ntl cancelled subscription

Bob The Nero

About 2 years ago I cancelled my subscription to NTL digital,I was told to disconnect the box and a courier would pick it up,Im still waiting for him to come.so the other night I remembered I still had the box and connected it back up to the TV, I was surprised that I could get anything, I can get RTE 1,RTE 2, TV 3,city channel,setanta, euro news (plus all the european ones),the den and TMF. What I wanted to know was how come I can receive those particular channels and not any other ones, and can ntl detect that the box is in use again.:Thanks in advance.

paulm17781

I'm guessing you can get these because they are on the analogue service.

Bob The Nero

You cant get city channel, tmf, or the european euro news, eg french, italian ect, on analogue.:)

paulm17781

Bob The Nero wrote:

You cant get city channel, tmf, or the european euro news, eg french, italian ect, on analogue.:)

Oh but you can. Not the Europeann ones but they are still part of Euronews. TMF was on analogue, don't know if it still is. City channel they are doing their best to promote.

Bob The Nero

Maybe I`m getting the wrong end of the stick,but i thought analogue was the basic ntl cable service without the digibox.

paulm17781

Bob The Nero wrote:

Maybe I`m getting the wrong end of the stick,but i thought analogue was the basic ntl cable service without the digibox.

Yeah it is but all these channels are probably free to air so it is no point on cancelling them. I'm just speculating.

Mossy Monk

paulm17781 wrote:

TMF was on analogue

TMF was replaced by Paramount last year no?

watty

If they find you have the box and using it they can legitimately back charge. There are no free NTL channels, unlike satellite. They own the box and have forgotten.

Some analog channels are not scrambled so as to allow cheap multiroom viewing. Some digital ones may not be to save royalties on the conditional access system.

Since it is cable, you are not entitled to watch it. irish law regards it as theft if you have not paid.


There are NO "free to air" or free in any way channels on Cable. No subscription, no channels. The fact that NTL have not encrypted them all implies no right to view.

MMDS clear channels are a grey area as it can be argued that they can be received without ANY decoder or Cable company equipment and are a Radio Transmission, not a cable. However the same rules as all cable do apply to MMDS and Satellite encrypted channels.

Chorus/NTL lawyers might be succesful in arguing that while clear MMDs is "actually" radio waves, that since is it a band solely licenced for "wireless cable" it is in "essence" a wireless cable and thus reception by any means of even clear channels on MMDS is the same as cable if not paid for and thus theft.

Bob The Nero

Thanks Watty for that, that clears up why i can get some stations and not others, I now have sky digital and just connected the ntl box to the bedroom tv(I`d mainly use it for radio as there`s not really anything on it that i dont have on the basic package anyway)so really what i like to know now is how would ntl find that i`m using the box.

Aquos76

I was doing a job for a lady who had moved from Dublin to Waterford last weekend. She got in touch with NTL to subscribe to their basic analog service, but for whatever reason, she was pushed into taking out their Digital service and not only that but they also gave her 2 additional boxes. She also subscribes to Sky digital which she is on the full package with them.

I got in touch with NTL on her behalf and with her permission and explained what had happened, the guy on the phone was decent enough, he understood that she had no idea what she was signing up to and without question cancelled the two additional boxes. Due to 12 month contract he could not cancel the main box, however he did put a bit on credit onto the account which will go a good way to paying the basic sub for the year's contract.

I asked him about collecting the two remaining boxes and he explained that they no longer take these additional boxes back. He said to leave them connected up and take advantage of the couple of free channels and also the radio stations. And it the future if you want toreconnect either of them its only a phonecall away.

So I guess it would be ok to use them.

watty

Aquos76 wrote:

....snip....

So I guess it would be ok to use them.

But she DOES have a sub for the channels she gets. Having NO sub is different.

Aquos76

watty wrote:

But she DOES have a sub for the channels she gets. Having NO sub is different.

Yep I guess. But I'd imagine he is still paying for his basic cable service aswell

Bob The Nero

yes, your right,I am paying for the basic package (sometimes i wonder why?) mainly for the bedrooms, so the kids can watch something at night.I also have a freeview card so I basically have everything on satalite. But my main question now is can ntl detect over the cable system that the box is in use or do they have to physically see it? (ie an engineer called to a repair or somebody just telling them).

Aquos76

afaik they cannot detect it but if I'm not mistaken there is a couple of there tech guys here on boards and they may be able to confirm it for you.

The tax man

Those channels you're getting on the set top box come through no matter what.Pull the card out and you'll still get them.The box can't be seen on the system,but if it could, so what you're doing nothing wrong or illegal.
There is nothing stopping you watching them and won't be charged for watching them.Otherwise NTL would make it their business to collect every single box not in use.
As for leaving the boxes in peoples homes is really a sales ploy.The thinking that while it's still in the house you'll be more likely to want it again at some stage. If they come and take it away that little box under the TV is now out of sight,out of mind.
I hear what Watty is saying but if NTL didn't want you to get ANYTHING from that box it wouldn't take much more then a few buttons being pressed,then bang, nothing but a black screen.
It was done back in the days of the old analogue decoders too.Most people got them switched off when the football was over and then come the new season,one phone call and they were up and running. No hanging around for a crew to come out and reinstall a new unit.

Hope that helps.

Mimikyu

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Round Cable

Solitaryman666 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Yes,

BBC1/2/3/4 ITV1/2/3/4 Sky Three, CBBC, Cbeebies, Reality TV, truemovies, POP + a few more.

Mossy Monk

Sky Three isnt FTA, it requires a minimum FTV card

Round Cable

With a cancelled Irish sub card it can be received.