[Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?

[Will73]

That's my mind made up then; I'm going to scrap my NTL television account and get Freeview, with a nice Humax PVR.

Not getting a PVR out until 2007 (is that at least 2 years after Sky?) is an absolute shambles.

Also, seeing as I'm not going to need the HD function of the box, will i be expected to pay a monthly fee for this, on top of my package subscription?

NTL will have very few customers left at this rate.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Will73

Not getting a PVR out until 2007 (is that at least 2 years after Sky?)

Sky+ was launched in October 2001.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Will73

Not getting a PVR out until 2007 (is that at least 2 years after Sky?) is an absolute shambles.

Sky + was launched late 2001, so that makes it about 5 1/2 years before ntl launch their PVR-& that's if ntl get it out on time (unlikely)

Originally Posted by Will73

Also, seeing as I'm not going to need the HD function of the box, will i be expected to pay a monthly fee for this, on top of my package subscription?

Telewest charge between £10 & 15 for the TV Drive (depending which TV package you have already)

http://www.telewest.co.uk/html/tvdrive/index.html

[McYorkie]

"Absolute shambles" describes this perfectly - ntl: have had years, not months to get their PVR service designed, tested, and rolled out and still they manage to screw up rolling out a HD capable version. So currently we appear to have a situation where perhaps 20 - 30% of the network (ex TW) have access to, or subscribe to the PVR whilst 80% of the companies customer base can't even pre apply and are left both annoyed and disappointed at the companies attitude to this.

The merger won't have helped either as it will have taken managers eyes off what Sky were doing and planning for, and yet as posted above, we have customers deciding to ditch the company for an alternative provider - less revenue to ntl: and a lost customer who probably won't come back because ntl: won't provide the right standard of service to their customer base. And they wonder why churn rates keep going up and retentions offer discounts to get people to stay - wonder what excuses they'll start giving out when people start to cancel because of the lack of a PVR and HD?

People see Sky as a leader in innovation rightly or wrongly, and would expect ntl: to keep up or offer something better than - now that "our" PVR is knocked back even further it gives Sky another 6 - 8 months at least to consolidate its position as PVR market leader, making whatever ntl: offer, regardless of whether its better specified, look like an inferior product and have less chance if any, because of ntl's lag factor of taking significant numbers away from Sky's HD service in the long game. They've basically missed their chance now to beat Sky at their own game - because of their lack of foresight and planning. Shame.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by McYorkie

"Absolute shambles" describes this perfectly - ntl: have had years, not months to get their PVR service designed, tested, and rolled out and still they manage to screw up rolling out a HD capable version. So currently we appear to have a situation where perhaps 20 - 30% of the network (ex TW) have access to, or subscribe to the PVR whilst 80% of the companies customer base can't even pre apply and are left both annoyed and disappointed at the companies attitude to this.

The merger won't have helped either as it will have taken managers eyes off what Sky were doing and planning for, and yet as posted above, we have customers deciding to ditch the company for an alternative provider - less revenue to ntl: and a lost customer who probably won't come back because ntl: won't provide the right standard of service to their customer base. And they wonder why churn rates keep going up and retentions offer discounts to get people to stay - wonder what excuses they'll start giving out when people start to cancel because of the lack of a PVR and HD?

People see Sky as a leader in innovation rightly or wrongly, and would expect ntl: to keep up or offer something better than - now that "our" PVR is knocked back even further it gives Sky another 6 - 8 months at least to consolidate its position as PVR market leader, making whatever ntl: offer, regardless of whether its better specified, look like an inferior product and have less chance if any, because of ntl's lag factor of taking significant numbers away from Sky's HD service in the long game. They've basically missed their chance now to beat Sky at their own game - because of their lack of foresight and planning. Shame.

Absolutely spot on.

[mob227]

ntl are takes ages they missed the boat

Originally Posted by Neil

Sky + was launched late 2001, so that makes it about 5 1/2 years before ntl launch their PVR-& that's if ntl get it out on time (unlikely)



Telewest charge between £10 & 15 for the TV Drive (depending which TV package you have already)

http://www.telewest.co.uk/html/tvdrive/index.html

---------- Post added at 21:25 ---------- Previous post was at 21:24 ----------

well said

Originally Posted by McYorkie

"Absolute shambles" describes this perfectly - ntl: have had years, not months to get their PVR service designed, tested, and rolled out and still they manage to screw up rolling out a HD capable version. So currently we appear to have a situation where perhaps 20 - 30% of the network (ex TW) have access to, or subscribe to the PVR whilst 80% of the companies customer base can't even pre apply and are left both annoyed and disappointed at the companies attitude to this.

The merger won't have helped either as it will have taken managers eyes off what Sky were doing and planning for, and yet as posted above, we have customers deciding to ditch the company for an alternative provider - less revenue to ntl: and a lost customer who probably won't come back because ntl: won't provide the right standard of service to their customer base. And they wonder why churn rates keep going up and retentions offer discounts to get people to stay - wonder what excuses they'll start giving out when people start to cancel because of the lack of a PVR and HD?

