30-10-2005, 21:27
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#1
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BT Spy
Join Date: May 2005
Location: West Midlands
Services: TV/Broadband/Phone
Posts: 247
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Freview V NTL Digital
Whats the quality like with these digi boxes for NTL TV?
I have Freeview (Built into Sony TV) No Box, the picture quality is almost DVD, however I'm in a location where signals are not very strong, so get break up now and then.
Does the NTL Digital TV box connect via a scart, and is the quality high ?
Is Sky digital better ?
Its going to be 2011 before the local transmitter goes digital, till then I have to put up with break up now and then, or use NTL
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30-10-2005, 21:51
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#2
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: It's Lahndun, Innit?
Age: 37
Services: Virgin for TV, BT for phone and Be* for Broadband.
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Sky, Cable and Freeview all use the same feeds from the broadcasters, so there is no difference in the source signals.
All three have near DVD quality output, and all three output via Scart.
Some people have reported seeing better quality pictures from Sky + boxes, but, TBH, I have NTL and freeview, and my friend has Sky +. I cannot see any difference between the three.
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30-10-2005, 21:52
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#3
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 18
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
afaik ntl digital is PAL MPEG-4 (DVD quality) and the boxes use SCART to connect. If the select pack is availible in your area, thats only £5.50 and that was invented to compete with freeview.
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30-10-2005, 22:12
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#4
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Quote:
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Originally Posted by grimboj
afaik ntl digital is PAL MPEG-4 (DVD quality) and the boxes use SCART to connect. If the select pack is availible in your area, thats only £5.50 and that was invented to compete with freeview.
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No, at the moment, it is MPEG-2. They will be using MPEG-4 for HDTV when they launch it.
__________________
Just to make it clear if a post is bold and is from a team member, it's a moderating decision. If it's not bold or not from a team member, it's not.
"This is an important announcement. This is flight 121 to Los Angeles. If your travel plans today do not include Los Angeles, now would be a perfect time to disembark.”
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30-10-2005, 22:14
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#5
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cf.addict
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Manchester
Services: Virgin Media, Freeview, AOL 2 meg, DAB
Posts: 452
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
I have an old ITV digital box (from 1999) and ntl digital box and the ntl picture is notably higher quality than the ITV Dig box.
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30-10-2005, 22:26
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#6
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 18
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Stuart C
MPEG-2
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eeeep!
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30-10-2005, 22:27
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#7
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
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Originally Posted by Rillington
I have an old ITV digital box (from 1999) and ntl digital box and the ntl picture is notably higher quality than the ITV Dig box.
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That, presumably, is due to the older electronics/software in the ITV digital box. As Stu said above, the source signals are the same so there shouldn't be any difference.
Visitor, I'd stick with Freeview TBH, unless there are subscription channels that you particularly want and that you can't get through Freeview/Top-Up TV.
I have $ky's basic £13.50 deal (about to go up to £15) because there is no TV signal at all where I live (no digital, barely any analogue) and no Freeview due until about 2010. I resent paying to receive channels that are supposedly free anyway (I barely watch any of the subscription channels, not that there are many on Sky Base - not even Sky One, very much), but I don't have much choice.
I'd say it's daft to pay just to receive free channels, unless your reception is intolerable.
Have you looked into improving your rooftop aerial or getting a signal booster?
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30-10-2005, 22:32
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#8
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Quote:
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Originally Posted by grimboj
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Stuart C
MPEG-2
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eeeep! |
__________________
Just to make it clear if a post is bold and is from a team member, it's a moderating decision. If it's not bold or not from a team member, it's not.
"This is an important announcement. This is flight 121 to Los Angeles. If your travel plans today do not include Los Angeles, now would be a perfect time to disembark.”
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30-10-2005, 22:36
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#9
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cf.geek
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: here
Age: 39
Services: Sky, ukonline 16Mb ADSL, BT Phone.
Posts: 628
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
I have $ky's basic £13.50 deal (about to go up to £15) because there is no TV signal at all where I live (no digital, barely any analogue) and no
Have you looked into improving your rooftop aerial or getting a signal booster?[/quote]
Chris T, I take it you live on a remote island, away from normal civilisation?
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30-10-2005, 22:40
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#10
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: It's Lahndun, Innit?
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
AFAIK, Chris T lives somewhere in the wilds of Scotland.
__________________
Just to make it clear if a post is bold and is from a team member, it's a moderating decision. If it's not bold or not from a team member, it's not.
"This is an important announcement. This is flight 121 to Los Angeles. If your travel plans today do not include Los Angeles, now would be a perfect time to disembark.”
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30-10-2005, 22:46
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#11
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cf.geek
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Stuart C
AFAIK, Chris T lives somewhere in the wilds of Scotland.
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Well thats a remote island
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30-10-2005, 22:51
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#12
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Quote:
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Originally Posted by sollp
Chris T, I take it you live on a remote island, away from normal civilisation?
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Only 25 miles from Glasgow, actually, but in the highlands nonetheless ... TV signals don't like wooded, steep-sided valleys. 
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31-10-2005, 00:18
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#13
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768kbps upstream! Woo!!
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
For the pedants: 'Freeview' and 'Top Up TV' (DTT) is going to be the worst for video quality, with digital satellite and digital cable probably quite close together on quality. If it really matters to you, don't go with Freeview.
But if you can notice it, you're looking at the screen too hard! 
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31-10-2005, 01:01
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#14
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Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: It's Lahndun, Innit?
Age: 37
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
You sure? It's been said by various NTL employees on here (some of whom are in a position to know) that Freeview, Cable and Sky all use the same feeds, and do not re-encode the signal.
It is true, however, that the quality of the decoding hardware can affect the quality of the picture, but it is also true that the average user would not notic the difference.
__________________
Just to make it clear if a post is bold and is from a team member, it's a moderating decision. If it's not bold or not from a team member, it's not.
"This is an important announcement. This is flight 121 to Los Angeles. If your travel plans today do not include Los Angeles, now would be a perfect time to disembark.”
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31-10-2005, 12:36
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#15
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cf.member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 6
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Re: Freview V NTL Digital
Now that More 4 is available I find myself watching any of the BBC, ITV and C4 channels more than the sky channels. I'm seriously considering getting rid of NTL. I'll save myself £10-15 a month by switching to Freeview.
I suppose it's all down to how much TV you watch, but there isn't a lot between NTL's basic package and Freeview.
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