Unbiased comparison please

Paul D wrote:
Graham wrote:
Jim S wrote:

Thank you Paul.
My Freeview box has refused me three times this afternoon so I'm
heading TW way.
I am right in thinking that I can keep my existing aerial too (TV
has only one scart) so that missis can access ordinary text on the 5
basic channels?

You can access the 'ordinary text' services with TW just by pressing
the text button on your TV remote as you do at the moment on the 5
basic channels.

Are you sure? It certainly doesn't work that way on my setup. The
text needs an analogue channel and there's no text at all via the
cablebox, even if I press the TV remote's text button.

Yes, I'm sure, I double checked before posting. There is even a teletext
service on the Sky channels and some others. The only situation in which I
cannot access text this way is when the signal is passing through my DVD
recorder.

Although text is available in this way I have to say that I prefer to use
the BBC digital version via the red button or the interactive button,
depending on which channel I am watching at the time. I find this quicker
that waiting for the page to turn over on the traditional version.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:37:23 GMT, Graham wrote:

Paul D wrote:
Graham wrote:
Jim S wrote:

Thank you Paul.
My Freeview box has refused me three times this afternoon so I'm
heading TW way.
I am right in thinking that I can keep my existing aerial too (TV
has only one scart) so that missis can access ordinary text on the 5
basic channels?

You can access the 'ordinary text' services with TW just by pressing
the text button on your TV remote as you do at the moment on the 5
basic channels.

Are you sure? It certainly doesn't work that way on my setup. The
text needs an analogue channel and there's no text at all via the
cablebox, even if I press the TV remote's text button.

Yes, I'm sure, I double checked before posting. There is even a teletext
service on the Sky channels and some others. The only situation in which I
cannot access text this way is when the signal is passing through my DVD
recorder.

Although text is available in this way I have to say that I prefer to use
the BBC digital version via the red button or the interactive button,
depending on which channel I am watching at the time. I find this quicker
that waiting for the page to turn over on the traditional version.

Graham

Whoa ..... Hang On .....
Are you saying that interactive text is available as it is on Freeview??
That was my original question about text on TW being like text on FV viz,
news, weather, sport etc.
Does this include what is on the extra channels (301/2/3) on FV ie extra
snooker matches, commentary on that ballroom competition on a Saturday and
so on?
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscott.co.uk

Jim S wrote:
On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:37:23 GMT, Graham wrote:

Paul D wrote:
Graham wrote:
Jim S wrote:

Thank you Paul.
My Freeview box has refused me three times this afternoon so I'm
heading TW way.
I am right in thinking that I can keep my existing aerial too (TV
has only one scart) so that missis can access ordinary text on
the 5 basic channels?

You can access the 'ordinary text' services with TW just by
pressing the text button on your TV remote as you do at the moment
on the 5 basic channels.

Are you sure? It certainly doesn't work that way on my setup. The
text needs an analogue channel and there's no text at all via the
cablebox, even if I press the TV remote's text button.

Yes, I'm sure, I double checked before posting. There is even a
teletext service on the Sky channels and some others. The only
situation in which I cannot access text this way is when the signal
is passing through my DVD recorder.

Although text is available in this way I have to say that I prefer
to use the BBC digital version via the red button or the interactive
button, depending on which channel I am watching at the time. I
find this quicker that waiting for the page to turn over on the
traditional version.

Graham

Whoa ..... Hang On .....
Are you saying that interactive text is available as it is on
Freeview?? That was my original question about text on TW being like
text on FV viz, news, weather, sport etc.

For BBC Interactive - yes. ITV digital text - no.

Does this include what is on the extra channels (301/2/3) on FV ie
extra snooker matches, commentary on that ballroom competition on a
Saturday and so on?

In the majority of cases yes. But some of the BBC I red button content is
only carried via satelite and/or on Freeview. You cetainly get the extra
snooker matches, wimbledon etc, not sure about the ballroom comentary.
Hovever the play along option on the new lottery show is not available on
TW.

Graham

Whoa ..... Hang On .....
Are you saying that interactive text is available as it is on
Freeview?? That was my original question about text on TW being like
text on FV viz, news, weather, sport etc.

For BBC Interactive - yes. ITV digital text - no.

