The €5 a Month RTE TG4 only Sky Sub

Sponge Bob

Sky have an unpublished customer retention offer. When a full sub €22 a month or higher threatens to cancel they are offering a €5 a month RTE TG4 only sub in certain cases. It may also include tv3/c6/setanta ireland for all I know

This would mean the box continues to pick up the Irish and the Free channels only but with the Irish channels in EPG positions 1-4 ...OTOH you only pay €5 a month and for many with marginal reception a decent aerial would cost many years of the Sky sub.

I have some questions about it.

When did this option come in for Irish customers ???

How prevalent is this package can anyone say??

Will HD and Sky+ work properly if you have this ??

Are box upgrades possible at a favourable rate or must these customers go on the grey market to get them???

Zardoz

I never ever heard of this offer in all my years of dealing with Sky.
I find it hard to believe Sky would offer this deal for €5 as some people only subscribe to Sky for RTE in digital format.

cgarvey

Sponge Bob wrote: »

How prevalent is this package can anyone say??

2 guys I know have cancelled an Irish sub (out of contract). 1 was never offered this, and the other I'd asked to ask them about this. The girl went off to find out and came back saying it didn't exist (but do you want 3 months half-price movies, etc.).

So either it's very new, or only available for a select few CSRs in the cancellation dept. to offer.

steveon

I never heard of this and would find it extremely hard to beleive that it would be legal to charge for RTE....on its own as RTE is already funded by the taxpayer...

Tipsy Mac

steveon wrote: »

I never heard of this and would find it extremely hard to beleive that it would be legal to charge for RTE....on its own as RTE is already funded by the taxpayer...

Eaxactly and with those in NIRL getting it as part of the Good Friday Agreement charging people in the South for it would be a publicity nightmare.

Widescreen

Aren't they already charging for RTE? You can't get it from Sky without paying for it,even if they call it a Bonus channel. You cancel your sky sub and you have no irish channels.

snaps

Widescreen wrote: »

Aren't they already charging for RTE? You can't get it from Sky without paying for it,even if they call it a Bonus channel. You cancel your sky sub and you have no irish channels.

here here!

Apogee

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Sky have an unpublished customer retention offer. When a full sub €22 a month or higher threatens to cancel they are offering a €5 a month RTE TG4 only sub in certain cases. It may also include tv3/c6/setanta ireland for all I know

Can you tell us what is the basis for this claim? No one on this forum has ever mentioned being offered this option.

slegs

There was a post the other day claiming this offer existed...cant find it though

STB

Widescreen wrote: »

Aren't they already charging for RTE? You can't get it from Sky without paying for it,even if they call it a Bonus channel. You cancel your sky sub and you have no irish channels.

No you are being charged for being a subsciber to Sky. Its bundles as part of a package - a like it or lump it deal.

It would be unusual that they would offer it as a stand alone. Of course you dont have to subscribe to get the 4 terrstrial stations (and thats how they broadcast, terrestrialy - available in analogue and digital form).

Much like you dont have to subscribe to Sky for UK FTA sat channels. Infact most people dont know that either.

mjsmyth

Much like you dont have to subscribe to Sky for UK FTA sat channels. Infact most people dont know that either.

To be honest, it is not much like that. If you don't subscribe to Sky, you can still access the main UK channels on your Sky box. Fail to subscribe to Sky and you don't get the Irish channels. Saying that you can get them using analogue or digital terrestrial is neither here nor there when it comes to a discussion about Sky.

Apogee

I've gone back through the posts to the start of December, and done a number of searches and can't find any additional info.

Perhaps SB could let us know what the source for the OP is?

gtg60

There's no way this exists, if it did the uptake would be absolutely massive ESPECIALLY if it included Sky+ functionality.

Sponge Bob

It was mentioned by a poster elsewhere on boards who tried to cancel ....can't remember the forum and I heard it from a neighbour who tried to cancel.

It is not available for new subscribers, only for retention purposes.

Widescreen

Maybe Sky should now come up with an official €5 per month package consisting of Sky 3, 3e, Sky News and a bonus mix of the Irish Terrestrials!This would be in addition to their current other packages.

