Good news for VOD, Bad news for PVR

Adlam · 06-09-2005, 18:20

(Posted this at DS but couldnt leave you guys out)

After having along conversation with an employee at NTL: it seems that over the next few months ITV and C4 will be added to the Pick of the Week Section on VOD, but on the down side NTL: have said that they are going for an extensive VOD service rather than PVR. So maybe NTL are concentrating on VOD while Telewest on PVR so when they merge they will have 2 good products, who knows.

Rillington · 06-09-2005, 19:49

I think the TW on demand service is far better, not least ebcause they don't charge you lots extra for it, unlike ntl which does.

As for PVR, it remains a big secret within ntl so don't expect anything till well into next year at the earliest, by which time Sky will probably be giving them away free and those sick of ntl will get Sky for the PVR , assuming they are able to.

SMHarman · 06-09-2005, 20:01

it's all very frustrating to see as an end user having spent the last two weeks being served by Time Warner cable in upstate NY.
The Scientific Atlanta 8300 box with PVR, fast menus and functionality, VOD on the PPV and digital audio is light years ahead of the NTL or Telewest offering.
Add to that standard 5Mb BB and VoIP telephonoy and you can see the future should be cable, just needs the investment to move faster.

Rillington · 07-09-2005, 00:24

Cable is king in America and always has been. Cable has been going for many many years so it has ahd the chance to get way ahead and offer a fantastic product, and probably for a lot less money than ntl and TW offer.

SMHarman · 07-09-2005, 03:18

Not convinved about cheaper...

http://www.timewarnercable.com/centr.../packages.html

Makes the triple play $125 (Ã‚Â£70)/ month and with movie / sport channels $155 (Ã‚Â£86)/month.

That said the phone in that package includes free calls to landlines on the continental US and maybe Canada too, that would be like NTL offering free calls to all EU nations.

Andy C · 08-09-2005, 17:21

I can honestly say that if we don't hear of any plans to release a PVR by Jan/Feb 2006 then it's off to Sky+ I go.

It would be a shame after 7 years with ntl: and very, very few issues with the TV service. However, with the amount of programming to choose from these days a dual or more tuner is a must. VOD is all very well and good for movies, but unless ntl: store every show from every channel, then it isn't going to be a PVR replacement.

HornetUK · 08-09-2005, 17:29

I am thinking of buying one of the DVD recorders with an HD would this work with NTL and be an easy alternative to Sky+ as fed up waiting!

jamiefrost · 09-09-2005, 09:22

Depending onhow complicated you want to get there is lots of PVR software out for the PC. I have a dedicated PC running SAGE TV. records all my tv, changes channel on the STB. Don't know how I did without it now.

JJ

bob_builder · 09-09-2005, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by HornetUK

I am thinking of buying one of the DVD recorders with an HD would this work with NTL and be an easy alternative to Sky+ as fed up waiting!

Yes, but you could only record and watch one NTL channel at any time. The Telewest PVR is supposed to have 3 digital tuners!

jamiefrost · 09-09-2005, 11:56

The cost of the PVR option will be about the same as the cost of an extra STB. Granted the PVR option will be in 1 stb and not multiple STBs. PC based PVR options have a far better favorites management and inteligent recording than SKY+. In fact i dont think SKY+ plus has any inteligent recording functions at all. Plus there is no DRM to worry about. You also have integrated DVD play back, MPEG4 compresion.

The EPG also works far better than NTL's

JJ

slug · 09-09-2005, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiefrost

In fact i dont think SKY+ plus has any inteligent recording functions at all.JJ

SKY+ has series link and automatic disc management.
Of all the options PC, DVDR, I think sky+ is the most straight forward and easy to use. I left NTL cable because I got bored of waiting for an NTL pvr.
Sky+ is simply the only way to watch TV in the 21st century as far as I am concerned.

jamiefrost · 09-09-2005, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by slug

SKY+ has series link and automatic disc management.
Of all the options PC, DVDR, I think sky+ is the most straight forward and easy to use. I left NTL cable because I got bored of waiting for an NTL pvr.
Sky+ is simply the only way to watch TV in the 21st century as far as I am concerned.

I forgot about the series link. I would class this as inteligent recording though. SKY+ is the definately the easiest way to go for non techincal people. From my experience with both, a pc based PVR beats sky+ hands down in terms of functionality.

zerolight · 09-09-2005, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiefrost

PC based PVR options have a far better favorites management and inteligent recording than SKY+. In fact i dont think SKY+ plus has any inteligent recording functions at all. Plus there is no DRM to worry about. You also have integrated DVD play back, MPEG4 compresion.

The EPG also works far better than NTL's

JJ

On the downside you have to live with an RF input and s-video output. If it could do RGB SCART in and out then I'd have gone for a PC solution, but you can't. I'd also assume that it puts a significant hit on the PCs performance.

jamiefrost · 09-09-2005, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by zerolight

On the downside you have to live with an RF input and s-video output. If it could do RGB SCART in and out then I'd have gone for a PC solution, but you can't. I'd also assume that it puts a significant hit on the PCs performance.

I use a scart to composite connector for the input and a composite to scart connector on the output. As for PC performance the TV in card has a hardware encoder so the pc performance is not effected in any way. Play does affect pc performace a bit. But recording and watch at the same time is no problem. You can use a hardware decoder as well if you want. Systems with 3+ tv-in cards a common.

JJ