People see Sky as a leader in innovation rightly or wrongly, and would expect ntl: to keep up or offer something better than - now that "our" PVR is knocked back even further it gives Sky another 6 - 8 months at least to consolidate its position as PVR market leader, making whatever ntl: offer, regardless of whether its better specified, look like an inferior product and have less chance if any, because of ntl's lag factor of taking significant numbers away from Sky's HD service in the long game. They've basically missed their chance now to beat Sky at their own game - because of their lack of foresight and planning. Shame.

[1701-e]

Looks like the $ky bods are getting a big taste of cr&p service.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5003728.stm Interesting bit about $ky raking in £12m ... loverly jubberly.... interest in the bank!

[shibby]

It is very disappointing that NTL haven't shown much effort in even doing a PVR and HD box. If they only charged an extra £5 a month for PVR and HD box i would jump at the change to get one. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind the extra 5 squids just for pvr in the lounge.

[King Of Fools]

Originally Posted by shibby

It is very disappointing that NTL haven't shown much effort in even doing a PVR and HD box. If they only charged an extra £5 a month for PVR and HD box i would jump at the change to get one. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind the extra 5 squids just for pvr in the lounge.

There will be a PVR available in 2007, only it will be £10 to £15 extra per month.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by King Of Fools

There will be a PVR available in 2007, only it will be £10 to £15 extra per month.

Great-"only" a year after Telewest their HD/PVR Box, "only" 4 1/2 years after Sky launched their PVR, & "only" a year after Sky launched their HD service.

Like I said before: ntl-they follow where others lead.....

[BobCrabtree]

I'm in no position to comment about what folk are saying here but can point you in the direction of an email interview with Mark Horley that Nick Flood carried out for HEXUS.

Worth checking out if you've not done so, and maybe commenting, in the related forum thread.


Bob

[nn012]

This bit has been added today to the interview:

In the above HEXUS.community forum thread relating to this interview, the question was asked, post-publication, why NTL won't be introducing HD until 2007?

We emailed that question to Mark Horley who responded saying,

MH: The main reason why NTL customers won't see HD at the same time as Telewest customers is because the box that supports HD - the TVDrive box - will not be launching on the NTL side until end of 2006/early 2007. There is a huge amount of work to be done to make sure that this box and the code that resides on it can interface with all the NTL back-end systems. As always when launching new products, we will be conducting exhaustive user testing to ensure that it is a good-quality customer experience.

So that's confirmation from the horse's mouth that ntl: will indeed be introducing the TW TVDrive box and not the original MPEG-4 Explorer 8450 PVR announced before the merger.

[crazycamper]

wht gets me mad is that if you ring ntl up who ever you get they all say that they are bring out a pvr and hd service with in a few weeks.

[McYorkie]

Originally Posted by nn012

This bit has been added today to the interview:

So that's confirmation from the horse's mouth that ntl: will indeed be introducing the TW TVDrive box and not the original MPEG-4 Explorer 8450 PVR announced before the merger.

Yes - we've known about this change for a while on this thread - but ntl: just happen to mention it now, after being prodded by further questioning from another site.

This of course is the same box thats giving TW TVD subscribers, who essentially are acting as unpaid beta testers in some cases, no end of hassle with recording bugs and software faults, which by the tiime its released to us, may still be there, along with new ones created by the code rewrite and the fact that it wasn't originally meant to be used on our side of the network at all.

And alas, the call centres and us are going to be last to know whats happening with HD and PVR, at a guess I'd say that they're still working on the "old" pre-merger plans of the 8450 being released around now.

Sky management and their HD development team must be laughing their heads off at the mess ntl: are in on this one. Despite the initial problems that they're having with box supplies, in the long game ntl's lack of a coherent policy on the PVR and HD is an open goal for them to aim at and poach disgruntled ntl: subscribers who can't as yet sample any HD at all - not counting the TW subscribers that can potentially access TVD/HD.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Mark Horley from ntl

The main reason why NTL customers won't see HD at the same time as Telewest customers is because the box that supports HD - the TVDrive box - will not be launching on the NTL side until end of 2006/early 2007.

There is a huge amount of work to be done to make sure that this box and the code that resides on it can interface with all the NTL back-end systems. As always when launching new products, we will be conducting exhaustive user testing to ensure that it is a good-quality customer experience.

Originally Posted by nn012

So that's confirmation from the horse's mouth that ntl: will indeed be introducing the TW TVDrive box and not the original MPEG-4 Explorer 8450 PVR announced before the merger.

Correct.


All together now....

"We're sorry Neil, you were right about ntl's HD 'service' & we were wrong.

You said it wouldn't be this year & you were right.

You also said it would be MPEG 2 & you were right"

I really don't want to say "I told you so" but........


















I told you so!

---------- Post added at 07:18 ---------- Previous post was at 07:15 ----------

Originally Posted by McYorkie

Sky management and their HD development team must be laughing their heads off at the mess ntl: are in on this one.

Yep, the whole industry is (again) laughing at ntl & their inability to make a good business decision between them.

Originally Posted by McYorkie

Despite the initial problems that they're having with box supplies, in the long game ntl's lack of a coherent policy on the PVR and HD is an open goal for them to aim at and poach disgruntled ntl: subscribers who can't as yet sample any HD at all - not counting the TW subscribers that can potentially access TVD/HD.

ntl's open goal is there for all to see, & it always has been.

ntl-where others lead, they follow (eventually).....