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RTE switching from analogue to digital - is it free?

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  • 23-09-2008 10:20am
    #1
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭


    Last night a guy called around to the house, said he was from sky digital. He told me that after Christmas all the analogue stations are switching to digital and that tv will no longer be free. Is this true?

    I don't want to have to buy a sky tv package, I don't watch much tv and the 4 Irish channels are fine for me. I pay the tv licence so don't see why I should have to pay twice.


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    #2
    Thoie
    Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    He was either sadly misinformed, or downright lying.

    The launch date has been moved to September next year to start with. The free to air channels (the basic Irish ones) will remain free as far as I know. You may need to make a one off purchase of a set-top box if your television is older, but I don't think there's a subscription fee for the basic channels.

    See here for more information: http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/

    Some of the newspapers had costs etc a few months ago, but I can't find that information now.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0801/1217368811645.html

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0801/1217368811618.html


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    #3
    Mossy Monk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28,128 ✭✭✭✭Mossy Monk


    If that guy comes back punch him in the face.

    Thoie is correct. RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TV3 and TG4 will remain free.


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    #4
    AnonoBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,559 ✭✭✭✭AnonoBoy


    I presume he was trying to sell you something right there and then.

    Basic rule of thumb - don't believe or buy anything off someone who calls to your door. Take their leaflets if you must but don't agree or sign anything until you can check it out and have a think.


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    #5
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    AnonoBoy wrote: »
    I presume he was trying to sell you something right there and then.

    Basic rule of thumb - don't believe or buy anything off someone who calls to your door. Take their leaflets if you must but don't agree or sign anything until you can check it out and have a think.

    That's what I thought too. I don't entertain people who come to the door selling stuff, but he wouldn't even let me finish the sentence "I'm not interested". So I said, "well I don't have to discuss this now, so give me a leaflet please and I'll think about it". He then told, oh no I dont have leaflets, you have to sign up right now to get a free box and then only 21 a month. Alarm bells started ringing. So I got rid of him, and posted here today just to see if anything he said was true!


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    #6
    Mackman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,810 ✭✭✭Mackman


    he was full of *beep*. Its free. we have it at home, we got a knew tv about 6 months ago and it has a digital tuner in it, and we tuned into the digital RTE signal being broadcast from Mount Leinster.
    -the picture is very clear, same as Sky Digital
    -you cant scan through upcomming programmes
    -you can however press the info button and get info on the programme your watchin

    its probably just a trial though,until its fully released


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    #7
    Thoie
    Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    Mossy Monk wrote: »
    If that guy comes back punch him in the face.

    Thoie is correct. RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TV3 and TG4 will remain free.

    Ask for the phone number of his manager first, then punch him in the face. Then ring his manager and point out that his sales staff are lying. And also bleeding on your carpet.

    I still can't find the exact article I was thinking of, but basically it seemed that you'd pay for a one off set top box, and that would give you the basic Irish channels. There was going to be another package for about a tenner a month that gave you the basic UK channels as well. Then you got into the 20-30 quid a month, which sounded a bit like Sky etc - 50-100 channels or so.


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    #8
    aidan_dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 2,265 ✭✭✭aidan_dunne


    That sort of selling technique (i.e. using misinformation or downright lying to those who they think don't know any better) really pisses me off. Luckily for you, Ivy, you saw through what this guy was up to and had enough common sense to suspect something wasn't right and check for sure online here. But there's bound to be other people (in particular, older people) who won't know any different and take what this guy is saying as gospel and sign up. That makes me really angry. :mad:

    As Thoie said, if possible contact his manager and complain about this guy's sales "technique"......... unless, of course, this might actually be his company's policy and way of going about business (I wouldn't be surprised, to be honest), in which case his manager probably won't give a damn. :rolleyes:


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    #9
    JoeA3
    Registered Users Posts: 7,414 ✭✭✭JoeA3


    Mackman wrote: »
    he was full of *beep*. Its free. we have it at home, we got a knew tv about 6 months ago and it has a digital tuner in it, and we tuned into the digital RTE signal being broadcast from Mount Leinster.
    -the picture is very clear, same as Sky Digital
    -you cant scan through upcomming programmes
    -you can however press the info button and get info on the programme your watchin

    its probably just a trial though,until its fully released

    Do you also need a special aerial to receive them? I have a terrestrial aerial and currently get the 4 irish channels in analogue, very good picture. When the time comes will I need a new aerial? And if you don't have a digital tuner, would a Sky digibox work?


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    #10
    Mossy Monk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28,128 ✭✭✭✭Mossy Monk


    JoeA3 wrote: »
    Do you also need a special aerial to receive them? I have a terrestrial aerial and currently get the 4 irish channels in analogue, very good picture. When the time comes will I need a new aerial? And if you don't have a digital tuner, would a Sky digibox work?

    A terrestrial aerial will do. Just makes sure it is for the right band. A Sky Digibox will not work for Digital Terrestrial broadcasts.


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