# What's going on with NTL digital



## bazermc (8 Feb 2007)

It seems to me that the service NTL is providing to digital customers is getting worse.

From what I can gather I have now lost 3 music channels from 719 to 721and the bloody guide seems to never work.  Has anybody else had the same experiences?

Also does anybody know why the NTL logo is gone from the channel guide?

Currently considering moving to Sky digital only problem is the NTL broadband is excellent and I need at least an analogue connection to keep it going?


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## karly (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

NTL are a joke service wise.I moved to Sky and never looked back.Stop using them in large enough numbers and they might finally react.


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## kmelvin (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

NTL makes my blood boil.

I've been over-charged TWICE this month. I've had to ring 4 times to get it sorted - and its still not fixed. 1 girl actually just hung up on me cause she wasn't bothered dealing with me (I was on hold for 30 minutes before she did this).

I live in an apartment and can't go with Sky (the mgmt company said no Dishes).

I would never recommend them to anyone.


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## bacchus (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

NTL broadband: i need to power cycle modem every 1 or 2 days!
NTL Digital TV: i need to power cycle set top box every 2 to 3 days!!!

Other than that, it works well between failures!!!

Seriously considering ditching NTL...but i have no guarantee that any other providers will be any better.... 

So in the meantime, i  am going to connect modem and set-top box on switching timer to get automatic power cycle/reset at 4am!!!


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## paddyb (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

NTL Digital TV:
I had similar problems with the settop box.  I complaned to NTL and they sent out an engineer.  I ended up getiing a new set top box which has been working weel so far.


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## gillarosa (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

[ Also does anybody know why the NTL logo is gone from the channel guide? ]

Well, I reluctantly answered a 'phone survey for them which was conducted from the UK and one of the questions were "are you aware NTL has been acquired by Virgin Telecommunications" or some such virgin, so maybe it is awaiting corporate rebranding.


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## ryan-neil (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

NTL Ireland was purchased by the same people who own Chorus, take a look at Chorus.ie and NTL.ie and you will see they are basically the same site except for a small amount of branding.

I believe you will see the dropping of the NTL Brand soon and it will be incorporated under the Chorus Group or the two together as a new media company. I

It's worth noting that for a company who a lot of people like to bash they still provide the cheapest broadband around by a long shot if you don't want a landline. Although it's does take ages to get through to support, mainly due to people having been let go after the takeover. So in a long shot a good company was bough by Irish media group, they kept the good product but saved more money be destroying the support service.


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## r2d2 (8 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*



gillarosa said:


> [ Also does anybody know why the NTL logo is gone from the channel guide? ]
> 
> Well, I reluctantly answered a 'phone survey for them which was conducted from the UK and one of the questions were "are you aware NTL has been acquired by Virgin Telecommunications" or some such virgin, so maybe it is awaiting corporate rebranding.


 
ntl in Ireland no longer has any links to ntl UK (other than usage agreements on their sub sea cables for voice and data links)....They are now owned by UPC, their HQ is in Amsterdam. I have extensive experience of them and I must say that the broadband product has been almost completely trouble free (I was one of the first trial cutomers) and really is excellent. I'm still using the TV service but if UPC keep flexing their muscles in the way they have been, I will have to reconsider this. The company has undergone a lot of changes with the amalgamation of Chorus and ntl, unfortunately, the really talented people that ntl had, have seen the light and moved on.......Some of the current senior management would make Stan "I'm the gaffer" Staunton look outstanding !


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## mollser (9 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

Was raging that Scuzz music channel was taken off, great variety of stuff on there - the other channels seem to be very 'corporate' driven alright. 

On a happier note, GREAT to see Eurosport back - came back yesterday on ch423 - that is for me the last 'big' channel Sky had an advantage over NTL on.  (However I think the program up/down button still skips over it at the moment).  

Have had to reset the digital box twice in last 3 days, but generally only about once a month otherwise.  Great to have the hassle free analog service fed all over the house for nothing extra, generally enough for bed time viewing on those 17 odd channels anyway.  