Most people when they subscribe would go for "beefier" packages but at least they would have the comfort of when they ever downsized they could still get all the basics?

slegs

At 10e per month it would still be attractive if it had Sky+ functionality

The Cush

Sponge Bob wrote: »

It was mentioned by a poster elsewhere on boards who tried to cancel ....can't remember the forum and I heard it from a neighbour who tried to cancel.

It is not available for new subscribers, only for retention purposes.

I posted this previously here. My brother was offered this option when he cancelled, naturally he declined.

Sponge Bob

Mate in Galway rang up to cancel them today ( well on the 31st December) they offered him the €5 Irish Channels Only option and he said that he just got DTT and did not need them.

After a lot of haggling they agreed on the Documentaries Pack and the Irish Channels ( plus all the free ones obviously ) for €10 a month.

3DataModem

this would be awesome.

I am in Isle of Man and paying for a basic sub just so that we have Rte1, Rte2 and TV3. I would LOVE to save 20 per month!

Sponge Bob

You need an Irish person to threaten to cancel first in order to to get offered the deal by the retention department and then get their card ..and pay them so they can pay Sky every month.

watty

It's still a bad deal if you have DTT.

As The Irish card BLOCKS decent UK channels.

A DTT set + UK EPG gives more channels.

Anyway. This is example of why talk of pay DTT or "Real Digital TV" cheap packages are fantasy. They can't compete with sky.
Compared with a cancelled sub, any kind of cut down sub is almost pure profit for Sky.

So they can always undercut even a loss making "pay DTT" or "Real Digital TV" for any already installed 1 year+ customer.

The fact is that the Sky+ feature should work on FTA channels without a sub, and it's robbery it doesn't as you own the box!

This is not surprising and I have always said since RTE 1st went on Sky that the TV licence and Terrestrial FTA is irrelevant. Sky can charge essentially what ever they like for what ever mix of channels. Even if they are ALL FTA on Freesat! As long as people are prepared to pay.

I expect this will be promoted, and possibly even to new customers when Full Launch of Saorview and Saorsat happens in May, or if "Real Digital TV" launches in the New Year with a basic Sky Sports, you know what to expect. After a year "Real Digital TV" will go spectacularly bust and Sky Sports will go up in price.

As far as RTE NL & RTE are concerned, unlike Pay DTT or "Real Digital TV", Sky is NOT competition, but an additional platform (as UPC is) to get Irish TV & Radio. It will make no difference to Saorsat & Saorview as those are for people that don't want pay TV! Hence RTE's recommendation to Oireachtas that Saorview users get Freesat for the UK stations.

gtg60

Sponge Bob wrote: »

After a lot of haggling they agreed on the Documentaries Pack and the Irish Channels ( plus all the free ones obviously ) for €10 a month.

For how long though, was it just the usual 6 months? As I got offered the basic channels plus one pack for a tenner a month (but only for 6 months).

Sponge Bob

gtg60 wrote: »

For how long though, was it just the usual 6 months? As I got offered the basic channels plus one pack for a tenner a month (but only for 6 months).

Open ended I think.

gtg60

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Open ended I think.

It'd be well worth €60 a year to have one of these cards for the reliable twin tuner, EPG all in one solution with equipment you'd probably already have (and God knows I'm not the biggest Sky fan!).

Sponge Bob

gtg60 wrote: »

It'd be well worth €60 a year

€120 Mind!

gtg60

Sponge Bob wrote: »

€120 Mind!

No, I'm saying the fiver a month he was first offered for the Irish channels plus the free to air ones would be well worth it for what you're actually getting.

Minstrel27

Not really if you are in a DTT area. Would that Sky offer include 3e?

gtg60

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Not really if you are in a DTT area. Would that Sky offer include 3e?

I disagree, firstly in the many, many threads asking about Combo boxes, there are 2 questions that always come up,
1. 7 day EPG
2. Proper PVR capabilities

Only boxes costing €500 plus can fulfil these needs plus a fair degree of knowledge is required. Perhaps an aerial too for DTT.

