ntls Digital and watching two different program

Boston

Now id really rather speak to someone with the service then without.

lets call the two set ups, analog and digital.

I know ill only be able to watch digital on one TV,(the one with the digibox) but can I watch digital and then analog stations (like bbc1) on another or several other TV's ?

according to the lady from ntl I spoke with, it can. if true please explain why. but I was talking to someone else and they said ntl staff told them they couldn't. that they would only be able to watch one thing at anytime, be it an analog station (BBC1) or digital (E4) and all other TVs would have to should what the main one does.

the best way to know for sure is if somebody that has it, tell me here

SkepticOne

I don't have "Go Digital" but I have been told that you can watch both digital and analogue on different TVs at the same time. This is because they don't switch off the analogue service when you subscribe to digital. The two services are broadcast over the same cable at the same time.

Boston

i was told that by ntl staff, but untill i actually talk to someone with the service, im not going to buy it.
i find it strange that no one here has it

Charles Slane

You're not the only one who finds it strange !

A lot of people on this forum are very interested in this service but no one has been able to get it yet. I think Mountjoy Mugger may be due to get NTL Digital in the next few days, and I'm sure he'll let us all know what it's like when he does.

In the meantime - from what I've read, when you subscribe to NTL Digital, you still receive the analogue service in the usual way in addition to the digital signal. This means that you can only watch one digital channel at a time (as you need the digital box to decode it), but the analogue signal behaves in the same way as normal. So you can watch any number of the normal analogue channels on any number of TV/VCR's, but only one of the digital channels at a time.

So you couldn't tape something on Paramount and watch something else on CNN. But you could watch something on Channel 4 while taping the Paramount channel.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

Mountjoy Mugger

Originally posted by Charles Slane
You're not the only one who finds it strange !

A lot of people on this forum are very interested in this service but no one has been able to get it yet. I think Mountjoy Mugger may be due to get NTL Digital in the next few days, and I'm sure he'll let us all know what it's like when he does.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

Yup - hope to have it installed tomorrow evening. I'd hazard a guess and say you're right, Charles. The digital signal is decoded by the STB, and then routed to the TV. The analog signal still exists - so, the odds are you won't be able to watch two different channels on different sets - unless of course, you got a second STB.

I'll let you know sometime tomorrow night.

Boston

hmm, well post back here when you do.

Gavin W

I've had NTL Digital for the last week and I can assure you there's absolutely no problem with regards to the analogue signal. We have four TVs and two videos so naturally I was as concerned as you are. I didnt want to be stuck with just the one channel on all our sets at any one time.

But whereas you can only watch one digital channel at a time on whichever set the digibox is hooked up to, the analogue channels can still be watched/recorded independently of one another on all your TVs and videos, just like they always could.

Gavin

spanner_head

Originally posted by Gavin W
I've had NTL Digital for the last week and I can assure you there's absolutely no problem with regards to the analogue signal. We have four TVs and two videos so naturally I was as concerned as you are. I didnt want to be stuck with just the one channel on all our sets at any one time.

Gavin

Gavin,

Thanks for the answer!! At least we now know what happens.
Just one thing what is the serivice like? Is is any good?? Your the only one I know who has it installed!! So if possible, let us know how it is!

Thanks,
spanner_head

Charles Slane

Wow ! Finally someone who actually has NTL Digital !!

You're very welcome to the forum, Gavin.

There are lots of people here who would love to hear your thoughts about the service. What channels did you get , what's the EPG like... etc.

Any info would be appreciated.

Gavin W

Originally posted by Charles Slane
Wow ! Finally someone who actually has NTL Digital !!

You're very welcome to the forum, Gavin.

There are lots of people here who would love to hear your thoughts about the service. What channels did you get , what's the EPG like... etc.

Any info would be appreciated.

Cheers guys, I feel like some sort of honoured guest, being the first one here to have the service.

Well, I have had one minor problem with it (see the other thread called "I've signed up for NTL Digital") that I've complained about. But about an hour after I posted that the digibox started receiving an update in it's software so perhaps they were responding to my complaint or perhaps it was just a coincidence, I don't know. I haven't had a chance to check it yet to see if the problems gone.