Broadband package is superb, never experienced any problems like the broadband nuts on Boards seem to have.

Oh yeah - free Setanta Sports - wouldn't like to pay for that on sky, but a must have channel for any rugby fan.

Happy enough customer here!


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## kmelvin (12 Feb 2007)

*Re: Whats going on with NTL digital*

That hassle free analog is costing me €50 a month cause NTL claim I have an extra digital box. The Billing claimed to resolve this for me - of course they didn't I - was billed €50 again.


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## kiwifruit (18 Feb 2007)

Hi,just wondering if anyone else is having the same hassle as i am, i have one of the ntl black digital boxes{pace} and since last week its retuning itself every 10 mins!! coming up PACE,then TUNE and BOOT on the screen. anyone know how to fix the problem.i was told to unplug the box and keep my fingers on the up and down arrows on the box,while holding them plug the box back in and when boot comes up on the box, let go....doesnt seem to be working,tried calling ntl but hung up after half hour waiting! Also,can anyone tell me about these new d-boxes which are on the market,do they work in Ireland?


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## Murt10 (19 Feb 2007)

I got a SKY dish and a box installed in a second TV in the house. The number of channels you get is enormous and once installed it costs nothing. BBC 1 2 3 4. ITV 1 2 3, loads of regional variations. These to my mind show much more than N.I. (which you also get) You also get Film 4 and a number of other film channels. There are a whole bundle of news channels. 

I also got a card from the UK the allows me to receive Channel 4 & 5. The card also allows you to block out inappropriaate channels with a PIN.

There are a many many special interest channels, rubbish to me, but one mans drink is another mans poision.

The stations you don't get on the dish are RTE1 RTE 2 TV 3 and SKY1 ans Setanta. I wanted to ditch NTL (about E250 pa) but wasn't allowed. Paying that amount for those 5 stations, what can you say.



Murt


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## Z100 (19 Feb 2007)

Murt10 said:


> I got a SKY dish and a box installed.....the stations you don't get on the dish are RTE1 RTE 2 TV 3 and SKY1 ans Setanta. I wanted to ditch NTL (about E250 pa) but wasn't allowed. Paying that amount for those 5 stations, what can you say.


 
Really, _really_ want to ditch NTL too, throw in the sports package and my annual bill is ugly. But I'm allergic to dishes, _hate_ the look of them, and how could I live without RTE1, RTE2 and Setanta (for football)? It's a devil of a dilemma.


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## r2d2 (19 Feb 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Really, _really_ want to ditch NTL too, throw in the sports package and my annual bill is ugly. But I'm allergic to dishes, _hate_ the look of them, and how could I live without RTE1, RTE2 and Setanta (for football)? It's a devil of a dilemma.


 
Reminds me of the time I was asked the name of the little box thing on the side of a sat dish.....When I replied that I didn't know, I was told it was a council house.....


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## Z100 (19 Feb 2007)

r2d2 said:


> Reminds me of the time I was asked the name of the little box thing on the side of a sat dish.....When I replied that I didn't know, I was told it was a council house.....


 
   I'm weepin' here, HILARIOUS!


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## tall chapy (19 Feb 2007)

Kiwifruit,
I think I had the same problem, where it would boot up as normal, but just as it was about to go to the last channel viewed,it goes white & says that it cannot find any channels. My mini rant is on the NTL thread.I believe it has nothing to do with the set top box. It is external, the RMC is something.It took nearly 3 days before it just mysteriously just worked again, so bear with it...if you can..


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## Carzy (20 Feb 2007)

I'm a Sky Digital customer in D22 (moved from NTL because of awful service 15 months ago).  Never a problem with Sky.

When I moved from NTL cables in D22 area were being upgraded and service was continually interrupted.

I would like to return to NTL soley for the reason of getting rid of the  phone line used for Sky, to save on the rental of €25 odd a month - never really make calls on it.

Can anyone vouch for NTL in the D22 area now - has it improved with the new cabling...?


