[Merged] Where is HD from NTL? When?

[Horizon]

I thought, "oh dear" when I read that ntl were dumping the Mpeg 4 boxes. Then I had a few other thoughts as one does at 3.30 in the morning:

- customers want a pvr. Customers SHOUTING/DEMANDING a pvr.

- competitors have pvrs.

- telewest has a working pvr and launched it, ntl doesn't.

- telewest network and ex-cwc network broadly the same, so easier to launch tv drive on at least one part of ntl's network.

- world cup soon...according to rumours ntl are going to offer matches in HD via VOD. What a good marketing opportunity.

- mpeg4 chips in short supply, technology not as proven as mpeg2.

- mpeg4 capacity much more efficient than mpeg2. But analogue networks are going to be switched off. Telewest's by the end of this year and ntl's by end of next year. Meaning LOTs of capacity. MPEG4 not such an isssue anymore...

Good call by new "ntl" boss. More to come from him soon, me thinks.

[mob227]

The mpeg 4 dvb-c2 will come out later mpeg4 than mpeg2 i dont think it matters with ntls network there is loads of unused freq bandwidth

With satellite the broadcaster has to pay the satellite op e,g astra eutesat etc a fee per each transponder they rent , with cable they do not its not limited in this way yes mpeg 4 use's less band width but this doe's not matter on cable,

Plus for for ntl & telewest cable tv head end encoders are much cheaper to buy then mpeg4 Also the mpeg4 chipsets are in short supply thats why the thomson sky hd satellite receiver is in short supply and independant satellite shops are now haveing to put a pre order in the the trade warehouses as supplys are going to be low for a bit, I run a satellite & eletronics shop and this is what is have to do

Also the thomson sky hd receiver was ship to a few trade warehouses a few weeks back but was recalled back due to another fault found, The trade warehouse where i buy alot of my satellite stock had a delivery of thomsons ready for pre order the guys i know there very well had one pluged in on a live feed on 28.2 east and found the receiver very loud due to it haveing 2 fans in it and found it got very hot and crashed if you played about with it alot the qulity of hd on it was good as the hd channels are testing in soft videoguard also i have been told there have been over 20 sets of firmware made for it since xmas but there still haveing problems with it, Sky picked thomson to make there hd receiver as they could make it cheaper than any one else, I will be stocking sky hd in my shop and have it on display but will not be buying it myself just yet,

[McYorkie]

Originally Posted by Neptune

I thought, "oh dear" when I read that ntl were dumping the Mpeg 4 boxes. Then I had a few other thoughts as one does at 3.30 in the morning:

- customers want a pvr. Customers SHOUTING/DEMANDING a pvr.

- competitors have pvrs.

- telewest has a working pvr and launched it, ntl doesn't.

- telewest network and ex-cwc network broadly the same, so easier to launch tv drive on at least one part of ntl's network.

- world cup soon...according to rumours ntl are going to offer matches in HD via VOD. What a good marketing opportunity.

- mpeg4 chips in short supply, technology not as proven as mpeg2.

- mpeg4 capacity much more efficient than mpeg2. But analogue networks are going to be switched off. Telewest's by the end of this year and ntl's by end of next year. Meaning LOTs of capacity. MPEG4 not such an isssue anymore...

Good call by new "ntl" boss. More to come from him soon, me thinks.

Couple of points to this one:

Some of us have been waiting patiently for the fabled PVR, and holding on a bit longer for a better specified machine would have been no hardship to us - what you haven't got you don't miss.

With the TW box there are major issues already alluded to by Quadplay and others as to it's compatability with the Bromley/Langley networks. The MPEG4 version was being designed to be used on our networks without so many problems.

The TW box that is being rolled out is already showing up bugs in its software and operability to users after the beta testing and national rollout, and is evidenced by threads over in the TW section of this site and over on the Digital Spy cable forums section. Thanks, but we'll wait for them being fixed before ringing in and asking for one when rollout does come to ntl areas.

World Cup has been confirmed this morning by the BBC Press Office as being in full HD along with Wimbledon as part of their HD trial service starting from the 15th May. They do mention there that it will be available to both D-Sat and D-Cable users, but are very vague on details - however this will presumably be only available to the TW TV Drive users, and will be a part time service. As to it being on VOD - probably not Bromley areas, unless ntl want to be downconverting full HD signals to "normal" SD as we're still on the old NVOD software round here?

[Horizon]

...true re World Cup. Plus if the Beeb show the World Cup in HD for free on satellite, it would be a bit rich for ntl to charge for the same.

[mob227]

Come on Ntl where is your hd tv drive as you can order sky hd today from the sky hd web site come on ntl get a move on ntl

http://www.sky.com/hd/thankyou

[King Of Fools]

Originally Posted by mob227

Come on Ntl where is your hd tv drive as you can order sky hd today from the sky hd web site come on ntl get a move on ntl

http://www.sky.com/hd/thankyou

preorder

[Neil]

Originally Posted by King Of Fools

preorder

You'll still get it installed to watch the World Cup/Wimbledon/24/Premiership Footy/Planet Earth etc in HD by May-let's just see if you'll be able to do that with an ntl 'service'....?

[Edit]

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....266&highlight=

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03...ch_for_sky_hd/

Now-what are all the ntl customers that want HDTV going to do, how are they going to watch The World Cup etc in HD?

Not through an (MPEG2) ntl TV box, that's for sure.

As usual, ntl have been caught napping.

[mob227]

I know that

Originally Posted by King Of Fools

preorder

[McYorkie]

Originally Posted by Neil

You'll still get it installed to watch the World Cup/Wimbledon/24/Premiership Footy/Planet Earth etc in HD by May-let's just see if you'll be able to do that with an ntl 'service'....?