Or a fiver a month to use your existing Sky+ box and dish to get all that in a type and format you're already familiar with? It's a no brainer. If I could get one for my folks I'd gladly pay the €60 a year for them.

byte

I wonder if the sky+ recording features would still work at €5 a month?

BostonB

Have to I agree, a combined epg, twin tuner and ease of use has a lot going for it.

selfbuilder1

Has anyone got this €5 per month offer for the Irish channels lately. Seriously considering getting rid of Sky but would keep it for the Irish channels and Sky+ facility.

Widescreen

Sky should make the current bonus mix a numbered mix, ie no. 7 or no. 2 for example which you can subscribe to separately and have the charge something like €10 or 12 a month including sky plus facilities. everything my house watch and tape is on mainly the irish and main english channels we can live without the likes of gold,living,comedy central the list is endless.


When a simple DTT PVR comes out that may put more pressure on Sky as many people will use that with their humax etc..

rlogue

Or else a PVR that offers all the channels on one box eh?

ftakeith

selfbuilder1 wrote: »

Has anyone got this €5 per month offer for the Irish channels lately. Seriously considering getting rid of Sky but would keep it for the Irish channels and Sky+ facility.

I have the humax freeview HD+ connected to a outdoor tv aerial and I receive saorview channels fta, I have the uk freesat channels connected to a satellite tv dish and use the the humax freesat+ for use

why would I pay sky €5 per month alongside the tv licence fee for sky+

watty

It would be nice if a real combo PVR acutally supported the specs properly for Freesat and Saorview. But current models don't and a lot of Combos are not true PVRs either.

Sky penetration in Ireland is already madly higher than it ought to be. People are paying subscription and in many cases watching free channels 96% of time or more. Nice money if you can get it.

€5 a month is a rip off to have recording on a box you already own and channels that are all FTA.

BostonB

ftakeith wrote: »

I have the humax freeview HD+ connected to a outdoor tv aerial and I receive saorview channels fta, I have the uk freesat channels connected to a satellite tv dish and use the the humax freesat+ for use

why would I pay sky €5 per month alongside the tv licence fee for sky+

Whats the licence fee got to do with it?

I assume people would pay for Sky+ for a fully integrated EPG/DVR and the extra features of the Sky+ box. You've got to spend a lot to get fta/dtt/analog combo sorted out.

jakdublin

watty wrote: »

It would be nice if a real combo PVR acutally supported the specs properly for Freesat and Saorview. But current models don't and a lot of Combos are not true PVRs either.

Sky penetration in Ireland is already madly higher than it ought to be. People are paying subscription and in many cases watching free channels 96% of time or more. Nice money if you can get it.

€5 a month is a rip off to have recording on a box you already own and channels that are all FTA.

I think it's a bargain. Ok, you own the box and the channels are free so €5 a month for a service to record is worth it IMHO. Of course you don't have to pay if you don't want the service, but like you say a real combo PVR isn't available. Why do you think you should have it for free? (assuming you do).

gtg60

ftakeith wrote: »

I have the humax freeview HD+ connected to a outdoor tv aerial and I receive saorview channels fta, I have the uk freesat channels connected to a satellite tv dish and use the the humax freesat+ for use

why would I pay sky €5 per month alongside the tv licence fee for sky+

Different strokes for different folks, there are a lot of people who would rather spend €60 a year to have the PVR functionality on a single box they already own than fork out €500+ (9 years subs!!) for the 2 Humax's and possibly an aerial too.

Minstrel27

jakdublin wrote: »

Why do you think you should have it for free? (assuming you do).

If you own the box why would you be ok with Sky crippling its recording functionality?

lawhec

Considering it costs Free-To-View viewers in the UK £10 per month to enable recording facilities for their Sky+ receivers, and knowing the way Sky price their services in the Republic compared to the UK market, I'd be confident that any such offer including RTÉ one & two, TV3 & TG4 would be €15 per month minimum.

Hannibal

gtg60 wrote: »

Different strokes for different folks, there are a lot of people who would rather spend €60 a year to have the PVR functionality on a single box they already own than fork out €500+ (9 years subs!!) for the 2 Humax's and possibly an aerial too.

