Dual recordings

[ian@huth]

There were two main reasons that I dropped NTL DTV and chose Sky instead, poor picture quality on NTL and the advances Sky had made with Sky+.

With Sky+ I can now record two different digital channels at the same time using the one box with built in recorder, but need two NTL boxes and two recorders to do the same on NTL.

When will NTL catch up and provide a similar service to Sky+ ?

Maxtor are already working on a system that will provide up to six different video streams from one HDD http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/35932.html

Are NTL working on STBs with built in recorders and multiple tuners or can't they produce such a box that runs cool enough to prevent picture breakup?

[Captain]

Don't see why NTL cannot give this facility. The technology is obviously there as Pace do one for Freeview as well.

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=1751&productId=86142&Trail=C$cip=12724 >C$cip=12779&categoryId=12779

Granted you would have to buy one, but thats the same with anything such as a video recorder, dvd player or plasma tv or widescreen tv so if people want it and are willing to pay for it then give it to them.

Smacks of lack of customer focus on the part of NTL, "let's just give em the basics", mentality.

[Salu]

There are a few threads about this already.

http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showt...ghlight=ntl%2B

I agree completely with you though. This is a feature that I would be really interested in. I've just built a Windows Media Centre but its not reliable and crashes periodically. It can only record one channel at a time.

I have considered moving to Sky+ but the cost is unjustifiable for me at the moment. There is also the hassle factor to consider as well..

[ian@huth]

I know that there are other threads talking about Sky+ but I started this as a result of seeing the Register article and wondering if multiple recording facilities could technically be put in a NTL box. My NTL box, when I had it, used to get far hotter than any Sky box that I have seen with the viewing cards being badly scorched on each of the five or six boxes that I went through. I used to suffer from very bad picture quality with every NTL box that I had with freezing, stuttering and pixallation and these problems got worse when the outside temperature rose. NTL engineers told me that heat was a problem and that they could solve the immediate problem, but the fix would mean that problems returned when the weather cooled. If heat is a problem with NTL boxes then the extra heat generated by using multiple tuners could make them unviable. It may be that the heat problem is due to NTL wanting to pay as little as possible for the boxes and that spending a bit more may solve the problem. Only those in the know at NTL can tell us if that's the case. Come on you NTL people, what are your views on mulple tuner PVR NTL boxes?

[jeffbodkin]

There is a lot going on behind the scenes that people never get to see. Only seeing it from the Ex CWC side advances have been made, slowly, but the company is focusing on stability of the existing platform and reducing churn of current customers as a priority. From this angle development and supply of a different technology will be very slow, look how long it has taken to release the latest Samsung boxes !!!

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by jeffbodkin

There is a lot going on behind the scenes that people never get to see. Only seeing it from the Ex CWC side advances have been made, slowly, but the company is focusing on stability of the existing platform and reducing churn of current customers as a priority. From this angle development and supply of a different technology will be very slow, look how long it has taken to release the latest Samsung boxes !!!

If NTL are focusing on reducing churn then they are not doing a very good job. They are falling behind their competitors in every area and churn can only increase if they do not have the technology that customers want and at a price that is competitive. Maybe if customers had something to look forward to they may be less prone to jump ship so why keep secret what is going on behind the scenes?

[Captain]

Originally Posted by jeffbodkin

There is a lot going on behind the scenes that people never get to see. Only seeing it from the Ex CWC side advances have been made, slowly, but the company is focusing on stability of the existing platform and reducing churn of current customers as a priority. From this angle development and supply of a different technology will be very slow, look how long it has taken to release the latest Samsung boxes !!!

I hardly think that getting a third party, (Pace) to give them a box with twin tuners and a HDD when they already do so for Sky, Freeview and abroad then selling them on is going to impact on the stability of the platform and would probably mean a huge chunk of customers that are thinking of leaving, particularly to Sky+ would remain loyal.
As I said, if the customers want it, give it to them. Is the customer not always right.
Opps I forgot it's NTL were talking about.

