Wanted, digital AND analogue

Yadrah · 11-12-2003, 14:40

Hi All,

This is the first time I've posted to this site so please bear with me.

I have analogue Ntl tv and I'm pretty sure the signal/reception has been degrading over the past few months, but maybe that's just me being paranoid

So, I'm considering upgrading to the digital service. The one thing that is stopping me is not being able to watch one channel and record another. Now I know this is not possible (with a single STB) for digital BUT I should be able to record an analogue signal and watch digital or visa-versa. The signal from the rooftop aerial is really poor so this is not really an option and I'm outside of the freeview area

Having read various site posts it seems that it 'was' possible to get a box with an "analogue pass through" but these are no longer supplied. There were some posts that mentioned getting a by-pass. Sounded like a splitter, put in that allows you to get the analogue signal from the wall box before it gets to the STB. One post indicated you can ask for this when you order the install and the other that the engineer would fit one if you fed them enough tea and biscuits.

I rang the sales line (bad first move) and was told that this is "not possible" and that they "don't even send an analogue signal" any more. Now to me that sounds like b*ll*cks especially since I have a colleague who has one of the old style STB's and has both analogue and digital from the STB.

So finally to the questions:-
1. Has anyone any experience of this?
2. Any way I can get what I want from NTL?
3. Any other solutions?

Nemesis · 11-12-2003, 14:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yadrah

Hi All,

This is the first time I've posted to this site so please bear with me.

I have analogue Ntl tv and I'm pretty sure the signal/reception has been degrading over the past few months, but maybe that's just me being paranoid

So, I'm considering upgrading to the digital service. The one thing that is stopping me is not being able to watch one channel and record another. Now I know this is not possible (with a single STB) for digital BUT I should be able to record an analogue signal and watch digital or visa-versa. The signal from the rooftop aerial is really poor so this is not really an option and I'm outside of the freeview area

Having read various site posts it seems that it 'was' possible to get a box with an "analogue pass through" but these are no longer supplied. There were some posts that mentioned getting a by-pass. Sounded like a splitter, put in that allows you to get the analogue signal from the wall box before it gets to the STB. One post indicated you can ask for this when you order the install and the other that the engineer would fit one if you fed them enough tea and biscuits.

I rang the sales line (bad first move) and was told that this is "not possible" and that they "don't even send an analogue signal" any more. Now to me that sounds like b*ll*cks especially since I have a colleague who has one of the old style STB's and has both analogue and digital from the STB.

So finally to the questions:-
1. Has anyone any experience of this?
2. Any way I can get what I want from NTL?
3. Any other solutions?

Firstly welcome

I personally have precisely what you want. The Digital cable comes into the house and is split to give 2 STB's the digital signal. One of the cables has been split further to give the analogue signal to another UHF splitter that supplies all the rest of the tele's in the house. So I end up with Digital TV in the lounge and Bedroom and Analogue in the Kids Bedrooms and Kitchen.

The engineer didn't install the analogue bit, but left the cable and splitter reasdy to install myself ... cost me some teas an biccies.

I know that you can still get pass-thru STB's but are rare. There are other ways ... Altis and The Eng should be along soon

bob_builder · 11-12-2003, 15:36

Apparently it depends on what franchise you live in. (Ex C&W franchises do not provide an analogue signal that can be picked up by a normal TV.)

Nemesis · 11-12-2003, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob_builder

Apparently it depends on what franchise you live in. (Ex C&W franchises do not provide an analogue signal that can be picked up by a normal TV.)

Hmmm interesting .... I'm on Ex-CWC I can get it no prob .... it's the STB that stops it.

11-12-2003, 15:55

are you supposed to connect the cable direct to a tv?

Nemesis · 11-12-2003, 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary_580

are you supposed to connect the cable direct to a tv?

Officially No ...

Alanmelon · 11-12-2003, 16:26

Depending on how much you want to spend, and which channels you want to record, you could ask ntl to install two boxes. The second one will cost you ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£15 per month, but will allow you to watch/record all of the channels you have on the first box, and you can have it in another room.

bob_builder · 11-12-2003, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemesis

Hmmm interesting .... I'm on Ex-CWC I can get it no prob .... it's the STB that stops it.

I was only quoting the following post from last time this was discussed:
http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showp...6&postcount=18

Nemesis · 11-12-2003, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob_builder

I was only quoting the following post from last time this was discussed:
http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showp...6&postcount=18

No offence meant .... it could be the videotron network that doesn't supply Analogue .... but I must adnit I'd not heard this before.

Yadrah · 11-12-2003, 17:39

Thanks to Nemesis and everyone else who posted a reply, both to this thread and the "Chann 1-5 help" thread which was also very useful. Looks like I'm going to have to stock up on chocolate biscuits and hope for a friendly engineer who will fit a splitter for me.

The 'guy' that fitted the original analogue box had a sloped forehead and ground level knuckles so it may be that after the install I won't have my longed for splitter, so..... can you get the necessaries from the local B&Q and is it a doddle fitting one?

Alanmelon suggested getting a second box. Well call me Mr. Tightwad but 98% of my tv viewing is on the terrestrial channels, 1.99% of the remaining is Simpsons on Sky

so the idea of forking out the extra dosh doesn't appeal.

Nor · 11-12-2003, 17:46

I got a new digital box recently (replaced a broken digital stb) and it has an analogue pass through. So I can record 1-5 while watching one of the digital channels or record any digital channel while watching 1-5.

I had some of the very first digital boxes with an analogue pass through. I had read, just as you did, that the newer digital boxes didn't have it but seems that they introduced new ones with analogue pass through's not so long ago.

bob_builder · 12-12-2003, 11:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemesis

No offence meant .... it could be the videotron network that doesn't supply Analogue .... but I must adnit I'd not heard this before.

No offence taken

I am just as confused as you

bob_builder · 12-12-2003, 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nor

I got a new digital box recently (replaced a broken digital stb) and it has an analogue pass through. So I can record 1-5 while watching one of the digital channels or record any digital channel while watching 1-5.

I had some of the very first digital boxes with an analogue pass through. I had read, just as you did, that the newer digital boxes didn't have it but seems that they introduced new ones with analogue pass through's not so long ago.

Nor, what model STB did you get installed? Sometimes "new" boxes are just old ones that have been removed from other houses.

Hell Fighter · 12-12-2003, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nor

I got a new digital box recently (replaced a broken digital stb) and it has an analogue pass through. So I can record 1-5 while watching one of the digital channels or record any digital channel while watching 1-5.

I had some of the very first digital boxes with an analogue pass through. I had read, just as you did, that the newer digital boxes didn't have it but seems that they introduced new ones with analogue pass through's not so long ago.

The old boxes (with the 2 slots on the front) have the bypass for terrestrial channels.
There were then some "phase two" style boxes (2000 series?) which didn't include this and required the use of a combiner with an outside aerial.

With the 4000 series boxes, ntl are fitting Bypass filters to the back of them, external to the actual unit, which are powered by the IR-port.

bob_builder · 12-12-2003, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hell Fighter

With the 4000 series boxes, ntl are fitting Bypass filters to the back of them, external to the actual unit, which are powered by the IR-port.

Not all 4000 series boxes have a bypass fitted externally. Mine (4001) has an external signal combiner to combine the aerial signal with the RF out from the STB.