky+
 

HDTV will take a while to catch on, yes. However, HDTV equipment is actually fairly widely available in the broadcast industry. It's also about to come down in price over the next few months. Sony are about to release a HDTV version of their current consumer flagship DV camcorder (the VX2500) for around £3000, only about £500 more than the current VX2500. While the updated VX2500 won't be considered Broadcast Quality, it is a sign that the likes of Sony, JVC et al are going to bring prices down.

HDTV in America, as I understand it, uses MPEG 2 (the same as DVD), and I understand Microsoft are lobbying STB manufacturers to offer Windows Media 9 support in STBs (which could offer HD resolutions using the same amount of bandwidth todays SD channels use). I would be surprised if Apple & Real weren't doing the same with their Codecs, both of which are also capable of HD resolutions.

Obviously, however, people will need new equipment, and some broadcasters do have a plan in place where when equipment reaches the end of it's life, it's being replaced with HD stuff. Whether the individual customer wants to upgrade his stuff or not should be left up to him (a choice which NTL do not currently offer, but that's for another thread).

On another subject. You mentioned Sky + boxes catching fire. Well, I haven't heard of any NTL boxes doing this, but I know of some that have come pretty close (IE melting the smart card). IIRC, Amstrad did recall any boxes that could have been affected, which was the responsible thing to do.

Finally, back the NTL providing a PVR. I, for one, will applaud NTL for doing this. If and when they manage it. I am surprised that it has taken this long for them to do it. How long has Sky + been out?

Edit: Just found an interesting article showing that 75% of US Cable subscribers can recieve HDTV (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds14114.html).

Re: STB like Sky+
 

I dont think I would want to rely on NTL to bring out the PVR, nor the quality or features of it. They will probably include some sort of DRM, so you can not keep movies for more than a few days.

I am building myself a MythTV box instead. www.mythtv.org.
It has a large user base, including NTL users. It does however cost a bit in hardware and time. Building one from scratch probably will set you back £3-500. But if you can scrounge kit from an old pc then not so much.

And you may have to pay £15/month for another ntl box if you want to record/watch two programs at once. ( Or gamble on a freeview card .. ). I wont do that as with +1 channels there wont be many clashes. Or build several boxes for simultanious usage.

It does leave you free to user terrestial/freeview/cable or sky with it thu.

ivar