Questions about NTL Digital installation

ferryman

I have just recently moved into a new house in Dublin, and am seriously thinking of getting NTL Digital installed. There is Sky digital there at the moment, but I'm missing ITV and C4 (as well as my multi-room viewing - I'm from Donegal so multi-room viewing is something we take for granted up there).
Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if anyone could answer a few questions I have regarding the installation of NTL...

Speaking to one of the customer service reps, they informed me that if I were to get the Sky-sports package (I'm a football buff), it would cost 50.50 Euro per month, made up of 18 Euro for the basic TV (analogue), 12 Euro for the Go Digital service, and 20.50 for Sky Sports. However, what I'm a little confused about is whether or not this includes one TV point i.e. whether it enables me to watch the normal 15 analogue channels on my television (the same one that the digital box would be connected to)? I take it that it does, as recording one channel while watching another would be impossible without this facility. The CS rep wasn't able to answer my question, he just said that if I wanted another TV point that I'd have to pay an extra 2.30 Euro per month, and that the 50.50 was for the digital service (which would allow me to watch and record two different channels). But how is this possible, I don't imagine that the NTL STB has two tuners?

Also, in relation to multi-room viewing (for which the house is already wired), would it be possible to avail of such a service from the one analogue connection (using a splitter)? I realise that picture quality wouldn't be as sharp around the house, but 2.30 Euro + 2.30 Euro + 50.50 Euro = a lot of money!

I thought I'd never be able to live without Sky, but the fact that the SPL matches are being shown in NTL's basic package this season (and may be piped to multiple rooms) makes the switch that bit easier.

Thanks for your time

-Ciaran

celticfc

Originally posted by ferryman
what I'm a little confused about is whether or not this includes one TV point i.e. whether it enables me to watch the normal 15 analogue channels on my television (the same one that the digital box would be connected to)? I take it that it does, as recording one channel while watching another would be impossible without this facility. The CS rep wasn't able to answer my question, he just said that if I wanted another TV point that I'd have to pay an extra 2.30 Euro per month, and that the 50.50 was for the digital service (which would allow me to watch and record two different channels). But how is this possible, I don't imagine that the NTL STB has two tuners?

Hi Ciaran,

You will be able to access both analogue & digital from the same point. When it is installed, (depending on the box) either the point that you have is divided into one feed for your digibox & one for your normal 15 channel analogue service or the or it is fed into the STB & the RF out on the STB is connected to the aerial socket on your TV/VCR to give you the analogue channels.

The ntl STB doesn't have two tuners. (It'd be handy if it did tho.)

Originally posted by ferryman
Also, in relation to multi-room viewing (for which the house is already wired), would it be possible to avail of such a service from the one analogue connection (using a splitter)? I realise that picture quality wouldn't be as sharp around the house, but 2.30 Euro + 2.30 Euro + 50.50 Euro = a lot of money!

If you get a good quality "proper" splitter (not just one of those plastic triangular things, they're useless) you shouldn't incur much signal loss & the picture quality should be reasonably good if you're only hooking it up to one or two other Televisions in the house.

Hope that helps

ferryman

Thanks for that celticfc. I thought that'd be the case alright, just wanted to make sure before I took the plunge. I really hate it when CS reps can't answer customer questions, really annoying...

Cheers...
-Ciaran

Guy:Incognito

one thing tho, i got ntl installed about a month ago. Im very dissapointed with the picture quality, its noticably worse than analogue, never mind sky digital. All a lot of pixelatation and picture drop out on certain channels. i cant watch uktv gold 1/2 anymore, they are atrotious.
I'm strongly thinking of getting rid.

ferryman

Well, I had the system installed this morning, and already I'm regretting it!! The first thing I noticed was that the box is really basic - there are only three connections on the back - a scart, a power connector and an RF input. Since I still have my Sky box, and have a DVD surround sound system (Panasonic SCMT-1 all-in-one thingy) which I want to hook up together, I guess I'm gonna have to purchase a scart adapter to make this possible. I can't believe that the box doesn't even have phono sockets, my first ever Sky digibox was more modern. Not sure what the exact model of the box is, the only thing I know at the moment is that it's Pace and that it's gray. When I asked the guy who came around to do the installation if they could provide me with a different box, but he just said "this is the standard box we install for everyone". I didn't find him helpful (or knowledgeable) at all, he knew that I wanted to connect everything together, but just left me with a half-connected system. Does anyone know how much I should be paying for a scart adapter? I wouldn't really fancy one with manual switching (would mean that I'd have to get up off the couche every time!), so is it possible to get one that wouldn't require switching?