I cancelled Sky a few months ago and got offered the Irish channels for €5 a month, you can also get BBC1,2,3,4, UTV/ITV1,2,3,4, C4, C5 etc and theyre FTA.. then Sky rang me a month later and offered me my previous subscription for half price for 12 months which was sports/movies/ 1 multiroom and 3 other packs working out at about €44 per month. A friend of mine works in vodafone and she tells me that they can offer certain discounts only to certain customers. So the longer you've been with them and the more you spend comes into account with vodafone which I can only presume Sky and other providers have a similar policy

boomslang

We are canceling this week and are considering the humax pvr system but if sky offer the €5 euro option then that would be tempting. Main reason were canceling is the cost. Also not having recording access to bbc 1 hd.

jakdublin

Minstrel27 wrote: »

If you own the box why would you be ok with Sky crippling its recording functionality?

Is it not like owning an Apple computer and having to pay Apple for its optional services like MobileMe? it's not like the box itself is crippled. You pay for the extra service if you want it, or not if you don't.

watty

Recording & playing FTA programs on a PVR you own is not an optional service. The box is crippled if you cancel sub.
It's more crippled than it used to be. I originally used a Sky box with manual switch for FTA on 13E and 19E also. That's not really possible anymore.

selfbuilder1

boomslang wrote: »

We are canceling this week and are considering the humax pvr system but if sky offer the €5 euro option then that would be tempting. Main reason were canceling is the cost. Also not having recording access to bbc 1 hd.

Will you let me know how you get on. Thanks.

watty

gtg60 wrote: »

It'd be well worth €60 a year to have one of these cards for the reliable twin tuner, EPG all in one solution with equipment you'd probably already have (and God knows I'm not the biggest Sky fan!).

No. Because the gaol is keep you hooked and gradually get you up to their target €600 a year. Nor are Sky likely to have all the Irish Channels any time soon. Even if RTE offers then HD feed free tomorrow, Sky will not add RTE 2 HD any time soon. That triples Sky's Carriage costs for RTE2. Same when TG4, RTE1 and TV3 eventually go HD. I can't see Sky carrying Children's Channel, Film Channel, RTE News Now or Oireactas Channel. You don't get the extra actually FTA UK channels such as BBC3, BBC4, ITV1..4 on Sky Irish Sub?

Also the box is crippled. Anything not on EPG works badly. Anything not on EPG won't record. Also while Humax "multi-satellite" is awkward, unlike Sky it works.

Really unless SkySports is a must have, ANY Sky sub is wasted money.

However if "Real Digital TV" Launch and don't fail after 6 months, expect Sky to do a Irish TV + Skyports sub for €5 cheaper than "Real Digital TV" Skysports Sub. Or a same price package with more in it.

BostonB

Some people are looking for an easy option and willing to pay to get it.

watty

I have no problem with that.

But most people don't actually know what the options are. That's why PayTV is 80% here and about 54% in UK.

BostonB

The UK is entirely different as its main channels are on FTA and Freeview and not mixed across difference technologies. So they don't need complicated solutions. People want one remote, one EPG.

gtg60

watty wrote: »

No. Because the gaol is keep you hooked and gradually get you up to their target €600 a year.

But nobody forces you to upgrade. My existing point still stands, €60 a year for full PVR functionality from a box you already own (i.e familiar with) is a great option for many people.

It's all good saying to people you can get a few extra free channels and never have to pay a penny in subs but it's €500 of equipment up front and the hassle of 2 boxes.

MACHEAD

BostonB wrote: »

The UK is entirely different as its main channels are on FTA and Freeview and not mixed across difference technologies. So they don't need complicated solutions. People want one remote, one EPG.

If a significant proportion of UK veiwers wanted to chase after irish/french/german/dutch/or whatever tv, then they would probably have to jump through as many hoops as we do in Ireland.

The fact is, that we're not satisfied with whats available in our own little island and we want more. How we go about achieving that 'more' depends on whither one can, or is willing pay handsomely for it, or are able fiddle with cross platfom technolgies.