NTL versus SKY TV service

Abraham

Had NTL for past year or so then in moment of madness changed over to SKY and I'm really sorry I did that. SKYE is chock full of utterly rubbishy TV channels. If you are the sort of person who loves endless scandals, twitless chatter, stupid games and all that side of life that's intended to fill the vacant spaces (and there's a lot of that) of those in the nether regions of the lower socio-economic group and likely to stay there then you'll be very happy indeed with Sky's offerings.

It's not good enough to say that all sorts must be catered for. There must be ceilings and floors on this kind of thing and this SKY stuff is already well below ground level.
Talk about everything in life eventually succumbing to the requirements of the lowest common denominator......well this is absolute proof of that observation.

NTL will have me back and that will cost me but life is too short for that other garbage.

If anyone is thinking of changing to SKy well just reflect on what you want out of life so you'll know what awaits you there if you make the switch.
For me, can't get back to NTL half fast enough.

God....what a missed opportunity....if only Colm McCarthy and SNIP had had the wit to slap a public mind erosion tax on that SKY outfit ! Oh, well.

Kensington

But sky offer all of the channels UPC do, plus some other decent ones that aren't on UPC. If you don't like the rubbish channels on sky, just don't watch them. I find the sky service far better than UPC. An 8 day EPG (that actually works!), much better picture quality and I don't have to reset the box every morning.

dudara

Not a Consumer Issue. Moved to Television for lack of another option.

dudara

Mossy Monk

Abraham wrote: »

Had NTL for past year or so then in moment of madness changed over to SKY and I'm really sorry I did that. SKYE is chock full of utterly rubbishy TV channels. If you are the sort of person who loves endless scandals, twitless chatter, stupid games and all that side of life that's intended to fill the vacant spaces (and there's a lot of that) of those in the nether regions of the lower socio-economic group and likely to stay there then you'll be very happy indeed with Sky's offerings.

It's not good enough to say that all sorts must be catered for. There must be ceilings and floors on this kind of thing and this SKY stuff is already well below ground level.
Talk about everything in life eventually succumbing to the requirements of the lowest common denominator......well this is absolute proof of that observation.

NTL will have me back and that will cost me but life is too short for that other garbage.

If anyone is thinking of changing to SKy well just reflect on what you want out of life so you'll know what awaits you there if you make the switch.
For me, can't get back to NTL half fast enough.

God....what a missed opportunity....if only Colm McCarthy and SNIP had had the wit to slap a public mind erosion tax on that SKY outfit ! Oh, well.

Let's see. Is there something forcing you to watch all of those channels?

As said you get pretty much all of what is available on cable plus you through satellite you have access to all the BBC channels, ITV channels, Channel 4 channels and five. Not to mention that if you do decide to cancel Sky you still have access to all of those channels and more.

This next bit will blow your world but Sky does not actually own or even transmit all of the channels available on its platform. They don't even have a say about what goes on it. As long as you have a license to broadcast and the money to pay for the EPG slot then you are in.

To summarise, take out all of the **** and you still have a better lineup than what is available through NTL

Mr E

Set up a favourites list in Sky to filter out the crap. Then all you do is press the blue button on the EPG to see whats on the channels you want to watch.... easy.

Mountain out of a molehill, tbh.

The Sky interface is far superior to NTL.

kmick

They have exactly the same channels only SKY has a lot more. You are shooting the messenger. Its the message you have a problem with.

Mossy Monk

kmick wrote: »

They have exactly the same channels only SKY has a lot more. You are shooting the messenger. Its the message you have a problem with.

Sky doesn't have City channel.

TarfHead

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Sky doesn't have City channel.

Is that a 'pro' or a 'con' ?

As a longtime ntl customer, I'm getting warmer towards having a SKY dish on the house. Up to now I have hated the sight of them on houses and the cabling involved, but now, less so when set against the appeal of the FX channel and the Food & Gardening programes that the missus would love.

One bit that still bothers me about SKY+ is the way it stops recording when the programme is scheduled to end. I'd prefer it to have some flexibility to allow for RTE and also for live sport over-runs

Sky only has perhaps one or two extra channels than NTL that I'd consider watching and is far more expensive, but I find the NTL software to be insanely buggy and can be quite clunky and slow to use. Still though, price wins.

Mossy Monk

TarfHead wrote: »

One bit that still bothers me about SKY+ is the way it stops recording when the programme is scheduled to end. I'd prefer it to have some flexibility to allow for RTE and also for live sport over-runs

You can add extra time to the start and end of the recording or setup a manual recording.

leggo

One bit that still bothers me about SKY+ is the way it stops recording when the programme is scheduled to end. I'd prefer it to have some flexibility to allow for RTE and also for live sport over-runs

Really? Haven't had that problem at all. Depends on the channels, I believe, as if they're quick enough on the ball to update their EPG to account for the overrun...it'll still record. So on Sky Sports etc, you'll still be fine. The likes of RTE only have themselves to blame for that problem.

My house has switched over and back between both a total of four times over the past 8 years.

