Sky HD offer at the moment vs FreesatHD

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I was considering freesat HD, and noticed skys offer at the moment.

€49 for the box and free installation.

€35 a month for the cheapest HD package so it works out at €470 providing i cancel it after the 12 months.

Taking into account that this includes the equipment and installation, would freesat HD be cheaper?

Any opinions on the sky equipment vs the freesat stuff? Complete beginner when it comes to satelite...

slegs

First of all they are not comparable services. Freesat is basically all UK FTA channels with a full EPG. Sky has its own wider lineup of channel and in ROI this does not include many of the UK FTA channels.

So if you decide to go for Sky+HD you will get plenty of HD channels (as long as you go for the documentaries, movies and sports) with a subscription. You will also have full EPG RTE, TV3, and TG4. If you cancel this subscription you will not have access to 95% of these HD channels and you will lose the ability to record. You will also lose RTE etc. BBC HD will be all that you have on the EPG (HD channels).

With Freesat HD, if you go for the PVR, you have 2 HD channels (BBC and ITV), no RTE but you have all the key FTA channels on EPG with ability to record and crucially no subscription.

So ultimately it depends on whether you want to pay a subscription or not. IMO, without a subscription Freesat is superior. If you have buckets of cash and just want the best channel lineup Sky+HD has way better channel choice.

But as I said at the beginning they are not comparable services and are not directly in competition.

Skyuser

Or you could install Sky+HD and cancel it within 14days for a full refund. Keep box and dish.

snaps

Think there is a long waiting list for sky HD as well at the moment.

TheDriver

Skyuser wrote: »

Or you could install Sky+HD and cancel it within 14days for a full refund. Keep box and dish.

that can't be right??

slegs

slegs wrote: »

So if you decide to go for Sky+HD you will get plenty of HD channels (as long as you go for the documentaries, movies and sports) with a subscription.

Actually your SKY HD sub [the 15 Euro] covers you for the non premium HD channels even if you are not subscribed to them in your other package.You wont be able to watch the sd versions but you get the HD versions.
So if you dont have movies -you will still get sky real lives HD,MTV HD,SCI-FI HD,discovery HD etc.

If you have buckets of cash and just want the best channel lineup Sky+HD has way better channel choice.

Well in theory you can take a movies/entertainment sub+hd for €55 a month which is about €650.
For that you get the instalation ,all the HD movies for the year,anytime tv [exc any premium channell's programme you are not subscribed to..but inc all the movies] and obviously the sky plus.
Remember aswell that the anytime programmes behave exactly like recordings and are there for a week at a time to view.
Thats reasonable in my book if you can afford it.

syboit

Deleted User wrote: »

Actually your SKY HD sub [the 15 Euro] covers you for the non premium HD channels even if you are not subscribed to them in your other package.You wont be able to watch the sd versions but you get the HD versions.

Really ?, I was sure you had to have the equivalent SD channel before you can get the HD version.

Update: looking at the sky website, looks like your spot on. Is this new ? As I was sure previsouly you had to have the SD first.

Plus additional Sky+HD channels when you take a Sky HD subscription
Sky One HD, Sky Arts HD, Sky Box Office 1 HD, Sky Box Office 2 HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, The History Channel HD, Luxe TV HD, FX HD, Rush HD, Eurosport HD, The Biography Channel HD, Crime & Investigation Channel HD, Real Lives HD

Plus the following HD channels when a Movies premium pack is included with the Sky HD subscription:
Sky Movies Action & Thriller HD, Sky Movies Modern Greats HD, Sky Movies Drama HD, Sky Movies Sci-Fi & Horror HD, Sky Movies Family HD, Sky Movies Comedy HD.

Mossy Monk

Skyuser wrote: »

Or you could install Sky+HD and cancel it within 14days for a full refund. Keep box and dish.

Are you serious?

byte

Skyuser wrote: »

Or you could install Sky+HD and cancel it within 14days for a full refund. Keep box and dish.

Have you proof of this, or are you just assuming?