[jeffbodkin]

Originally Posted by ianathuth

If NTL are focusing on reducing churn then they are not doing a very good job. They are falling behind their competitors in every area and churn can only increase if they do not have the technology that customers want and at a price that is competitive. Maybe if customers had something to look forward to they may be less prone to jump ship so why keep secret what is going on behind the scenes?

I cannot agree more but as the whole company is run around facts and figures nothing is more impotant than making the numbers work regardless of what happens to the customers. If the customer is lucky they get a box that is reliable, I have a 1000 version and it has lasted for 4 years !!!

[SMHarman]

The current boxes are passive cooled, no fans, this is also why the box is fairly large, more space for heat to dissapate. You can add more to the box by actively cooling it and fans are fairly silent these days.

My Mother in Laws Scientific Atlanta 8000 PVR on Time Warner Cable hums in use, part of that is the HDD, might be a fan in there, but its still pretty quiet, not as quiet as the NTL boxes though.

Also nowadays you get more on each chip, so the box might only need 4 chips wheras the original box 1000 boxes needed 10 to do the same jobs, thus running hotter.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by ianathuth

If NTL are focusing on reducing churn then they are not doing a very good job. They are falling behind their competitors in every area and churn can only increase if they do not have the technology that customers want and at a price that is competitive. Maybe if customers had something to look forward to they may be less prone to jump ship so why keep secret what is going on behind the scenes?

????

Admittedly ntl are still screwing certain things up, but quarter upon quarter, the figures show reduced churn and increased net customers.

Many customers may be jumping ship, but many more are embarking.

And no, I'm not sticking up for ntl regardless, just using FACTS.

[seaneeboy]

Personally, that would point more towards more effective recruitment and marketing rather than dramatic improvement in services - credit where it's due and all, well done to them for getting the more people in, but their retention plan needs a little work

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by seaneeboy

Personally, that would point more towards more effective recruitment and marketing rather than dramatic improvement in services - credit where it's due and all, well done to them for getting the more people in, but their retention plan needs a little work

Good post, and all agreeable

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by seaneeboy

Personally, that would point more towards more effective recruitment and marketing rather than dramatic improvement in services - credit where it's due and all, well done to them for getting the more people in, but their retention plan needs a little work

Slipping off topic, but recruitment, so you mean an improvement in the customer service experience.

Marketing - where - I turn on the radio and hear BlueYonder adverts. The most I see NTL mentioned in adverts is those for AOL BB. NTL BB is rarely advertised, at least where I loook anyway.

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by orangebird

????

Admittedly ntl are still screwing certain things up, but quarter upon quarter, the figures show reduced churn and increased net customers.

Many customers may be jumping ship, but many more are embarking.

And no, I'm not sticking up for ntl regardless, just using FACTS.

I don't doubt what you say OB but churn is a long term issue and how much is churn reduced by offering incentives to customers thinking of leaving that mean NTL is not getting the full potential from those customers. The longer that NTL leave the situation as it is the more chance that churn will increase.

Look at Broadband and NTL do not offer a 2Mb service, are dearer than many ADSL suppliers for every tier, etc, etc.

Look at DTV and NTL are way behind Sky with PVR and eTV.

Look at telephony and NTL are dearer for calls than many suppliers via BT lines.

I know that in some of these cases NTL are actively trying to catch up but at the moment it is still "coming soon". The more people that switch from NTL to other suppliers, the more that they will broadcast the fact that they have something better or cheaper.

[Stuart]

Although I want a box with this facility, and will pay extra for it, I bought this up on .com and somebody told me is was looked at and decided it wasn't viable at the time. Proppin (I think) also gave a whole list of technical reasons why it couldn't be done (basically coming down to it's not practical in the current size boxes). It would also cost too much to replace the current boxes. When I suggested the user pay for the box, I was told NTL's billing system is not equiped to do this.

How many users does sky + have? Last I heard it was something like 100000 out of 6 million sky users. If it has enough users, maybe we can persuade NTL it is viable for them to look at introducing a similar service?