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## TarfHead (20 Feb 2007)

tall chapy said:


> I believe it has nothing to do with the set top box. It is external, the RMC is something.


 
My set-top box is about 5 years old and I'm getting none of the problems described here so mabe it's not external ?


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## Crunchie (20 Feb 2007)

Carzy said:


> Can anyone vouch for NTL in the D22 area now - has it improved with the new cabling...?



Carzy. I live in D22 and have NTL digital and analogue. When I got the digital first (a good few years back) it was problem after problem to the point I got them to take it away. And don't get me going on their Customer "Service", that's another rant entirely  

When they upgraded the cabling I gave them another go and, in fairness, I can't find any fault now. Maybe I'm lucky but I don't have any of the problems with the set top box that other posters seem to have and the down time is virtually nil. Hope that's of some use to you.


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## angrylad (20 Feb 2007)

I have never had a problem with NTL - have both digital and broadband with them and neither have every had any issue.

When I ordered them the guy on the phone was very professional and the technician turned up at the time and date they said he would.

Beat this - I even got a letter from them this week to say that they overcharged me in one of the promotional offers and that they were going to refund the monies over paid (I didn't even notice - I suppose one could argue that their billing is not that clear!!)

Hopefully my good impressions will last for a long time!!


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## kiwifruit (20 Feb 2007)

Cheers Tall chapy,all of a sudden my channels are working again ,as if nothing was out of place.....appreciate it.


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## bothered (25 Feb 2007)

Is there any anyone knows to drop NTL, and get a satellite dish and some sort of wireless receiver for the tv?  €250 to NTL last year, it goes up each year.   There must be some way one can do it.  Look at skype.
Can you receive the chanells which I presume are in the ether broadcast by satellite via your computer even>   Any techies out there with answers?
I need NTL out of my life.


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## Technologist (26 Feb 2007)

Cheapest option is a 'Free-to-Air' satellite dish. Points that in the same direction as Sky dishes and you'll get BBC and ITV free and legit. You'll also get various religious and shopping channels. You won't get Channel 4 or 5.  You won't get the various UKthis/that/other channels or History, Nat Geo & the like, but they're so riddled with advertising, I've given up trying to watch them.  For sport, you'll have to be more adventurous and get a motor and point it, say, at AtlanticBird 5w, Astra 19.2e or HotBird 13e. Then, you'll be getting about 5,000 channels, there should be something there for you, although not in English.  For movies or really popular sports, you'll almost certainly have to sign up to Sky. Any other way is too much trouble in the long-run.  For cycling, the big events are free on the various countries national channels and also on EuroSport on Astra 19.2e.


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## redchariot (27 Feb 2007)

I have had Sky almost 6 years now and I am very happy with it, especially since I upgraded to Sky+ 2 years ago. 

I agree that they are a bit more expensive than NTL etc but I have never had any real problem with them. Any time I had any technical problems (very few times), I rang their 24/7 technical helpline and they always sorted the problem out over the phone quite quickly.

Bottom line, go for Sky and ensure to get Sky+ or even SkyHD if you can afford it


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## Jo90 (6 Mar 2007)

can anyone tell me if sky have plans to enter the BB market in dublin ?

have recently moved over from NTL TV to Sky and considering changing our BB from clearwire to another provider due to constant problems with skype which they have never been able to resolve for me


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## rosiecat (24 Mar 2007)

just got off the phone with NTL and Im just shaking with rage! for the third time they have messed up our appointment to have our digital service fixed (this time appointment due for today - "just wasnt logged". aaaargh!!!! do NTL  purposely seek out the most brain dead useless moronic people possible??! Why would anyone ever want to work there - they are SO unbelievably crap. what are chorus like i would nearly switch so that i never have to ring those IDIOTs again.


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## jpd (24 Mar 2007)

Chorus and NTL are now the same company - they are owned by UPC, a multinational media company who I believe are in the process of merging the two organisations - for example see the two websites ntl.ie and chorus.ie, lineup of channels is converging, etc - and I suspect the lot will be rebranded as upc.ie

Must agree that their customer service is appalling.


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