Is there an NTL PVR?

[lostandconfused]

using badger, the postcode checker that tells you if services are available in each area, its saying that in my area PVR will be available middle of jan 07, so while its not accurate to the day and can sometimes bring problems saying some areas are covered when theyre not id say that ntl are trying to get this released before or just after xmas

[Nedkelly]

Badger tells me Jan 16th my aera .Lets hope the testing starts soon

[jem]

Quick everyone start PMing NedKelly with their postcodes so he can check them for us!

[Stuart]

People, please DON'T pm Ned Kelly with your postcodes. If he wants to check, he can make that offer.

[jem]

OOPS I really was joking. Sorry

[bobsta]

Originally Posted by Tristan

Basically, you won't consider Telewest's HD service adequate until they have Sky Sports HD and Sky Movies HD -- and you acknowledge that Sky are holding on to these. So you require from NTL/Telewest something they have absolutely no control over.

Won't Sky Movies HD will be irrelevent when HD movies are available over VOD?

Remember you can watch a VOD movie whenever you want, with Sky you have to wait for them to broadcast it (yes I know they play the same movies on multiple channels at multiple times AND you can record on Sky+, but it's still not as flexible as VOD).... So it's only really HD Sports that's the "killer app" - Anyone been to the pub lately?

So when ntl have a PVR and HDVOD, will SkyHD really worth it?

[lostandconfused]

i think to be objective HD sky movies is still very good, even though a lot of the time they are repeats etc they still have the option especially when new movies come out ot broadcast in HD on there which ntl wouldnt. i think when HD VoD is available they will be pretty closely matched.

with HD sports as mentioned above, id rather go to the pub spend £15 for sky sports plus the extra £10 for HD and the cost of the box on a few pints and watch it for free than pay for it at home.

in general sky are a lot more innovative than ntl, eg sky+ and HD but im not one of those people that will happily pay more for something and live with the bugs that are in to have it first so it doesnt really bother me that much that sky users have had new technologies before me but it is down to personal preferance and i respect that.

[Stu038]

Originally Posted by uno

The service tech I had out this week to look at my set top box problems said that some NTL customers may be able to get HD before Christmas and for all VOD enabled regions to be HD ready by end of Jan 07. He advised that final testing is taking place in Glasgow at Present and that certain regions had also got testers trialling it he thought there was about 100 in my area Leicestershire and that all trialists at present have to connect via the headend and not hub sites which rules me out.

You just gotta love service...................... Some of em hear a whisper and get the wrong end of the stick bit like some of the posters on here actually

[popper]

as regards VOD NTL are once again far to short term tunnel vision in favour of SKY, they should not forget that right now DTT DVB-T is testing my prefered end user option of "home networking including media sharing with a PC" aka IPTV.

if NTL were to finally commission an STB that had 128meg ram as standard, a good quality 3D GFX chip that has AV hardware assisted parts, a good or even high quality FPGA that can be loaded with any current or future Codec and AVC/AAC as standard, a cheap 7:1 sound chip and headers for at least 5 outputs, and a simple industry standard PCI/miniPCI and RJ45 including a large firmware with a VLC type web server interface then they would be set for just about anything that might come down the pipe and be able to refine their costs in spare parts etc, they could even put a simple laptop type trapdoor in the base so it can be user/field upgraded with extra ram etc if they wanted to make future upgrading easy and cheaper all round.

if they wanted to get more adventuous they could even as standard, put in a simple and cheap 11G+ wireless chip and detachable rubberduck wireless arial on the STB and have the first UK wide wireless IPTV capable cable STB as their bragging rights.

ditch the liberate middleware and use something, indeed anything better, QNX RTP and its Photon GUI
and other realtime options and advanced networking to name a few.

they should even open up their closed cable network to (if they must , a select few) 3rd party dvb-C USB/PCI/STB manufactureres so as to encurage inovation for the end users on the UK cable network and make a very nice profit in the process while still keeping control.

http://www.newvideobusiness.com/content/view/67/26/
"
BT is set to launch its hybrid DTT/IPTV service in the late summer but has so far only announced Philips as the supplier of set-top boxes for the service. Philips is supplying dual front-end Digital Video Recorders that can take live TV off the UK’s Freeview DTT platform and access VOD via BT’s DSL network. This latest solution appears to be aimed at ISPs who might want to use local-loop unbundling to offer rival DTT/IPTV VOD solutions."

"
The solution uses Red Bee Media’s Digital Hive technologies, which can cover content management and delivery, while Netgem will supply advanced HD-ready receive devices. Programming content will be encoded in the SMPTE VC-1 advanced codec, which is the standardised version of Microsoft’s Windows Media 9 Video. It will be protected by Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10. "

its a shame their going to use the VC-1 MS codec (its based on the old Mpeg4/ASP aka DivX/Xvid with a few bells) but perhaps they will also enable the far better Mpeg4/AVC perhaps even its lossless option from the onset, and its (AVC)far better suited than VC-1 to the lower bitrates as currently found on DVB -C/T/S(2) transmissions today.

"
The package created by these three companies will provide access to all Freeview channels, a navigation interface for downloaded video and audio content, and an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and Interactive Programme Guide (IPG). The system will also enable viewers to pause live TV, make local recordings and play video back in high-definition. The system will also support home networking including media sharing with a PC."

[RS100]

Any one know what version of the S/A pvr they are testing is it the 8300

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by RS100

Any one know what version of the S/A pvr they are testing is it the 8300

I don't remember the model number but it is exactly the same S/A box that Telewest use.

[RS100]

Ok thanks,

Originally Posted by DarthYoda

I don't remember the model number but it is exactly the same S/A box that Telewest use.

[theslasher]

Were can i get badger from so i can see when my are will get Pvr?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by theslasher

Were can i get badger from so i can see when my are will get Pvr?

I believe Badger is one of NTL's internal systems, and is therefore not accessible to the public. I suspect when NTL are ready to publish dates for installation for each area, they will be published somewhere on ntlworld.com


to the forum BTW.

[AntiSilence]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

I suspect when NTL are ready to publish dates for installation for each area, they will be published somewhere on ntlworld.com

Yeah, down in the basement, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet