Re: The BS Times - With NTL

fraz · 15-07-2003, 00:57

Quote:

Coming to screens near you over the next month or so (or not as is the case) ......

NTL have yet again shunned their Langley platform digital television customers, and will be offering an Open Golf 'red button interactive' service to Bromley CR3 platform customers only.

The fact that customers receive the same bills, yet one group receives a substandard service, appears to mean nothing to NTL who will be offering Bromley CR3 platform customers the chance to choose between five different video streams, offering different group options, highlights and other choices, as well as an interactive leaderboard and course guide between Thursday July the 17th and Sunday July the 20th

Firstly can I point out that I'm on Langley(in my case ex Cabletel) not Bromley but........

There are technical differences in the specs between the two platforms which are a legacy of ntl purchasing C&W and not something which ntl is doing to make life deliberately awkward, and as I'm sure many ex C&W customers will be quick to point out its (almost) a case of what comes around goes around. I'm sure many of them remember not being able to get the ntlworld 0800 service because they were on ex C&W lines (& not BT or ntl lines) despite having an ntl logo on their bills.

Unfortunately I would imagine its probably going to take some time for the 2 platforms to become identical, I'm sure theres some techy bods floating around somewhere that can probably explain why far better than I can.

BubbleGum · 15-07-2003, 01:12

Quote:

Originally posted by fraz
Unfortunately I would imagine its probably going to take some time for the 2 platforms to become identical, I'm sure theres some techy bods floating around somewhere that can probably explain why far better than I can.

So basically you're saying "coming soon"

Can we frame the post by fraz please - one day the penny will drop with ntl and their employees and they'll realise that they - not us - have the ability to change things and give customers what we want. Not today though. Insulting us with technical jargon is just lame.

fraz · 15-07-2003, 01:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Bluetack
So basically you're saying "coming soon" Can we frame the post by fraz please - one day the penny will drop with ntl and their employees and they'll realise that they - not us - have the ability to change things and give customers what we want. Not today though. Insulting us with technical jargon is just lame.

by all means frame it ....
.... and dont foget the bit of support I chucked in for the ex C&W guys who've had rough deals of their own in the past

BubbleGum · 15-07-2003, 02:12

Quote:

Originally posted by fraz
I'm sure theres some techy bods floating around somewhere that can probably explain why far better than I can.

Come on fraz - I can explain the reason and you probably know it too. Forget technical issues and think money

Forget keeping the customer happy and think of an attitude of everything's fine as long as the stupid customer pays his bills. Forget whatever ntl tell you when you clock in, and think of continued contempt for the customer and a long overdue attitude adjustment for the knobs at the top.

Tristan · 15-07-2003, 02:52

I've just read that on the front page. What a joke.

Don't people understand that the alternative is for NEITHER NETWORK TO HAVE ANYTHING, until the Langley CR3 software is ready. What the hell will that acheive?

Reading the front page 'article', it seems to me that the author is under the impression that NTL have simply choosen not to enable e-TV on the Langley platform. Do people not get it?

Now don't get me wrong. I'm amazed the Langley version of CR3 is taking this long, and I think NTL should at least give people some idea of when it might arrive. But to suggest that the other half of the network should be denied the chance to use the capabilities of their service to the full out of sheer spite is just ridiculous.

BubbleGum · 15-07-2003, 03:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Tristan
NTL have simply choosen not to enable e-TV on the Langley platform.

They do have that choice

If they don't, please tell me who does ?.

Tristan · 15-07-2003, 03:44

Of course NTL don't have the choice to offer e-TV on the Langley platform. It is impossible to do with the current software. Oh, maybe Liberate 1.1 can so some e-TVish things, under certain circumstances, but not nearly as much as 1.2, and not under NTL's implementation of it.

BubbleGum · 15-07-2003, 03:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Tristan
Of course NTL don't have the choice to offer e-TV on the Langley platform. It is impossible to do with the current software. Oh, maybe Liberate 1.1 can so some e-TVish things, under certain circumstances, but not nearly as much as 1.2, and not under NTL's implementation of it.

That's the fault of the customer is it ?. Stop talking b0ll0cks - the buck stops with ntl not us :******:

Tristan · 15-07-2003, 03:51

I'm not talking ********, I'm telling the truth.

What do you suggest NTL do? The Langley version of CR3 isn't ready yet. Of course, they should be putting every resource they having into getting it done.

Assuming they're doing that though, what should they do on the e-TV front in the mean time?

fraz · 15-07-2003, 08:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Tristan
I'm not talking ********, I'm telling the truth.

What do you suggest NTL do? The Langley version of CR3 isn't ready yet. Of course, they should be putting every resource they having into getting it done.

Assuming they're doing that though, what should they do on the e-TV front in the mean time?

I must confess I dont know how the software works but can I safel assume that if the Langley version of CR3 were released prematurely then the chances are that a large portion of the customer base could potentially be left with a totally unusable service?

A little like Microsoft prematurely releasing a new version of Windows

Stuart · 15-07-2003, 09:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Bluetack
Forget technical issues and think money

Actually, I think it's probably both. There are technical differences wth the networks, and it is taking time and costing money to sort them out.

Stuart · 15-07-2003, 09:40

Quote:

Originally posted by fraz

A little like Microsoft prematurely releasing a new version of Windows

Which, of course, would *never* happen....

mdbray · 15-07-2003, 12:11

well at least with the present situation some ntl customers, like myself, are happy.

imagine the stink caused by those of us who have the suitable software in place didn't get the red button functions because ntl said we had to wait for those who didn't have the software.
everyone would be unhappy then.

there are times to be altruistic, this is not one of them!

bob_builder · 15-07-2003, 13:26

It is, possibly, quite a good idea to "trial" this interactive stuff on a small part of the NTL network, first, before rolling it out to everybody else.

Bromley - the NTL Guinea Pigs!

bigitup_j · 15-07-2003, 16:41

well cr3 is to start trials during september and released during october. (of course langley platform)
so wait a bit, and langley people will have all the glory of cr3 and fancy e-tv content!