Urgent Questions about Sky Digital.

Slane

Hey guys, I am finally seriously contemplating getting sky digital. But before i commit to it there are some questions i have that i are either not on the F.A.Qs i have read or i have just missed them, but i am hoping that you guys can give me direct answers and help me before my head explodes! So heres hoping one of you fine gents shall aid me in my quest(See, i make helping fun, and i complemented ya!)

1:At the moment i am hooked up to Chorus cable and i have four tv's in my house. On each of these tvs i get BBC1,BBC2,RTE1,Network 2,tv3,tg4,channel4,utv,skyone,sky news,mtv, cartoon network,e.t.c. So my question is if i unsubscribe from chorus and sign-up to sky digital, what will i see on the other three tvs, besides the main one, in the house. Now i know on each of the other tv's you get a digital channel that allows you to watch whatever the person on the main tv is watching, but what do i see on the other tv's besides this, ie: do i get whatever comes over the aerial like rte1,net 2,tv3,tg4? Or do i simply get nothing besides the digital channel? I am sure you all know the answer to this but its something that i aint got a clue about.

2:Secondly, is it possible for me to keep my subscription to chorus cable and sign up to Sky digital aswell. As in can i have the extra channels provided by sky digital on my main tv while still having all the normal cable ones i get which i mentioned above on the main tv in the house along with all the other tv's in the house. So in otherwords, is it possible to be subscribed to both or can it only be one or the other. Again i am sure that pobably a question you all knwo the answer to but its been wrecking my head.

3: and finally, with all your knowledge on digital, can you advise me if now is a good time to subscribe to sky digital. i.e: do you guys know of any special offers coming up soon or changes for the better in the next few months that i would be better off waiting for.I am sure you all know the answer to these questions but they have just been constant query's that has been bugging me and whoever i ask gives me a differant answer so hopefully you guys can set me straight. Thanks alot!

watty

You daisy chain the RF in and RF out of VHS, Digibox and TV aerial.

All the TVs would have then 6 channels:
1 = RTE1
2= NET2
3 =TV3
4 = TG4
5 = VHS: Showning Tape, its tuner or SCART/Video in (Playstation, DVD, PC, Security camera)
6= Whatever Digibox channel is selected. In Mono
7= Optionally Chorus decoder
8, 9, 10 Other home equipment

IF on analog cable with channels that work on TVs
11 RTE
12 NET2
... Etc
15 .. 20 Odd Channels
21 BBC1
22 BBC2
23 ITV
24 C4
.. etc

Digital Cable is just like digibox. Only one channel at a time.


The digibox has two RF outputs. one can have a remote eye at a distant TV to allow remote channel change in another room.

A "CE approved" Video Sender gives higher quality picture and Stereo unlike the RF. It connects to SCART or Phono/RCA connectors at each end (won't connect to TV with ONLY an aerial socket).

If you have lots of money you can have both. The Chorus decoder box (esp. if digital) is another channel on all the TVs.

But why would you pay for such a poor quality service? Is ITV and C4 THAT good?

Subscribe to Sky World and cut back to family pack usually gets you a €15 subsidised install.

Order via a reputable local TV dealer that actually repairs TVs and has his own installer. Ordering from Sky direct over phone is often better than some of these Sky/Phone shops or stalls that simply collect commission on customers and have no expertise or installers.

Unlike Chorus or NTL you actually own all the gear from day 1, though you sign up for a minimum of 1 year. one month notice to down grade pack, upgrades or reconnection after cancel take minutes.

You still get 70 TV and 50 odd Radio even with NO subscription.

Quality is higher and interuptions to service almost non-exisitant.

The Rooster

In most parts of the country you can receive ITV and CH4 by aerial, so thats one less reason to keep Chorus. The reception can be dodgy at times, (especially when its hot I find), but generally its ok. And if UTV gets really bad, usually you can get a decent reception on HTV.

Anyone know roughly how much it costs to buy an aerial and have it fitted?

jez

Rooster, if you can received UTV/Channel 4 by aerial in most parts of the country its a wonder that Westward/Irish Multi/now Chorus ever go going. Surely now that BBC is fta on a dish that must be the end for Chorus.

Pray tell me , what kind of miracle aerial is it ?? I'm in Limerick,
mid west Capital.

Thanks

watty

Jez...

Check out the "Terrestrial section"

If you live down in the city, forget about BBC/ITV/C4 off an Aerial.

It is true though that given about €20 to €2000 worth of aerial and mast that probabily more than 50% can get BBC/ITV etc off air.

If you lived on the north side of Silvermines / Keeper or on West/Nort of hills over Killaloe is might be possible.

Ive done 6km on a standard MMDS dishes connected to Standard 2.4GHz video senders (Thomson from Savins). Through trees! So you could (or we could) always reactivate an Aerial array on Keepers and put maybe a 2m dish to get the video sender signal back to the City

Perhaps Cable got going dublin due to aircraft hazard of all those masts. I rememeber my first vist to Dublin from North just after the Corpo finished off blowing up Nelson in O'Connel St. Scary aerials.

Slane

Thanks alot watty, i can't tell ya how much you have helped me. Cheers!