Sky changing packages on 1 September 2011

Cantona's Collars

Sky will be making some changes to their packages and dropping the HD multiroom charge on 1 September.I think it will be better value for people and make packages more comparable to the way UPC's offer theirs.

from 1 September we are reducing our basic TV packs from six packs to two: Entertainment and Entertainment Extra.

The new packs are based on the most popular customer choices from our current TV packs and will give customers a variation of genres.

Entertainment Pack: Will contain over 40 great channels including Comedy Central, Sky Living, Sky 1, MTV, and Sky Atlantic.

Entertainment Extra Pack: Will contain all the channels in the Entertainment pack, plus more than 50 extra channels including National Geographic, Discovery, Disney and Sky Sports News

Plus, customers will still be able to enjoy the best in Irish terrestrial TV with new channels including BBC3, BBC4, CBBC and CBeebies.

These changes will make it much easier for customers to choose the pack that suits their needs best.

The great news is that existing customers will get to benefit from the new packs too!

HD Pack Changes

In addition, we are launching HD Whole Home on 1 September. This means that customers will only have to pay a single HD subscription (€15 per month) to receive the HD pack on all HD enabled boxes in their home, making the HD pack even better value than ever before and assisting you in making more HD and Multiroom sales!

Existing Customers will be notified of the changes we’re making in early July via their Sky magazine or by letter/email.

From 20 June any new customers who join Sky will not be notified of these changes by Sky so you’ll need to tell them what the changes will mean for them.

There are four important things to let customers know:

1. Pack Changes
What the package changes will mean for them and what they’ll move to from 1 September onwards. Existing customers will move to one of the two packs – Entertainment or Entertainment Extra – depending on their current TV subscription.

2. Costs
What they’ll be paying after 1 September.
Existing customers moving to the new packs will pay the same price -They will not lose channels and may even gain more channels – at no extra cost!
New customers joining on one of the new packs will pay either EUR25 or EUR33 per month.

3. HD Pack Changes
What savings they’ll make on HD if they choose to buy more than one HD pack.
After 1 September customers will pay EUR15 a month, on top of their Multiroom subscription, letting them watch in stunning high definition on all of their HD boxes.

If they choose to take more than one HD pack now, remember to let them know that their bill will go down as from 1 September they will only pay EUR15 for their HD subs for the whole home!

4. Price Freeze
And remember - We are completely freezing our subscription prices on all our packages until 2013!

paultf

Thanks for the info.

Good news about multi-room and HD - I have a HD box in my multi-room so good result for me!

The Cush

Discussed here earlier this month - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72625231 and over in DS - http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1482436, http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1484550

I presume the information quoted is from an internal Sky staff memo/brief.

Similar discussion over in the DS forums - http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1495217, http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1490842

MisterAnarchy

The Cush wrote: »

I presume the information quoted is from an internal Sky staff memo/brief.

Nice one ,very subtle but accurate.:)

christo82

Interesting part about existing customers maybe gaining channels at no extra cost. I have variety and style/culture packs atm. If i added say the news pack which has sky sports news i think for 2 euro extra before septenber, would i be moved onto entertainment extra at no extra cost? And so gain things like music and documentary channels

greendom

Does anyone know how many packs do you need to be on to be entitled to the Entertainment Extra pack ?

byte

I'm currently using Variety Mix and Knowledge Mix. I'd assume, because I only have 2 mixes, I'll be fired onto the Entertainment Mix, meaning I'll lose Discovery, NatGeo, etc.

Will have to fork out €33 to get them back? Hm. I'll probably drop the HD mix, if not the whole shebang and hope somebody does jailbreak the SkyHD box

christo82

byte wrote: »

I'm currently using Variety Mix and Knowledge Mix. I'd assume, because I only have 2 mixes, I'll be fired onto the Entertainment Mix, meaning I'll lose Discovery, NatGeo, etc.
Will have to fork out €33 to get them back? Hm. I'll probably drop the HD mix, if not the whole shebang and hope somebody does jailbreak the SkyHD box

Well no, it says existing customers will not lose channels so you will probably gain channels at no extra cost. Lucky.

