Sky+ Digital or NTL Digital?

aaf

Hope this is the right place for this so here it goes. We've had NTL basic tv package for a few years now. Last month, we upgraded to their basic digital package for an extra €5 per month. Don't know why we did it as we had most of the channels already with the basic package and the "new" channels are rubbish. We are now looking at cancelling that and getting a decent Sky package as we're not happy with NTL Digital. I've searched a bit for more info on this but can't find anything solid. Do you get a digibox with all sky digital packages? Are you able to record stuff then on the digibox? Are the hard drives in the digiboxes standard ide or SATA drives and therefore, can they be upgraded? Would we be better off buying our own digibox? Don't really have any info and have never had a need to know all the stuff about Sky+ until now. Do Sky do the installation or what companies around Dublin 15 area do? How much should I be looking at paying for installation and then monthly charges? My GF rang Sky today and they said that UTV and C4 are part of their packages but looking here on boards, that's not the case. Any help appreciated.

aaf

Looking at NTL website and they do offer all the Sky packages albeit at a more costly rate but I just found out that NTL have at last rolled out their broadband service into my housing estate so I can ditch my landline so I might stick with NTL as a result of that. One question though, is NTL's 'Watch and Record' based on hard disks technology like Sky+ digibox?

chorus techy

I think what they mean by "Watch & Record" is that you can watch one digital TV channel whilst recording from another analogue cable channel or vice versa.

aaf

Thought as much. Still, I want to ditch eircom's line rental and I can go for a 3mb download connection with NTL Broadband. I'll just have to save up and get a HD Recorder. Heading to NYC in Dec, so I might pick one up there and send it back.

god's toy

(maybe you already know this but)

Just make sure your DH Recorder outputs in PAL to your TV! Stuff from the US uses NSTC and unless your TV can take it in it’s as useful as a chocolate teapot.

aaf

god's toy wrote:

(maybe you already know this but)

Just make sure your DH Recorder outputs in PAL to your TV! Stuff from the US uses NSTC and unless your TV can take it in it’s as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Had forgotten about that but I was going to do a bit of research into what recorder to get beforehand and I'm sure that the NSTC/PAL thing would've cropped up. Anyway, just called NTL and I'm definitely eligible for NTL broadband so looks like I'll go for that and go for the €10/month digital package and maybe Sky Sports package with Prem Plus

snaps

I ditched sky this week. Kept my UK FTV card for back up (If ntl go down & for CH5, ITV2 and inteactive stuff) and moved over to ntl digital as I thought it was cheaper. I was paying €52.50 a month with sky and could only watch 1 channel a time. I have ntl digital in now with 2 boxes and 17 basic analouge channels on 2 other tv's. So I have the option of watching a choice of channels on all of my tv's. As soon as ntl have wireless support with their broadband I will be ditching eircom & utv. I see also ntl are thinking of getting back into the voice market, So that may be an option considering I barely use my landline phone. (Only for calls to UK as they are free with UTV). I'm happy enough at the moment as half the channels on Sky I never looked twice at.

aaf

snaps wrote:

As soon as ntl have wireless support with their broadband I will be ditching eircom & utv.

Eh, why don't you just hook up a wireless router to the cable modem and then you'd have wireless throughout the house?