Re: Chipped boxes
 

Surely they could. But surely they won't. :disturbd:

Re: Chipped boxes
 

They have very little control if contractors are doing the un-installs!

They used to leave the drop connected because the customer may of had their TV Aerial removed, or the un-installer just couldn't be bothered to plug it back in.

I seem to remember ntl (was CableTel then) removed aerials for customers the same time as they bought the analogue Sky satellite receiver from the customer as an incentive to get them to take service in the early days.
I think (perhaps I will be corrected) it is part of the licence to leave the customer with the analogue UHF channels to watch, if ntl removed the aerial this is difficult.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

Well they have control if they enforce the service level agreement they have with the contractor, but thats another thread.

I also think they are required to leave the cable for delivery of the analogue UHF channels (what will happen post switchover? Will they be required to send digital freeview in it's place?).

Now if NTL kept better control of its box stock, collecting those of cancelled customers, that would probably improve matters considerably.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

As well as reducing the supply to places such as ebay, it could also bring costs down as NTL would just need to test, then re-use the returned box.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

Probably not, as it would require an engineer to go to the house to disconnect it. ATM, I believe they just disable the box remotely.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

There is an initiative underway to recover those DSTBs out there that should have been collected when the subscriber disconnected. The Converter Recovery team are on 0800 052 6178, if you have (or know of) a DSTB that needs collecting.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

My service ends next month when I move house off-net. I'll certainly be giving these people a call. :tu:

I have no intention of posting the thing anywhere, even though it was recently posted in another thread on here that such an obligation exists within NTL's terms of use. No doubt some bean counter at head office thought that was a really clever condition to impose, pushing the financial cost of returning boxes onto the ex-subscriber rather than NTL footing it through techs' time wasted visiting houses just to pick up boxes. In the long run, however, all it has done is to provide a ready supply of unwanted boxes for the chippers to modify and sell on.

Hoist by their own petard, as they say.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

They don't usually send techs out (from what I've heard). It's more likely to be passed on to a specialist collection company, such as Wescott (not as an unpaid debt, just because they have collection agents anyway).

Re: Chipped boxes
 

I'm not sure what will happen after the big switch off, presumably they will still have to provide the UHF feed for customers to connect their Freeview box.

I do remember instances where ntl paid for disconncting disgruntled customers to have an aerial fitted by contractors, I think it was in a few cases in my old area when the customer said get your box and your cable out of my house and re-install my aerial that you took away when you installed.

Those were few and far between but it did happen!

Contractors are hard to enforce service level agreements with because they allways had a high turn over of staff, theres no substitute for using your own people. It may cost a few pounds more but it's easier to trace who's backside to kick if they are not doing their job.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

I doubt NTL will ever send Freeview signals down their cables.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

It would put them at an even greater competitive disadvantage to Sky. It would also suck bandwidth that could be used for Faster BB, more DTV channels, VOD, interactive etc.

I would hope they (and TW - well the combined entity) would fight such a suggestion vigourously.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

Would never suggest they would put COFDM signals down the network, they would have to install an aerial for the customer to replace any they removed when they installed.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

Unlikely, they may still be required to carry BBC1,2 ITV, C4, C5, however all of those in digital format can be squeezed onto a couple of channels, can't remember off the top of my head if freeview uses QAM16 or QPSK.

EDIT Just read quickly, it uses QPSK for test purposes only, and QAM16 and QAM64 out in the field, could get the above 5 channels at a high bitrate onto 2 DOCSIS channels.

I would hope they aren't required to carry any of it in that format, considering the issues that analogue causes would be lovely to see that UHF go where the sun doesn't shine.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

To confirm the angle I was coming from on this.

CableTel/ntl paid customers for their analogue dishes as an incentive to move to cable, in many cases they also removerd the UHF aerial for the customer as they told the customer it was not needed anymore.

This leaves a problem with customers who disconnect and the easy way around it for the guy doing the un-install is to leave the cabel connected so the customer can use the UHF by-pass channels.
In some cases where customers have been very pi**ed off wth ntl they have asked for the cable drop to be removed from the premisis entirely, in this instance customers who had their aerial removed by ntl would have no TV signals available. In the instances that I know of, (small in number that I am aware of) ntl has paid a contractor to fit a new aerial.

I was trying to point out in this thread that just because someone is not an ntl customer anymore doesn't necessarily mean in 100% of cases its a simple task of disconnecting their drop cable.

Perhaps future generations of cable boxes will have a built in GPS receiver so ntl can ping the box and get its location if its powered up and connected to the network.

I would like to point out again that ntl have little chance in hell of finding chipped boxes without being tipped off, or using the technology they have to narrow it down to the last 500 homes then ping the box whilst they disconnect all the drops in the area one by one to see which cable makes it disappear.

Don't let anyone bulls**t you into thinking there is cusrrently any other method available to them. ;)

ps: I understand the services went from 64 to a 16 constellation modulation format aftr ITV digital went bust, to make it a more robust reliable sevice. I understand it used COFDM either 2000 or 8000 carrier system.

Re: Chipped boxes
 

Well, apart from having the "you have won a prize, ring this number" channel :D