_Kaiser_

I only have 3 mixes myself (and get Sports enabled at the start of the season) but I have 2 HD ready boxes and a multiroom sub as it is.

Would have liked HD but still can't justify it on top of the €75ish a month it'll cost me as it is. If they'd dropped the HD charge entirely (or at least for customer with sports/movies) then maybe it'd be worth getting excited about imo..

Cantona's Collars

The Cush wrote: »

Discussed here earlier this month - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72625231 and over in DS - http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1482436, http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1484550

I presume the information quoted is from an internal Sky staff memo/brief.

Similar discussion over in the DS forums - http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1495217,

Got an email passed onto me which contains the details,I forgot about the earlier thread on the subject but at least the new info clears everything up regarding the new packages and prices.I read the threads on DS and there was a lot of scaremongering and misinformation so asked a few questions about it and got the info sent to me.
The dropping of the HD multiroom charge is a step forward,it was a rip off having to pay an extra HD sub on another box if you wanted HD in another room.
People on very basic packages at the moment will find themselves gaining channels.:)

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

mad muffin

I guess no change for me since I already have all the channels bar sports and movies and no multi room.

Why_oh_why

Nothing in it for the Sky World HD (no multi room) package holder like myself. €91 a month it stays.

alanhiggyno1

does this apply to new customers as i cancelled mine to get free sky+hd box,free installation and hd half price for 3 mths plus multroom half price.does this mean they will drop the multiroom charge for new customers too??shouldnt be a problem now and i think alot of ppl will be availing of this special offer.happy days:)

efb

Im on the entertainment and news mix, this is good news for me, otherwise Sky go bye bye!

alanhiggyno1

anyway looking forward to my hd sports.is the hd sports super quality

Cantona's Collars

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

does this apply to new customers as i cancelled mine to get free sky+hd box,free installation and hd half price for 3 mths plus multroom half price.does this mean they will drop the multiroom charge for new customers too??shouldnt be a problem now and i think alot of ppl will be availing of this special offer.happy days:)

People should read the original post carefully.The Multiroom charge is not being dropped The charge for HD on multiroom is, i.e if you are paying for HD on a second box along with a HD sub on your main box,you'll find the extra HD sub will be dropped.
Also if you have HD on the main box and basic non HD multiroom using one of the new multiroom boxes (the black ones) then you'll find that you'll get HD on that box aswell from 1 Sept. at no extra charge.Note,you still have to pay your standard multiroom charge

alanhiggyno1

zerks wrote: »

People should read the original post carefully.The Multiroom charge is not being dropped The charge for HD on multiroom is, i.e if you are paying for HD on a second box along with a HD sub on your main box,you'll find the extra HD sub will be dropped.
Also if you have HD on the main box and basic non HD multiroom using one of the new multiroom boxes (the black ones) then you'll find that you'll get HD on that box aswell from 1 Sept. at no extra charge.Note,you still have to pay your standard multiroom charge

you dont pay for hd multiroom if u have hd in living room as it is added free of charge on sep 1st.so if u have both and paying the extra 15 or 25 for hd in bedroom it will be free...SO MULTIROOM WILL BE FREE.its bout time skt dropped that price as nobody was getting it.i got it for half price for 3mts so im happy out and free from sep 1st.happy days mate.

Cantona's Collars

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

you dont pay for hd multiroom if u have hd in living room as it is added free of charge on sep 1st.so if u have both and paying the extra 15 or 25 for hd in bedroom it will be free...SO MULTIROOM WILL BE FREE.its bout time skt dropped that price as nobody was getting it.i got it for half price for 3mts so im happy out and free from sep 1st.happy days mate.

HD Multiroom for new customers is €20 per month for 12 months.For existing customers both together cost €30,this cost will reduce to €15 per month and folks who have a HD ready box for multiroom will have the HD pack added to it for free IF they have HD on the main box-simples.

Bog standard multiroom charge is not being dropped.

All new multiroom boxes are HD ready.So you'll get HD on those boxes free IF you pay the €15 HD charge on the main box.

