I have just returned to this thread after five months of duel control agro and am very impressed with all your perseverance. Picking the bones out of the various contributions could anyone categorically confirm Andy Murphy's summary of the current situation?

1) NTL digital cable box remotes work with the Pronto.
2) C&W ones don't.
3) NTL will not give ex-C&W customers the NTL boxes no matter how you ask or whom you ask.
4) The convergence if/when it happens is likely to stuff those with boxes that currently work too.
5) The only 1 box solution currently available seems to be the One-For-All (which has a multitude of limitations itself).

What a nightmare!

Why don't Philips read this thread and manufacture a compatible unit? I for one would be willing to take a hit on my current Pronto, flog it on, and buy the new model

I live in hope that someone has managed something different!

But I think that's the long and the short of it.

I would also take the hit on flogging the old Pronto but this also seems like a no hoper. Don't even think the latest one does IrDA so it looks like the C&W box went out on a limb technology wise. We were all unwittingly sold "betamax"! Hopefully point (4) will be wrong.

As an aside I've had yet more failures of my digital service recently. Once for over 24hrs which is fortunate as you get zero rebate if it's for anything less!

I'm going to go back to analogue I think and stuff them. This merger has been a complete shambles from beginning to end and perpetuating the rubbish C&W kicked out is not helping NTL at all. They should be thankful they have a relatively captive audience.

Also, those of use with Telewest Active Digital are
in the same boat as C&W. Telewest and C&W use the
Pace DiTV1000 which uses IrDA codes.

My understanding of the NTL/CWC merger is that NTL
will move to the CWC technology.

I'm waiting for Tivo to develop a dongle which will
work with Telewest. I'll use the Pronto to control the
Tivo and let the Tivo control the STB!

Couple of other suggestions for getting round this problem:

1) Has anyone tried using a CE device with the IR interface to control the unit?

2) Or how about using the serial port on the back of the box?

3) And lastly: htttp://www.pacelink.co.uk sells units that allows channel control of Pace satellite receiver via the Scart port (albeit using a PC as the controller). Maybe something similar could be built for the cable box?

I'm getting Digital canle from NTL in an old C&W area and have requested a D14001N box from them as was told this should not be a problem. This box as I understand from www.letsautomate.com and others from this site can be learnt by the Pronto.
It comes on Monday so if it works I think you could demand from NTL the newer box.

Roll on Monday

If you get this through can you give details of who you talked to and when please. A precedent may about to be set!

However, without wishing to disappoint you before the event I'm sure you'll get the one that doesn't work...

I too live in an ex-C&W area. I phoned ntl about two weeks ago requesting installation of a second cable box. I specifically asked them *not* to install the DITV1000 box. I was told that that was the only box they were rolling out (after which I cancelled the order).

I subsequently had a problem with the existing box (video problem and box locking up). The Service Engineer who attended site to fix it told me that he only knew of the DITV1000 box and was not aware of any customers getting different type boxes.

I would be very interested in information about how to getting the other model box, if anyone manages to!!

My understanding of the situation is that the NTL
network (including CWC) is going DiTV1000. Some old
CWC areas are getting DiTV4000s but that they're not
the long term solution. If or when DiTV4000s will be
replaced with DiTV1000s I don't know.

Hi,
I've just had NTL didgital Cable installed (formerly C&W Manchester area), they have installed the box, but i still have no instruction/technical manual, apparently they post instruction manual seperate to installation!!!!.

I can't get the Marantz RC5000 to learn cable remote, so presume i have the Ditv1000, and thats why it won't be learnt by RC5000, is there anyway by looking at the box i can tell which model of cable box i have?, there is no model code printed on the box, just a Pace and C&W brandname.

Also, has anyone in a formerly C&W area been able to get the DiTV4000 model which works with the RC5000 from NTL, as this is really annoying, going back to two remoted when i spent £250 for the luxury of one remote.

Thanks for all help.
Paul.

Hi ecnirp/Paul,

I think you'll be out of luck getting your DiTV replaced with a DiTV4000 series box.

The NTL infrastructure is not the same as that used in the ex-CWC areas. The ex-CWC infrastructure is however
the same as used by Telewest.

My understanding is that NTL are moving to the ex-CWC
infrastructure meaning that everyone will end up with DiTV1000s!

Well the nice men came to install my digitatl upgrade on Monday - I live in a Ex C&W area - and they only had the D1000T boxes and they knew as much about cable boxes as my nan !!
I am currently waiting to find out from the operations manager if the D14001N boxes can actually be used in C&W areas - the cabling might be different I am told :o) - so as soon as I know I'll let you all know.

However I might have to lump having to pay for my phone line rental and get Sky digital as this is starting to F**k me off ever so slightly

Mark

Bollocks
I have just been phoned by NTL and told that i cannot have a D14001N box in my area - ex C&W
I have now ordered Sky digital - and will now have to pay for my phone line again and not be able to watch NBA on ITV2

Sorry everyone I tried

Anyway I've jsut noticed that Sky is £10 a month cheaper than NTL digiatl so that offsets the cost of my phone maybe it's not all bad :o)

fluffy

Ok...here goes.I wrote to practically everyone that I could think of at ntl to try and clear this up once and for all.

Here is the response I received:

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Thank you for your letter of 15 January regarding an alternative set top box to support your digital installation.

The Di4001N set top box is the ntl equivalent of the DITV1000 and were both developed by Pace at about the same time. The different numbers were used by Pace to distinguish their different products for what at the time were two different Companies - ntl and Cable & Wireless, not to indicate that the 4001 is a newer model than the 1000.

Being two separate companies at that time CWC and ntl opted for different infra red remote control handsets, both providing the same number of buttons etc but using different protocols.

The Phillips Learning Remote Control is not designed to be able to replace the handset for the DITV1000 and is not able to learn it's sophisticated protocol.

Set top boxes only work on the networks for which they were designed so it is not possible for a Di4001 to be used in the ex CWC area of West Kensington. In the future it is likely that a set top box will be developed to work on both networks.

I do hope I have clarified the position for you.


David Stephenson
Customer Care Co-ordinator

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I think that we can call this a full and comprehensive answer and I for one am prepared to accept that this is the end of the matter. THERE IS NO WAY MY PRONTO WILL WORK WITH A CABLE BOX IN MY AREA….BOO HOO!

It’s been fun.

David

Thanks for clearing the matter up with NTL, and thanks everyone for all the efforts put into this long thread.

At least it can be said we did our best, and now all the companys concerned are aware of the problems for users of learning remotes/home cinema fans, since they are pitching their Cable TV stations at Movie fans, maybe in the future seruious consideration will be given to protocols used in remotes............

Paul.

Well, Maplin are finally shipping me an IR dongle for
the serial port of a PC. I'm hoping to be able to
configure this for the SIR protocol at 115.2kHz.

I'll then point a DiTV1000 remote at it an see what
happens...

Either I'll be very excited or £35 out of pocket.

Here's hoping!