How can I get HD Channels?

G-Money

Basically I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I live in an apartment complex and rent my apartment and the complex has an exclusivity deal with Magnet. Generally I find them to be decent enough but they only offer ONE HD channel, which is BBC HD.

I've asked if they have any more but they have no plans to bring in any more HD channels at present. I find this almost bordering on insanity as if anything, I'd say HD is just getting more and more popular.

That aside, I don't seem to have any other options to get HD. I have enquired about getting Sky in my apartment but the management team where I live have said it's a non runner as it's a massive expense to get fitted. Magnet have their own fibre-optic cable and stuff wired into the apartments so Sky would have to run cables down from the roof into the apartment and stuff which does sound like kind of a big expensive job.

So that basically leaves me stuck with one HD channel.

Is there any other way I can get HD TV channels? Formula 1 will be broadcast in HD this year and I'd love to be able to take advantage of that.

cruhoortwunk

Not sure about Ireland yet, but I know some countries have OTA (over-th-air) HD channels, that can be picked up by a standard antennae. I'm in Canada, and the main terrestrial broabcasters broadcast free OTA.
I picked up a cheap rabbits ears, plugged it in, turned off cable on my HD TV, then auto tunes, and it picked up 4 excellent quality channels.THey are actually better than the ones picked up by a telecoms HD receiver, as the signal is not compressed.
I'm not at home in Ireland, so I'm unsure if OTA has been released there or not yet...

paulm17781

G-Money wrote: »

I have enquired about getting Sky in my apartment but the management team where I live have said it's a non runner as it's a massive expense to get fitted. Magnet have their own fibre-optic cable and stuff wired into the apartments so Sky would have to run cables down from the roof into the apartment and stuff which does sound like kind of a big expensive job.

I recently got Sky installed for my apartment block. It cost us (the management company) €300. They use a fibre system now which is very neat. I got Sky installed and you wouldn't notice the fibre cable in the apartment, the external wiring is nearly invisible except where they had to cross the courtyard but it's still nothing much.

A friend enquired about the old system and was quoted €36,000 for install. He has since gotten the fibre one for €300. I'd advise checking again.

G-Money

paulm17781 wrote: »

I recently got Sky installed for my apartment block. It cost us (the management company) €300. They use a fibre system now which is very neat. I got Sky installed and you wouldn't notice the fibre cable in the apartment, the external wiring is nearly invisible except where they had to cross the courtyard but it's still nothing much.

A friend enquired about the old system and was quoted €36,000 for install. He has since gotten the fibre one for €300. I'd advise checking again.

I got in touch with Sky again and the guy told me there was no charge to install it :eek:

I don't own my apartment either. Won't they have to start doing some drilling and stuff to get wires into the apartment?

watty

cruhoortwunk wrote: »

N
I'm not at home in Ireland, so I'm unsure if OTA has been released there or not yet...

www.saortv.info

not quite

icdg

cruhoortwunk wrote: »

Not sure about Ireland yet, but I know some countries have OTA (over-th-air) HD channels, that can be picked up by a standard antennae. I'm in Canada, and the main terrestrial broabcasters broadcast free OTA.
I picked up a cheap rabbits ears, plugged it in, turned off cable on my HD TV, then auto tunes, and it picked up 4 excellent quality channels.THey are actually better than the ones picked up by a telecoms HD receiver, as the signal is not compressed.
I'm not at home in Ireland, so I'm unsure if OTA has been released there or not yet...

OTA is a North American term. Terrestrial television is what the rest of the English speaking world calls it. Digital terrestrial television = DTT.

In Ireland we will have a digital terrestrial service called Saorview, but in the medium term at least, only RTÉ Two will be broadcast in HD and only part-time (basically sporting events and US imports).

Unfortunately for the OP if the complex has an exclusivity deal with Magnet your options are limited - you won't be able to get UPC, for instance. You might be able to get Saorview if you can pick up a strong enough signal with your rabbits ears (portable reception was meant to be a feature of Irish DTT but it may not be satisfactory for everyone). You won't be able to get communal Sky if the managment company sticks to its guns. You might be able - in theory - to get your own Sky dish depending on which way your apartment faces, but you may be breaking a restrictive coveneant in your lease by doing so. Unfortunately you're likely to be stuck with Magnet for pay-TV unless you can convince your management company (and remember, you and your neighbours are the owners of the management company, or should be in the developer has acted reasonably) to relent on the communal Sky issue.

Moving to Broadcasting.

paulm17781

G-Money wrote: »

I don't own my apartment either. Won't they have to start doing some drilling and stuff to get wires into the apartment?

Probably. It's very discrete though. The cable they run in is smaller than a shoelace.