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Originally Posted by Neptune
I thought, "oh dear" when I read that ntl were dumping the Mpeg 4 boxes. Then I had a few other thoughts as one does at 3.30 in the morning:
- customers want a pvr. Customers SHOUTING/DEMANDING a pvr.
- competitors have pvrs.
- telewest has a working pvr and launched it, ntl doesn't.
- telewest network and ex-cwc network broadly the same, so easier to launch tv drive on at least one part of ntl's network.
- world cup soon...according to rumours ntl are going to offer matches in HD via VOD. What a good marketing opportunity.
- mpeg4 chips in short supply, technology not as proven as mpeg2.
- mpeg4 capacity much more efficient than mpeg2. But analogue networks are going to be switched off. Telewest's by the end of this year and ntl's by end of next year. Meaning LOTs of capacity. MPEG4 not such an isssue anymore...
Good call by new "ntl" boss. More to come from him soon, me thinks.
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Couple of points to this one:
Some of us have been waiting patiently for the fabled PVR, and holding on a bit longer for a better specified machine would have been no hardship to us - what you haven't got you don't miss.
With the TW box there are major issues already alluded to by Quadplay and others as to it's compatability with the Bromley/Langley networks. The MPEG4 version was being designed to be used on our networks without so many problems.
The TW box that is being rolled out is already showing up bugs in its software and operability to users after the beta testing and national rollout, and is evidenced by threads over in the TW section of this site and over on the Digital Spy cable forums section. Thanks, but we'll wait for them being fixed before ringing in and asking for one when rollout does come to ntl areas.
World Cup has been confirmed this morning by the BBC Press Office as being in full HD along with Wimbledon as part of their HD trial service starting from the 15th May. They do mention there that it will be available to both D-Sat and D-Cable users, but are very vague on details - however this will presumably be only available to the TW TV Drive users, and will be a part time service. As to it being on VOD - probably not Bromley areas, unless ntl want to be downconverting full HD signals to "normal" SD as we're still on the old NVOD software round here?