Virgin media switch off!!?!?!?

Union Blade · 18-07-2009, 10:57 AM

hey guys,
in my main room i have my virgin box and attached i have a booster and splitter to fire the signals around the house so i can watch whats on down stairs in any room, however, this morning i woke up and on all the other TV's around the house i got a Error code H230, then stating i must watch this channel through DTV, but in the main room virgin is working fine, its jus every other tv in the house.

honestly i dont no what DTV is?

so i could really do with some help, thanks guys much appreciated!!

Union

Starburst · 18-07-2009, 11:51 AM

Welcome, might also be worth asking in the cable forum.

It sounds like your local VM have shut down their analogue services in favour of all digital and since you have a digital set top box in the main room you can continue to watch the channels it provides. However the analogue channels you were piping around the home are no longer being broadcast just as analogue terrestrial is being closed down region be region ending in 100% digital by the end of 2012.

It maybe that VM do not offer a PAY analogue service in your area so they have no commitment to continue providing one or even telling anyone the channels are going.

You now have a choice in Digital Television, get another box from VM ot maybe pipe the RF output of the existing box (same channel on all TV's). You could look at Freeview (through an aerial) or Freesat/SKY through a dish.

mike7 · 19-07-2009, 8:48 AM

It seems that the FM radio service is also being switched off as well as the Analogue TV signal.

cookie swansea · 03-09-2009, 7:50 AM

Hello from a real Newbie!
I've also lost all my TV programmes in my kitchen as this TV was on a splitter from my main Virgin (XL) TV package.

A friend has suggested I need a Eurovox Box. I know there are legal issues with these accessing 'paid for' channels and I have no desire to break the law. My question, however, is is the Eurovox the cheapest and easiest solution to allow me to get my BBC1, ITV etc back? - or are there any other alternatives.

There is no aerial coming in to the kitchen so I can't use Freeview.

grahamlthompson · 03-09-2009, 6:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookie swansea

Hello from a real Newbie!
I've also lost all my TV programmes in my kitchen as this TV was on a splitter from my main Virgin (XL) TV package.

A friend has suggested I need a Eurovox Box. I know there are legal issues with these accessing 'paid for' channels and I have no desire to break the law. My question, however, is is the Eurovox the cheapest and easiest solution to allow me to get my BBC1, ITV etc back? - or are there any other alternatives.

There is no aerial coming in to the kitchen so I can't use Freeview.

Why can't you put your aerial into the virgin box rfin and transmit the freeview channels over the existing coax ?

dwanny · 04-09-2009, 8:59 PM

I also woke up the other day and had an error code of H230 - with virgin announcement on my tv saying 'we are no longer transmitting analogue in this area' - i do not even subscribe to virgin tv or phones etc.... the digital switchover in my area is not planned until march 2010, my sky is working perfectly, its the terrestrial tv that has the above message via my roof aerial! bizarre. i contacted virgin and got through to india who couldnt answer as to why it is there, any ideas? as i havent got sky+ it would be nice to watch something else whilst i am taping sky.

Geofbob · 04-09-2009, 11:45 PM

Well, dwanny, that certainly does seem weird, Sorry to sound as though I'm doubting your word, but are you absolutely sure that you were receiving your analogue from the terrestrial aerial? For instance, is your Sky Box/TV connected directly by coaxial to the outside aerial, or is the connection to a wall socket? If it's the latter, could it be that unknown to you the socket is connected to Virgin cable, not to the aerial? (Although how you could receive cable TV without a box puzzles me - though I think there are some cable services which pipe direct.)

mike7 · 05-09-2009, 6:48 AM

Some housing estates had very basic cable systems installed when they were built many years ago. At some point in time these cable systems may have been linked to others such as Cable & Wireless and NTL. They were usually analogue feeds only. I have one. Virgin have inherited these and people are probably unaware that is where their analogue TV is coming from. Virgin are now switching off their analogue services. It has nothing to do with digital switchover. It is just to free up bandwidth in their system. Somewhere dwanny you are connected to a cable service.

