Considering changing from Sky/Eircom to NTL

mazzyk

Hi,

I currently have TV with Sky (inc Movies package) and phone through Eircom. Have held back from installing broadband as I never really needed it that much - just used occasional dial-up with Eircom.

I'm thinking of changing to the basic package with NTL (TV, phone and Broadband and getting rid of Sky and Eircom) and have a few questions that you might be able to help me with:

1. If I opt for the multi-room option (just to add my bedroom - the lounge will be the main TV) and also order the DVR (which I've never used before - didn't have Sky+), can I record on the DVR in the lounge but watch it in my bedroom?

2. As I've never had multi-room, can I ask (at the risk of sounding very dumb!) does that mean that someone in the lounge can watch a different programme than in the bedroom at the same time?

3. Has anyone had major problems with changing from Eircom phone to NTL phone? (Perhaps this should be in a different forum?)

I think that might be all my questions - apologies if they sound very obvious!

murpho999

mazzyk wrote: »

Hi,

I currently have TV with Sky (inc Movies package) and phone through Eircom. Have held back from installing broadband as I never really needed it that much - just used occasional dial-up with Eircom.

I'm thinking of changing to the basic package with NTL (TV, phone and Broadband and getting rid of Sky and Eircom) and have a few questions that you might be able to help me with:

1. If I opt for the multi-room option (just to add my bedroom - the lounge will be the main TV) and also order the DVR (which I've never used before - didn't have Sky+), can I record on the DVR in the lounge but watch it in my bedroom?

No,you will only be able to watch recorded items from the DVR, directly from the DVR itself. For each room you will receive a separate box, so you'll have DVR in the main room and a separate tuner in other rooms that are not connected to your DVR.

mazzyk wrote: »

2. As I've never had multi-room, can I ask (at the risk of sounding very dumb!) does that mean that someone in the lounge can watch a different programme than in the bedroom at the same time?

Yes.

mazzyk wrote: »

3. Has anyone had major problems with changing from Eircom phone to NTL phone? (Perhaps this should be in a different forum?)

Sorry, can't help you here.

My general advice is that I find the Sky+ package to be better. The box is better refined and more functional than UPC's offering.
The UPC box is a bit buggy and prone to errors. It has no series link and can only record one item at a time, unlike Sky plus can record two. That said they have plans to introduce series link and extra tuners.
Also, UPC's network seems to go down quite often, never ever had that with Sky, but I have had whole days of no service from UPC.

However, whilst I prefer the Sky + offering, I can understand why you would go for UPC as their triple play offerings are very good value. Also, seeing as you have never used a DVR before you will love it, as once you have had it from either Sky or UPC then you will never manage without it.

Hope this helps.

mazzyk

Thanks very much for that - I realise I must sound incredibly vague with my questions so I do appreciate your response!

The main reason I'm considering moving to the NTL package is because it does equate to a much lesser montly cost. At the moment I would pay approx €50/mth for Eircom line rental and calls; €50/mth for Sky (inc movies but not Sky+) and no broadband charge (would be included in Eircom phone bills for dial-up).

So with the basic NTL package of €44/month I would get line rental, broadband and basic TV. I realise that I will pay extra for the installation of the multi-room (€50 I think), plus a monthly fee for multi-room (€8.50) and for the DVR (€5.00) but it still works out cheaper (I appreciate that if I wanted to add the movie package it would also be an extra monthly cost of €30). Obviously, if the quality of the product was terrible then there wouldn't really be a cost saving in real terms to me; but if it is fairly ok then I think I might give it a bash!

murpho999

Glad it helped a bit.

If you're going for it, try and haggle with them over the connection fee.

€50 for plugging in a box is a rip off.

With the money they will make from you over the next few years they should be flexible. If you can order on-line then there is no connection fee, not sure about multi-room though.

mazzyk

Oh, I do have another question:

- The DVR can record a programme if I'm watching a different channel but is it possible to record 2 or more programmes at the same time? Or am I just getting over-excited?!

bullpost

Dont' want to hijack the thread but I'm looking at moving to upc digital from analogue and the cost of multi-room is putting me off.
I've got cable running into 3 other rooms and so this will add a lot to my monthly bill. Can I buy a few of those digisenders in argos/maplin and achieve the same as multi-room viewing without the monthly rental?

bk

mazzyk wrote: »

Oh, I do have another question:

- The DVR can record a programme if I'm watching a different channel but is it possible to record 2 or more programmes at the same time? Or am I just getting over-excited?!

You can record two channels at the same time.

bullpost wrote:

I've got cable running into 3 other rooms and so this will add a lot to my monthly bill. Can I buy a few of those digisenders in argos/maplin and achieve the same as multi-room viewing without the monthly rental?

You can continue to use the basic 17 analogue cable channels in the other rooms and only get digital in the main room.

Yes you can use the digisenders with the digital to watch it in another room, but in my experience, they don't work very well. I'd recommend trying it with you current analogue service before ordering the digital (you'll need to run the anaolgue through a VCR or DVD recorder first), you can always bring it back to Argos if it doesn't work.

mazzyk wrote: »

No,you will only be able to watch recorded items from the DVR, directly from the DVR itself. For each room you will receive a separate box, so you'll have DVR in the main room and a separate tuner in other rooms that are not connected to your DVR.

