BT or virgin ?

[TALON1973]

Ok.... finally got a chance to change internet suppliers

I was thinking of getting the large BT fibre and sports app..... But a new option is about to be available to me.

Virgin media is being put in my street this week.... They are digging as I type. So 2 questions....

1. Anyone know how long it’s takes from cable laying to being live and available to get ?

2. Which service is better?

I’ve got a 4k tv and do subscribe to NOWTV entertainment and Netflix atm .... The Virgin option is a what I’m looking at .... But opinions would be appreciated.

 

[Usher]

You will get varied answer to that depending on individual experiences. We have Virgin phone & internet, it's very reliable for speeds. I would warn you however that they use cowboy contractors to lay the cable across your garden, then a Virgin tech will come and complete the connection into the property.
Our phone failed a while back & it was decided there was a break in the cable somewhere under the front garden, the cowboys arrived and laid a bright green 35mm flexi cable across the middle of the front garden and across the path! no attempt to bury it. A complaint sent a manager round who did the job properly with a trench. He more or less said that this was commonplace.
Then after that the neighbour wanted Virgin installed, in came the cowboys who dug up the front roadside grass verge looking for the cable, exposing our cable at the same time, they made the connection and cleared off, this time leaving the unshielded cable fully visible so we had to complain again before the grass could be mowed. It's possible that they no longer use such contractors, in fact it's possible that BT also contract it out to cost cutting cowboys

 

[TALON1973]

Well the guys working in our area are mostly Europeans. The cable is being installed directly outside the houses on the footpaths.

The bt sport bundle +sky TV ( no sport ) is tempting.

 

[Squink]

If, on the off chance, you are planning to move house in the near future and you move to a non-cabled area, Virgin will require you to pay off the remainder of your contract instead of just cancelling it. If that's an issue, go with BT.

Virgin recently became available in my street and for a short time after, they'd keep knocking on doors and shoving leaflets through letterboxes trying to get people to sign up to "special offers just for the new area". I don't recall the introductory offers being vastly better than what you could pick up simply by keeping an eye out for sales, but they might offer you something you like.

 

[TALON1973]

Another question. The virgin cable has been layed under the pavement directly outside my house. My room where is want it all setup is in the front of the house.

How is the final connection made ? I've only ever had experience of satalite TV.

 

[lucid]

On the outside wall, the underground cable comes up and terminates inside a low-profile wall box about the size of a paperback book.

The Virgin installer will then drill though and bring a 7mm diameter coax cable in to the property.

Where you have just Internet, this coax will run round the room edge to the router. The connections are the same as a Sky box uses; compression-fit screw-down F connectors.

For those with a Virgin TV package plus router, they'll install a splitter; one coax feed to each device.

The Virgin guys won't lift floors or chase walls to conceal cables.

 

[TALON1973]

Hmmn... This is sounding like a bind. My phoneline / is in the hallway next to my room.

Ideally I'd love it all in my room . But unsure if that's possible.