[Edit]

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....266&highlight=

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03...ch_for_sky_hd/

Now-what are all the ntl customers that want HDTV going to do, how are they going to watch The World Cup etc in HD?

Not through an (MPEG2) ntl TV box, that's for sure.

As usual, ntl have been caught napping.

Spot on assessment as usual Neil . I've been thinking the same for quite a while, what with all the merger discussions/management jobs being carved up amongst the companies they totally took their eyes off the ball and have left Sky an open goal into which they've kicked the ball today. The announcement may just prove to be the tipping point for some customers who may be fed up of waiting with total silence from ntl on the subject, apart from those vague press releases from last October, which now ring very hollow.

Couple that with the shortsighted decision to drop MPEG4 boxes which had already been ordered, which were more bandwidth and hard drive efficent than the MPEG2 boxes being rolled out to TW areas and you can see another walkover victory by Sky happening again. So much for the PVR being a "killer application" for cable - the silence from ntl:Telewest on rollout to our side in light of the developments in the last 48 hours is deafening.

[Neil]

Just think how long ntl customers waited for Sky Sports Extra, some still can't get the full red button interactivity.

How long has Sky + been out now (& where's is ntl's offering)?

ntl-where others lead, they (try to) follow.

[dayloon]

Originally Posted by McYorkie

Couple that with the shortsighted decision to drop MPEG4 boxes which had already been ordered, which were more bandwidth and hard drive efficent than the MPEG2 boxes being rolled out to TW areas and you can see another walkover victory by Sky happening again. So much for the PVR being a "killer application" for cable - the silence from ntl:Telewest on rollout to our side in light of the developments in the last 48 hours is deafening.

I'd really like some kind of official confirmation about ntl dropping the mpeg4 boxes before i believe that story. So far all i've found on the web is some dodgy blogg that somebodys written - hardly official. NTL had already ordered the boxes so why bother dropping them ? It makes no sense at all.

What I see as a more likely version of the story is that NTL will release the MPEG2 PVR to keep customers happy until the MPEG4 PVR is ready.

[Horizon]

...I agree, good point.

Re the comment made that the world cup in hd can't be watched on a mpeg 2 box. Why not?

The beeb only made their HD annoucement yesterday and Sky confirmed their HD prices and launch date today. So, perhaps people should give ntl a bit of time to see if they're gonna launch HD in time for the world cup. Say by next Wednesday... and if no announcement by then, mass calls to Sky cs

Seriously, Sky have always been ahead with product launches and probably always will be. Although I think BT might give both ntl and Sky a run for their money soon.

Just don't complain on here folks when your watching your HD matches on Sky and the picture stops because of a few drops of rain on your satellite dish...

EDIT: err... I forgot for a second that Telewest have launched a HD service before anyone...so cable not always so slow.

[mob227]

no problem with my satellite dish here i have a 43cm dish for sky and never has a problem with it in the rain you will only get problems is the rain is the dish is not correctly lined up or its dented or there is a lnb fault,
I also have a 1.8m andrews (channel master)

Originally Posted by Neptune

...I agree, good point.

Re the comment made that the world cup in hd can't be watched on a mpeg 2 box. Why not?

The beeb only made their HD annoucement yesterday and Sky confirmed their HD prices and launch date today. So, perhaps people should give ntl a bit of time to see if they're gonna launch HD in time for the world cup. Say by next Wednesday... and if no announcement by then, mass calls to Sky cs

Seriously, Sky have always been ahead with product launches and probably always will be. Although I think BT might give both ntl and Sky a run for their money soon.

Just don't complain on here folks when your watching your HD matches on Sky and the picture stops because of a few drops of rain on your satellite dish...

EDIT: err... I forgot for a second that Telewest have launched a HD service before anyone...so cable not always so slow.

[handyman]

Originally Posted by Neil

Just think how long ntl customers waited for Sky Sports Extra, some still can't get the full red button interactivity.

To be fair to ntl it was sky blocking the access to extra as they saw it as a unique selling point.

Trouble with ntl is they have the technical superiority. They have a closed network for getting the media to the customer. They have a return path to scare sky but they lack the vision and cash to realise their potential.

If things had stayed analogue longer the ntl system would have won over sky given the time as it provided a better picture and was cheaper. Sky took a bold decsion and changed to digital and this is why they now have the upper hand.
Had ntl jumped to digital throughout as well we would now maybe have a much more mature offering from ntl.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by handyman

To be fair to ntl it was sky blocking the access to extra as they saw it as a unique selling point.

I wasn't debating the reasons M8 ntl will always follow Sky in terms of technology, after all-all they really are is a reseller of Sky's channels when it comes to TV.

Originally Posted by handyman

Trouble with ntl is they have the technical superiority.

Really?? In terms of DTV?? Sorry dude, but there's no way I can agree with that.

Originally Posted by handyman

They have a closed network for getting the media to the customer. They have a return path to scare sky but they lack the vision and cash to realise their potential.

They lack any kind of idea of how to look after customers is what they lack m8.

Originally Posted by handyman

If things had stayed analogue longer the ntl system would have won over sky given the time as it provided a better picture and was cheaper.

But it didn't.

Originally Posted by handyman

Sky took a bold decsion and changed to digital and this is why they now have the upper hand.

It's all about offering a superior service & Sky's is superior to ntl's-in much the same way as ntl's phone 'service' is inferior to BT's in almost every way imaginable.

Originally Posted by handyman

Had ntl jumped to digital throughout as well we would now maybe have a much more mature offering from ntl.

Had ntl done a lot of things differently we may well have been speaking about them differently, as it is they haven't changed or moved with the times & will continue to be a 2 bob company offering 2nd rate products & 2nd rate service to back it up (which you will soon have to pay for on your phpne bill )