Why get NTL digital ?

CO19

Hi,I've just been reading posts about people getting NTL Digital and I was thinking to myself why bother they offer only a handful of good stations compared to Sky and are dropping channels from their line up more than adding new channels to it.
They don't show any of the spin off stations from other channels i.e Living tv 2 or Bravo 2 etc and have dropped paramount+1 they appear to be trying to offer as little as they can get away with and charge as much as they can.
How NTL is still operating these days is beyond me because Sky are absolutely wiping the floor with them.
I have NTL basic myself but I will never upgrade to their digital unless they make major changes to their channel line up and the chances of them doing that are slim to none.

paulm17781

Do we work for Sky? Seems rather a pointless post only to put down a company who are launching a new product which has generated quite a buzz here.

Alun

Before the ntl: DVR came out, I was thinking of moving to Sky (specifically SKy+) also, but didn't for a number of reasons.

1) I just don't like dishes, I think they're ugly and obtrusive, plus most 'installations' I've seen look like they were done by monkeys .. cables draped over roofs, holes drilled through walls etc.

2) Lack of a 'proper' Channel 4.

3) No BBC 3, or BBC 4 in the EPG, making it impossible to schedule recordings for these channels.

4) ntl: has Setanta sports (without having to subscribe to any sports packages) meaning I can watch F1 without that annoying James Allen on UTV.

5) Soon I'll be able to get BB and phone from ntl: as well, thus being able to get rid of my Eircom line as well.

Most of the channels many Sky proponents cite as a reason for why ntl: is so bad (Living channel, Paramount, Bravo etc.) , I never watch anyway, or so seldom as to not make it worthwhile.

XJR

Alun wrote:

Soon I'll be able to get BB and phone from ntl: as well, thus being able to get rid of my Eircom line as well.

You may well be able to get BB phone etc from NTL and other chanels and all the things you mention.

However one thing you most certainly will not get is any sort of customer service worth talking about. They are shocking - just try get through to their customer service line - it usually takes 30 but they answer new business and credit card pauyment calls straight away.

NTL is to be avoided at all costs.

Alun

XJR wrote:

However one thing you most certainly will not get is any sort of customer service worth talking about. They are shocking - just try get through to their customer service line - it usually takes 30 but they answer new business and credit card payment calls straight away.

I've been with them for over 6 years now, and any time I've needed to contact them I've personally had no problem, certainly no better or worse than any other large organisation's CS departments are.

CO19

NTL started off with great channels they had all the UKTV channels now they only have 4 out of the 10 or 12 that are out there,they had ITV 3 which was great but they dropped that then Sky 3 was dropped too,3 of their music stations were dropped then Living 2 and Bravo2 along with paramount+1 and Men&Motors and aload of the childrens channels were gotten rid of too plus many more other channels,yet they are advertising they have a great selection of channels to offer when they don't except for the documentary channels i.e the discoveries and national geographic other than that it's a rubbish selection.

patrickmooney

I can see the channel line up changing over the next year. I for one would like to have Living2, UKTV food and UKTV Style. And don't get me started on Flaunt, I really want that back. But that aside. It's a very stable service. I love my DVR and am very happy with the channels I do have on digital. Over the last year or so, my tv habbits have changed. I'm watching more online and loving my appleTV more then cable. My brother moved from NTL to Sky two months ago. Regrets it and already has NTL back.

The tax man

Only thing rubbish around here is the above post. Before you've something to say get your facts straight.
Half of those channels you mentioned were never on NTLs DTV platform so how could they've dropped them.NTL never had all the UKTV channels,NTL never had Bravo2,living2 or Sky3.
True some you've mentioned were dropped but not because NTL said "lets drop that channel". Most times these channels have gone is out of NTL's control.

SteM

This is a weird thread but personally speaking.....

NTL Digital over NTL Analogue - worth it for the improved picture, W/S picture and EPG.

