Why ntl and not sky?

[lemarsh]

Originally Posted by Neil

And you think that's unbeatable?

It's late, and I'm feeling generous!!

[tkiely]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

However, for Broadband, must say that NTL is still unbeatable, especially given the new speeds. If only they would get SPAM, Email & News sorted.

Well, they havnt delivered yet! not on speed,spam,email,news or even a plain TCP link! my 512 ADSL link is still faster than my so called '1Meg' from ntl.

Enjoy paying for your new service level, I'll enjoy watching you do it.

ps:this is meant to be a friendly post, I didnt get it for four years either!

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

However, the best part is Sky+. Able to record 2 digital channels at the same time (or watch & record another). Great when you have little children (or wifes) who hog the telly. Also, very useful is the 'delay' recording. This allows you to 'rewind live telly' - again great for footie matches when you want to re-look goals etc. Finally, you can record a programme (2 weeks in advance, and also series link, so all eastenders are tapes for example), and start watching it debfore it finishes.

I agree - you never really understand how good sky + is until you've got it.

Originally Posted by lemarsh

...However, for Broadband, must say that NTL is still unbeatable, especially given the new speeds...

I disagree - there's a lot of ADSL products out there that beat it on price and also because ADSL offers 256 upload speed rather than 128.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

It's late, and I'm feeling generous!!

Although I'm seriously thingking of moving to Sky+, I'm certainly leaving the BB with NTL, it works well around Hertford enough of the time (all networks have some problems) and the 750k will be a nice bonus. Better still would be 256 the other way, but with the resdesign of the website uploads will be lighter and fewer as it will be mainly modifying the product database.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

...However, for Broadband, must say that NTL is still unbeatable, especially given the new speeds...

You sure about that.....?

Bulldog do a 2MB package for £34.99 per month (£3.00 less than ntl's 1MB ('soon' to be 1.5MB) offering.

http://www.bulldogdsl.com/residentia.../primetime.asp

Central Point offer a 2MB service for £34.99-with all of the following feature included.....

Lower cost
High quality high speed broadband service
First class support
No long term contract (just three months)
You can use your own hardware
You do not have to move your email address
No limits
Static IP address included
We do not restrict P2P applications
This is NOT an introductory offer
There are NO HIDDEN COSTS

http://www.cpbb.co.uk/

When you consider that you will be paying £38.00 for a 1MB 'service' with (by your own admission) poor email/news servers/spam issues, it doesn't seem quite so 'unbeatable' does it.....?

[andrew_wallasey]

Neil,

I guess you have not used the bulldog services then?

You cant compare something just on face value. Bulldog uses BT's Datastream which suffer from very slow speeds.

[andrew_wallasey]

We have 3 Set top boxes, we will soon have a 4th so I don't see the point in sky+.

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by andrew_wallasey

We have 3 Set top boxes, we will soon have a 4th so I don't see the point in sky+.

but with sky+ you can record digitally , not onto some grotty old vhs tape , mind you if you can afford 4 boxes a month money cant be too much of a problem

[andrew_wallasey]

We got a DVD recorder :P

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by andrew_wallasey

We got a DVD recorder :P

aint it funny , i am not surprised

[mdean]

Originally Posted by andrew_wallasey

We got a DVD recorder :P

Exactly a piece of kit which will work with $ky NTL freeview, FTA digital sat from any bird in the sky, and even good old analogue

While those suckered into Sky+ are stuck recording just what Rupert lets them

[lemarsh]

So what exactly can you see on ..... NTL freeview, FTA digital sat from any bird in the sky, and even good old analogue... that you cannot get on Sky?

And also (this being the crucial thing for me) ..... how do you tape 1 Digital Channel for NTL (i.e. Horror Channel), and also tape or view another digital channel (i.e. Motors TV) - whoops, probably bad examples, as NTL don;t have either!

lemarsh (ignore the channels part, cheap shot when we are currently talking pros and cons of DVD Recorders v SKY+, not the additional channels on Sky)

[mdean]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

So what exactly can you see on ..... NTL freeview, FTA digital sat from any bird in the sky, and even good old analogue... that you cannot get on Sky?

And also (this being the crucial thing for me) ..... how do you tape 1 Digital Channel for NTL (i.e. Horror Channel), and also tape or view another digital channel (i.e. Motors TV) - whoops, probably bad examples, as NTL don;t have either!

lemarsh (ignore the channels part, cheap shot when we are currently talking pros and cons of DVD Recorders v SKY+, not the additional channels on Sky)

Leemarsh - my comment re freeview- ntl sky fta sat etc was about:-
1)picture quality- not numbers of channel ie on the same tv there is no difference between the different platforms (contary to some daft posts here.

2) A VCR / PVR/Pc can record off any of these sources- Sky+ can only record off sky

Therefore sky + is propriatory rubbish to be avoided at all costs.

Clearly to tape 2 ntl sources you need 2 ntl boxes and 2 recorders

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by mdean

Leemarsh - my comment re freeview- ntl sky fta sat etc was about:-
1)picture quality- not numbers of channel ie on the same tv there is no difference between the different platforms (contary to some daft posts here.

2) A VCR / PVR/Pc can record off any of these sources- Sky+ can only record off sky

Therefore sky + is propriatory rubbish to be avoided at all costs.

Clearly to tape 2 ntl sources you need 2 ntl boxes and 2 recorders

mdean, have you ever had Sky+ in your home and used it for a while in order to judge its performance and features?

There is a difference in quality between the various platforms and my experience is that NTL is the worst of them, particularly in hot weather. Others may have different experiences with the various systems but having tried them all I know which I prefer.

If you want decent quality recordings then Sky+ gives you recordings of the same quality as the original transmissions. Do your solutions do this? VCR recordings are of a much lower quality than Sky+ recordings but if you are satisfied with less than the best take that route.

Sky+ may only be usable on Sky but as Sky is the best platform (in my opinion) the that is no problem.

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by mdean

Clearly to tape 2 ntl sources you need 2 ntl boxes and 2 recorders

yes and not only that your dvd recorder or hard disk recorder needs a program guide and some way of changing the channels on your NTL box when it wants to start a recording off.

this is where sky + beats it - its recording facilities are fully integrated within the existing sky program guide.

last time I looked at DVD recorders, quite a few didnt even have program guides.