Ditching Tv Service And Keeping Phone And Broadband

Originally Posted by mdean

mug taken in by the $ky+ propoganda

If you have something specific and valid to say about sky+ then please do so, otherwise please refrain from pointless comments.

[slug]

Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer at Telewest Broadband, said: †œWe will make our personal video recorder set-top box available later this year, putting a stop to missed soaps, interrupted films and arguments over which programmes to record. Itââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s a fantastic box of TV tricks that people will wonder how they ever survived without!ââ‚à ƒâ€šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ�

Eric Tveter talking about Telewests answer to Sky+.
He seems to think its a good idea, pity it took a cable company over 3 years to respond to Sky+. I left cable 12 month ago for sky+.

sean.

[mrlipring]

Originally Posted by Eric Tveter

Itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s a fantastic box of TV tricks that people will wonder how they ever survived without!

That's not exaggeration, a PVR will change the way you use your TV.

[mdean]

Originally Posted by mrlipring

That's not exaggeration, a PVR will change the way you use your TV.

Sorry chaps I do not buy it. Most people want to see their tv at the time it is served up. 7.30 itv Corrie, 10.30 newsnight 8ish on saturday casualty etc. Even with multichannel I will watch old yes ministers atc because they are on.

A PVR will record a better image than a vcr - thats it

I will happily buy one wich lets me change provider - not otherwise. That is why I critisise $ky+ adopters - it is being pushed hard by $ky to lock users into that supply method. This is bad for competition

[Neil]

Originally Posted by mdean

Sorry chaps I do not buy it. Most people want to see their tv at the time it is served up. 7.30 itv Corrie, 10.30 newsnight 8ish on saturday casualty etc. Even with multichannel I will watch old yes ministers atc because they are on.

Hmmm....

Never wished you could pause a live footy match when the phone rings, or when you need to go to the toilet?

Originally Posted by mdean

A PVR will record a better image than a vcr - thats it

That is quite simply incorrect I'm afraid.

You can't improve the source of the signal/image that is coming through just by recording/watching it on a PVR.

Originally Posted by mdean

I will happily buy one wich lets me change provider - not otherwise. That is why I critisise $ky+ adopters - it is being pushed hard by $ky to lock users into that supply method. This is bad for competition

How can it be "bad for competition" when Telewest have announced details of their PVR box already?

[AdrianB]

Originally Posted by Neil

That is quite simply incorrect I'm afraid.

You can't improve the source of the signal/image that is coming through just by recording/watching it on a PVR.

Actually, while you cant improve on the source signal, you can improve on how you record it. Most consumer grade VCRs are much lower resolution than the broadcast resolution that you recieve from NTL. Assuming the hardware is any good, theres no reason the PVR cant record video at full broadcast resolution, therefore offering and image EXACTLY like the one that you recieve down your cable, as opposed to the munged version you get off a video.

Not withstanding the fact that you lose image quality by sending the image out via svideo or composite (and ive yet to see a consumer grade VCR that will record through RGB), so even if you could record the signal at full resolution, you would be manipulating a poorer version than the one thats being processed inside your STB.

[Janusian]

Originally Posted by mdean

A PVR will record a better image than a vcr - thats it

Let me give you an example of how useful Sky+ is.

This evening, the wife wanted to watch Eastenders. I wanted to watch the footie.

We had a few things to do so she sat down at 7.45. She REWOUND BBC1 up about 15 mins and watched Eastenders, so from 8.15 I could watch the football. Watched it from the start (whilst still recording the rest), fast forwarded through the stoppages, watched through half time, and caught up by about 5 minutes into the second half.

Could we do that with a VCR, of course not.

Were the pictures of broadcast quality, or did the match look like it was being played in a snowstorm - what do you think.

Sky+ is a great bit of kit. It does change the way you watch TV.

[carlingman]

Originally Posted by Janusian

Let me give you an example of how useful Sky+ is.

This evening, the wife wanted to watch Eastenders. I wanted to watch the footie.

We had a few things to do so she sat down at 7.45. She REWOUND BBC1 up about 15 mins and watched Eastenders, so from 8.15 I could watch the football. Watched it from the start (whilst still recording the rest), fast forwarded through the stoppages, watched through half time, and caught up by about 5 minutes into the second half.

Could we do that with a VCR, of course not.

Were the pictures of broadcast quality, or did the match look like it was being played in a snowstorm - what do you think.

Sky+ is a great bit of kit. It does change the way you watch TV.

NA disagree, of course you could do that with VCR.

Because in the bygone days of VCR the Wifey knew who was in charge of the TV in the household and if she did not like it she knew where the other room with the portable TV in was.

Nothing interferes with man and his football my how things have changed.

[mrlipring]

Originally Posted by mdean

Sorry chaps I do not buy it. Most people want to see their tv at the time it is served up. 7.30 itv Corrie, 10.30 newsnight 8ish on saturday casualty etc. Even with multichannel I will watch old yes ministers atc because they are on.

A PVR will record a better image than a vcr - thats it

I will happily buy one wich lets me change provider - not otherwise. That is why I critisise $ky+ adopters - it is being pushed hard by $ky to lock users into that supply method. This is bad for competition

So you're saying there's no point in video recorders of any type, not just specifically PVRs?