Blitz17

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

you dont pay for hd multiroom if u have hd in living room as it is added free of charge on sep 1st.so if u have both and paying the extra 15 or 25 for hd in bedroom it will be free...SO MULTIROOM WILL BE FREE.its bout time skt dropped that price as nobody was getting it.i got it for half price for 3mts so im happy out and free from sep 1st.happy days mate.

HD Multiroom is not free, If you have 2 HD boxes in your house your paying €30 for 2 HD mixes, aswel as 1 multiroom sub at 15 aswel. So thats €45 before adding the channels.

In September all it means is you only pay one HD subsciption for the whole house, meaning if you have 2 HD boxes or 200, your still paying 1 HD sub providing the HD channels to all the boxes.

You would still be paying €15 for each Multiroom, or €10/7.50 depending on offers.

mdwexford

Lol i didnt even know you had to pay multiroom twice if you had two hd tvs, what a rip off.

Cant believe they are still charging 15 for multiroom and 15 for hd, glad i got rid of Sky and wont be getting it back anytime soon from the looks of it.

Menas

I spoke with sky billing today. She could not share details of what the new offers would be but did say that 'there will be savings for everyone' and that letters will be in the post in the next 2 weeks. Not much detail to go on i know, but I guess all will be explained then.

_Kaiser_

Ok after reading the last few posts things are clear as mud...

I have 2 HD-ready boxes with a multiroom sub and 3 mixes.

From september 1st, if I want HD will I still have to pay an extra €15 (but get it on both boxes) OR is it €15 and the multiroom sub is dropped (in which case I pay the same as I do now?)

paultf

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Ok after reading the last few posts things are clear as mud...

I have 2 HD-ready boxes with a multiroom sub and 3 mixes.

From september 1st, if I want HD will I still have to pay an extra €15 (but get it on both boxes) OR is it €15 and the multiroom sub is dropped (in which case I pay the same as I do now?)

The multiroom charge will still stand no matter what: €15.

If you want HD you'll have to pay €15 extra but you will get it on both HD boxes for this price.

So 1 multiroom: €15 + HD: €15 (on as many HD boxes you have) = €30.

_Kaiser_

paultf wrote: »

The multiroom charge will still stand no matter what: €15.

If you want HD you'll have to pay €15 extra but you will get it on both HD boxes for this price.

So 1 multiroom: €15 + HD: €15 (on as many HD boxes you have) = €30.

Cheers.. I was thinking that alright but wanted to double-check

As I said above then, nothing in this for me..

stesaurus

I rang Sky the other day to discuss these new deals. I have 3 boxes all with HD. So I pay 2xMulti and 3xHD so this would save me €30 a month in HD charges.

She asked me where I'd heard of these changes so I told her I had a friend who is a Sky installer. She then went on to tell me she'd heard nothing about this and suggested my friend was trying to rip me off. That if I cancelled and went with him as a new customer he would drop my ESPN and MUTV and give me the HD+Multi for 20/month to make the savings.

Anyway long story short she gave me the 6 months half price Sky World. So saving €38 a month and then the €30 when this other offer kicks in.

hawthorn

I have just 2 or 3 mixes, Im not sure which. But I do know some of my mixes contain Discovery, National Geo, etc so does this mean I will get the Ent. Extra pack....??

If so this is good, but not so good for new subscribers (that makes a change!). If you join and want just 2 mixes from the current setup, and one of the mixes is the Discovery pack, well then in the new system you cant do that without going for the Extra pack, at the top price. Am I correct?

And if so is this not a very subtle way of Sky increasing their prices after all? (for new customers at least...!)

Must ring and tell them Im getting rid of HD, they might give it free...

h

Ciaran

hawthorn wrote: »

I have just 2 or 3 mixes, Im not sure which. But I do know some of my mixes contain Discovery, National Geo, etc so does this mean I will get the Ent. Extra pack....??

If so this is good, but not so good for new subscribers (that makes a change!). If you join and want just 2 mixes from the current setup, and one of the mixes is the Discovery pack, well then in the new system you cant do that without going for the Extra pack, at the top price. Am I correct?

