About to cancel NTL; advice needed

silvine

I took the cable that runs from my wall to my NTL box out and plugged it directly into my TV. I was then able to tune in 15 or so channels on my tv. My question is if I cancel my NTL service will I still be able to tune these channels in?

Hugh Cream

ye your just cancelling your upc digital package, you will still have analogue.
you hooked up the box since?

coylemj

If they come and cut the connection to your house: No.

silvine

I haven't hooked the box up since. The TV says it tuned these channels in based on an aerial connection. Surely NTL disconnecting me won't affect that?

ardmacha

Surely NTL disconnecting me won't affect that?

Of course it will. What do you think this cable coming from the wall is connected to!
When they disconnect your house cable from the NTL cable, your signal will go. You can put up an aerial, rabbit's ears or something more sophisticated, and get the Irish stations on digital or analogue (for another 15 months).

silvine

I thought the channels I'm receiving (RTE, BBC, TG4 etc) are free to air? If they're not how come I can watch them on my TV without using my NTL box and decoder card?

coylemj

They are the old legacy analogue channels coming from UPC, they are coming in on VHF frequencies and provided you have an Irish TV set your TV will tune to them without a digital decoder. If UPC disconnect you they will disappear, you will need an aerial to receive them independent of UPC.

BBC, UTV and Channel 4 are not free to air in the Republic. If you live away from the north or east of the country you either need cable or Sky to receive them.

UPC are under no obligation to provide you with 'free to air' channels.

ardmacha

If you want the BBC and the like then a FreeSat satellite dish and receiver is the only way forward, without NTL.