Sky Conway

smokey32

Hi all. Was wondering if anyone knew anything about the prices Sky Conway charge.
I just moved into an apartment in Swords and have been told i have to go with Sky Conway. They are some crowd from the North who look after alot of apartment complexes in the Republic.
I was hoping someone could tell me how much they charge for the standard Sky digital package not just the normal 15 or so channels you get on cable.
If anyone knows the monthly amount they charge for the standard Sky Digital package.
Thanks.

copacetic

they don't charge you for standard sky, you pay sky yourself. You then pay sky conway 20 or so on top of that a month for the pleasure of a cable to your apt with randomly changing poor quality channels on it. Usually only one cable was run so you can't get sky+ either.

Unless you can put up your own dish or get upc you are pretty much stuck with them though. Do a search, they come up a bit over the deal developers did with them to shaft people moving into their apartments.

smokey32

Great thanks for that.

mullingar

There was a lovely thread (:rolleyes::rolleyes:) about Sky Conway a year or two ago here. Search for it, interesting reading from what I recall.

Ronan Raver77

They were in an apt complex we lived in basiclly you pay them extra on top of what you pay for sky..id move out:)

rlogue

These exclusive deals should be illegal. I would discreetly mount a dish if you can by your balcony if at all possible. Dishes can be camouflaged to an extent by plastic coverings.

I would urge anyone thinking about buying Apartments in Ireland to always read the small print before moving in. Isn't the reason why solicitors get involved with property transactions is to make sure there aren't any stupid restrictions like Sky Conway being imposed?

copacetic

rlogue wrote: »

I would urge anyone thinking about buying Apartments in Ireland to always read the small print before moving in. Isn't the reason why solicitors get involved with property transactions is to make sure there aren't any stupid restrictions like Sky Conway being imposed?

How would a solicitor get involved in this? There is no restriction in the owners lease mentioning sky conway or imposing them on the owners. That deal was done between the developer and sky conway, the same way Magnet and others do deals. The issue is mounting your own dish and planning and lease issues related to that.

Once an apartment is built and not wired for UPC/Magnet, and Sky conway are allowed in; then planning and lease conditions re sat dishes are what can prevent owners putting up their own dishes. Or worse a dish is no use anyway as can't see the southeast sky from the apartment. These lease conditions are standard on pretty much every lease in Ireland, not much a solicitor can do about them.

rlogue

Protecting the buyers interests? This is exactly the sort of restrictive clause I would expect a solicitor to highlight to me as I would not waste my money on a property that would impose such a restriction on my personal freedom.

STB

This is of no use to the op, but for apartment owners it may be.

The competition authority looked into this whole area as you had mad situations whereby the developer was still in control of the management company and had enforced monopoly pay services. Legacy agreements hold no water.

What do you do ? First off get yourself on the management company and rectify the situation. Get rid of the monopoly pay only service. The contract entered into by developers during building hold no legal basis anyway. Do not let anyone in on a monopoly basis EVER (including SKY/UPC/a company rebroadcasting via an internal cable system) These dont want to know anyway unless they can get exclusive control (remember numbers are everything to them).

All apartments are prewired. That means that all you need do is

1. Get an independent satellite companty to install communal dishes and UHF aerials through a distribution system. The signals are split again at each apartment enabling the reception of satellite and terrestrial.

2. A first time connection fee could be charged to cover infrastructure.

3. The maintenance of the system (a few grand each year) is on a rolling basis, the money comes out of your management fees.

With 1, 2 and 3 in place, you now have a situation where there are no montly fees and you have UHF and 28.2 Freesat services to each apartment (once they buy what ever box they want).

If people want Sky services they can then just get a Sky Box and use the existing satellite connection.

End of headaches and pay only services without alternatives.

copacetic

rlogue wrote: »

Protecting the buyers interests? This is exactly the sort of restrictive clause I would expect a solicitor to highlight to me as I would not waste my money on a property that would impose such a restriction on my personal freedom.

Again, there isn't any clause, thats the simple point you seem to be ignoring. So nothing for a solicitor to highlight.

STB wrote: »

All apartments are prewired. That means that all you need do is

It's not as simple as you might think, this isn't really true. Apartments are often prewired by sky conway themselves. They don't just own the dish, they own all the internal wiring and distribution in the building.

rlogue

So if there isn't a clause then the OP can do what they like and ignore Sky Conway?

If there isn't a clause then any apartment dweller is free to install their own dish and aerial anywhere on the building?

copacetic

rlogue wrote: »

So if there isn't a clause then the OP can do what they like and ignore Sky Conway?

If there isn't a clause then any apartment dweller is free to install their own dish and aerial anywhere on the building?

You are getting sky conway mixed up with planning law and standard lease terms about mounting things on external parts of building you don't own. Or more likely are being deliberately obtuse.

i.e The terms are on every apartment lease in Ireland, so your options are sign up to them or buy a house. Nothing your solicitor can so about it.

STB

copacetic wrote: »

It's not as simple as you might think, this isn't really true. Apartments are often prewired by sky conway themselves. They don't just own the dish, they own all the internal wiring and distribution in the building.

It is that simple.

All apartments are prewired for TV. That means that they have a cable going from each apartment to a central room for each small block. Independent companies like Rotary would have taken it this far.

At this stage a service company is called in to provide services. They join the dots to whatever system they choose to implement, using the prewired setup.

Believe me I know what I am talking about having been there, cut the crap and overseen the instalation of something everyone could use and made sure there were no underhanded dealings to install pay only services! I've seen it all, nothing surprises me any more.

This Sky Conway situation. How much are they charging ? And what do you get ? And how many apartments in the development ?

copacetic

STB wrote: »

It is that simple.

All apartments are prewired for cable TV. That means that they have cables going from a central point to a room full of cables. Indepenedent companies like Rotary would have taken it this far.

Well I'll take your word based on your experience, but my development isn't done like that. I doubt it's the only one in Ireland.

STB

copacetic wrote: »

Well I'll take your word based on your experience, but my development isn't done like that. I doubt it's the only one in Ireland.

Okay.

Are you telling me that a pay TV service pre-wired your apartment for television during construction ? i have edited what you quoted me on so that it makes more sense.

copacetic

STB wrote: »

Okay.

Are you telling me that a pay TV service pre-wired your apartment for television during contruction ?

Yes, smallish building, Sky conway installed dish on roof, local DAs on every floor, single cable to each aparment, with internal loops within apartment.

STB

copacetic wrote: »

Yes, smallish building, Sky conway installed dish on roof, local DAs on every floor, single cable to each aparment, with internal loops within apartment.

First off these apartments, they arent being retained by the developer ie rent only ?

These internal loops (ie wall plates/points) would have existed prior to Sky Conway coming in surely / same with main wall plate in main room ?

What are the terms under which they did this install.

Is there a yearly maintenance fee paid to them from management fee ?

Is the developer still in control of the management company ?

Its most unusual. Easy to rectify either way, once there are indepenent owners.