STB Upgrades? Ever?

[nickthegun]

Im just about to move house and with it probably dump NTl in favour of Sky (keeping the BB, though, as the service is excellent).

To be quite honest, this hasnt been an entirely straighforward decision as im happy with the price, service and channels I get with NTL and im not hugely looking forward to going back with BT, but my decision has been swayed by one major factor: The NTL box is absolutely terrible.

The damn thing doesnt even have stereo out, fer chrissakes......

I recently upgraded my AV system and I want to be able to take advantage of the fact that sky broadcast in dolby digital and the box has the technology (IE optical out) to take advantage of it.

Anyway, after that ramble, my questions are.......*drum roll*......

Have NTL got anything on the horizon to make me change my mind? Will they start broadcasting shows in anything other than stereo? Is there a box on the way that will offer me something more hi-tech than a scart slot? Will their version sky+ be the equivalent of pressing the red button?

Sorry about the ramble. I really dont want the hassle of changing over providers, but it would be a crime to let my kit go to waste like this.....

Cheers

[jtwn]

Sky broadcast only their films on box office over DD 5.1 afaik.

Certain programs that have the Dolby Surround stereo appear to be sent over with ntl, just set your receiver to Pro Logic/II/IIx.

With HD coming, there has to be a digital out for the sound with that.

[SMHarman]

If your STB does not have audio out, you can break it out from a scart socket (scart at the STB > Red white RCA).

The SA box they are planning to use for PVR (Sky+) will have the capabilities to have optical / coax digiital out, I know this from experience of using a predecessor on the Time Warner Cable network in the USA. In that setup many channels (HBOs Premium Movies and the majors like ABC (broadcasts LOST) all broadcast digital audio.

In the US you press a Green list button and that shows the programs recorded. Or you press the record button to record the show you are watching (and the previous hr if tuned to the same channel). You use the EPG to schedule recordings.

Oh and the box is lighning fast and reliable (in the US software).

[nickthegun]

It does kinda peeve me that the only option is to buy a cable that should have been provided in the first place.

The only other option would be to dislodge the video from the scart socket in the AV amp and shove the NTL box scart in, but thats not an ideal solution, really as I still use videos occasionally.

So, I take it that, basically, the standard digital service is going to remain 'as is' and all the technical advances are going towards HD and PVR's? (i.e extra cost services).

[andybarker]

I daisy chain my NTL / Video so the NTL box goes into the VCR, and then from the VCR to the Amp. So I never change channels on the VCR or TV, just use the NTL box to do all my channel changing.