Thanks for any help.
Ciaran

celticfc

Originally posted by ferryman
The first thing I noticed was that the box is really basic - there are only three connections on the back - a scart, a power connector and an RF input.

Not sure what the exact model of the box is, the only thing I know at the moment is that it's Pace and that it's gray.

Hmm, I thaught that the silver Pace DI-300 was the only box with one scart socket on it & The other two grey (DI-4001 & DI-4010) STB's have 2 sockets. (You can find the model no. on the underneath of the box)

Originally posted by ferryman
Does anyone know how much I should be paying for a scart adapter? I wouldn't really fancy one with manual switching (would mean that I'd have to get up off the couche every time!), so is it possible to get one that wouldn't require switching?

You can find non-switching scart adapters pretty easily from a lot of electrical/electronic shops. You can pick up a fairly one which will adapt 1 socket to 3,4 or 5 sockets in Power City. I think they cost about €5 or €6 in there & they work fine.

You can also get scart to phono socket adapters in there if u need them.

SteM

Originally posted by ferryman
Well, I had the system installed this morning, and already I'm regretting it!! The first thing I noticed was that the box is really basic - there are only three connections on the back - a scart, a power connector and an RF input. Since I still have my Sky box, and have a DVD surround sound system (Panasonic SCMT-1 all-in-one thingy) which I want to hook up together, I guess I'm gonna have to purchase a scart adapter to make this possible. I can't believe that the box doesn't even have phono sockets, my first ever Sky digibox was more modern. Not sure what the exact model of the box is, the only thing I know at the moment is that it's Pace and that it's gray. When I asked the guy who came around to do the installation if they could provide me with a different box, but he just said "this is the standard box we install for everyone". I didn't find him helpful (or knowledgeable) at all, he knew that I wanted to connect everything together, but just left me with a half-connected system. Does anyone know how much I should be paying for a scart adapter? I wouldn't really fancy one with manual switching (would mean that I'd have to get up off the couche every time!), so is it possible to get one that wouldn't require switching?

Thanks for any help.
Ciaran

My ntl box has 2 scart outs and an RF out but I think you have to ask for this box when your order the installation.

You can get scart switches cheaply in Maplins or wherever but it seems the more you spend the better they'll be.

There's a 3->1 scart switch that I got in Argos that you can use manually or it will also work automatically - it'll switch itself to the last piece of equiptment turned on. It was a bit expensive but it saves me having to get up to switch between ntl box, DVD player, video, etc. Also, I've read that with the cheaper Scart switches you can notice some 'bleed' between different inputs but I've not noticed this on the one I got so it seems decent quality.

ferryman

Looks like it's the Pace DI-300 I'm after getting. I take it this is the oldest box they could've given me? I asked the guy for a different box, but he said "this is the standard one we provide", and even though he knew that I wanted to connect everything together, he wasn't prepared to get me one of the newer models. Not good customer service if you ask me. Don't suppose I could get them to give me one of the newer boxes if I complain?

Did a search on the web for those scart adaptors, and from what I see, they range from anything from 6 Euro to 25 Euro. Forgot all about Argos, thanks for mentioning it SteM, would you recommend the one you have?

Cheers for all the help lads.

celticfc

Originally posted by ferryman
Looks like it's the Pace DI-300 I'm after getting. I take it this is the oldest box they could've given me? I asked the guy for a different box, but he said "this is the standard one we provide", and even though he knew that I wanted to connect everything together, he wasn't prepared to get me one of the newer models.

Infact the box you've been given is actually the newest box available. It's a cut down version of the original 2 stbs, ie. it's got less connections, no cable modem etc. Basically ntl started using this because it costs less.

More info on it here