As, the way I see it, if you cancel during the cooling off period, you lose the hardware, since you get a refund and don't own it anymore.

byte

syboit wrote: »

Really ?, I was sure you had to have the equivalent SD channel before you can get the HD version.

Update: looking at the sky website, looks like your spot on. Is this new ? As I was sure previsouly you had to have the SD first.

Plus additional Sky+HD channels when you take a Sky HD subscription
Sky One HD, Sky Arts HD, Sky Box Office 1 HD, Sky Box Office 2 HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, The History Channel HD, Luxe TV HD, FX HD, Rush HD, Eurosport HD, The Biography Channel HD, Crime & Investigation Channel HD, Real Lives HD

Plus the following HD channels when a Movies premium pack is included with the Sky HD subscription:
Sky Movies Action & Thriller HD, Sky Movies Modern Greats HD, Sky Movies Drama HD, Sky Movies Sci-Fi & Horror HD, Sky Movies Family HD, Sky Movies Comedy HD.

I have to admit, I thought the same as you!

So, 1 Mix (Variety for example) and a HD sub, about 35eur, wouldn't be too bad...

Skyuser

byte wrote: »

Have you proof of this, or are you just assuming?

As, the way I see it, if you cancel during the cooling off period, you lose the hardware, since you get a refund and don't own it anymore.

They say they'll collect it but they never do.

von Smallhausen

Skyuser wrote: »

Or you could install Sky+HD and cancel it within 14days for a full refund. Keep box and dish.

Not true, if you cancel within your cool off period (around 14 days) Sky will refund you the price of your box(es) and will collect the equipment. You will lose any installation fees as they have been done. As outlined in the T&C of your contract.

Hogzy

Skyuser wrote: »

They say they'll collect it but they never do.

they will defo collect the box considering the waiting list for sky HD is huge,

And as far as im aware the boxes are the responsibility of the people contracted to install sky in your area, therefore it will probably come out of their pocket if they dont pick up the box

von Smallhausen

Hogzy wrote: »

they will defo collect the box considering the waiting list for sky HD is huge,

And as far as im aware the boxes are the responsibility of the people contracted to install sky in your area, therefore it will probably come out of their pocket if they dont pick up the box

Your right on that one! The way sky do it for indo installers is that sky charge them inc. installation fees (if applied) and then they get their money back via the customer.

syboit

byte wrote: »

I have to admit, I thought the same as you!

So, 1 Mix (Variety for example) and a HD sub, about 35eur, wouldn't be too bad...

Yeah, 35 wouldnt be the end of the world, you wouldnt even have to get the knowledge mix as with these 3 channels Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, The History Channel HD you'd get the best ones.

Are these pay for view though ? Sky Box Office 1 HD, Sky Box Office 2 HD. Another sports channel would be nice though, as I think HD is really made for soccer and the such , what I've seen on BBCHD/ITVHD looks excellent.

chelseaaremagic

slegs wrote: »

First of all they are not comparable services. Freesat is basically all UK FTA channels with a full EPG. Sky has its own wider lineup of channel and in ROI this does not include many of the UK FTA channels.

So if you decide to go for Sky+HD you will get plenty of HD channels (as long as you go for the documentaries, movies and sports) with a subscription. You will also have full EPG RTE, TV3, and TG4. If you cancel this subscription you will not have access to 95% of these HD channels and you will lose the ability to record. You will also lose RTE etc. BBC HD will be all that you have on the EPG (HD channels).

With Freesat HD, if you go for the PVR, you have 2 HD channels (BBC and ITV), no RTE but you have all the key FTA channels on EPG with ability to record and crucially no subscription.

So ultimately it depends on whether you want to pay a subscription or not. IMO, without a subscription Freesat is superior. If you have buckets of cash and just want the best channel lineup Sky+HD has way better channel choice.

