[Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?

[Sherlock614]

Originally Posted by Neil

How can a company the size of ntl be so far behind a company the size of Telewest??

Surely that question answers itself???

I have read this thread from start to finish. NTL and TW have merged. There are post merger changes still ongoing.

I am STILL flummoxed as to how you are an admin here Neil

You are SO anti NTL it is laughable!

Originally Posted by Sherlock614

Surely that question answers itself???

I have read this thread from start to finish. NTL and TW have merged. There are post merger changes still ongoing.

I am STILL flummoxed as to how you are an admin here Neil

You are SO anti NTL it is laughable!

There was once a time when that was the principal qualification for the job.

These days it is not, but then it's not a prerequisite to be an NTL fanboy either.

I happen to disagree with your premise by the way (assuming that your post implies you think it is a given that Telewest should be able to innovate more quickly because it is smaller). Sky is bigger than both NTL and Telewest but is well advanced with a credible HD service. Business culture is what governs ability to innovate, probably more so than revenue streams. An innovative company will always be able to secure finance from somewhere. The problem here appears to be that NTL is hidebound in a management culture that does not foster and encourage free thinking and innovation.

It puts me in mind of a few years ago, during one of NTL's many appearances on Watchdog, when they put their head of interactive services up for interview. NTL's interactive service was so utterly, shockingly dire at the time I was left wondering what the bloke actually did for a living.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Sherlock614

Right-good, constructive way to start a post.

Originally Posted by Sherlock614

Surely that question answers itself???

So what is the answer?

Why were/are ntl so far behind Telewest?

Originally Posted by Sherlock614

I have read this thread from start to finish. NTL and TW have merged. There are post merger changes still ongoing.

Correct-however, I am asking about [pre merger stuff.

Originally Posted by Sherlock614

I am STILL flummoxed as to how you are an admin here Neil

Are you? I suggest you take a look here then.

That may help you understand.

Originally Posted by Sherlock614

You are SO anti NTL it is laughable!

When ntl get it right, I am happy to say so.

What I don't find right is the following....

TW have an HD product available.

TW have a PVR available.

Sky have an HD product available.

Sky have a PVR available.

ntl do not have an HD product available.

ntl do not have a PVR available.

No why is that do you think?

[Sherlock614]

Originally Posted by Chris T

There was once a time when that was the principal qualification for the job.

Yep, i was around in those days too

It don't matter, carry on...

Don't mean to offend!

(and whoever repped me for this post before i edited - apologies and thanks!)

Just aint got time for the hassle :p

[jtwn]

Originally Posted by Neil

Hmmm-could it have been that the ntl box was nowhere near ready or good enough (likely)?

If the ntl box was 'good to go' they would have used it-what does it say that they went with Telewest's box & not ntl's?

Let's face it, ntl have never really led any market they have been in, they follow where others lead.

The box that ntl were said to use orginally, was best STB Scientific Atlanta had, feature wise.

Their products have always been superior to ntl's-just look at how ntl have now uncapped' the BB to follow Telewest.

Also-let's not forget how ntl were forced to follow Telewest's lead in their BB pricing (when 1 & 2Mb were 1st launched)

And not forgetting ntl upping the speed of their broadband products after Telewest had done it.

Yeah Neil. Thats why Telewest offer a 10/384k service as opposed to ntl's 10/1mbit service. Not forgetting the coming 4mb/400k v TW's 4/384k.

Nuff said really.

The only reason that ntl's PVR/HD box was ditched was because it was inferior to TW's.

Not only that, but the TW box was already out & working.

The only thing an educated opinion what is better about the TW box over the original MPEG-4 box was that it was cheaper. Not so long ago, you were laying into ntl for not using an MPEG-4 box, now you are saying its a good thing!!

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by jtwn

Yeah Neil. Thats why Telewest offer a 10/384k service as opposed to ntl's 10/1mbit service. Not forgetting the coming 4mb/400k v TW's 4/384k.

Nuff said really.

no surprise the telewest broadband service performas faster then as they decided to not oversell their bandwidth so much.

you found some chunks in telewests offerings that are inferior to ntl but telewest still has better customer satisfaction and makes more money, so it could be they decided since the ntl side is currently a liability the hd was sacrificed as part of cost cutting.

[handyman]

Ntl had a pvr in the works when I was there (2003) and the guy responcible is a member of this site.

Ntl shelved the project due to the cost and concentrated on broadband and fixing faults with the existing dtv system.

Now that ntl have started to get the pvr project back on it's feet they have made a hardware choice and this hardware is going to be far superior to anything offered by telewest or sky.

