Re: The BS Times - With NTL

[hawkmoon]

Hey - don't forget us poor saps who had the misforune of being Videotron customers. Many of us are still on CR1 with no interactive at all!

[KenK]

Originally posted by Tristan
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.
<snip>
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.

A third option is to give us poor punters on the Langley platform a price reduction, to compensate for the lack of a (long-promised) major service enhancement, that other users are getting for the same amount of money. Meanwhile, I have to put up with a worse service than last year for the summer's major sporting events - no multi-channel Wimbledon or Open this time.

I accept all that's been said in this thread about the technical problems, and spite doesn't come in to it, I just don't see why I'm paying for something I don't get. Besides, if they were to see a loss in revenue because of this lack of service, it might concentrate their efforts to provide ALL their customers with the same features for the same price.

[th'engineer]

Anyone remember the BS about the free dial up service for Ex CWC NTL customers that was coming next month.

All other areas got it but us poor relations in ex CWC

It went on and on and on next month honest, they used every excuse in the book on that one .

Eventually got it six months before they discontinued it

[rippedoff]

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.

SORRY. They DO have the choice. It is ntl:'s choice if they want to invest money and time in upgrading the network and software. They have decided not to spend the money just now. They should spend now and employ more people do do the work so that it is done speedily. They should view it as an investment which is what it is after all. Car manufacturers, and other businesses spend millions before they see a penny of profit, but they take the risk and invest for the future. It's a shame that ntl: only seem to be interested in 'today's profit', and cannot see beyond the greed of its directors and shareholders.

[JonSav]

Y'know, i'm sure I agrued the point for ntl: not releasing any etv until both platforms were the same, which was the line I was given by an employee. My, how times change.....


As much as I realise how the differences in the platforms annoy many people, if it wasn't for this site, .com, and another Digital site, we wouldn't know about the differences, just presume that everything was the same, and be happy as Larry.

Also, can I just point out that some of us are still stuck on CATV, and therefore won't see any etv anytime within the next decade.

Originally posted by rippedoff
SORRY. They DO have the choice. It is ntl:'s choice if they want to invest money and time in upgrading the network and software.

You can't choose to spend money you don't have. A company doesn't suddenly emerge from bankruptcy protection with a rosy current account balance. They were about 17 billion in the red, remember.

They should spend now and employ more people do do the work so that it is done speedily. They should view it as an investment which is what it is after all. Car manufacturers, and other businesses spend millions before they see a penny of profit, but they take the risk and invest for the future.

Agreed, that is a sound business model. But again, it assumes that the business has the money. Ntl does not. It is still sacking people by the dozen to try to save cash as the wage bill is a huge part of any company's costs.

It's a shame that ntl: only seem to be interested in 'today's profit', and cannot see beyond the greed of its directors and shareholders.

Greed, over-ambition ... whatever it was, the real damage was done months if not years ago as the company over-extended itself. If ntl had never bought C&W none of this might have happened ... and we might not all be arguing over the fairness (or otherwise) of half ntl's network getting e-tv while the other half doesn't.

An interesting question would be, had it been left to Cable and Wireless, would you be any more likely to now have BB and interactive services in South London? Sadly we will never know.

Originally posted by KenK
A third option is to give us poor punters on the Langley platform a price reduction, to compensate for the lack of a (long-promised) major service enhancement, that other users are getting for the same amount of money. <snip>

As a Langley user, I'd love that ... however if you were to try to press it as an idea with ntl, you would have to show that as interactive services have become more sophisticated, your subscription fees have gone up as a result. I fear it might prove impossible to do that.

More than likely they would simply say the interactive stuff is a free bonus feature, which is great if you can get it but you've lost nothing if you can't...

[grum1978]

Originally posted by towny

More than likely they would simply say the interactive stuff is a free bonus feature, which is great if you can get it but you've lost nothing if you can't...

Yep thats exactly what they would say to you

[bob_builder]

Originally posted by KenK
A third option is to give us poor punters on the Langley platform a price reduction, to compensate for the lack of a (long-promised) major service enhancement, that other users are getting for the same amount of money. Meanwhile, I have to put up with a worse service than last year for the summer's major sporting events - no multi-channel Wimbledon or Open this time.

Oh, I can just imagine the thread if Bromley customers were charged more than Langley customers - full of irate Bromley users complaining that they have to pay more for a c*** service that they do not use!

[Tristan]

I think, but have no way of knowing for sure (as NTL people don't want to tell me), that the STB software is actually written by Pace on NTL's behalf. Certainly that's been the suggestion by people on the DigitalSpy boards.

Now Pace are in just as bad a financial position as NTL, so it's possible that they're the ones causing the massive delay with Langley CR3.

Just a theory...

[KenK]

Originally posted by bob_builder
Oh, I can just imagine the thread if Bromley customers were charged more than Langley customers - full of irate Bromley users complaining that they have to pay more for a c*** service that they do not use!

Yes,so can I. However, I don't have the chance of finding out if it's a c*** service, or if I might want to use it. All I get is the requirement to pay for it.

[bigitup_j]

langley and ex-videotron customers should NOT get a discount in anyway. the interactive is FREE. you pay for the channels, a line rental and the rental of your box. plus customer services, free repairs.
in fact, langley people have it better. phone calls are itemised on the bill for free if above 49p in ex-cwc places. langley it is above 20p. according to channel ntl.

[JonSav]

Here's another point on charges.

if you are paying the standard Charge for your digi-box and phone (£47.50 ), then you are paying 50p less than I do for my CATV and phone. (£48). Now tell me who should get a discount!!!