That's my understanding anyway.

Dave_Dublin

hawthorn wrote: »

If you join and want just 2 mixes from the current setup, and one of the mixes is the Discovery pack, well then in the new system you cant do that without going for the Extra pack, at the top price. Am I correct?

And if so is this not a very subtle way of Sky increasing their prices after all? (for new customers at least...!)

h

No - you don't have to subscribe to BOTH. You can just get the "Entertainment Extra" pack and leave out the basic pack if you wish.

That's what Sky's own info says at least . . .

Ciaran

Dave_Dublin wrote: »

No - you don't have to subscribe to BOTH. You can just get the "Entertainment Extra" pack and leave out the basic pack if you wish.

That's what Sky's own info says at least . . .

The basic pack doesn't have anything that isn't in the Entertainment Extra one so they aren't separate packs, Entertainment Extra seems to be an upgrade to the basic pack.

Dave_Dublin

Ciaran wrote: »

The basic pack doesn't have anything that isn't in the Entertainment Extra one so they aren't separate packs, Entertainment Extra seems to be an upgrade to the basic pack.

I received a response from Sky explaining :

The Entertainment Pack (basic pack) will be the current "Variety" + "Style/Culture"

The Entertainment Extra Pack will be the current "Knowledge" + "News/Events" + "Childeren" + "Music"

--- You can just subscribe to the "Extra" pack and NOT GET the basic one if you wish.

--- The current "Bonus Pack" will still be included in Ireland no matter what option you have.

macjohn

So for anyone currently on either 4 (€29) or 5(€31) of the current mixes this will ultimately be a price increase (after the current prize freeze)
For instance I now pay €31 for 5 mixes as I dont need the kids channels (ie the 6th mix),
after this to keep what I have will have to pay more and in return get kids channels I dont want.

Dave_Dublin

macjohn wrote: »

So for anyone currently on either 4 (€29) or 5(€31) of the current mixes this will ultimately be a price increase (after the current prize freeze)
For instance I now pay €31 for 5 mixes as I dont need the kids channels (ie the 6th mix),
after this to keep what I have will have to pay more and in return get kids channels I dont want.

Yes - when the current "price freeze" is up you'll have to pay €33 to keep the channels you have now . . .

(or whatever the new price will be)

Cantona's Collars

macjohn wrote: »

So for anyone currently on either 4 (€29) or 5(€31) of the current mixes this will ultimately be a price increase (after the current prize freeze)
For instance I now pay €31 for 5 mixes as I dont need the kids channels (ie the 6th mix),
after this to keep what I have will have to pay more and in return get kids channels I dont want.

Looks like you'll get more channels at no extra cost-Sky have frozen their prices for existing customers so you'll find your gona get more channels for free.

From Sky:

Existing customers moving to the new packs will pay the same price -They will not lose channels and may even gain more channels – at no extra cost!

byte

I sub to Variety mix and Knowledge. Wonder what extras I get...

Bullseye1

Is there a complete list for each pack? Is it likely that you are likely to lose some channels as a result of this realignment?

macjohn

zerks wrote: »

Looks like you'll get more channels at no extra cost-Sky have frozen their prices for existing customers so you'll find your gona get more channels for free.

From Sky:

Yes I get the kids channels extra for now untill as Dave Dublin says above (just above yours

Dave_Dublin wrote: »

Yes - when the current "price freeze" is up you'll have to pay €33 to keep the channels you have now . . .



(or whatever the new price will be)

) the price freeze ends. Which I think is Jan 1 2013.
So I was just checking that to keep what I have will cost me more and the only extra (for me) will be kids channels; suppose the only option is upc freesat work on having kids for Jan 2013!

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Is there a complete list for each pack? Is it likely that you are likely to lose some channels as a result of this realignment?

No, seems no one will loose channels but after the price freeze you may (will most likely) end up paying more

Dave_Dublin

macjohn wrote: »

. . . until the price freeze ends. Which I think is Jan 1 2013...

The "Price Freeze" ends on August 31, 2013 according to Sky's own website.

macjohn

Dave_Dublin wrote: »

The "Price Freeze" ends on August 31, 2013 according to Sky's own website.

