Sudden Loss of Freeview Channels

fiddlechic

Apologies if this is an obvious issue - can't find my problem on searching.

Bought a new tv and a Dell Zino HD. I mainly watched tv on the internet or dvds so I decided to scrap my upc subscription in August. I live in a an apartment block where the basic cable was only option from upc (not ready for digital or broadband yet).

I canceled it and up to last week was able to watch all freeview channels connecting my tv to the upc point on the wall (I sent the upc box back).

Now, my television can't pick up any channels.
I had rte,3, bbc1, utv, living, discovery, mtv and sky news.

I thought my tv was tuning to the new freeview channels; now maybe I think had some tail-end reception from upc.

Which could it be?
I presume if I get some rabbit ears, I'll get Rte; but the only channel I watched was sky news!

Premier

fiddlechic wrote: »

Apologies if this is an obvious issue - can't find my problem on searching.

Bought a new tv and a Dell Zino HD. I mainly watched tv on the internet or dvds so I decided to scrap my upc subscription in August. I live in a an apartment block where the basic cable was only option from upc (not ready for digital or broadband yet).

I canceled it and up to last week was able to watch all freeview channels connecting my tv to the upc point on the wall (I sent the upc box back).

Now, my television can't pick up any channels.
I had rte,3, bbc1, utv, living, discovery, mtv and sky news.

I thought my tv was tuning to the new freeview channels; now maybe I think had some tail-end reception from upc.

Which could it be?
I presume if I get some rabbit ears, I'll get Rte; but the only channel I watched was sky news!

Sky news is also in the upc lineup, looks like you were just cut off, like you asked.You can try rabbit ears for the rte's, have a chat with the landlord & See if you can have a freesat system installed.

paulm17781

There is no free channels on cable. Everything has to be paid for. Like above, they probably just got roud to cutting you off. Get an aerial and a Saorview box, you'll get all the Irish channels for free that way.

Minstrel27

Sky News can be watched live on the Sky News website

icdg

fiddlechic wrote: »

I canceled it and up to last week was able to watch all freeview channels connecting my tv to the upc point on the wall (I sent the upc box back).

Now, my television can't pick up any channels.
I had rte,3, bbc1, utv, living, discovery, mtv and sky news.

I thought my tv was tuning to the new freeview channels; now maybe I think had some tail-end reception from upc.

Indeed, this boils down to the way UPC disconnects you.

Your digital service can be switched off remotely once you cancel, UPC simply deauthorise your viewing card from the cancellation date. You immediately lose all your digital channels.

But there is no conditional access on the analogue service - only premium channels were every encrypted and they are long gone from analogue. The only way UPC can disconnect the analogue service is to send a service agent out and physically cut the cable running into your house.

This takes time and costs money, so UPC only do it if they are sure no one else is going to sign up at your address. This is a legacy of the Cablelink days, where Cablelink only ever cut customers off for non-payment. If someone voluntarily cancelled the service, they assumed they were moving out, sent a Final Bill, then a new bill to "The New Customer"!

fiddlechic

Thanks for that.
It makes sense!
At least I can still get sky news on the web.

My neighbours have been getting all those channels, free with a cable plugged into wall, for the last 18 months since they moved in. Never heard from upc or anything.

I guess my cancellation was notice to upc to cut off my connection!