Analogue Cable TV Packages - What are they?

[JoeyJoJoJnr]

Does anyone know what the Analogue Cable TV Packages actually are?

The Virgin Media site has nothing (i can find) about them.

My personal opinion is that Virgin Media would do well NOT to ignore the non-digital customers or at least produce some sort of timetable for when existing cable areas will become digital or at least a provision on the website. (There may well be a provision, but the postcode checker insists on telling me i can get digital when i can't, so i do not get re-directed to the analogue pages - assuming there are any.)

I have called the customer services and have had little help, despite the promises of action on my request for the information.

Any help would be appreciated.

[NickSCFC]

Analogue Cable TV, they stopped doing that back in 2000 didn't they?

[SnoopZ]

This is probably way out of date, so take it with a pinch of salt but check this link.

http://www.ntlhome.com/ntl_analoguetv/index.asp

[Nedkelly]

Some areas still have it but they dont really push it as they want people on Digital as some analogue customers will tell you that some channels have been removed .To make space on the digital network

[SnoopZ]

Originally Posted by NickSCFC

Analogue Cable TV, they stopped doing that back in 2000 didn't they?

No, as not all areas are able to get digital.

[GuestUK]

Not sure if this helps, but these are my current analogue channels which I receive. As far as I know, I am on the analogue package with all non-premium (sports/movies) channels, I think the ex-analogue-family pack from ages ago:

01 - BBC 1
02 - BBC 2
03 - ITV
04 - Channel 4
05 - Five
06 - ITV2
07 - Ex-Sky One, now Hallmark
08 - UK Gold
09 - VH1
10 - Sky movies 1*
11 - Sky movies 2*
12 - Sky cinema*
14 - BBC News 24
15 - Eurosport
16 - Sky Sports 1*
17 - Sky Sports 2*
18 - Sky Sports 3*
19 - Virgin TV logo
23 - Living
24 - QVC
25 - Discovery Channel
26 - UKTV History
27 - CNN
29 - Trouble
30 - SciFi
31 - Paramount/Nickeloden Timeshare**
33 - Disney
34 - Cartoon Network
35 - Paramount/Nickeloden Timeshare**
36 - MTV
41 - E4
42 - E4 (again)***
43 - Animal Planet
44 - Ex-Sky News (Now the Virgin Media "fairplay" message)
47 - Virgin TV Logo
60 - Price Drop TV
61 - Living (again)***
96 - Price Drop TV (again)***
99 - ITV2 (again)***

This may not be absoloutely accurate as there may be some more timeshares I was not aware of, apologies if this is the case, but this is what I found when going through all the channels. To be honest, more than I thought I had, although much much less than we originally had.

* = Premium channel I don't get on whatever pack I'm apparently on and thus can't confirm, but I presume it's there
** = Channel is out of tune and not watchable for me
*** = Channel shows the same content as another previously listed channel

Hope this helps

[Taf]

I've applied to upgrade from analgue to digital... 2 week wait for a man to bring the box... but at least they gave me the upgrade free of installation charge and will I actually save £4.50 pm and gain more channels...

[JoeyJoJoJnr]

Originally Posted by Nedkelly

Some areas still have it but they dont really push it as they want people on Digital...

True. But what about us poor folk in non-digital areas..?

For non VM people like myself in non-digital areas would be more likely sign up anyway if they were TOLD what the alternative is and when digital will be available in those areas. Given that most offers out there are min 12month contracts, i don't want to commit if the alternative is still reasonable.

I signed up on-line for the 4for£40 deal - It fell to ME (at my own cost) to chase it up when i didn't get the confirmation of my sign up AND having been misled into signing up for a service i couldn't get THEN had my request for information of the alternative at first refused and then promised but not delivered - not what i'd call encouraging new business.
AND at this stage no-one has contacted me as to what will happen next. Has my registration been cancelled? Are they going to start charging for stuff i don't have? Is someone going to turn up at any time to install services? I would rather not have to sit on hold for ages again so have asked on here if anyone has the info.
I guess the problem is that i'm in an ex-NTL region and browsing this forum customer service doesn't seem to be their strong point.


GuestUK: much appreciated, going thru the channels like that was above and beyond.