Thanks for that man,

neacy69

byte wrote: »

I sub to Variety mix and Knowledge. Wonder what extras I get...

same here (+sports)

snaps

I love the term "Bonus pack" for the Irish Channels, its like Sky giving us something for free!!

Chicken Run

byte wrote: »

I sub to Variety mix and Knowledge. Wonder what extras I get...

same here.

Got a letter with this month's Sky Magazine saying I'd be upgraded to the "Entertainment Extra" pack - the one with more channels, for the same price I'm paying now i.e., €25
Nice one - get all the food channels for over the winter !!

hawthorn

But for some people joining I see it as a price increase......if they want channels that are in the 2 different mixes. Wheras up to now it would have been possible to chose these in 1 or 2, maybe 3 mixes and thus cheaper.

And as someone stated for anyone on 1 mix now or 4/5 mixes they will have to pay extra! Unless Im not seeing it correctly.

h

channelsurfer2

yes.... currently if you are a new customer and only want discovery channels ie the documentary pack you can get that for 23 euro. now from 1st september the only option you have for that is to take the entertainment extra pack at 33 euro a month.. thats 120euro extra a year for a load of channels you would not normally want.

ftakeith

Dave_Dublin wrote: »

I received a response from Sky explaining :

The Entertainment Pack (basic pack) will be the current "Variety" + "Style/Culture"

The Entertainment Extra Pack will be the current "Knowledge" + "News/Events" + "Childeren" + "Music"

--- You can just subscribe to the "Extra" pack and NOT GET the basic one if you wish.

--- The current "Bonus Pack" will still be included in Ireland no matter what option you have.

In germany all the packs are only €16, is that 50% cheaper to here

www.sky.de

Widescreen

So if someone wants just the Sky Sports News Channel he has to take the extra pack and basically have four old mixes just to get maybe SSN. Real logical that is.

Also I only have the Entertainment Mix and Style and Culture mix but have had Sky Sports News as well for as long as I can remember. Anyone know why that has been the case? I am assuming this will disappear when they reboot to the two new mixes?

johntommy

Do people still think that SKY are going to give something for nothing?

toby2111

Dave_Dublin wrote: »

I received a response from Sky explaining :

The Entertainment Pack (basic pack) will be the current "Variety" + "Style/Culture"

The Entertainment Extra Pack will be the current "Knowledge" + "News/Events" + "Childeren" + "Music"

--- You can just subscribe to the "Extra" pack and NOT GET the basic one if you wish.

--- The current "Bonus Pack" will still be included in Ireland no matter what option you have.

I have the variety,knowledge and style/culture packs-does this mean from 1st Sept I'll be getting music+kids+news/events packs?Extra channels for same price I'm paying?Doesn't seem like a Sky thing to do!

odyboody

My read on it.
If you currently have Variety pack and Style/Culture pack You will be getting Entertainment pack. Nothing extra, hard luck!:(
If you currently have Variety pack and any 1 or more of the other packs you will get entertainment extra pack , which will include all the current packs.:cool:

Now the kicker when the price freeze ends there will be pretty much an all or nothing option. no more pick and choose.

I would imagine they did their homework very well. I would think there would be a lot more people going for the basic entertainment pack if it was Variety and Knowledge rather than Style/Culture pack.

Morrisseeee

Em...........has anyone else seen a price INCREASE ?? I have :eek:, and I thought there was a price FREEZE :mad:

My latest bills:
11*MAR*2011 SKY DIGITAL KIRKTON CAMPU 32.25
13*APR*2011 SKY DIGITAL KIRKTON CAMPU 32.25
11*MAY*2011 SKY DIGITAL KIRKTON CAMPU 32.25
13*JUN*2011 SKY DIGITAL KIRKTON CAMPU 38.3 !!!
13*JUL*2011 SKY DIGITAL KIRKTON CAMPU 48.75 !!!!

So............what's the story, or is another case of overcharging, ie. I've had one already earlier this year .

mad muffin

Did you buy any box office or add HD?