Getting TV channels without NTL box? - Page 2

**Chris** · 03-03-2005, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJay

This is interesting...

I am planning on getting ntl to set me up with the basic package and as I also have duff reception in my area, I wanted to run my other tvs from ntl's signal for channels 1-5...

The woman I spoke to at NTL said this would not be possible, but are you saying it is?

Especially if i am payting for the basic package for my living room?

Thanks in advance,

J.

You can treat the NTL analogue signal that comes into your house in exactly the same way as you would the signal that comes down from your roof aerial. So long as the service is connected at the street cabinet, the five terrestrial analogue channels will be available and you should be able to use a splitter to send the signal to multiple rooms.

What I'm not aware of is if they have connected your house to the digital service out at the street cab, whether they at the same time unplug the analogue feed to your house. If they do that, then the only way to get NTL into multiple rooms is by subscribing to multiple STBs, or by splitting the output from the STB in your front room, in which case every telly in the house would have to watch the same channel at the same time (someone jump in and say so if splitting STB output is a bad idea!).

TBH if your only reason for getting NTL is the duff TV reception in your area, I would have thought you'd have been better off spending your money on getting an ultra high gain rooftop aerial professionally installed, and making sure it's the right type to work with Freeview when it becomes available in your area. NTL's base pack is not good value unless you particularly want the phone line that they force you to subscribe to along with it. IIRC the monthly sub is ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£19, although there may be a 'free line rental for 12 months' offer on at the moment.

We suffer poor reception at our house and would have gone for the proper roof aerial but for the fact that there won't be any Freeview where we are until about 2008 and having had Cbeebies in our old house we can't live without DTV any more! We're 25 miles from the nearest Cable network so we got $ky. Free install and ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£13 a month for the base pack, which has fewer channels than NTL's base pack but at least the picture is crystal clear and we get BBC and ITV's digital channels.

bob_builder · 03-03-2005, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

We're 25 miles from the nearest Cable network so we got $ky. Free install and ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£13 a month for the base pack, which has fewer channels than NTL's base pack but at least the picture is crystal clear and we get BBC and ITV's digital channels.

And you get get your BBC and ITV region from "back home" so you can keep up with the old local news!

BigJay · 03-03-2005, 15:07

Thanks Chris...

No - my only reason isn't the reception! I realise the base pack is basic, but I will probably upgrade it once I'm abit more flush..

The Aerial option is apossibility, but I live in a tenement and by the time I pay for high access installation and all the aerials etc I'm going to be looking at ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£100 - ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£150 squid, so that's nearly a year of the base pack and line rental anyway...

When you say it might be possible...

What do I have to do to run my other tv's from the ntl socket? Do I need special equipment/splitters etc or can I just plug straight in and go for it?

I don't fancy the split from the box idea as I only want it if I can watch other channels from whats going on in the living room.

My confusion comes from seeing someone talking about getting 1-5 straight from the socket, yet NTL telling me it wouldn't be possible. Although I'm sure it might not be desirable from their point of view, I thought it must be possible...

Thanks again,

J.

**Chris** · 03-03-2005, 15:14

It is entirely possible, but it's not official. It depends on whether the line to your flat has ever been connected up at the street cab and whether a passing tech, on realising it was out of use, has ever disconnected it. If it was plugged in in the first place, and if no-one has since unplugged it, then it is possible, no matter how much NTL would like you to believe otherwise. Simplest way to find out really is to get your telly and just plug it in to the NTL socket in your living room. You'll have to re-tune as the channels are all on different frequencies.

BigJay · 03-03-2005, 15:20

Thanks again Chris,

I'll try this..

Cheers,

J.

bob_builder · 03-03-2005, 16:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJay

What do I have to do to run my other tv's from the ntl socket? Do I need special equipment/splitters etc or can I just plug straight in and go for it?

If you find you do get an analogue signal from the NTL cable, then to use it long-term you really ought to get an isolator (see earlier in this thread) to ensure you do not degrade your or others' digital signal.

Something like the following will split the signal and isolate it:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...ce=14&doy=18m2

**Chris** · 03-03-2005, 16:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJay

Thanks again Chris,

I'll try this..

Cheers,

J.

You're welcome.

And, by the way,

to Cable Forum.

ian@huth · 03-03-2005, 16:45

If you are getting a TV service from NTL then all signals, digital and analog will be coming down the cable until such time as analog is switched off nationally. DIY splitting of the signal can introduce noise into NTLs cable system and affect every other user nearby on both TV and more importantly, broadband.

BigJay · 04-03-2005, 15:30

OK,

So if splitting the signal onto other tvs in my house is going to introduce noise back into the system, surely there is some way I can stop this noise getting back down the cable into the system? I want to get the terrestrial channels, but I don't want this to screw up my neighbours cable and modems etc...

Could I not install some sort of blocker or filter on the cable to stop the introduction of this noise?

What would it be and any ideas on where i could get it?

Any help greatly appreciated,

J.

bob_builder · 04-03-2005, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJay

OK,

So if splitting the signal onto other tvs in my house is going to introduce noise back into the system, surely there is some way I can stop this noise getting back down the cable into the system? I want to get the terrestrial channels, but I don't want this to screw up my neighbours cable and modems etc...

Could I not install some sort of blocker or filter on the cable to stop the introduction of this noise?

What would it be and any ideas on where i could get it?

Any help greatly appreciated,

J.

Yes you can get a splitter and isolator as I mentioned a few posts back:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob_builder

If you find you do get an analogue signal from the NTL cable, then to use it long-term you really ought to get an isolator (see earlier in this thread) to ensure you do not degrade your or others' digital signal.

Something like the following will split the signal and isolate it:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...ce=14&doy=18m2

BigJay · 04-03-2005, 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob_builder

Yes you can get a splitter and isolator as I mentioned a few posts back:

Aha, sorry Bob, I was assuming that wouldn't be enough after Ian's post...

Excellent, so a trip to Maplin and I'm in business then...

Cheers again...

PS - Do you happen to know if I can still get analogue from NTL as a new customer? One of my friends has the analogue and it costs him nearly half of what I'd have to pay for digital...

bob_builder · 04-03-2005, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJay

Aha, sorry Bob, I was assuming that wouldn't be enough after Ian's post...

Excellent, so a trip to Maplin and I'm in business then...

Cheers again...

PS - Do you happen to know if I can still get analogue from NTL as a new customer? One of my friends has the analogue and it costs him nearly half of what I'd have to pay for digital...

What Ian said was true, anything you attach to the cable is going to introduce some noise (even a NTL STB) and it is up to the NTL tech to stop that from interfering with others. The Maplin splitter will reduce the noise to a minimum, however, and should not cause any problems.

NTL do not let people sign up to analogue anymore because its days are numbered and no more analogue STBs are being bought. Your friend will, one day, be faced with the choice of upgrading to digital and paying the same as everybody else or losing their cable TV altogether.

ian@huth · 04-03-2005, 16:10

Some areas still allow you to sign uo for analogue. My daughter tried to sign up for NTL TV, phone and broadband in Leicester a few months back and all she could get was analogue. The whole experience was a nightmare though which is why they now have BT phone, ADSL and normal 1-5 through aerial.

BigJay · 04-03-2005, 16:20

Thanks Ian...

I thought that might be the case as I can still find the analogue stuff on the ntl website...

J.