In all honesty I don't recall ever watching Bravo - can't think what I'd want Bravo 2 or Living 2 for. There's a Sky 3, was it ever on NTL Digital? Does it show programs that haven't already been broadcast on Sky 1 or 2? So they don't have 6 of the 10 UKTV channels - I wouldn't have even noticed only I'd gone looking after you said it. There gets to a point with digital TV where enough is enough - just because channels are available doesn't mean I want them cluttering up the EPG just to have. In the age of PVRs +1 channels seem redundant.

Setanta Ireland is good for Premiership football and it comes as basic on NTL.

You have to remember that NTL Digital is the only option for a lot of people in apartments.

CO19

The tax man wrote:

Only thing rubbish around here is the above post. Before you've something to say get your facts straight.
Half of those channels you mentioned were never on NTLs DTV platform so how could they've dropped them.NTL never had all the UKTV channels,NTL never had Bravo2,living2 or Sky3.
True some you've mentioned were dropped but not because NTL said "lets drop that channel". Most times these channels have gone is out of NTL's control.

NTL did have Living tv2 and Bravo 2 a few yrs ago I know this for a fact "The Tax Man" I was told this by a technician who recently repaired my connection I was talking to him about the channels NTL are dropping and he too agreed that it's ridiculous the way they are choppping and changing the line up.Now if this is a strange post why reply to it unless you've got something useful to say.

patrickmooney

I've had NTL digital for three years. I've never had LivingTV2. I remember when it was launched on sky. We never got it. Same with Bravo. I'm on NTL Digital Dublin.

sftwc01

CO19 wrote:

NTL did have Living tv2 and Bravo 2 a few yrs ago I know this for a fact "The Tax Man" I was told this by a technician who recently repaired my connection I was talking to him about the channels NTL are dropping and he too agreed that it's ridiculous the way they are choppping and changing the line up.Now if this is a strange post why reply to it unless you've got something useful to say.

I agree with The tax man and paulm17781 - I think CO19 has an agenda, and that's to promote Sky to the detriment of UPC/Chorus/NTL, who have just released a new product which compares very favourably to Sky+. CO19, do you work for Sky, BSkyB, or any affiliates?

I had been thinking of moving to Sky (as noted elsewhere on the forum), but I now have the NTL DVR, and I think it's excellent. The selection of channels is more than enough - I think very few people give a damn about Living 2, Bravo 2 and Sky 3. Having looked at the channels offered by Sky while considering my move, there was nothing significant that I was gaining. In fact, I was concerned that I would lose some programmes on Channel 4 which Sky have to block in ROI due to rights issues - to my mind, that is a significant disadvantage as compared to NTL. Similarly, I think I read somewhere yesterday that you can't record UTV programmes on Sky+? If that's right, I'll happily do without Living 2, Bravo 2 and Sky3 in preference for ITV.

Also, I don't need a dish, and I now have broadband, digital TV with DVR and the digital phone all from NTL, so I am getting rid of Eircom - a company whose customer service I have found to be ten times worse than NTL.

So, to answer CO19's question - there are plenty of reasons to get NTL digital.

PS - I do not work for UPC, Chorus, NTL or any of its affiliates.

Mossy Monk

paulm17781 wrote:

Do we work for Sky? Seems rather a pointless post only to put down a company who are launching a new product which has generated quite a buzz here.

heaven forbid that someone might put forward some points about ntl for debate.

CO19 wrote:

they had ITV 3 which was great but they dropped that

ntl didn't drop it at all. ITV requested it be removed. ITV3 was also dropped from the Irish EPG on Sky too.

Dodge

CO19 wrote:

NTL did have Living tv2 and Bravo 2 a few yrs ago I know this for a fact "The Tax Man" I was told this by a technician who recently repaired my connection I was talking to him about the channels NTL are dropping and he too agreed that it's ridiculous the way they are choppping and changing the line up.Now if this is a strange post why reply to it unless you've got something useful to say.

I’ve been with NTL digital for a fair few years (almost since it started) and can state with 100% certainty that NTL digital never carried Bravo 2 or Living 2.

