(req.) Sky comparison with NTL digital

MorningStar

HI,

I am currently on NTL digital but am thinking of changing to Sky+ for all the features. THe only problem is I am finding it difficult to actually compare the channels given. Is there any website that does this or even just a proper list of the Sky channels will do.

Is Sky+ any good?

fatherdougalmag

Maybe a better approach is to list what channels you do actually watch. For example, I moved from Sky to NTL and the only thing I miss is UK TV Food. I think you'll find that there's a good deal in common between the 2 channel-wise. IMHO I think the Sky setup is better. Especially with the interactivity side of things.

sgske

Sky has all the channels that NTL has except for UTV and Channel 4.

If you know someone who lives in the UK who can send you a freeview card (its free but they only give them to uk residents) you can get the UTV and C4 or buy a card online.

masterK

One other thing to consider is if you would still want NTL analogue, you may have it piped to several rooms in the house. If you decide to go to Sky but keep NTL analogue then the package would work out roughly €20 more expensive than NTL digital.

MorningStar

The problem is I can't figure out what channel you actually get from SKY. THeir website doesn't seem to keep a full list. NTL at least says what channels.

DamoKen

you can add UTV as well as a lot of other channels using your existing card. Check out this thread courtesy of Charles Slane to find out how :
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=318569

masterK

Your best bet to find a full list of channels will probably be to look at their TV guide.

http://www.sky.com/skycom/tvguide

Some of the channels like Channels 4 & 5 will be UK only.

chicken_food

Im in the same boat as OP. Im looking at upgrading from my ntl analogue line to a digital service. If i got digital either NTL or sky,could i get rid of my ntl analogue? Also whats the price comparisons like. I cant find much from skys site.
Im leaning towards ntl at the mo. 10er extra a month. whats skys basic packages?

DamoKen

from looking at their site the package link seems to be down. I've got the basic package myself though. In essence it's RTE1 & 2, TV3, TNAG, Sky 1 & Max & 3, UkGold & +, Living TV & +, Paramount 1 & 2, Bravo & +, Sci-fi, UTV Drama, BBC1 & 2, load of music stations, TCM, Biography, Discovery & + & Wings, History & +, Civilisation, UK History & +, Animal Planet. That's all I can think of at the mo, some of them I watch & others I remember as I'm always jumping past them to get to another station . There's also a ton of others, tbh I've never felt the need to upgrade past what I have, then again I like all the documentary stations so I'm fairly sorted. Check out any local sky dealer, they'll have all the latest package brochures & pricing.

chicken_food

Do you still have your analogue line too? what are you paying on it a month. Tbh- music is for the sister,discovery et al are for me, paramount and comedy channels for my mom. So i dont think movies and sports are on the cards yet. Im thinking ntls basic package simply cos i know sky have high installation costs etc. But if anyone knows different please let me know!thanks all!

DamoKen

chicken_food wrote:

Do you still have your analogue line too? what are you paying on it a month. Tbh- music is for the sister,discovery et al are for me, paramount and comedy channels for my mom. So i dont think movies and sports are on the cards yet. Im thinking ntls basic package simply cos i know sky have high installation costs etc. But if anyone knows different please let me know!thanks all!

I don't bother with the cable, if there were a few of us in the house could see how that would be handy, i.e. connection in each room. As it's max 2 here at anytime the sky package is fine. Price wise it started out at 28.50, noticed on my latest bill it's 30.50? No idea why, they may have explained it in their monthly magazine, but as that goes straight in the recycling bin along with all the rest of the months unopened crap I wouldn't know .
Think there's deals around everynow and then for free dish & installation, I'd just check out a few different dealers and see what they've got on offer. Think mine originally cost 155 but that came with the movie package free for the first 2 months.

Eoin

I have had NTL digital for about 3 years, and I find the software on the box pretty poor. Sky + is an excellent service, though I am not too sure why you are charged a monthly cost for a piece of hardware. IMO it should be a once-off cost for the unit and that's it.

A couple of problems I have had with the NTL software:

Programs "double" up on occasion when you view the guide for a channel.
e.g.
Sky One >>
7:00 Simpsons
7:00 Simpsons
7:30 Simpsons
7:30 Simpsons

At around midnight, the TV guide does not seem to work at all - it just can't seem to see the listing of programs. You can use the "browse" function, but this will only display the first program immediately after midnight - it can't find any after that

The software is generally slow to react.

DamoKen

eoin_s wrote:

Sky + is an excellent service, though I am not too sure why you are charged a monthly cost for a piece of hardware. IMO it should be a once-off cost for the unit and that's it.

A couple of problems I have had with the NTL software:

The software is generally slow to react.

noticed that myself in a mates who had it, compared to sky the browsing was painfully slow. As to what I said about price, think you misunderstood, that's what I pay for my monthly subscription to sky, hardware costs were a once off when I first got it.

Eoin

DamoKen wrote:

noticed that myself in a mates who had it, compared to sky the browsing was painfully slow. As to what I said about price, think you misunderstood, that's what I pay for my monthly subscription to sky, hardware costs were a once off when I first got it.

I thought unless you got movies and(/or) sports you had to pay a monthly subscription for Sky Plus?

Edit: link here http://www.sky.com/skycom/article/0,,91069-1130664,00.html

DamoKen

sorry not with you here, I've just got the normal sky package, not sky plus and I pay a monthly subscription for it. From looking at the package link I would hazard a guess that I'm paying for the "6 mixes".

this was in answer to

chicken_food wrote:

Im leaning towards ntl at the mo. 10er extra a month. whats skys basic packages?

Eoin

DamoKen wrote:

sorry not with you here, I've just got the normal sky package, not sky plus and I pay a monthly subscription for it. From looking at the package link I would hazard a guess that I'm paying for the "6 mixes".

this was in answer to

Oops, sorry - had Sky+ on my mind for some reason. Probably because I was going to say that Sky + is another reason to go for Sky, as NTL don't have a properly integrated PVR system yet.