[GuestUK]

No problem. I've been unable to find a list anywhere else of analogue channels, so thought it might prove useful somewhere. It took a bit of time (and running back and forth to the computer, hehe) but it was interesting for myself as well to know what exactly I got, its changed a lot and I wasn't aware of some of those changes (I still remember Front Row on 50-54!)

I did make one slight mistake, although I'm unable to edit my previous post now - 33 is Disney Cinemagic now (Disney films), not the Disney Channel. Also, this is in the Luton area, in case that makes a difference.

Sorry you've had a bad experience - I hope you are able to get it sorted. In regards to customer service, I guess it really does depend, both times I have had a a problem (although this was with ntl, rather than virgin), customer service has been very good - when I first got broadband, the install CD didn't work, so rung up customer service and got it sorted in a matter of minutes by a very helpful person. Second time the internet was dropping out, called up, went through the few routine checks and they sent out an engineer to come and fix it and that they did.

Originally Posted by JoeyJoJoJnr

True. But what about us poor folk in non-digital areas..?

Move

Soz - couldn't help it

I actually had TCM when I had analogue which i notice isn't on the list now

[JoeyJoJoJnr]

Originally Posted by JethroUK

Move

Soz - couldn't help it

Touché.

No worries.

-- ~ --

There is something that i would appreciate clearing up, as i have had conflicting info on this... particularly as GuestUK mentioned having BB and listed the analogue channels...

Is it possible to get the VM BB in a cable non-digital area?
Or is it just that you haven't gone for the digital option?

[daver]

Our Freeview STB went bang the other day. I took the top off it and an 8-pin chip had blown its top (literally) leaving a scorch mark on the top of the plastic case. It was a Matsui DTR3 if anyone wants a "what not to buy" contra-recommendation. It was 14 months old, so it must have been the warranty expiration chip.

Anyhow ... why not go for a VM DTV package? The website says I can have it ... but the man from VM "he say no". Apparently the first areas to get cable have a very dated system. These areas are, apparently, part of London, Southampton and Bolton.

Okay; so tell me about analogue, I asked. Oh no; I had to speak to someone else ... who had to pass me on to a third person via annoying hold music. Okay, so what channels do I get? She wouldn't tell me. I had to force every channel out of her. I gave up after BBC1 and Discovery. It is my opinion that she was maliciously trying to prevent me from having a service. Either that or she was the human personification of the Anti-Sales.

She even tried to tell me I couldn't have BroadBand. But I have BB I said. Oh, through a BT line. Erm, no ... my house has never been connected to BT and the 4Mb connection I get is very good. This uses the cable. I used to have analogue cable TV.

Now, someone else said that analogue was being switched off (Bolton is scheduled for 2009). Why should this affect CATV though? Surely they can stick CBBC down the wire just as easily as something pointless like QVC. She then gave a sob story about having to dig up all the cables again. Why? Surely the cable's okay, just the electronics either end ... an expensive job I'll accept ... so why not get the most out of your investment?

There's no such thing as "analogue channels" and "digital channels". Just channels ... transmitted digitally or analoguely. And they won't be transmitted by analogue through the air from 2008->2012.

There's something we're not being told. VM staff can't be this thick. We have Diana conspiracies, when she wasn't wearing a seat belt and her driver was drunk. This is more likely to be a conspiracy theory. Has Richard Branson been threatened ... a quiet "you saw what happened to Diana" in his ear at a high level cross-party Government towel-whipping and brown-nosing session.

[JoeyJoJoJnr]

What you have described is more or less waht has happened to me.
Apart from the blowing up bit and the (slightly creepy) diana stuff.

So what you are saying is (i think?):

it is possible but they won't do it

or

the Sales staff haven't been trained to deal with this specific situation and default to denial, closing eyes, fingers in ears and going "Lalalala".

[daver]

A new Freeview box for me. Perhaps this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGIHOME-FRE...gitalradico-21 unless anyone knows of a cheaper one (or better at a similar price).

Sales staff in denial is probably a good option. Or some junior minister has to "get rid of analogue by 2012" and they don't have the brains to understand that it's the airwaves that need freeing up so the Government can sell the space and it doesn't matter what goes along a piece of co-axial cable under the ground.