It will have a main stb with pvr hard drive.
It will be HD
It will have 3 tuners.
It will be able to be used with smaller multi room stb's that can either play recordings off the main stb or watch the channels on the main stb.

As far as I read it all of the multi-room stb's could watch,pause stop the same recording just as you could if watching an avi off a pc network.

If ntl can get this out this year and keep the costing done (and it works) they will start to make some inroads into skys domination...

[Shaun]

I think, if you're right Mark, it'll be a good product but will those with a working Sky+ system really want to go back to Ntl (which is a big no no for some in itself) for a product that really only has one additional feature they can't get with Sky+??

If people are happy with a product they generally stick with it, Ntl are way too late in my book.

[James Henry]

Thats why Telewest offer a 10/384k service as opposed to ntl's 10/1mbit service.

They do?

Best tell ntl this they don't appear to have such a service released or planned.

Not forgetting the coming 4mb/400k v TW's 4/384k.

Difference being of course Telewest have been offering 4/384k in some markets since last year while precisely no-one has 4/400 from ntl available yet. It's also fairly well accepted that ntl's very slightly higher upload will come with traffic shaping. Not necessarily a bad thing just mentioning you aren't comparing like for like. Considering the amounts of cash both companies had available for upgrades Telewest didn't do that badly and made more bandwidth available to their customers in some far more innovative ways than ntl.

I am amused at the way that people are blaming the Telewest CTO for halting the development of the ntl HD PVR, as if he works for a seperate company, works in a total vacuum and arbitrarily made the decisions to rush the Telewest PVR out and to prevent release of the ntl one. Surprisingly enough he's part of the same company as a lot of other people, at least one of whom would have been able to veto his decisions, but hasn't. Such a decision would be made at board level and MD / CEO would have had final word.

TV Drive does indeed have issues, though so did Sky+ when it was released, that's just what happens when products are released, nothing is ever bug free when released and ntl's PVR / HD won't be bug free when finally released either.

Here's hoping the interactive content and firmware is nothing to do with the original interactive developers. I used to think of them as my personal trainers, thanks to them I had to repeatedly get up from my chair while watching TV to power cycle the set top

[orangebird]

It looks like Sky could be losing their perfect-pants image as far as HDTV goes.... linky

[James Henry]

Originally Posted by orangebird

It looks like Sky could be losing their perfect-pants image as far as HDTV goes.... linky

Don't think they've ever had that image... still doesn't change the fact that people are, right now, having it installed which is more than can be said for ntl.

They are giving people £20 for the inconvenience, not exactly good compensation but at least it's something.

However you try and poo poo Sky as a diversion the thread asked where and when HDTV from ntl, Sky have released now, ex-Telewest has it, original ntl all is silent. They are certainly cutting it fine to say the least if they are planning on having a product available for the World Cup.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by James Henry

Don't think they've ever had that image... still doesn't change the fact that people are, right now, having it installed which is more than can be said for ntl.

They are giving people £20 for the inconvenience, not exactly good compensation but at least it's something.

However you try and poo poo Sky as a diversion the thread asked where and when HDTV from ntl, Sky have released now, ex-Telewest has it, original ntl all is silent. They are certainly cutting it fine to say the least if they are planning on having a product available for the World Cup.

It would appear by looking at the thread on the other forum that some of those may not get it installed in time for the start of the world cup. That's like having a cigarette, but no lighter.

I'm not trying to poo-poo anything or anyone. But bet your cats life that if this had been ntl, there'd be a major outcry.

[James Henry]

I guess that's why this is Cable Forum and not Sky Forum - there are plenty of other forums for people to get upset with Sky on, as you know, you linked one

[nn012]

ntl wont introduce a PVR until 'early 2007' http://lifestyle.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=5670

[McYorkie]

Originally Posted by nn012

ntl wont introduce a PVR until 'early 2007' http://lifestyle.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=5670

Having read that linked article, and the defensive answers that the guy gave, I'd say thats game, set and match to Sky HD then once they get over their supply problems as the majority of ntl/cwc customers won't now be able to access TV Drive until next year at the earliest. Talk about not being imaginitive or thinking outside the box to actually get their product out at the same time as TW did. As for making inroads into Sky's domination of the PVR market - I don't think so now!

I'm guessing that part of the delay is with reprogramming the 8300DVR's so that they work on Bromley fed networks once they do roll out - as long as they get rid of the bugs in the CR4 software they use, maybe I'd think about it. But as things stand, Sky HD sure looks a lot more inviting to potential subscribers now that ntl have shot themselves in the foot with both barrels on this one.