So near – but so far…

[Muttley1900]

Such a dilemma!

I live in Milton Keynes –

- I have to the door the old Bt cable service which VM now “look after”, but very probably wont be upgrading to “fibre” due to the existing infrastructure being BT’s;

- I am not in a VM “cabled” street;

- This time last year, I opted out of that service and went for “freeview” via aerial and built in digital tuner for the tv and a digi box to link with the series 1 TiVo I also have;

- My broadband / phone line is with BT – both of which are due for renewal in the next month (mid December for the Broadband and early Jan for the phone line);

- My broadband line capability is “reported” to be between 10mbps and 11mbps.

Now my question is, as my broadband / phone line is up for renewal, should I go with VM for these with the hope that the new VM/TiVo box will be “usable” across broadband for the likes of me who are not in a VM cabled area (as suggested in one or two posts here), or do I stick with BT for another 12 month contract?

BT are currently charging me for Broadband (unlimited) £22.99/month with then a £7.50/month discount, so £15.49 a month.

The phone line is with unlimited weekend and evening calls at £16.28/month and again with a £2.99/month discount, so £13.29 a month.

Both together giving me a current charge of £28.78/month (and checking with BT, this will hold, if not be reduced a little if I carry on with them and one of their new "bundles").

Everything I have looked at with VM for similar packages are more expensive (a total of £36.83/month taking into account x months discounts and an activation fee etc), which although I’m not opposed to paying if I knew I was able to get the VM/TiVo box – I don’t want to tie into a 12 month more expensive contract without the certainty that the “Over the Top” service was going to be offered…

Choice anxiety!

[cwaring]

12 months is a long time and something *may* happen, but I would probably leave it another year as they haven't even hinted, never mind announced, any suitable projects.

I am a little confused though.

First you say...


- I am not in a VM “cabled” street;


Then you say....

- This time last year, I opted out of that service and went for “freeview”...

If you don't have a cable service, how can you 'opt out' of it?

Okay... thinking about it, you probably meant you opted-out of the 'BT cable service' you mentioned in your first point :)

[Milhouse]

or do I stick with BT for another 12 month contract?


Don't know what you mean here - surely you have a minimum contract of 12 months, after which you can terminate with minimal notice (usually a month). I'd stay with BT on your now "rolling" contract, and switch to VM if/when they release an OTT box.

[Muttley1900]

12 months is a long time and something *may* happen, but I would probably leave it another year as they haven't even hinted, never mind announced, any suitable projects.

Thanks - I think that is where I'm leaning towards and anyway MK (well my area) goes full digital next March/April - so the digital transmission "should" be boosted a bit at the same time the analogue is switched off. So generally the "digital experience" should be better than it currently is for me.

If you don't have a cable service, how can you 'opt out' of it?

Okay... thinking about it, you probably meant you opted-out of the 'BT cable service' you mentioned in your first point :)

Sorry for the confusion, but yes you are right, I opted out of the "Bt cable service"

[Muttley1900]

Don't know what you mean here - surely you have a minimum contract of 12 months, after which you can terminate with minimal notice (usually a month).

Thanks, you are right it is a minimum of a 12 month contract, and after the 12 months I can terminate with a months notice, but it maybe something I need to check into a bit more as I think I may loose the "discounts" that they are currently giving me each month after the 12 month is up.

[Muttley1900]

Just been looking at the post over at http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=8266856#post8266856 where Royfox has mailed Cindy Rose the Executive Director of Digital Entertainment for Virgin Media trying to get the S1 owners/users a deal (nice post by the way) and the response back from Cindy Rose containing:-

"We are indeed working on a special offer to tempt this group over the Virgin Media (at least those who are lucky enough to be on cable)."

So unless VM can match the deal I have with BT for phone and broadband, there is no point (at this stage) moving over to VM for me :( .

I'll just go and polish the old S1 and talk to it nicely for a bit (I'm sure these things "know" when I am thinking of replacing them and it is only after the point I say "nay, I'll not do that for a while", it breaks.

[Muttley1900]

Don't know what you mean here - surely you have a minimum contract of 12 months, after which you can terminate with minimal notice (usually a month). I'd stay with BT on your now "rolling" contract, and switch to VM if/when they release an OTT box.

After checking with the paperwork re the BT broadband offer I was getting - yes it was a minimum of a 12 month contract, but the clever bit (from BT's point of view) was that the reduced price wasn't a reduced price, but 12 months of discounts, so after the 12 months the discounts stopped and I reverted back to "full" price for broadband.

Due to all the work that Royfox has done to get a deal for us S1 people, I'm not going to renew with BT until I know what the deal is (although there is a very slim chance there will be anything for me as I'm not in a VM digital cable area).

J.

[jonphil]

I would think if you can't get the VM cable service you maybe out of luck. :(
I think Royfox's form stated you need to be in a VM area and willing to take a VM package.
You can only hope for VM to do a deal with BT to use their cable?

[Muttley1900]

I would think if you can't get the VM cable service you maybe out of luck. :(


:sigh: yes you are very probably right... but I still live in hope...