ntl wiring can i get tv?

weir3000 · 06-10-2004, 15:32

hi, i've just moved into a rented house with no outdoor/roof aerial and i'm having great difficulty getting any sort of a signal on my tv. I've noticed however that there is ntl wiring in the house. I have no plans to subscribe to ntl or sky and don't really have any need for all the extra channels but i do have a freeview set top box. Basically i was wondering if i could still get a signal through the ntl wiring, i'm not trying to get free cable or anything and forgive me if this is still illegal but I just want a clean picture on terrestrial 1,2,3,4,5... if it could also power my freeview box for itv2 etc.. that would be an added bonus!!
The ntl wiring comes into a white box thats mounted on the wall, there are two in seperate rooms infact, the cables out though are not usual tv connectors though, otherwise i would have just given it a go... not even sure if this is analogue or digital?!?
any ideas if this is possible/legal and the more detailed method the better cos i really have no clue....
thank you.

Nemesis · 06-10-2004, 15:33

Probably not legal ....

You can't connect your freeview box, however .... if you change the end connector to a standard one, and plug it in the back of your tele, I believe you'll get 1,2,3,4,5 ...

weir3000 · 06-10-2004, 15:44

Sorry, there is no end connector just a raw cable coming out which i don't think is a normal tv cable (but may well be) Are you sure i can just put a normal connector on the end of that?
Do you think from my (hazy) description it is analogue or digital ntl wiring?
If it will give me 1,2,3,4,5, how come it won't give me freeview?

ian@huth · 06-10-2004, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by weir3000

Sorry, there is no end connector just a raw cable coming out which i don't think is a normal tv cable (but may well be) Are you sure i can just put a normal connector on the end of that?
Do you think from my (hazy) description it is analogue or digital ntl wiring?
If it will give me 1,2,3,4,5, how come it won't give me freeview?

You will only be able to get a signal from the cable if it hasn't been disconnected at the CAB (green box). The NTL cable, if connected at the CAB, will carry NTLs digital and analogue signals, some of which are unencrypted and within the frequency range of your TV. NTL do not carry the freeview digital signals which can only be received via an aerial.

alferret · 06-10-2004, 17:31

cant see why anyone would want to watch richard and judy on their mobile

DeadKenny · 06-10-2004, 19:26

The current going through the cable might not be TV friendly however. Normally there's a analogue or digital cable box between the cable and the TV and those boxes have suitable regulators to chuck out a signal suitable for consumer TVs.

I also get the impression that directly connecting the TV to the cable can cause all kinds of interference on the cable which might result in your neighbours getting dodgy signals (and as someone who's suffered from such things for years, I wouldn't be happy about it).

If you had a suitable isolator on the socket that ensures no feedback down the cable and outputs the correct current/voltage then it should be okay.

P.S. In some areas you can also get FM down the cable. Those have special isolator sockets that split the FM frequencies and let you plug direct into an FM receiver.

Though NTL will switch off analogue at some point, but when I don't know (I got the impression that it may be sooner than terrestrial as few people will be stuck on analogue cable).

ian@huth · 07-10-2004, 13:26

Whilst looking at a site, www.ukfree.tv , linked in another thread I came across a quote in the help me tab that is rather interesting.

Quote:

If you have ever had a cable TV service (analogue or digital), the law requires that itv-1, Channel 4 and five are kept available as an analogue service, even if you have stopped a subscription many years ago.

Can anyone verify this law and supply a link to it?

bob_builder · 07-10-2004, 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianathuth

Can anyone verify this law and supply a link to it?

If have seen it oft-quoted but I have never seen any proof that it is true.

In any case, NTL will turn off the analogue signal in a few years time so by then it will be a moot point.

DeadKenny · 07-10-2004, 14:47

I can't see how NTL's network being a closed subscriber network has any legal requirement to allow people access to it when they are not a subscriber. Unless some strange law had been passed in regards to cable where it's impossible to receive terrestrial TV.

spiderplant · 07-10-2004, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianathuth

Can anyone verify this law and supply a link to it?

If true, it would be in the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 Section 13. But this isn't available online.

I can find several references to it that mention "subscribers", but none that mention "ex-subscribers".

altis · 07-10-2004, 15:31

Any good?

http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/a...0021--c.htm#64

bob_builder · 07-10-2004, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by altis

Any good?

http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/a...0021--c.htm#64

Maybe if you point to and/or quote the subsection you were refering to.

All I can see in section 64 is to do with the digital must-carry obligations for Cable TV subscriptions.

altis · 09-10-2004, 16:58

As I understand it, most UK broadcasting is now covered by the Communications Act 2003 which came into force on 1 April 2004. Certain parts of this act are further defined by the Statutory Instrument 2004 No 692. I'm not sure if this replaces the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 but, as spiderplant mentions, this is not available online.

The must-carry obligations are defined in section 64 of the 2003 act.

As to what it all means - well I could only stab a guess. Perhaps some of our legal friends could make things clearer.

bob_builder · 18-10-2004, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by altis

The must-carry obligations are defined in section 64 of the 2003 act.

As to what it all means - well I could only stab a guess. Perhaps some of our legal friends could make things clearer.

The must-carry obligations are only to do with which channels cable companies must provide "free of charge" to their subscribers. Here, "free of charge" means at no additional cost on top of the subscription fee and not at no charge at all.

There is no obligation to supply these channels to non-subscribers "free of charge".

beardsley · 18-10-2004, 11:57

Might this be something to do with community antennae? If these were removed to be replaced by cable, then the cable operator might be forced to provide the standard-5 channels to non subscribers?