View Full Version : Re: The BS Times - With NTL
Front Page News Item (http://www.nthellworld.co.uk/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=7)
Coming to screens near you over the next month or so (or not as is the case) ......
NTL have yet again shunned their Langley platform digital television customers, and will be offering an Open Golf 'red button interactive' service to Bromley CR3 platform customers only.
The fact that customers receive the same bills, yet one group receives a substandard service, appears to mean nothing to NTL who will be offering Bromley CR3 platform customers the chance to choose between five different video streams, offering different group options, highlights and other choices, as well as an interactive leaderboard and course guide between Thursday July the 17th and Sunday July the 20th
Firstly can I point out that I'm on Langley(in my case ex Cabletel) not Bromley but........
There are technical differences in the specs between the two platforms which are a legacy of ntl purchasing C&W and not something which ntl is doing to make life deliberately awkward, and as I'm sure many ex C&W customers will be quick to point out its (almost) a case of what comes around goes around. I'm sure many of them remember not being able to get the ntlworld 0800 service because they were on ex C&W lines (& not BT or ntl lines) despite having an ntl logo on their bills.
Unfortunately I would imagine its probably going to take some time for the 2 platforms to become identical, I'm sure theres some techy bods floating around somewhere that can probably explain why far better than I can.
BubbleGum
15-07-2003, 01:12
Originally posted by fraz
Unfortunately I would imagine its probably going to take some time for the 2 platforms to become identical, I'm sure theres some techy bods floating around somewhere that can probably explain why far better than I can.
So basically you're saying "coming soon" :rofl: Can we frame the post by fraz please - one day the penny will drop with ntl and their employees and they'll realise that they - not us - have the ability to change things and give customers what we want. Not today though. Insulting us with technical jargon is just lame.
Originally posted by Bluetack
So basically you're saying "coming soon" :rofl: Can we frame the post by fraz please - one day the penny will drop with ntl and their employees and they'll realise that they - not us - have the ability to change things and give customers what we want. Not today though. Insulting us with technical jargon is just lame.
by all means frame it ....
.... and dont foget the bit of support I chucked in for the ex C&W guys who've had rough deals of their own in the past :)
BubbleGum
15-07-2003, 02:12
Originally posted by fraz
I'm sure theres some techy bods floating around somewhere that can probably explain why far better than I can.
Come on fraz - I can explain the reason and you probably know it too. Forget technical issues and think money ;) Forget keeping the customer happy and think of an attitude of everything's fine as long as the stupid customer pays his bills. Forget whatever ntl tell you when you clock in, and think of continued contempt for the customer and a long overdue attitude adjustment for the knobs at the top.
I've just read that on the front page. What a joke.
Don't people understand that the alternative is for NEITHER NETWORK TO HAVE ANYTHING, until the Langley CR3 software is ready. What the hell will that acheive?
Reading the front page 'article', it seems to me that the author is under the impression that NTL have simply choosen not to enable e-TV on the Langley platform. Do people not get it?
Now don't get me wrong. I'm amazed the Langley version of CR3 is taking this long, and I think NTL should at least give people some idea of when it might arrive. But to suggest that the other half of the network should be denied the chance to use the capabilities of their service to the full out of sheer spite is just ridiculous.
BubbleGum
15-07-2003, 03:38
Originally posted by Tristan
NTL have simply choosen not to enable e-TV on the Langley platform.
They do have that choice :rolleyes: If they don't, please tell me who does ?.
Of course NTL don't have the choice to offer e-TV on the Langley platform. It is impossible to do with the current software. Oh, maybe Liberate 1.1 can so some e-TVish things, under certain circumstances, but not nearly as much as 1.2, and not under NTL's implementation of it.
BubbleGum
15-07-2003, 03:45
Originally posted by Tristan
Of course NTL don't have the choice to offer e-TV on the Langley platform. It is impossible to do with the current software. Oh, maybe Liberate 1.1 can so some e-TVish things, under certain circumstances, but not nearly as much as 1.2, and not under NTL's implementation of it.