dwanny · 06-09-2009, 6:33 PM

Thanks both - I have checked the outside of my house as to where my tv aerial goes and it goes into a cabletel box on the outside wall. the occupants of the house prior to us were with cabeltel but I cancelled this and reverted back to BT and had sky installed. obviously unbeknown to me the terrestrial tv was coming via cabletel which as you have stated above was taken over by virgin (who have now switched us off) I have 2 aerials on the roof which I thought we were using to get the terrestrial tv, do I have to ring an aerial man to resolve the problem or is there another way?

dwanny · 06-09-2009, 6:39 PM

Just to add to the above, my portable tv's in other rooms in the house which have tv top aerials are working perfectly for channels BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channels 4 & 5 so I just need to get the roof top aerial connected properly somehow.

Geofbob · 06-09-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwanny

Thanks both - I have checked the outside of my house as to where my tv aerial goes and it goes into a cabletel box on the outside wall. the occupants of the house prior to us were with cabeltel but I cancelled this and reverted back to BT and had sky installed. obviously unbeknown to me the terrestrial tv was coming via cabletel which as you have stated above was taken over by virgin (who have now switched us off) I have 2 aerials on the roof which I thought we were using to get the terrestrial tv, do I have to ring an aerial man to resolve the problem or is there another way?

Thought so, as did Mike 7.

I wouldn't have thought that anyone would have bothered to remove the coxial cabling down from both the rooftop aerials. So if the cable is still there can you see where it goes (ideally to a wall socket) and can you extend it to your TV.

But if you can't see any cabling, then it will have to be a TV engineer, unless of course you use indoor aerials as with your other TVs. What is certainly not recommended is that you go clambering about on the roof yourself!

PS Do me a favour and click on the "Thanks" button on my previous post - I need my ego boosting!

Boostrail · 07-09-2009, 9:13 PM

Interesting...

VM is the inheritor via NTL Telewest et al of a large number of smaller cable TV set ups. Initially many of these were linked to housing developments dating back to around 1980 where the developer had agreed that as part of the planning regulations no rooftop aerials would be permited. So the cable companies were contracted to install a system that provided the basic channels as if they were transmitted on normal UHF channels for free and could offer a premium channels package at additional cost that required the use of a small "set top box".

The obligations under these contracts have now expired and therefore VM has pulled the plug. Since many people did not use any other VM service they were unknown to VM.

As from now the only service avaialble down these connections are the VM range of offerings.

This includes IMHO an excellent competitively priced phone service, wthout doubt the best broadband available in the UK. and debatedly a TV service in some respects better than Sky.

Geofbob · 07-09-2009, 10:37 PM

Hi Boostrail - Whatever the situation was in the early eighties, I suspect that many of the residents on these estates have long since abandoned analogue cable, and have installed dishes & aerials for Sky & Freeview. As we all know, whatever the planning regs - & I think aerials are exempt anyway - many councils don't bother applying them unless someone formally objects to an installation.

PS Or, of course, they may already have upgraded to digital cable.

mike7 · 08-09-2009, 8:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geofbob

Hi Boostrail - Whatever the situation was in the early eighties, I suspect that many of the residents on these estates have long since abandoned analogue cable, and have installed dishes & aerials for Sky & Freeview. As we all know, whatever the planning regs - & I think aerials are exempt anyway - many councils don't bother applying them unless someone formally objects to an installation.

PS Or, of course, they may already have upgraded to digital cable.

Our estate was built in the eighties as a 'non-aerial' one. I believe the Cable company at the time was a Cambridge based one which eventually sold out to Cable and Wireless. With the coming switchover all sorts of problems are coming to light.

Some people appear to still be connected to an analogue system somewhere. I have no idea where mine comes from. There is no provision for a 'set top box'. It just comes from a socket in the wall. It's just used as a back-up. Other residents have found that they are linked, communally, to an aerial in someones loft. When they are watching analogue channels reception is OK, but Channel 5 is a bit iffy. Digital reception can be difficult and may be a problem until switchover.

