NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

It says it all here:

http://www.home.ntl.com/page/epgpolicy

But the gist of it is that NTL are (finally!) going to renumber their channels into genres in the second half of 2005, although new channel launches will fit in with the new scheme before this (which probably explains ITV3).

They also mention something about coordinating with other DTV providers to give channels the same numbers across platforms: fingers crossed this means they're going to copy Telewest's excellent ordering...

Anyway, it might be a year away, but at least it's progress!

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Great - we'll have to learn all the numbers again :rolleyes:

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Y'know, occasionally you've actually got to feel sorry for NTL.

Here they are (belatedly) taking some positive action, something most people are keen on... and along comes Paul here...

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

..... which makes sense to me , sky keep on mucking around with channel numbering and believe me it makes it a complete pain in the arse to know where you are with it ;)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Depends how they go about it really.After all this is NTL we are talking about.What might seem logical to them may not to some of us.

I've never understood the numbering system they already have but at least I'm familiar with it. ;)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

The numbering used to be very logical, but they kept it too tight not allowing for the addition of new many new channels so it became a big old mess.

I'm not sure it's as much of an issue now that we can change the position of channels in the line-up ourselves, but it would make sense to have some sort of coherance to the new order.

Reading through the link above I smiled when it said that 85% of customers were keen for the renumbering. Did anyone here get asked? I know I wasn't, but of course if I was I would probably have said it was a good idea.

Whilst I broadly agree with their approach to renumbering and the new groupings, I would think that it would make more sense to work on a bi-lateral approach with Sky and the broadcasters. I am sure that the majority of content providers would prefer cablecos to put their channels on the same number channel as Sky - but then Sky need to agree to stop shifting stuff around.

Nothing's ever as simple as it seems I guess.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Sorry, but it's not positive action in my eyes, I see no advantage to having my channels renumbered, what difference does it make to a channel, what number it is, as long as people know where to find it.

This is just a sure fire way of confusing millions of customers. I don't see these millions bitterly complaining that the current numbering system is wrong.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

The way it is at the moment is a joke. Everything NTL are doing with regard to DTV at the moment is to do with integrating the two platforms as much as is possible: hence the use of Bromley- (and Telewest-) type Liberate software on Langley, and the launching of Docsis STBs on that network.

As such it wouldn't make sense to have two different numbering schemes, even if they did make some sort of logical sense, which they clearly don't. Sky have their channels arranged into genres, as do Telewest, as do NTL in Ireland. It's by far the most logical way to do it, and in the long term, it reduces customer confusion considerably.

Are you really saying it's a good thing that, for example, Living TV is on channel 111 on Bromley and a different (low) number on Langley, while Living+1 is on channel 900-and-something on both platforms?

Yes, it will confuse customers in the short term, but only in the short term. Properly communicated, most people should "get it" pretty quickly. I've just moved from a Bromley area to Telewest, and so have had to learn a new number scheme, and it's really not a problem. And as pointed out, you'll still be able to reorder the channels in your favourites, which will help a lot.

(Oh, and a note to NTL: to save going through all this again in the future, copy Telewest's numbering!)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Finally! :)

Gotta agree with Tristan. Adopt Telewest's as it only makes merging the platform that much easier, so channel numbers won't have to be changed again!

As was pointed out in the report, they will communicate with the customers as much as possible. I do believe in Ireland (ok not the same part of the company) they sent out a flyer with all the numbers on to help. And I'm sure they will use Channel ntl: usefully this time :)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Sorry, but I don't think you are seeing this from the average customers point of view, You are obviously a bit of a dtv enthusiast (that's not an insult before you ask). I see no advantage to me in "genres", as long as I know where my channels are, it makes no difference to me that other channels have similar numbers or not, one three digit number is the same as any other.

Again, why as a Langley customer would I care in the slightest that Bromley has a different numbering scheme, I don't use it.

I'm sure it may be of advantage to ntl to have them the same - but is of no advantage to customers like me - who are used to the current channel numbers, however illogical you or ntl may think they are.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

There are several things I'm more enthusiastic about than DTV, but there we go!

You say that the current numbers don't matter as long as customers know where the channels are. That's exactly the point of genres. Customers will know what, for example, Living TV is an entertainment channel, and will therefore be able to expect to find it in the 100s. Likewise, they know that News 24 and Sky News can be found in the news channels section.

Currently, a customer who misses a programme on Living TV is forced to search around in the 800s and 900s to find Living TV+1: a situation which is bad for the customer, the channel, and NTL themselves.

(Oh course, the customer could have reordered his favourites to manually put +1 next to Living: but doing this for every +1 channel is hardly in the best interests of the customer, is it?)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Well we could go round in circles all day, you don't need to know any of the numbers if you use the ntl menu's, but I can find living, or living +1, or any other channel just by looking its number up, not by blindly channel hoping around the 100's (even assuming I knew that I should be looking in the 100's at all).

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

We could indeed go round in circles. But I still maintain that it's in the customers' best interests to have the channels arranged in genres.

(And if you have to go away and look up the channel numbers, does it even matter if they change?)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

I don't think it matters all that much.

Most people with any sense will have already reordered their channels so that they're in a decent order, while for those who haven't, they will be able to find them easier because they'll be grouped by genre.

Most people only remember the numbers of channels they watch the most, so they'll only have to remember a few that have changed; also the likes of BBC1 and even E4 are probably going to stay where they are.

