Digital Platform 'Full'?

Bottesford · 23-12-2003, 22:57

Another ex-.com person here...

I recently emailed Rapture TV asking when ntl will carry the channel. They replied (in only 1 hour!) with this:

"We have had a conversation with NTL but there digital plateform is full at the moment.

Perhaps if NTL customers request the channel then Rapture maybe added."

Full?? Surely not! And if it is then maybe time to drop pointless naff channels in favour of a decent one!

Tristan · 23-12-2003, 23:05

Rapture was never good when it was on before. All I can ever remember is crap music and people falling off BMXs, but each to their own

Anyway, is NTL cable full? Yes and no. I think they're in a position whereby it would be too much of a squeeze to add a new channel to the current multiplex structure (it would impact too much on existing channels). I don't know how much space there is left for new muxes; it's entirely possible there isn't any. So they'd have to turn off an analogue channel first, which would actually free up enough space for 10 or so digital channels...

So is it full? It depends on your definition!

Bottesford · 24-12-2003, 00:06

Rapture was the only channel to actually show decent dance music as opposed to commercial cack all the time. The 'live' club feeds were especially good.

I do hope ntl does re-add Rapture soon. I'd be quite happy to loose some naff channels to compensate! How about some of now dozens of pop TV/radio stations..

Nikko · 24-12-2003, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tristan

Rapture was never good when it was on before. All I can ever remember is crap music and people falling off BMXs, but each to their own

Thats hardly fair - they only fell off the BMX when some lurker on a skateboard slid down the same stair railing and failed to notice them due to a hood/drugs/labotomy

andygrif · 24-12-2003, 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tristan

Rapture was never good when it was on before. All I can ever remember is crap music and people falling off BMXs, but each to their own

Anyway, is NTL cable full? Yes and no. I think they're in a position whereby it would be too much of a squeeze to add a new channel to the current multiplex structure (it would impact too much on existing channels). I don't know how much space there is left for new muxes; it's entirely possible there isn't any. So they'd have to turn off an analogue channel first, which would actually free up enough space for 10 or so digital channels...

So is it full? It depends on your definition!

Thanks for the explanation! It seems a little crazy that ntl are adding four extra regional versions of BBC1 is the whole thing is full. Before the flaming starts, I know there are a lot of Scots, Welsh and Norther Irish people not living in their original regions, and yes some of the different programmes are quite interesting - but does taking up four extra slots on the system at the expense of other channels really make sense?

This is especially true as the majority of BBC1 regions' programme are the same and on at the same time! Oh, and could we have some more shopping channels too please?!?!?!?!?!??! They're really worth the capacity!!!

JonSav · 24-12-2003, 12:44

Depends on what you call useful. I have found some of the programmes on the BBC1 Variants to be really interesting. They are also good if you want a more detailed look at a news story in, say, Wales, which the BBC main news only covers briefly.

Being an analogue customer at home (watch digital at parents) I thinkthat it's about time ntl: decided to make us all an offer. Something along the line of cut-price subscription for less channels or to upgrade to Digital. They could survey all their analogue customers to see which channels thay actually wanted.

For those who do not want to upgrade to digital (if they can. Let's not forget I live in LE3!!) because they only watch, say, Sky Sports, offer them an icentive to upgrade. However the icentive would need to be fairly good. On-month free just wouldn't do it.

For those stuck on analogue, we should be givien the chance to create our own tv packs based on the channels we want to watch. on the present package structure, I have to subscrive to the full collection (ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£13) to get the channels I want to watch (1 in each tv pack). If I was given the chance to subscribe to 3 channelsfor ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£5, then that is an offer I would take up.

After ntl: have done both these things, they could then look at which channels are watched on analogue and then clear out the ones that arn't. I'm sure some (like SET) could be cleard out now, as the vast majority of viewers will be in digital areas.

Does all that make sense. I get the feeling i;ve waffled on abit, but do you get my point?

Shaun · 24-12-2003, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonSav

(if they can. Let's not forget I live in LE3!!)

I never really understood what the big problem (on Ntl's part) was with LE3, after all I live in LE2 (virtualy next door to some of the problem areas) and I used to get digital TV. After all the cables were installed by the same company (diamond cable, if I remember right) surely they are all the same??

RamJet · 24-12-2003, 18:39

[QUOTE=Bottesford]Another ex-.com person here...

"We have had a conversation with NTL but there digital plateform is full at the moment.

There's no question of NTL being *FULL*

It's not for nothing that :-

1. The Cable Converter can actualy carry 1000 channels

2. The exactly equivalent digital cable converters in larger US cities regulary carry 300 TV channels (including Spice Platinum

!)

It's probably a Cost Thing or Can't Be Bothered Thing

RamJet

TigaSefi · 24-12-2003, 19:26

Wales have news ?

kronas · 24-12-2003, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigaSefi

Wales have news ?

well thats news to me

asdf · 25-12-2003, 01:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by dellwear

I never really understood what the big problem (on Ntl's part) was with LE3, after all I live in LE2 (virtualy next door to some of the problem areas) and I used to get digital TV. After all the cables were installed by the same company (diamond cable, if I remember right) surely they are all the same??

Not entirely sure but I believe a company called Leicester Cable laid the LE3 area? A while before Diamond came along.

LooeyUK · 25-12-2003, 11:38

Get rid of all those crappy shopping channels.

poolking · 25-12-2003, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by LooeyB

Get rid of all those crappy shopping channels.

But then what would they do with all of the cheesy presenters?

asdf · 26-12-2003, 13:28

I thought they were already employed by ITV for World Idol

DrAwesome · 01-01-2004, 17:09

Yikes!! Heads up
This means that NTL will have to make room for the new FoX Channel "FX289" (if they decide to carry it)

FX289 is suposed to start on the 12th of Jan 04 on Sky

NTL probably will carry FX289 when they pass on the increased charges that Sky have imposed this month for their customers.