It is a pity this doesn't work, in the US, AT&T's U-Verse and Verizons FiOS TV services can do this. It is a very popular feature, I wouldn't be surprised if Sky do this at some stage in the future.

murpho999

bk wrote: »

You can record two channels at the same time.

Sorry this is incorrect. You can only record one item at a time on UPC DVR. You can watch another channel whilst recording but you cannot record both.

bk

murpho999 wrote: »

Sorry this is incorrect. You can only record one item at a time on UPC DVR. You can watch another channel whilst recording but you cannot record both.

Really, that is silly!!

Clearly the UPC box has two tuners if you can record one channel while watching another one. So it would seem to be just a feature missing from the software, very silly, it and series link (also missing from the UPC box) are two of the best features of Sky+.

DingDong

bk wrote: »

Really, that is silly!!

Clearly the UPC box has two tuners if you can record one channel while watching another one. So it would seem to be just a feature missing from the software, very silly, it and series link (also missing from the UPC box) are two of the best features of Sky+.

Both these features are due shortly bk about time too.

murpho999

DingDong wrote: »

Both these features are due shortly bk about time too.

They have been "due shortly" for over a year now!

The series link is a major issue. I find it ridiculous they do not have it and that it is taking so long to bring out.

What is the problem as Sky have had it for years now!

mazzyk

I went ahead and ordered the NTL package yesterday. I did ask the telesales guy if it was possible to record more than one programme at a time - he told me that it was possible?! Now it's not a deal-breaker for me but it would be nice if it were true - not holding my breath..

He told me that there is a Series Link feature also.. I'm just wondering if he uses Sky+ at home and has just got confused?

Anyway, I'm being hooked up on Friday (which I'm quite impressed with - Weds-Fri turnaround) so I shall see what works and what doesn't!

Jaysoose

Dont want to burst your bubble but NTL is garbage and the customer service you are receiving now will go downhill faster than eddie the eagle.

murpho999

mazzyk wrote: »

I went ahead and ordered the NTL package yesterday. I did ask the telesales guy if it was possible to record more than one programme at a time - he told me that it was possible?! Now it's not a deal-breaker for me but it would be nice if it were true - not holding my breath..

He is definitely telling you porkies. The box can only record one program at a time. You can watch one program and record another, but that is not the same thing.
The other night I needed to record 2 programmes that were on at the same time and here's what I did. Set one programme to record, had the other programme switched on on the box itself. Then I watched the 3rd programme on crappy analogue.
When that finished, I then switched to the box, and rewound the channel it was on and watched the programme as it was in the box's buffer. There is no way to save that programme and once you change channel or accidently hit the 'UPC' button you lose it. This is a work around but only useful if you are home at the time.

mazzyk wrote: »

He told me that there is a Series Link feature also.. I'm just wondering if he uses Sky+ at home and has just got confused?

Again he is bending the truth here. The DVR does NOT have a series link feature. What that spoofer in UPC is on about is manual recordings. This is where you can set the box to record a specific channel at a specific time for a specific frequency (daily, weekly monthly etc). This is not the same as a series link for a number of reasons as follows.

1) The recorded programme will not show with programme title in your recordings but just show what time the recording was made. Can be very confusing if you have a few different ones.
Sky + will show the recording with full details in planner.

2) If the broadcaster changes the schedule of the programme then the DVR will not record it, but stick to the original time. Sky Series link will pick up any scheduling changes.

3) When series ends you will have to manually cancel the planned recording Sky + will do that itself!

mazzyk wrote: »

Anyway, I'm being hooked up on Friday (which I'm quite impressed with - Weds-Fri turnaround) so I shall see what works and what doesn't!

Seeing as you are coming from having nothing at all then you will find the DVR great, but it is only adequate when compared to Sky's offering.

Just hope that they turn up on time!:P

Alun

Someone here though was saying recently that they had a flyer in with their last UPC bill saying that series link and the ability to record 2 programmes was coming soon. Yes, I know they've been saying that for ages, but isn't it possible that they may be deploying new DVR boxes with updated firmware into the field ahead of doing a nationwide update as a way of doing live field testing?

mazzyk

Although it would be lovely to be a guinea pig for a new NTL service, I'm guessing that he was just trying to get me to sign up and thought it best to agree with me. I would imagine that if they were planning a roll-out of new products that they might start with briefing their telesales staff to explain that it is a new product. He made it sound as if it had been around for a while so I'm guessing my dream of Series Link (like Sky) is just a dream!

They did actually phone me today to bring forward the appointment from Fri afternoon to Friday morning if it was more convenient for me?! They must be pretty desperate for business in there!

We shall see...

But at least I know how to record 2 programmes - thanks murpho999!

Traumadoc

My experience with UPC has been rotten to say the least, I have been trying for the last three months to cancel, but despite letters, phonecalls and emails to them, they continue to bill me.\
Customer service is an oxymoron.

If you have a chance get out before they make it very diffcult to do so.

d8player

Alun wrote: »

Someone here though was saying recently that they had a flyer in with their last UPC bill saying that series link and the ability to record 2 programmes was coming soon. Yes, I know they've been saying that for ages, but isn't it possible that they may be deploying new DVR boxes with updated firmware into the field ahead of doing a nationwide update as a way of doing live field testing?

Soon is a word from UPC that does not fill me with any great sense of hope. If they actually put a date on it then things would be so much clearer but from experience that is asking waaaaaay to much.