Non-Digital Postcode - Frustration

[Emilis]

Scanned my Postcode to see if I could get cable (through the broadband section of the VM site) and got this dribble.

It looks like your home is in our analogue area. This means you can get some of our Virgin Media cable services including superfast broadband, over 35 TV channels and great value deals on your mobile or home phone.

These websites never seem to give you a yes or no answer, does this mean I can get Cable broadband? And what the heck does non-digital postcode mean anyway? My friend thinks it has something to do with not being able to get digital... we have had Sky Digital for years and years. I'm skeptical about the superfast broadband bit since I know they also provide ADSL broadband, and we've had issues with phone-line broadband so I'm eager to come away from it (hence why I wanted to get cable) but I'm reluctant to call them up just yet, can anyone help me out??? :angel: I'm not a total tech recluse, I'm just a little miffed at the website for all sorts of reasons (including not being able to select my own address in the postcode checker, had to click the only one there, a neighbours 30 doors down the street!) and reluctant to call them since an ex used to work in their customer support so I know the quality of service I'll be getting... any help would be really great.

[spiderplant]

I read that as meaning you (or rather your neighbour) can't get digital TV, but you can get cable broadband. Send me a PM with your postcode and house number, and I'll check for you.

ps. Welcome to the forum!

[smeagoly1]

Had the same when i checked prior to moving to the new house.
"Your not in a cable area, but we can still supply you with super fast Broadband, blah blah etc etc" Is what I got when i checked VM's post code checker. Then followed the links that took me to their ADSL website section.
The street was cabled, but not the new builds. I took it as meaning, they can provide you their so called upto 8Meg Broadband "ADSL" down a BT line. The 35 channel bit i asume is the free freeview box they supply if you don't take the free wireless router option, on their ADSL PAckages. As i already had a freeview box i went for the latter :)

You might check also on the "samknows" website to see what your area is hooked up for.

edited cos i missread:- what I got after re-reading it, I am sure it's changed since i looked at it a few montsh back:--- "You can get Virgin Media services wherever you live! Your home is in a non-cable area, so that means you can choose any of our great non-cable services and we'll deliver them down your BT phoneline."

[spiderplant]

It wouldn't mention analogue if it wasn't a cabled area. It would say:
You can get Virgin Media services wherever you live! Your home is in a non-cable area, so that means you can choose any of our great non-cable services and we'll deliver them down your BT phoneline.

Right now you can get:

* Free TV Box
* Fast reliable broadband
* Flexible home phone package
* A very different mobile service


The message is a bit out of date, though. There are few, if any, areas where you can still get over 35 analogue channels.

[Ignitionnet]

Any idea if they are overbuilding any analogue only areas to bring them up to scratch, does this chap have a chance of seeing DTV before he can get HD OTA?

[Emilis]

I'm still confused by all of your messages on weather it is a cabled area full stop, I appreciate you questioning the authenticity of the message itself. But it has confirmed the worst, I did assume to myself they meant the ADSL. We have had problems for years and never gotten ADSL to hold a stable connection on our phoneline, I think the phoneline is fried but dad is reluctant to pay £200 to get it fixed, that's why I was holding out for Cable, so all this could go away.

Obviously with ADSL being what it is (self-install) no company particually AOL are willing to send an engineer out to help us in setting it up. I was fine on AOL Dialup (a girl can only be as happy as her options) we've had it for 10 years now but even Dialup is starting to give us jip!!! And it's not the phoneline, it's AOL and their poncy network move that's caused us problems.

I still might call up VM tommorow and see what they have to say about the the message, and if there is anything they can do. Would really love to know when Cable is being rolled out in our area if it already hasn't. I'm hoping it's sooner rather than later before I buy one of them mobile broadband things - It seems my only option!!!

[spiderplant]

It turns out Emilis is in a cabled area, but it is analogue TV only. No broadband. So ADSL is the only option.

Any idea if they are overbuilding any analogue only areas to bring them up to scratch, does this chap have a chance of seeing DTV before he can get HD OTA?
Some parts are being done (e.g. Southampton). But sadly Emilis is in one of the tricky ex-BT cable areas.

[pip08456]

It turns out Emilis is in a cabled area, but it is analogue TV only. No broadband. So ADSL is the only option.


Some parts are being done (e.g. Southampton). But sadly Emilis is in one of the tricky ex-BT cable areas.

What's a tricky ex BT cable area? My mate has lived in Bolton all his life and never had BT cable, He,like me, had the original Bolton cable long before Mercury,cable& wireless ntl etc and He can't get VM cable where I used to have it until the service got so bad!

You can't say no broadband as ADSL would be available just say no broadband from VM.

[spiderplant]

See http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11/33629785-virgin-media-cable-network-milton-keynes.html.

[Ignitionnet]

Some parts are being done (e.g. Southampton). But sadly Emilis is in one of the tricky ex-BT cable areas.

Hope they do a better job than the first Southampton 'upgrade' run. That lot needed redoing again, no idea if it's done now. It was done incredibly cheaply and broadband released on a network that was only just ok for DTV and certainly not broadband as the cash wasn't there to give it a proper upstream.

I'm sure I remember Southampton was going to get done last year? Though it was going to be done the year before that, and the year before that and... ;) Just checked a postcode there and still analogue. Any schedule for the residents there?

EDIT: The webpage looks a bit dubious. I'm guessing that the 'superfast broadband' that's mentioned is ADSL? Certainly no broadband cable in the analogue areas of Southampton. The networks there top out at 450MHz, well below where broadband would usually live, and they've no viable return path as they are too noisy.