NTL Set top box question?

AdamC · 06-06-2006, 11:47 AM

Afternoon all, ive been having a think over the last couple of days ( it hurt a bit!! ) about whether it's ok to buy your own set top box without letting NTL know about it?

You see ive got a 32" Samsung LCD in my bedroom which comes with freeview but if i could find a cheap set top box from somewhere then this would be a lot better as i would probably use the tv a lot more as a tele instead of just a games room tv.

I suppose its just the viewing card that i would have trouble getting, even though im pretty sure i know where i could purchase one of these that last a couple of months and then need renewing.

Thanks

AdamC

beerhunter · 06-06-2006, 12:56 PM

I may have got this wrong but are you planning to attach a STB to an NTL cable without telling them? First of all if you tap their CATV street box, that may well be an offence. I'm not sure what the situation is if they have cabled up to your property. Second doesn't the cable have to be activated at their Central Office anyway.

AdamC · 06-06-2006, 2:13 PM

Hi mate, i suppose i could have worded it differently.

My dad pays a lot of money for NTL Digital TV and broadband - we also have two set top boxes in different rooms so we pay something ridiculous ( £30 - £50 ) extra on top of the usual charges to have this second STB.

I was wondering if there was a way to purchase my own STB that could be located in my bedroom and forgoe the need for them to charge me extra.

Would i need to use a splitter or something for the STB upstairs to receive a signal? Sorry im not very clued up when it comes to things like this. Im currently using the outside ariel cable on my LCD tv so that i can receive the freeview channels.

AdamC

SamRadford · 06-06-2006, 2:20 PM

NTL boxes are rented. You never own them. So if you buy one it must therefore be stolen.

Yes, a special splitter is required and, no, you are not allowed to connect it up yourself.

AdamC · 06-06-2006, 2:29 PM

Ah right, i probably wont try to buy an NTL box then.

Special splitter / not allowed to connect it up yourself? - you mean they are employing real technicians these days that can actually do things instead of the usual monkeys you get!!

Im pretty sure there are splitters you can buy commercially, for example the one that allows you to watch sky on a tv upstairs when you have a set top box / satellite connected to the tv downstairs.

AdamC

beerhunter · 06-06-2006, 6:06 PM

The Sky thing is a second RF Out on the Digibox that can drive a second TV. No splitter involved.

vex · 06-06-2006, 7:01 PM

The other problem is that Cable boxes have a unique ID and communicate it back to the headend.

So they will know if you connect up a new box.

Another one is that the STB's have a fixed amount of credit in them, as they get used up they request more credit from the headend. If that is not available or the STB can not communicate to the headend then eventually they will restrict access to the premium channels.

Chris

CaptainHAZ · 08-06-2006, 7:37 AM

it wouldnt work. the ntl STB receive the signal from the head due to the system NTL use. that system is tied directly into the NAGRA card with the box. this NAGRA card gives the STB a MAC ddress. the ntl headend sends auth services to specfic MAC addresses on specific account. Unless the box has been illegally modified it jsut wont work, even with a splitter.