UPC HD - any way to tell if I have it

Bazmo

I currently have UPC Digital+ and am thinking about upgrading to HD. According to the address checker on upc.ie, it is available in my area. I have even asked UPC engineers that I have seen in my apartment block if it is available and they have told me that it it is (even said that there's a fibre node close to where I live).

However, when I go to order online, it says that Digital+ HD availability cannot be confirmed online. When I ring 1908 and get through to "tech support" (I deliberately don't go through Sales 'cos they're a bunch of ...), they tell me that it is not available.

Despite me telling them about the checker and the engineers, it doesn't seem to register. It's like something out of Little Britain - "computer says no.."

I don't know anyone with UPC HD so I can't borrow a box and try for myself. I'm in Templeogue, D6W by the way and the area has been wired for BB and Phone for years.

Is there any way for me to check myself using the DVR's menu if I can get it? I recall that people say that if you can receive 16 transport streams (which I can) then you're good to go.

All ideas gratefully accepted. Thanks in advance.
/Bazmo

Mister Gooey

I have the same problem. I believe that the services are available on my cable connection but UPC have not "activated" my area (although their updated map has says it is now available in all pasts of my area). I will be borrowing a friends HD box next week to see if my connection will work. I live in a different area to you in Dublin but I think it essentaily all one cable network in Dublin. I will keep you updated.

Fresh Pots

This will tell you! originally posted in the Digital+HD merged thread.

Ranicand wrote: »

Go into settings on any UPC branded box and press 1789 scroll down the menu that appears.

If there are 16 transport streams then yes you can get HD the call center database may be out of date if there are less then your out of luck.

surf board

Its quite difficult to order HD even if you are able to receive it. The UPC "services available in my area" map hasn't been updated yet. We are able to receive HD but website says no. We actually got it in the end, well worth it imo. It could be a case that your area is suitable but just not released for sales?

Alun

squared wrote: »

This will tell you! originally posted in the Digital+HD merged thread.

Not necessarily ... I have 16 transport streams here in Bray, but no HD or BB (confirmed by a UPC employee here on boards).

coldfire1x

^^ same here in Dublin - 8

DingDong

Best when to tell is if you have analogue channels in the band I region, you wont be able to get HD. You can check this by tuning in e4 ch4 or discovery and seeing what frequency they are on. 48Mhz to 64Mhz your out of luck

Bazmo

Thanks DingDong. I have Ch4 @ 543 MHz, e4 @ 471 MHz, and Discovery @ 575 MHz. So it looks like its a go for me. Is there anything "special" I can say to UPC when I call them to convince them that I can indeed get HD? Do you reckon they'd send me a HD box regardless if I insisted?

paulm17781

Bazmo wrote: »

Thanks DingDong. I have Ch4 @ 543 MHz, e4 @ 471 MHz, and Discovery @ 575 MHz. So it looks like its a go for me. Is there anything "special" I can say to UPC when I call them to convince them that I can indeed get HD? Do you reckon they'd send me a HD box regardless if I insisted?

They don't seem to want to roll it out. I've been trying to get it since it was announced and no sign, I'm in Dublin city centre. I'm sure DingDong could correct me but I wouldn't think there's all that much involved in being able to deliver it/

zilog_jones

DingDong wrote: »

Best when to tell is if you have analogue channels in the band I region, you wont be able to get HD. You can check this by tuning in e4 ch4 or discovery and seeing what frequency they are on. 48Mhz to 64Mhz your out of luck

AFAIK Band I is used for BB, not HD cable.

DingDong

zilog_jones wrote: »

AFAIK Band I is used for BB, not HD cable.

True but if you have analogue TV channels in the band I region the cable network is usually only operating up to 450Mhz . The HD line up starts after 450Mhz ,hence if you have analogue TV channels in the band I region no HD.
Also the way in which HD is released is to change shortly which should see areas like Bazmo's released for HD sales.

Mister Gooey

Borrowed a UPC HD box from a friend over the weekend. UPC had claimed that HD was not available in my area and yet I had all HD channels available immediately after connecting up the friends Cisco box. I phoned UPC today to ask for a HD box and was told once again that it was not available in my area. I informed them that it was (after my little weekend experiment) so they have offered to phone me back in the next few days to discuss!

Bazmo

Thanks Mister Gooey - I was convinced that this would be the case. I even had one of their Technical Support "experts" BSing me that a HD box wouldn't work because it requires a higher signal strength than that which is available in non-HD areas. Please let us know how you get on.