Anyway, apart from that, I'm happy with it. There are about 30 extra channels, not 34 or 35 as the adverts claim. That's because most of the film channels seem to be only available in Dublin so far(all I got was Turner Classic Movies) and one of the promised music channels (Rapture) has ceased transmission. Then there's a couple of them that share a channel, such as Discovery Kids and Discovery Wings.

To be honest, it's not a fantastic selection (you can see the full list on NTL's website) but I knew that before I signed up. There's about half a dozen that I'd regularly watch, such as E4, Sci-Fi Channel, VH1, Paramount Comedy, etc, but thats just my own personal taste. If you're into the kind of stuff that's shown on the Discovery Channel then you'll probably love the various different Discovery spin-offs you'll get here.

The EPG seems fairly straightforward and easy to get around. I've had no problems finding anything on it anyway.

Picture quality is what you'd expect from Digital TV - looks absolutely perfect from a normal viewing distance of at least a couple of feet, but up-close you can see a fair amount of digital artefacts. They're especially noticeable during anything with a lot of movement, like a football match. I did a comparison between the analogue and digital versions of Eurosport and found that although the analogue picture wasn't quite as good, it least had all the detail. The digital version had a noticably 'pixellated' football pitch, even when I sat back a few feet from the screen. Though I'm not a sports fan so that doesn't really bother me

One other thing - you can't get teletext on any of the digital channels, you have to switch back to analogue for that. Is that to be expected or can you get teletext on Sky Digital?

Gavin

DMC

Good stuff Gavin...

Just two questions from me; are BBC 1, BBC 2, UTV and Channel 4 available on NTL Digital, or is it just available on analogue?

And could you give us a full channel rundown, including channel numbers, please?

Damo.

Boston

they are only on analogue, its not like you have a choise anyway, you have to get both services

Gavin W

Originally posted by DamoDMC
Good stuff Gavin...

Just two questions from me; are BBC 1, BBC 2, UTV and Channel 4 available on NTL Digital, or is it just available on analogue?

And could you give us a full channel rundown, including channel numbers, please?

Damo.

Yeah, virtually all the analogue channels are also on NTL Digital (in stereo sound). The full channel listing for the basic pack is -

101 - RTE1
102 - Network 2
103 - TV3
104 - TG4
105 - BBC1
106 - BBC2
107 - UTV
108 - Channel 4
109 - E4
110 - Sky One
111 - Sky News
112 - MTV
113 - Nickelodeon
114 - Eurosport
115 - CNBC
116 - TV5
117 - Discovery Channel
118 - Discovery Animal Planet
119 - Discovery Travel and Adventure
120 - Discovery Home and Leisure
121 - Discovery Health
122 - Discovery Sci-Trek
123 - Discovery Kids/ Discovery Wings
124 - Nick Jr.
125 - Fox Kids
126 - Paramount Comedy Channel
127 - Granada Plus
128 - Granada Breeze
129 - Granada Men & Motors
130 - National Geographic
132 - Sci-Fi Channel
133 - The History Channel
134 - The Biography Channel
135 - The Performance Channel
136 - ITN News Channel
137 - CNN
138 - Bloomberg
140 - Turner Classic Movies
142 - VH1
143 - VH1 Classic
144 - MTV Hits
145 - MTV Base
146 - MTV Dance
148 - TV Travel Shop
149 - QVC
150 - Extreme Sports

I don't have any of the premium channels such as all of the various Sky Sports channels (152 to 154), Sky Premiers (155 to 159), Moviemaxs (160 to 164) and Sky Cinemas (165, 166)

Then there's the add-on channels MUTV (151), Film Four (167), Disney Channel (168), Playboy TV (175) and Pay-Per-View Channel (174)

The new cable box that the engineer installed also has a socket that you can connect to your stereo for digital radio. I haven't done that so I don't know how many radio channels there are but you can get 13 of them through the digibox and listen to them on your TV, mostly the main RTE/BBC channels, BBC World Service, WRN, stuff like that.