The 'ban' on aerials still exists in principle. Dishes seem to be OK but of course they wern't invented when the rules were drawn up. There are currently disputes as to who is responsible for upgrading these 'free' systems. This estate is a mix of private and public housing. There are some residents who do not want Sky/Freesat or Virgin Media. Bit of a minefield for the Council who seem to be responsible for sorting it out.

Geofbob · 08-09-2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike7

Our estate was built in the eighties as a 'non-aerial' one. I believe the Cable company at the time was a Cambridge based one which eventually sold out to Cable and Wireless. With the coming switchover all sorts of problems are coming to light.

Some people appear to still be connected to an analogue system somewhere. I have no idea where mine comes from. There is no provision for a 'set top box'. It just comes from a socket in the wall. It's just used as a back-up. Other residents have found that they are linked, communally, to an aerial in someones loft. When they are watching analogue channels reception is OK, but Channel 5 is a bit iffy. Digital reception can be difficult and may be a problem until switchover.

The 'ban' on aerials still exists in principle. Dishes seem to be OK but of course they wern't invented when the rules were drawn up. There are currently disputes as to who is responsible for upgrading these 'free' systems. This estate is a mix of private and public housing. There are some residents who do not want Sky/Freesat or Virgin Media. Bit of a minefield for the Council who seem to be responsible for sorting it out.

What a mess - glad that you seem to be coping OK. Presumably, any charge for the residual analogue cable service was paid by the Council, and clawed back from residents via rents/service charges. The point about aerials vs dishes is interesting, since my understanding is there are planning restrictions for dishes but aerials are exempt - but of course landlords (eg your council) can make their own rules.

I have to say that I like the idea of people not knowing or caring where their TV comes from, so long as it keeps coming - in an ideal world that's how it would be for all of us!

dwanny · 08-09-2009, 10:36 AM

Nice to read the replies to my original question - my house was built in the 60's so aerials were allowed and most houses still have them, however, NTL decided to install to most of the estate about 10 years ago, probably more, which is when most households had their tv picture through their cables. we only moved in 6 years ago and presumed our picture was being transmitted via the roof aerials, which are still there, but last week I realised it is not. will just get sky+ instead, its easier than trying to sort the aerial out...!

Geofbob · 08-09-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwanny

Nice to read the replies to my original question - my house was built in the 60's so aerials were allowed and most houses still have them, however, NTL decided to install to most of the estate about 10 years ago, probably more, which is when most households had their tv picture through their cables. we only moved in 6 years ago and presumed our picture was being transmitted via the roof aerials, which are still there, but last week I realised it is not. will just get sky+ instead, its easier than trying to sort the aerial out...!

Don't have Sky myself, but if you're upgrading to Sky+ you might want to think about HD (as a form of future-proofing) - though from what I can make out the deals for existing Sky customers aren't as attractive as for newcomers. Good luck, anyway.

Boostrail · 08-09-2009, 3:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwanny

Nice to read the replies to my original question - my house was built in the 60's so aerials were allowed and most houses still have them, however, NTL decided to install to most of the estate about 10 years ago, probably more, which is when most households had their tv picture through their cables. we only moved in 6 years ago and presumed our picture was being transmitted via the roof aerials, which are still there, but last week I realised it is not. will just get sky+ instead, its easier than trying to sort the aerial out...!

Since the cable is still there personally I would get a V+HD box from Virgin as IMHO I think its overall a better package than Sky+HD. You can then also include by far and away the best broadband service available and a good phone service and get rid of the BT line

dwanny · 11-09-2009, 2:15 PM

I have already weighed up the costs, my phone and broadband are with talk talk and already have a good deal. I have managed to get sky+ upgrade free as I threatened to leave them and go with virgin as they werent doing any deals for existing customers. it is still cheaper than the +box, phone and broadband package with virgin. job done. thanks everyone.