NTL - Analogue price? Alternatives?

Amalgam

I was out at the parents and talk turned to the television license, bundled alongside was the last Chorus NTL bill. The house gets a very grotty analogue signal supplied by Chorus NTL.

My parents have been customers of Cablelink and whatever they were previously, since the early 1970's, nothing has ever changed.

The current basic package is as follows:

147.00 (VAT inclusive) - 6 Months
021.00 - Extra Basic TV Point - 6 Months
021.00 - Extra Basic TV Point - 6 Months
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189.00 x 2 Per Year
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378.00 Euro - Basic Analogue package from Chorus NTL

Are there alternatives to the above? it seems expensive for the service being supplied. Do Chorus NTL provide cheaper basic digital packages?

If I had seen the bills before now, I would have questioned the value of them, and looked for Free to Air, or some other alternative.

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Basic requirements would be English channels, French channel 'TV5' and RTE by some\any other means, aerial, or at the worst, bunny ears, as long as the News can be seen.

The Extra TV Points have not been in use for at least ten years, do I just ring up and ask for them to be removed physically?

What I'm wary of is one of the points was there previously, the cheeky cable tech basically just removed the generic plug housing and popped in a Cablelink one.

campo

Well they could get the Digital Value pack for 20e pm which would be 240e in a year and then asked for extra points to be cancelled, they value pack has all the channels that you mentioned above and much better value for money then anologue if you ask me

Amalgam

Cheers campo, I knew the modern digital packages would be cheaper. I wish I'd noticed this before now. Frustrating.

Are the digital boxes fairly simple to use, my Mum wouldn't be into something too technical. It just has to work.

campo

I think they are anyway I say it be confusing to start due to EPG but I never use that I just use the channel up and down function the same as anologue and at the bottom of the screen it tells you what is on now and next on that particular channel been honest she be way better off with digital more channels , less cost and better picture

bk

Also, as long as your not in Cork, you will continue to get the analogue TV service for free along with the Digital service.