Sky is infinitely better imo. Just for options. I'd rather have something and not need it than need it and not have it. Plus they're pretty much the same price. But hey, if you like paying more for less then good for you!

Sky only has perhaps one or two extra channels than NTL that I'd consider watching and is far more expensive, but I find the NTL software to be insanely buggy and can be quite clunky and slow to use. Still though, price wins.

Where did you get that info???

MOH

TarfHead wrote: »

Is that a 'pro' or a 'con' ?

As a longtime ntl customer, I'm getting warmer towards having a SKY dish on the house. Up to now I have hated the sight of them on houses and the cabling involved, but now, less so when set against the appeal of the FX channel and the Food & Gardening programes that the missus would love.

FX channel is good alright.

One bit that still bothers me about SKY+ is the way it stops recording when the programme is scheduled to end. I'd prefer it to have some flexibility to allow for RTE and also for live sport over-runs

I'd prefer it if RTE could actually manage to stick to a schedule.

Linku

The NTL EPG is a joke, the listings take like 20 seconds to load half the time, and it had the most unintuitive software and remote of any set top box I've ever used.

zuutroy

Lets not forget that NTL are hapless morons and the current box I have is desperately slow.

Abraham

Mod

---

sorry for posting wrong section. Got carried away with my fury at excrement dressed as excellence in the marketplace. Can do better.....will do better.

Now, to review my rant against Sky.
Good God.......if all you guys are so positive for Sky how can I possibly be right ? Maybe it'll grow on me. Gonna give it one more week and use my twitchiest finger on the 'Bomb Release' buttons for those God awful stupid stupid dog's vomit reality and game show servings.

And this is my parting shot. If a 21 stone, balding, bespectacled, masked and leather clad dark avenger wearing his underpants over his trousers (just like Superman) ever parachutes in from behind the camera in any of those shows, just stay watching, cos it ain't gonna be pretty. My time will be short and I know I'll only get one chance so I'm gonna exterminate. I'm gonna be in solitary after that for the rest of my natural but hey, won't it be worth it to rid the world of such drivel.

My drinking pals say I need counseling. Now if only there was somebody I could sue for getting me into this state.

Listen, guys....get a life !

leggo

Mod

---

sorry for posting wrong section. Got carried away with my fury at excrement dressed as excellence in the marketplace. Can do better.....will do better.

Now, to review my rant against Sky.
Good God.......if all you guys are so positive for Sky how can I possibly be right ? Maybe it'll grow on me. Gonna give it one more week and use my twitchiest finger on the 'Bomb Release' buttons for those God awful stupid stupid dog's vomit reality and game show servings.

And this is my parting shot. If a 21 stone, balding, bespectacled, masked and leather clad dark avenger wearing his underpants over his trousers (just like Superman) ever parachutes in from behind the camera in any of those shows, just stay watching, cos it ain't gonna be pretty. My time will be short and I know I'll only get one chance so I'm gonna exterminate. I'm gonna be in solitary after that for the rest of my natural but hey, won't it be worth it to rid the world of such drivel.

My drinking pals say I need counseling. Now if only there was somebody I could sue for getting me into this state.

Listen, guys....get a life !

Huh?

mikom

Abraham wrote: »

Mod

---

sorry for posting wrong section. Got carried away with my fury at excrement dressed as excellence in the marketplace. Can do better.....will do better.

Now, to review my rant against Sky.
Good God.......if all you guys are so positive for Sky how can I possibly be right ? Maybe it'll grow on me. Gonna give it one more week and use my twitchiest finger on the 'Bomb Release' buttons for those God awful stupid stupid dog's vomit reality and game show servings.

And this is my parting shot. If a 21 stone, balding, bespectacled, masked and leather clad dark avenger wearing his underpants over his trousers (just like Superman) ever parachutes in from behind the camera in any of those shows, just stay watching, cos it ain't gonna be pretty. My time will be short and I know I'll only get one chance so I'm gonna exterminate. I'm gonna be in solitary after that for the rest of my natural but hey, won't it be worth it to rid the world of such drivel.

My drinking pals say I need counseling. Now if only there was somebody I could sue for getting me into this state.

Listen, guys....get a life !

Lad seriously, SKY is the least of your problems.

Mossy Monk

Abraham wrote: »

get a life !

Is that aimed at yourself?

Saint_Mel

I had Sky but found their customer service woeful and their installation/maintenence contractors dangerously incompetent and whats more, they didnt seem to give a flying funk so long as the standing order cleared.

Made the switch to NTL and I'm happier for it.

One particular Sky customer service "guru" ... who proved about as much use as a one-legged man at an árse-kicking contest, told me I'd be back crying to them to reconnect the service within a week. Now, 8 months down the line they are the ones still sending me letters asking me to come back.

TarfHead

Saint_Mel wrote: »

One particular Sky customer service "guru" ... who proved about as much use as a one-legged man at an árse-kicking contest,

The guy who installed my ntl digital told me that any attempt to split out the digibox signal would interfere with the emergency services :rolleyes:.

Since I have done this (sort of), there have been a succession of ambulances and fire engines crashing my garden wall !