FM Hook-up - Page 3

Okonski · 06-10-2005, 14:48

I'd like the idea of them supplying a feed, but then DAB is simply a transmission medium, they'd respond by saying they can easily provide these stations as audio channels on their existing TV line-up. If the real issue was bandwidth, you can bet FM qould have been lost the minute digital TV was proposed.... but they didn't. The Music Choice channels are still there, blasting out Stereo silence on 8 frequencies. How daft is that? As its not revenue earning, it's a low priority, but I'd settle for the removal of the MCEblanks and fixing the ones that are supposed to be there, and stop saying it's 'unsupported'. Which is a crass reaction to 'I don't know what you're talking about, or I've never heard of it).

jaycee · 07-10-2005, 10:24

My guess is it will be discontinued when they discontinue the analog cable transmissions, as they will then be able to use the bandwidth for digital cable stuff. It would be nice however if they could supply DAB encoded signals, but as DAB itself is rubbish compared to the high quality encoded audio you can get through the STB, i dont think they will bother.

Okonski · 07-10-2005, 12:58

This 'dump' analogue campaign by NTL is nonsensical. I had an NTL staffer tell me in all seriousness they would be required 'by law' to cease analogue transmissions at a date specified by the government. She couldn't get her head round the fact that any proposed digital switchover only concerned terrestrial transmissions, not what was squirted down a cable. NTL as the UK's only cable company will be in a great position to capitalise on this, as I mentioned previously.

With regard to FM - facilitating DAB would be pointless as the number of customers taking advantage of it would be minimal in the short term, and even less in the future as a 'Son of DAB' is brought to market, making the current kit obsolete. The same would hold true for NTL providing a Freeview feed for those not wanting an STB. I understand many councils gave cable companies the right of wayleaves so that aerials, whether VHF or UHF, could be dispensed with. Analogue STBs are clearly on the way out, and replacing them with digital will have no impact on the aerial situation.

Remove FM though, and you've a different situation. Many folk will not want their TV on all day just to listen to radio, so there may be a requirement to keep the FM service active, whether they want to or not. It would be interesting to find out!

bob_builder · 07-10-2005, 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okonski

This 'dump' analogue campaign by NTL is nonsensical.

It is not nonsensical if you see that NTL can supply many new digital or even HDTV channels (for which they can charge more money) in the same bandwidth as a handful of anlaogue TV and FM broadcasts (that are currently free).

Okonski · 07-10-2005, 15:04

No - you misunderstood. It was nonsensical that they were misconstruing the ending of analogue (on NTL) as a government edict, when it was nothing of the sort. The bandwidth used by the 30 or so available analogue TV channels (of which, only 7 are 'free') is far greater than the 22 FM audio channels. Which begs the question, if there was such a squeeze on bandwidth, then why several years after the removal of Music Choice's 8 music feeds, the carrier is still active and encoding stereo silence, when clearly is should have been removed entirely.

As for HDTV, I'm all for it - but bandwith here is an almost infinite resource. The NTL's fibre network already has the capacity, the only logjam would be in the local loop, and STB's could be made to reconstruct an HDTV signal in much the same way as BB does today... on an unused part of the available spectrum. Sky don't have this resource, and they have to pay (dearly) for this for each Astra transponder. NTL can simply, take it in by fibre skipping the hop into space.

If NTL decide to end FM hook-up, then fine I'll be sorry to see it go - but not this ongoing 'death by misinformation' policy they've currently bombarded me with.

bob_builder · 07-10-2005, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okonski

No - you misunderstood. It was nonsensical that they were misconstruing the ending of analogue (on NTL) as a government edict, when it was nothing of the sort. The bandwidth used by the 30 or so available analogue TV channels (of which, only 7 are 'free') is far greater than the 22 FM audio channels. Which begs the question, if there was such a squeeze on bandwidth, then why several years after the removal of Music Choice's 8 music feeds, the carrier is still active and encoding stereo silence, when clearly is should have been removed entirely.

Fair enough!

In fact, I think that NTL (and Telewest) will turn-off analogue before the government does, in any case - Telewest have said they want to stop analogue broadcasts by the end of 2006.

They can only make use of the FM and UHF bandwidth if they completely remove all channels as a single digital mux would take up a lot more space than one analogue channel but be able to carry a lot more digital channels.

Okonski · 07-10-2005, 17:18

Ah - but you forget 70% of their customer base might just like the idea that their TV/radio could continue to work fine after the Govt imposed analogue blackout! Think of it as a USP (unique selling point) of cable. Presently I do not watch the digital versions of terrestrial channels, because it gives me the option of watching one whilst taping something else. Unless NTL propose to release STB's with dual tuners, I see what you suggest as being a PR nightmare for them.

who has my name? · 17-10-2005, 02:06

I managed to report a fault with the FM hook up within the last two years, a) with out any issue and b) it got fixed within the week.
Some local stations had disappeared.
But as always with NTL, i think, it depends who happens to pick the phone up. Some have brains/knowledge/will to help, others just answer the phone and you wonder why, or wether you have phoned the right number.
I must say it still bugs me that, a telecommunications company are still sending out bills which state dial 151 from your NTL phone to contact us, when for at least a year all you get is a tone. You then remember to us the 0800....
anyway rant over

jrhnewark · 17-10-2005, 09:18

I rang NTL about Virgin Radio dropping off the FM hook-up here in Nottingham (to be replaced by a silent stereo carrier), only to be told that (basically) they didn't care whatsoever.

Okonski · 17-10-2005, 09:24

It is this attitude I find incredible.... they either offer the service (and fix it when it goes wrong) or they don't, and they pull the plug and face an outcry from customers who feed the signal to their HiFi kint and think nothing of it (as you would do with a standard FM aerial).

I think the only way to force the issue is to state that you put a value of - say ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£3.99pm for the service, and you'll be withholding this amount until the channel (s) you listen to are restored....