But as I said at the beginning they are not comparable services and are not directly in competition.

excuse me but where on the irish sky epg is bbchd? i only have access to it in 'other channels? and as for channel 4 hd not a sign of it anywhere? and the nice channel 4 people are the only ones give us [irish/southern ] access to 4 on demand!

slegs

chelseaaremagic wrote: »

excuse me but where on the irish sky epg is bbchd? i only have access to it in 'other channels? and as for channel 4 hd not a sign of it anywhere? and the nice channel 4 people are the only ones give us [irish/southern ] access to 4 on demand!

On a box with no sub (i.e. with the UK FTA EPG) BBCHD will be present

syboit

syboit wrote: »

Really ?, I was sure you had to have the equivalent SD channel before you can get the HD version.

Update: looking at the sky website, looks like your spot on. Is this new ? As I was sure previsouly you had to have the SD first.

Plus additional Sky+HD channels when you take a Sky HD subscription
Sky One HD, Sky Arts HD, Sky Box Office 1 HD, Sky Box Office 2 HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, The History Channel HD, Luxe TV HD, FX HD, Rush HD, Eurosport HD, The Biography Channel HD, Crime & Investigation Channel HD, Real Lives HD

Yes you get all those regardless of if your main sub is a basic one including MTVHD which is fantastic like the oldstyle non stop videos and concerts and add free! and the latest addition scifi HD.

Plus the following HD channels when a Movies premium pack is included with the Sky HD subscription:
Sky Movies Action & Thriller HD, Sky Movies Modern Greats HD, Sky Movies Drama HD, Sky Movies Sci-Fi & Horror HD, Sky Movies Family HD, Sky Movies Comedy HD.

I subscribe to the moviepack so I get those.

Anytime TV is great with a movie pack in my opinion as they put random movies on it and usually the "premier" movie before it's first airing.
They also have had lost on it without adds so you can watch it straight through with out fast foward [that applies to everything from skyonehd on anytime]

I had to laugh on sunday night when I checked the anytime schedule[it's epg includes a video preview of each programme or movie] and there on it were 7 or 8 bond movies from the current bond season.
Watched you only live twice last night in outstanding hd quality if you ask me.
Remember you can pause and stop and view later from where you left off with those aswell.

With all this,though I had my doubts at the start,I now think the €15 is well worth it,given what it covers.

I'm now a 100% fan of sky hd

valleyoftheunos

Can anyone tell me definitively if BBC-HD is available on Sky HD? I'm very new at this so no use of acronyms would be great thanks!

syboit

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

Can anyone tell me definitively if BBC-HD is available on Sky HD? I'm very new at this so no use of acronyms would be great thanks!

yes it is, its free to air so if you have a HD sat receiver you can get it on that aswell.

von Smallhausen

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

Can anyone tell me definitively if BBC-HD is available on Sky HD? I'm very new at this so no use of acronyms would be great thanks!

BBC HD can be viewed through Other Channels using the Freq: 10.847 V 22.0 5/6 as it is not in the EPG.

To do that press Services - System Setup - Add Channels (insert freq) - press select. Save by pressing yellow button.

To View: Services - Other Channels and go to channel you want and press select.

Please note that you can NOT record these channels using the plus feature!

valleyoftheunos

Danny_B wrote: »

BBC HD can be viewed through Other Channels using the Freq: 10.847 V 22.0 5/6 as it is not in the EPG.

To do that press Services - System Setup - Add Channels (insert freq) - press select. Save by pressing yellow button.

To View: Services - Other Channels and go to channel you want and press select.

Please note that you can NOT record these channels using the plus feature!

Thaks a million but what does EPG stand for? Edit, Electronic Programme Guide?

So I can get BBC HD in Ireland via Sky HD but I basically have to tune it in myself?

Skyuser

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

Thaks a million but what does EPG stand for? Edit, Electronic Programme Guide?

So I can get BBC HD in Ireland via Sky HD but I basically have to tune it in myself?

Yes but it won't appear on your tv guide and you will not get tv listings for it. You can only view it by selecting 'services - other channels' and then selecting bbc hd. It will tell you whats on now and next but thats it.

valleyoftheunos

Thats great, thanks a million guys. Will want to watch 6 Nations, Wimbledon etc in HD and BBC HD is the place to do that it seems.