The “chopping and changing” you speak of is rubbish. A couple of channels have gone but more have come in. As was previously posted in the main, it’s a very stable line up

You don't want to subscribe to NTL and thats fine, but don't go knocking a service you don't use and don't want to use. Leave that to us who do

Eamo71

I think with the new NTL DVR and its HD DVR and service to start by year's end makes the cable company a very, very strong contender. I was considering Sky but the DVR has changed my mind. The HD service will be substantially cheaper as well. Added to that the Cust service does, in fairness, seem to be improving.
I imagine there'll be a flood of customers going back to NTL and it'll be interesting to see how Sky Towers reacts. Expect prices to come down, especially on its (Sky) overpriced HD service!!

Mossy Monk

Eamo71 wrote:

The HD service will be substantially cheaper as well

What HD will UPC be providing?

patrickmooney

As mentioned, problem is with content availbality. I believe RTE have been playing around with it. Apart from that, the only content which UPC could provide would be no differnet to that available on other platforms (albeit scalled down). Question is of bandwidth, do they have enough to pump HD channels in addition to analoge and standard def digital 130+channels.

mike65

Why on earth would SKY plant someone? That said he's mainly talking tosh!
I've had digital for 5 years. Bravo2 etc never were on the EPG.

Mike.

paulm17781

CO19 wrote:

NTL did have Living tv2 and Bravo 2 a few yrs ago I know this for a fact "The Tax Man" I was told this by a technician who recently repaired my connection I was talking to him about the channels NTL are dropping and he too agreed that it's ridiculous the way they are choppping and changing the line up.Now if this is a strange post why reply to it unless you've got something useful to say.

I've had NTL digital since it was first released. It never had the sky 3, living 2. I even remember when sky 2 was added. As "The tax man" said. Check your facts before posting.

paulm17781

Mossy Monk wrote:

heaven forbid that someone might put forward some points about ntl for debate.

That's not a debate, it's slandering a company for no reason including a bunch of "facts" which are not true.

Rosser

CO19 wrote:

Hi,I've just been reading posts about people getting NTL Digital and I was thinking to myself why bother they offer only a handful of good stations compared to Sky and are dropping channels from their line up more than adding new channels to it.
They don't show any of the spin off stations from other channels i.e Living tv 2 or Bravo 2 etc and have dropped paramount+1 they appear to be trying to offer as little as they can get away with and charge as much as they can.
How NTL is still operating these days is beyond me because Sky are absolutely wiping the floor with them.
I have NTL basic myself but I will never upgrade to their digital unless they make major changes to their channel line up and the chances of them doing that are slim to none.

Dare I say why don't you switch to Sky if NTL is so bad? I don't dispute that Sky have more channels but there's some seriouly ropey stuff there too....anyone watched Day Star lately?

The tax man

CO19 wrote:

NTL did have Living tv2 and Bravo 2 a few yrs ago I know this for a fact "The Tax Man" I was told this by a technician who recently repaired my connection I was talking to him about the channels NTL are dropping and he too agreed that it's ridiculous the way they are choppping and changing the line up.Now if this is a strange post why reply to it unless you've got something useful to say.

So you're putting up an argument with second hand information.:rolleyes:
How long has the tech you had out being working for or contracted to NTL for...eh???
I'll put it this way,I'm a technician who works for NTL,I worked for Cablelink before that so I think I'D KNOW what I'm talking about when it comes to what channels NTL never had.......FACT.
Even other people are telling you that you're wrong and they don't work for NTL.
I think I've said all that needs to be said.:cool:

Eamo71

Mossy Monk wrote:

What HD will UPC be providing?

How do you mean content or the DVR?

Mossy Monk

I mean content wise, sorry for not making that clear.

byte

This thread is going nowhere IMO.

OP, I suggest you get a few facts correct.

Regardless of it all, competition is good (usually). It would not be good if Sky were the only multichannel platform in the country.