Mister Gooey

A fellow boardsie (who works for UPC on the side ) had a look at my connection. This is his feedback which is very helpful and explains a lot.

"it appears you have analogue tv on band I. This would indicate there is a limited amount of bandwidth available.Because of this they wont release the area for HD sales. The fear is although you can recieve all the HD now as they add more you wont be able to recieve them."

This would explain the reluctance to sell HD without the upgrade in my area (tick tock).

Anyway, I still contacted the UPC sales crew today (who very helpful) and asked could I get my old Pace box upgraded to the UPC HD box. I told them that I was willing to take the risk that I may not get all the HD channels going forward (I am at the moment!) and that I would still get all the normal SD chanels anyway (the same as if I only upgraded to the digtial + box). The box rental after all is about the same.

Unfortunately, they could not give me the HD Digital + box as their computer sales system would not allow it (the computer says...."No"!!).

Any suggestions on how to get the HD box off UPC? HD does work in my area (as I tested a borrowed box last weekend) and it would be great for the world cup on BBC HD.

Calibos

Mister Gooey wrote: »

A fellow boardsie (who works for UPC on the side ) had a look at my connection. This is his feedback which is very helpful and explains a lot.

"it appears you have analogue tv on band I. This would indicate there is a limited amount of bandwidth available.Because of this they wont release the area for HD sales. The fear is although you can recieve all the HD now as they add more you wont be able to recieve them."

This would explain the reluctance to sell HD without the upgrade in my area (tick tock).

Anyway, I still contacted the UPC sales crew today (who very helpful) and asked could I get my old Pace box upgraded to the UPC HD box. I told them that I was willing to take the risk that I may not get all the HD channels going forward (I am at the moment!) and that I would still get all the normal SD chanels anyway (the same as if I only upgraded to the digtial + box). The box rental after all is about the same.

Unfortunately, they could not give me the HD Digital + box as their computer sales system would not allow it (the computer says...."No"!!).

Any suggestions on how to get the HD box off UPC? HD does work in my area (as I tested a borrowed box last weekend) and it would be great for the world cup on BBC HD.

I wonder would it be worthwhile ringing back and asking to be put through to the 'Small World' department. (I'm not taking the piss) and then telling them what you said above.

I had a similar problem getting NTL digital in my area of Bray. Bray really is a mishmash of an NTL network. Newer estates can get more of the services than older areas of the town. We were lucky in that we were one of the first places in the country to get cable tv 30-40 years ago but its come back to bite us in the ass in 2010 because most of the Bray cable network is way to old to handle the freq/bandwidth required by the new services.

Anyway, we had NTL digital in a housing estate with no problem and had 2 Digital STB's. We moved near the seafront where aparently the network wasn't able to even get Digital according to the database. However, we plugged in our Digital STB's and everything worked perfectly. 33 signal strength. There was no problem with NTL billing or our digital subs. We moved out to renovate after a year to another part of Bray up near raheen park. This seemed to be another area that the database said couldn't have digital. However, this time when we transferred the billing address our digital subs were cancelled and it took a fortnight of phone calls to get them to re-enable them. After explaining the the signal strenght was even better at 35 and it was consistently at 35, I was put through to the 'Small world' department who seem to be the department that can over-ride what the database tells them a customer can or can't have.

Our subs were re-enabled and we haven't had a problem in the rented house in the last 6 months. I think the small world department even amended the database for our little culdesac of houses/flats up the lane because a few weeks ago the next door neighbours (who we haven't spoken too) got in NTL digital too. (Presumably after seeing the UPC digital van outside our house a few months previously)

padzer

I ordered the family sports + package there a couple of weeks ago...which has multiroom included in the price and i had been told HD was unavailable in my area (D12). When they came out i was told that multiroom was not possible as the cable to the apartment block needed upgrading. I did a bit of a DIY job on it so i have basic cable in the other room at the moment.

So i rang them up to see what price the bill would be and i chanced my arm saying a bloke on my road has HD so why couldnt i get it. They said i could get it but would have to pay 40quid intallation...i told him i wanted it originally so why should i pay the fee. He asked a higher power and the end result is they are coming out on friday with a HD box, installing it for nothing and its a free subscription for the first 6 months. Just in time for the world cup...happy days.

DingDong

An update was done last week which should see alot more homes capable of ordering the HD service.