So go and change them because it really won't make that much of a difference. If you have to look up the number, it doesn't matter anyway.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

One point to consider is that people see adverts for programs or channels and hear about them on talk shows, etc. It is far easier to have one number for each channel that everyone uses so that you can be told that a forthcoming program is on 999 or whatever rather than 999 on NTL Langley, 66 on NTL Bromley, 438 on Telewest, 49 on Freeview and 216 on Sky.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

I have to throw my weight behind genres. It seems logical in that, when I want to channel hop, I would prefer to be able to pick a music channel from the guide and then just flick thru the channels until I come across a video I want to watch, however if I want to do this now I will come across a raft of kiddies channels all mixed in.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Paul you are saying that channel re-numbering will be chaotic and at best only of real interest to people such as thoses the frequent this board.

Yet there is a presidence of a major resorting of 'channels' that were 'written' into peoples heads. I bring your attention to the great frequency changes that took place during the late 80's and 90's of BBC Radio.

The customers were not calling for it but for the future benefit of the BBC radio stations the change was made.

NTL will need to change the channels at some point in the future. It will have a game plan for doing it, it won't be to everyones liking but hey that wouldn't be the NTL we love if it got everything right straight of the bat!

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

well, i think it's good news.
customers want, the article says 85% of customers are interested in the channels to be renumbered.

and ntl most likely only have announced this because OFCOM have told them to do it, and basically ntl have no choice but to listen! :D

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Well my copy of DigiGuide is telling me that ITV3 is on Ntl channel 101 when it is in fact on channel 8 in a Bromley area, all my other DigiGuide favourite channels have the correct Bromley number.;)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

oh god my mum has only just learnt the numbers for discovery channel and living tv.
but at least all the discovery channels and historys channels can get roughly the same numbers.
i love it when they do cause at the moment i got it set up for
the normal bbc 1 2 itv channel 4 channel 5 itv 2 3
sports, discovery, music, movies

do you know how much of a pain in the ASS it is to sort all that out. also why the hell does ntl waste the space of sending me "you do not have this channel press this button to get it" YET i have to bloody phone up to get it! waste of space

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

I'm in favour of it, if only for the reason I'm too lazy to bother re-ordering them all. With a 5 year old in the house whose reading skills arn't yet up to navigating the browse and guide, I'm all in favour of having all the kiddies channels together in a group so that all he has to do is channel up or down rather than "dad, what number are Story makers on or Dora or god knows what else?". Its bad enough having to have them on in the background every night from 5 till 6 without having to know what channel they're on as well.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

this change will cause CHAOS!! the call centres will be flooded!!! I pity the people working when this takes place!!!

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

It's a nice idea - when it works. I've lost track of how many times I've re-ordered the channels only to come home one day and find that a random batch of them have moved to some other location.

This is a good move on the part of ntl.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

I am in favour of re-numbering.

this does make sense, it is mot logical to put mtv3 away from the rest of the music, why the hell was it so far away in the first place? same goes for the rest that is not near the rest of their genre.

I am used to most of the numbers esspecially the ones I prefer, discovery channels and the likes, then on to bravo, for any south american football, then up to 702 for the movies, then I just flick from then on in.

furthermore, I would like to see a system developed by ntl, that we can arrange our channels from the computer, it would be a hell of a lot quicker to arrange then rearrange these channels from the speed of a fast computer, rather than the speed of a slow STB, which sometimes halts on you, and you have to reboot.
Once you have the channels set up from the computer, fill in a form like name, address, account num, and it gets sent down by ntl, to rearrange the numbers automatically.

ik

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Good Plan definately take Telewests Scheme

Skys Numbering is absolutely rubbish too. I think OFCOM should force all suppliers to offer the same EPG numbers.

Sky shouldnt be able to market their EPG and charge for EPG numbers

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

I think much of this will depend on how NTL implements the re-numbering of the channels and what options it gives to customers.

Some may like the channels to be listed in alphabetical order, others may want the channels to be listed by genre.

Perhaps NTL could incorporate a degree of flexibility to allow users to select their own criteria.

One thing I would like is for new channels to be automatically incorporated into the channel list according to whatever criteria is selected.

I'd also like to see more options on the edit favourites menu to speed up the process of sifting and sorting.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Agreed about the favourites menu as there's only the main channels, the music and the sports that i watch. Sift the rest out.

The programe renumbering is a good idea in my book though.

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

ah i hope that the renumbering won't mess up the way i renumbered
my favorites :mad:

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

What's going on Channel 106 now the guest channel has moved to 108?

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

It moved quite a while ago. No-one's quite sure what's happening with 106, though a guess would be that it will be to do with the future channel renumbering.

Browneggsandham :)

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Well by the time this change happens I'll probably be on Sky+ anyway, but IMO the best thing that NTL could do is to make re-ordering favorites easier.

The current system with shift to top, shift to bottom, up one, down one is a real pain if you want to put channels in a useful order. Ok it's fine if you only want to change three or four, but when you want to change a dozen or so you've got to find them, shift them to the top, then slowly sort them up and down until they're in the right place.

It's a total pain :(

Re: NTL to renumber channels in 2nd half of 2005
 

Totally agree Graham. There's no way to move groups of channels and no way to move them other than at one place at a time. There's no button to move a channel into the middle of the list, which may well be nearer than moving it to the top or the bottom.

I'm hoping that once you have decided a criterion by which to order your channels e.g. by genre , any new channels will be automatically put in the right place. As per usual we'll just have to wait and see, but at least we have had the opportunity to voice some ideas. Whether they take notice is another matter!