That's the fault of the customer is it ?. Stop talking b0ll0cks - the buck stops with ntl not us :******:
I'm not talking ********, I'm telling the truth.
What do you suggest NTL do? The Langley version of CR3 isn't ready yet. Of course, they should be putting every resource they having into getting it done.
Assuming they're doing that though, what should they do on the e-TV front in the mean time?
Originally posted by Tristan
I'm not talking ********, I'm telling the truth.
What do you suggest NTL do? The Langley version of CR3 isn't ready yet. Of course, they should be putting every resource they having into getting it done.
Assuming they're doing that though, what should they do on the e-TV front in the mean time?
I must confess I dont know how the software works but can I safel assume that if the Langley version of CR3 were released prematurely then the chances are that a large portion of the customer base could potentially be left with a totally unusable service?
A little like Microsoft prematurely releasing a new version of Windows :D
Originally posted by Bluetack
Forget technical issues and think money ;)
Actually, I think it's probably both. There are technical differences wth the networks, and it is taking time and costing money to sort them out.
Originally posted by fraz
A little like Microsoft prematurely releasing a new version of Windows :D
Which, of course, would *never* happen.... :D
well at least with the present situation some ntl customers, like myself, are happy.
imagine the stink caused by those of us who have the suitable software in place didn't get the red button functions because ntl said we had to wait for those who didn't have the software.
everyone would be unhappy then.
there are times to be altruistic, this is not one of them! ;)
bob_builder
15-07-2003, 13:26
It is, possibly, quite a good idea to "trial" this interactive stuff on a small part of the NTL network, first, before rolling it out to everybody else.
Bromley - the NTL Guinea Pigs!
bigitup_j
15-07-2003, 16:41
well cr3 is to start trials during september and released during october. (of course langley platform)
so wait a bit, and langley people will have all the glory of cr3 and fancy e-tv content!
hawkmoon
15-07-2003, 18:27
Hey - don't forget us poor saps who had the misforune of being Videotron customers. Many of us are still on CR1 with no interactive at all!
Originally posted by Tristan
I've just read that on the front page. What a joke.
Don't people understand that the alternative is for NEITHER NETWORK TO HAVE ANYTHING, until the Langley CR3 software is ready.
<snip>
But to suggest that the other half of the network should be denied the chance to use the capabilities of their service to the full out of sheer spite is just ridiculous.
A third option is to give us poor punters on the Langley platform a price reduction, to compensate for the lack of a (long-promised) major service enhancement, that other users are getting for the same amount of money. Meanwhile, I have to put up with a worse service than last year for the summer's major sporting events - no multi-channel Wimbledon or Open this time.
I accept all that's been said in this thread about the technical problems, and spite doesn't come in to it, I just don't see why I'm paying for something I don't get. Besides, if they were to see a loss in revenue because of this lack of service, it might concentrate their efforts to provide ALL their customers with the same features for the same price.
th'engineer
17-07-2003, 07:00
Anyone remember the BS about the free dial up service for Ex CWC NTL customers that was coming next month.
All other areas got it but us poor relations in ex CWC
It went on and on and on next month honest, they used every excuse in the book on that one .
Eventually got it six months before they discontinued it :mad:
rippedoff
17-07-2003, 11:05
Originally posted by Tristan
Of course NTL don't have the choice to offer e-TV on the Langley platform. It is impossible to do with the current software. Oh, maybe Liberate 1.1 can so some e-TVish things, under certain circumstances, but not nearly as much as 1.2, and not under NTL's implementation of it.
SORRY. They DO have the choice. It is ntl:'s choice if they want to invest money and time in upgrading the network and software. They have decided not to spend the money just now. They should spend now and employ more people do do the work so that it is done speedily. They should view it as an investment which is what it is after all. Car manufacturers, and other businesses spend millions before they see a penny of profit, but they take the risk and invest for the future. It's a shame that ntl: only seem to be interested in 'today's profit', and cannot see beyond the greed of its directors and shareholders.
:spin:
Y'know, i'm sure I agrued the point for ntl: not releasing any etv until both platforms were the same, which was the line I was given by an employee. My, how times change.....