You're also saying you have nothing better to do than to sit and watch tv? I'm not the busiest guy in the world, but i do a fair few things outside my "real" work. I can't be at the tv, sat on the sofa for every episode of my favourite shows. I can't be in to view every documentary or film. I want to be able to watch things when it's convenient for me, not when the projected viewing figures (and the competition's schedules) dictate. **** prime time.

Once you've recorded something onto a pvr, it's a lot easier to FF/RW, pause, replay, etc. It ****es all over a traditional VCR. There are several PVR solutions that make it easy to transfer the recordings to dvd as well, for archival.

As for the SKY+ thing, how else do you have a 2-tuner setup recording DIGITALLY from airtight-encrypted broadcasts? You don't. You could go for 2 single tuner "capture" recorders, but the quality will take a nosedive. You have the choice. There are (unofficial) cable tv PVRs about, and official ones on the way. There are official and unofficial freeview ones about. You're not locked into SKY at all, so why even make the point? SKY+ is a very slick and nice system, yes, but it's not the only system.

Really though, get a hobby or something. Sounds like the TV rules your life.

[blenky]

Originally Posted by mdean

great idea - go to $ky and pay more for the same stuff

one born every minute

Theres only one here mate and thats you.

I didn't ditch the TV package on a whim or fail to look at the pros and cons of getting into bed with Sky. I have continued to suport cable since I got it installed in 1996. I have been waiting since January 2000 for first Cable & Wireless and then ntl to deliver on the proimise that was cable digital TV. They failed. The service as I see it has more or less stood still for the past five years.

As for Sky - the Sky+ box cost me 99 quid, and now for 30 pounds a month I get more or less everything I got on ntls family pack plus I get Sky Movies 2 ,4, 6 and 8 plus Sky Sports 1 and 3.

Oh and Sky Movies 1 and 2 broadcast many of its movies in DD5.1, although they do show mostly a load of old tosh! However I suspect Sky 1 will eventually broadcast shows like 24 in 5.1. Well maybe

Sky + is far from perfect but where is ntls offering? Nowhere on the horizon and that simply is why I got rid of the TV package.

Until you try Sky + don't rubbish it. It makes you look a complete ****.

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by mrlipring

That's not exaggeration, a PVR will change the way you use your TV.

if it works! some PVRs have pants software and some have a reputation to not even work!

I have Sky+ - my box was replaced after 11 months due to hard drive failure which you can expect with any platform of PVR.

I've tried Thomson and Digital fusion freeview PVRs both around £200 for installing at a friends.

Both had poorer quality program guides - very hard to navigate and didnt have one touch recording from the program guide.

The freeview recorders have a program guide that shows the current and next program when you plug it in and after over night at around 3am they are supposed to pick up the full guide from a signal from the freeview mothership! The Thomson failed to pick up the full guide and instead reset itself loosing all channel information - I gave it 3 chances and then took it back to the shop. The Fusion one took it a step further and every morning after the overnight signal you'd turn the box on only to get a 'dead' box which had to be rebooted. This problem is well documented with the Fusion boxes on another forum.

So to anyone who says a PVR changes your life I'd point out that some can give PVRs a bad name!

Sky+ has been a godsend for my TV use as it allows perfect recording of the programs I'm not in for or not in the mood for. The major downside is that you pay £10 a month for it or have to have 2 sky premium channels. And also the 12 warranty is scandalous for a product with well documented hardware problems (hard drives dying). The upside is the program guide/software is amazingly well designed and easy to use.

[mrlipring]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

if it works! some PVRs have pants software and some have a reputation to not even work!

I have Sky+ - my box was replaced after 11 months due to hard drive failure which you can expect with any platform of PVR.

I've tried Thomson and Digital fusion freeview PVRs both around £200 for installing at a friends.

Both had poorer quality program guides - very hard to navigate and didnt have one touch recording from the program guide.

The freeview recorders have a program guide that shows the current and next program when you plug it in and after over night at around 3am they are supposed to pick up the full guide from a signal from the freeview mothership! The Thomson failed to pick up the full guide and instead reset itself loosing all channel information - I gave it 3 chances and then took it back to the shop. The Fusion one took it a step further and every morning after the overnight signal you'd turn the box on only to get a 'dead' box which had to be rebooted. This problem is well documented with the Fusion boxes on another forum.

So to anyone who says a PVR changes your life I'd point out that some can give PVRs a bad name!

Sky+ has been a godsend for my TV use as it allows perfect recording of the programs I'm not in for or not in the mood for. The major downside is that you pay £10 a month for it or have to have 2 sky premium channels. And also the 12 warranty is scandalous for a product with well documented hardware problems (hard drives dying). The upside is the program guide/software is amazingly well designed and easy to use.

If the hard drive on your sky+ box dies out of warranty, slam in a bigger one!

I must admit, some prebuilt PVRs are better than others, and my MCE2005 box sure as hell had its teething problems, but once everything's setup it's fantastic. I don't mind spending a little time or paying a little extra for something that's so flexible. It ****es on a VCR.

[Neil]

It's getting a bit in here now folks....