Hope that helps
Gavin

This is Great Gavin-at least some where in Ireland theres anothe bit of competition for Sky

That's because most of the film channels seem to be only available in Dublin so far(all I got was Turner Classic Movies)

So you're not in Dublin then?
Your experience with NTL Digital is as common as a blue moon unfortunately
I wonder when NTL will be bussing us all down to see you?
Put on the Kettle-they can supply the biscuits:D
mm

Charles Slane

If we're having biscuits, I love chocolate Kimberly.

But seriously, thanks for taking the time to let us know about the service.

Cheers !!

Gavin W

Originally posted by madman

So you're not in Dublin then?

No, I'm down in Waterford. There's a few other movie channels such as 'The Studio', 'Carlton Cinema' and 'Front Row' but the booklet I got just says they're "currently unavailable in Galway and Waterford". Whether we'll get them in the future or not I don't know.

I wonder when NTL will be bussing us all down to see you?

That's probably scheduled to happen shortly after Ireland gets affordable, always-on internet services....

Gavin

Chocolate Kimberly-Yummy -the thoughts of it are making me rush down to the 24hr shop now!
Agreed on the always on internet-hopefully some outfit will answer the call for an affordable service!
Whats Carlton Cinema like by the way?
Its also available on ITV digital-but I never asked for it.
mm

Whoops-my hunger for choclate Kimberly biscuits( ) made me mis read your post Gavin-no Carlton Cinema in Waterford:(
mm

Mossy Monk

don't know why but i am curious as to whether you receive pan European Eurosport or British Eurosport like us with Sky Digital

Gavin W

don't know why but i am curious as to whether you receive pan European Eurosport or British Eurosport like us with Sky Digital

I don't know really. Never watched it much. It's the same Eurosport that's on NTL Analogue, if that helps.

Gavin

Mountjoy Mugger

Just to let you know, NTL *forgot* to call to me yesterday (Wednesday) - so much for being a priority call-out.

Provisionally pencilled in for Saturday. I'll let you know what's on in the Dublin area then - if there are any major changes from Gavin's. Fair enough?

Mustang

Hi guys,

i am in dublin and i have just got ntl digital installed and i would agree with gavin - it is an excellent service - the odd little hic up but nothing to make me worry!

Carlton cinema is available but at the moment it is only available after 7 - a temp thing according to ntl phone operator.

So far so good - will keep you all updated if any thing goes right or wrong with the service.


just keep your fingers crossed. In response to what you guys were talking about with eurosport it is actually a british version of eurosport that we get over here.

Mustang

Gavin W

Originally posted by Mustang
i am in dublin and i have just got ntl digital installed and i would agree with gavin - it is an excellent service - the odd little hic up but nothing to make me worry!

Just out of interest, are you having the same problem that I have: i.e. the picture keeps pausing for a moment before snapping back to normal?

Mountjoy Mugger

Finally got it installed.

A couple of things I noticed - there's no teletext on GoDigital - you can only get it by using the analog channels. (This is mentioned in the leaflets which I hadn't received)

Using a widescreen can be a bi***. You need to force widescreen on the AV connection to maintain the format. It seems to drop otherwise, i.e. the setting isn't saved by the digibox.

There's the odd pause as described by Gavin, I mainly noticed it in the first 30 minutes after installation. It seemed to occur less frequently afterwards.

Oh, it has British Eurosport - not the same as analog which carried the Australia - Uruguay match live last night.

Overall, for an extra fiver a month ( I was already renting a decoder) it ain't bad value.

Gavin W

Originally posted by Mountjoy Mugger
Using a widescreen can be a bi***. You need to force widescreen on the AV connection to maintain the format. It seems to drop otherwise, i.e. the setting isn't saved by the digibox.

Yeah, I have that too. For me it's completely random as to whether it recognises the widescreen setting or not. When it doesn't I sometimes find that if you switch to an analogue channel and then switch back to digital it somehow "refreshes" it and it goes widescreen then. Doesn't always work though.

There's the odd pause as described by Gavin, I mainly noticed it in the first 30 minutes after installation. It seemed to occur less frequently afterwards.

On average, how often would you say it occurs for you? I'm lucky if I can watch an entire programme without seeing it several times.

Gavin