First, I must say I'm impressed to even get this channel as I'm on a 6Fr/month non-HD package, but they sent me an HD box when my old one broke.

Anyway, I noticed (when some monotone irritating woman kept describing stuff on the screen) that the audio was in NAR mode. I switched it to English Dolby Digital and all was good. But each time I go to BBC1 HD it defaults back to NAR.

Can someone else test their box to see if it does the same?

My other channels are OK (they default to English). I think it's a software bug in that it tries to default to English, for BBC1 HD they've only got "NAR" and "English Dolby", which doesn't match my defaulf setting of "English" so it picks the first off the list. Which, unfortunately, is irritating monotone woman mode. I'm gay. I'm not able to put up with this.

I concur - BBC HD has this issue (I'm also on the Balcab-cablecom network). Been like it since the "upgrade" in February... A minor irritant, but not a major PIA.

Same in Bern on Cablecom

Thanks, both! Interestingly, I watched a program a week or so ago on BBC1 HD and didn't notice I was getting NAR. Every now and again, a rather droll man would describe what was happening "presenter puts on his silly hat and walks away from the camera". I thought it was part of the show and enjoyed it!

But last night watching a nature program, I thought "now come on, I'm not blind!" and then the penny dropped and I pressed "i" to check the sound settings :-)

Is this BBC1 HD (the same content as regular BBC1 but in HD) or BBC HD (mostly the same content as BBC2, but with some differences where the BBC2 shows aren't in HD)? I ask because it's irritated me for some time that Cablecom carries BBC HD but not BBC1 HD (at least here). Anyway, I have the same issue with BBC HD here, that it defaults to NAR (voice over narration) rather than just plain English sound. It's easy enough to change it back, but mildly irritating.

That explains what was going on last night! Channel hopping, I encountered the same thing, although cant remember which channel, but must have been BBC1HD. Now all is clear...

"OP types at his computer and continues to look bemused. He sips from his glass of red wine, and ponders."

The latter. For some reason I thought it was called BBC1 HD but you're right, it's BBC HD. For a laugh, I checked whether the NAR sound track came with subtitles.

Yep, not the same thing. Regular BBC1 is also available in HD, at least it is on Swisscom - not sure about Cablecom.

Nope! Not on cablecom. They called me a month or two back trying to get me to upgrade my package. I just gave the guy a load of grief about not having BBC1 HD like with Swisscom, and said that I would be cutting the cord soon and just streaming all the TV I was interested in. He didn't even try to say that BBC1 HD and ITV1 HD would be coming any time soon.

I can't complain. I'm impressed a Swiss cable company carries so many UK channels to start with.

Indeed. The package far exceeds anything that is available on any cable provider in France, Germany, Luxembourg and Italy. Not sure about Spain.

The weirdest thing about this is that we found out about the issue while watching one of those London Undergroun documentaries, and found the permanent off voice a bit odd. But we put it down to the BBC dumbing down more and more, until we found out we had to switch to "English dolby" or whatever the normal soundtrack is called.

Simple reason
Switzerland is not in the EU and so other copyright laws.
German providers would carry such a channel too, but greedy copyright holders make it impossible.

The nights must fly by at chez London

AdrianLondon looks up from his monitor and gazes into the distance. He rolls his eyes and then looks back to the monitor.

ARGAHRGHHGHGHHH

Now both BBC 1 and 2 HD have the lovely "NAR" bug.

Also, if you switch the NAR off, you cannot mute or change volume.

Thanks for bumping this thread.

I remember Adrian starting this and having just relived the same thing the very night before, and of course Adrian's very particular style, found this thread hilarious.

Huh, is there BBC1HD and BBC2HD on cablecom now???

oh yes, Real Rescues is on in glorious HD now. It's still a repeat mind you.

considering the number of Swiss ( or genrally German speaking ) channels that are Carrie in the UK...