ITV text is no loss

Does this include what is on the extra channels (301/2/3) on FV ie
extra snooker matches, commentary on that ballroom competition on a
Saturday and so on?

In the majority of cases yes. But some of the BBC I red button content is
only carried via satelite and/or on Freeview. You cetainly get the extra
snooker matches, wimbledon etc, not sure about the ballroom comentary.

Hovever the play along option on the new lottery show is not available on
TW.
)

Graham

--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscott.co.uk

"Jim S" wrote in message
...
I have tried to get an unbiased comparison of the "Three for £30" option
being offered by Telewest to what I have.

What I have is as follows:
Freeview box which works well on a good aerial 'most of the time', but
needs
re-setting a couple of times a week.
Plusnet broadband @ £14.99 pm. When it works I get ~6Mbps, but Plusnet is
notoriously prone to slowdowns and is having real problems with USENET,
which is text only. (I do not really need speeds as high as 6Mbps.)
BT telephone @ ~£11 pm plus calls which seldom exceed £3pm.
My wife uses teletext on Freeview and conventional TV quite a lot.

The difference in price is only ~£5, but that would be a reasonable price
to
pay to overcome the crashes in Freeview and the unreliability of Plusnet
if
indeed Telewest is more reliable and teletext is as good.
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK

It is good for 12months, then expect to pay £45+ for the same service. It's
only a promotional offer. You might be better getting Freesat or a decent
TV aerial fitted.

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:35:21 -0000, pete wrote:

"Jim S" wrote in message
...
I have tried to get an unbiased comparison of the "Three for £30" option
being offered by Telewest to what I have.

What I have is as follows:
Freeview box which works well on a good aerial 'most of the time', but
needs
re-setting a couple of times a week.
Plusnet broadband @ £14.99 pm. When it works I get ~6Mbps, but Plusnet is
notoriously prone to slowdowns and is having real problems with USENET,
which is text only. (I do not really need speeds as high as 6Mbps.)
BT telephone @ ~£11 pm plus calls which seldom exceed £3pm.
My wife uses teletext on Freeview and conventional TV quite a lot.

The difference in price is only ~£5, but that would be a reasonable price
to
pay to overcome the crashes in Freeview and the unreliability of Plusnet
if
indeed Telewest is more reliable and teletext is as good.
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK

It is good for 12months, then expect to pay £45+ for the same service. It's
only a promotional offer. You might be better getting Freesat or a decent
TV aerial fitted.

They say £34.49
And Freesat does what for my broadband?
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscott.co.uk

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 13:05:42 +0000, Jim S wrote:

The difference in price is only ~£5, but that would be a reasonable price to
pay to overcome the crashes in Freeview and the unreliability of Plusnet if
indeed Telewest is more reliable and teletext is as good.

I had the three services from Telewest for a year and for your
situation it would be a good deal, their Broadband is very good.

These days I have a Topfield 5800 PVR for my TV needs and just use the
2mb Telewest net service for 18 quid a month and use Skype for all my
home telephony needs.
--
Andrew, contact via http://interpleb.googlepages.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

"Andrew" wrote in message
...

These days I have a Topfield 5800 PVR for my TV needs and just use the
2mb Telewest net service for 18 quid a month and use Skype for all my
home telephony needs.

....except phoning the emergency services?

Z

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:48:51 -0000, "Zimmy" wrote:

These days I have a Topfield 5800 PVR for my TV needs and just use the
2mb Telewest net service for 18 quid a month and use Skype for all my
home telephony needs.

...except phoning the emergency services?

I have managed to go through 40 years of life without ever having to
do so and I have a mobile.
--
Andrew, contact via http://interpleb.googlepages.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

My Freeview box has refused me three times this afternoon so I'm heading
TW
way.

Seems strange to pay an extra £60 per year when you could buy a new box that
worked for a one-off £30 or less?

I had full telewest for a year, but left due to their high telephone
charges. Now back with BT at 20-30% less, plus the option of other
providers, and paying a fiver a month for Sky One wasn't enough to keep me.
I now just use telewest for broadband as I am quite far from the BT
exchange.
Bear in mind that you won't get as fast an upload speed with basic TW as Max
ADSL, and the bundles only include 2Mbps/256k, but that might not worry
you.
Also, never pay the full price, TW are open to haggling to keep you with
them.

Z