As much as I realise how the differences in the platforms annoy many people, if it wasn't for this site, .com, and another Digital site, we wouldn't know about the differences, just presume that everything was the same, and be happy as Larry.
Also, can I just point out that some of us are still stuck on CATV, and therefore won't see any etv anytime within the next decade. :bigcry:
Originally posted by rippedoff
SORRY. They DO have the choice. It is ntl:'s choice if they want to invest money and time in upgrading the network and software.
You can't choose to spend money you don't have. A company doesn't suddenly emerge from bankruptcy protection with a rosy current account balance. They were about 17 billion in the red, remember.
They should spend now and employ more people do do the work so that it is done speedily. They should view it as an investment which is what it is after all. Car manufacturers, and other businesses spend millions before they see a penny of profit, but they take the risk and invest for the future.
Agreed, that is a sound business model. But again, it assumes that the business has the money. Ntl does not. It is still sacking people by the dozen to try to save cash as the wage bill is a huge part of any company's costs.
It's a shame that ntl: only seem to be interested in 'today's profit', and cannot see beyond the greed of its directors and shareholders.
:spin:
Greed, over-ambition ... whatever it was, the real damage was done months if not years ago as the company over-extended itself. If ntl had never bought C&W none of this might have happened ... and we might not all be arguing over the fairness (or otherwise) of half ntl's network getting e-tv while the other half doesn't.
An interesting question would be, had it been left to Cable and Wireless, would you be any more likely to now have BB and interactive services in South London? Sadly we will never know.
Originally posted by KenK
A third option is to give us poor punters on the Langley platform a price reduction, to compensate for the lack of a (long-promised) major service enhancement, that other users are getting for the same amount of money. <snip>
As a Langley user, I'd love that ... however if you were to try to press it as an idea with ntl, you would have to show that as interactive services have become more sophisticated, your subscription fees have gone up as a result. I fear it might prove impossible to do that.
More than likely they would simply say the interactive stuff is a free bonus feature, which is great if you can get it but you've lost nothing if you can't... :(
grum1978
17-07-2003, 15:14
Originally posted by towny
More than likely they would simply say the interactive stuff is a free bonus feature, which is great if you can get it but you've lost nothing if you can't... :(
Yep thats exactly what they would say to you :)
bob_builder
17-07-2003, 16:24
Originally posted by KenK
A third option is to give us poor punters on the Langley platform a price reduction, to compensate for the lack of a (long-promised) major service enhancement, that other users are getting for the same amount of money. Meanwhile, I have to put up with a worse service than last year for the summer's major sporting events - no multi-channel Wimbledon or Open this time.
Oh, I can just imagine the thread if Bromley customers were charged more than Langley customers - full of irate Bromley users complaining that they have to pay more for a c*** service that they do not use! ;)
I think, but have no way of knowing for sure (as NTL people don't want to tell me), that the STB software is actually written by Pace on NTL's behalf. Certainly that's been the suggestion by people on the DigitalSpy boards.
Now Pace are in just as bad a financial position as NTL, so it's possible that they're the ones causing the massive delay with Langley CR3.
Just a theory...
Originally posted by bob_builder
Oh, I can just imagine the thread if Bromley customers were charged more than Langley customers - full of irate Bromley users complaining that they have to pay more for a c*** service that they do not use! ;)
Yes,so can I. However, I don't have the chance of finding out if it's a c*** service, or if I might want to use it. All I get is the requirement to pay for it. :mad:
bigitup_j
18-07-2003, 12:29
langley and ex-videotron customers should NOT get a discount in anyway. the interactive is FREE. you pay for the channels, a line rental and the rental of your box. plus customer services, free repairs.
in fact, langley people have it better. phone calls are itemised on the bill for free if above 49p in ex-cwc places. langley it is above 20p. according to channel ntl.
Here's another point on charges.
if you are paying the standard Charge for your digi-box and phone (£47.50 ), then you are paying 50p less than I do for my CATV and phone. (£48). Now tell me who should get a discount!!!
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