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Saorview channels coming to UPC [Merged - all RTÉ Two HD on UPC queries here]

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    #122
    campo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,364 ✭✭✭campo


    jeckle wrote: »
    I was referring to the UPC HD subscription, but yes, I would consider SkySports & SkyMovies as premium channels anyway, & even the Eurosport HD channels but not the likes of History, Biography, Nat Geo Wild HD etc.

    It doesn't affect me personnally, as I have a free digital max HD subscription so have never paid for HD, but it's just something that always baffled me, considering that the €5 subscription is basically for the pleasure of being able to receive HD channels.

    €5 a month is not free, so it's not free to receive RTE2 HD on UPC. It's €5 a month no matter what way you look at it!


    RTE2 HD is free on UPC because as customers who have a HD subscription are not paying anything extra on their bill since RTE2 HD was added hence it is a free channel, If it was not free then the bill would have went up with RTE2 HD was added

    Basically put prioir to launch of RTE2 HD a UPC Customer with Max HD were paying 40e a month now that it has been launched and added to the pack they are still paying the same 40e per month ( excluding VAT changes )


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    #123
    jeckle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 652 ✭✭✭jeckle


    Mountjoy Mugger wrote: »
    You'd be looking for Sky Sports HD next, because you'll be paying a €5 HD sub...

    Not the SD Sports, of course.

    Your logic is flawed.
    I won't be looking for anything. I never claimed that I was looking for anything, so please don't put words in my mouth! I'm perfectly happy with what I have - I was expressing my opinion on how I feel about the UPC HD subscription - I wasn't referring to the premium sky channels, maybe I didn't make that clear in my original post, so my bad.

    You may feel my logic is flawed - that's up to you.

    And, no I won't be paying a €5 sub...now that would be illogical!


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    #124
    jeckle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 652 ✭✭✭jeckle


    campo wrote: »
    RTE2 HD is free on UPC because as customers who have a HD subscription are not paying anything extra on their bill since RTE2 HD was added hence it is a free channel, If it was not free then the bill would have went up with RTE2 HD was added
    Yes, you've already said all this & I do understand the point you're making. You are referring to existing customers. But I don't think that you understand the point that I am making. Maybe I'm not expressing it properly.
    campo wrote:
    Basically put prioir to launch of RTE2 HD a UPC Customer with Max HD were paying 40e a month now that it has been launched and added to the pack they are still paying the same 40e per month ( excluding VAT changes )
    OK, well look at it this way. Let's just say someone rings UPC & asks for the free (as you put it) RTE2 HD channel. They will be told that in order to get this free (as you put it) channel they will have to pay €5 a month extra. Free means free - not €5 a month, so the reality is that it is not free. It's only free if you are already paying €5 a month!

    Also, some UPC customers have no HD subscription but yet have HD boxes & can receive RTE2 HD free, so how is this fair to, or logical for people who have been more longterm customers. I personally don't think that loyalty should be penalized, which is what seems to be happening with regard to paying or not paying for RTE2 HD.


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    #125
    campo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,364 ✭✭✭campo


    jeckle wrote: »
    Yes, you've already said all this & I do understand the point you're making. You are referring to existing customers. But I don't think that you understand the point that I am making. Maybe I'm not expressing it properly.


    OK, well look at it this way. Let's just say someone rings UPC & asks for the free (as you put it) RTE2 HD channel. They will be told that in order to get this free (as you put it) channel they will have to pay €5 a month extra. Free means free - not €5 a month, so the reality is that it is not free. It's only free if you are already paying €5 a month!

    Also, some UPC customers have no HD subscription but yet have HD boxes & can receive RTE2 HD free, so how is this fair to, or logical for people who have been more longterm customers. I personally don't think that loyalty should be penalized, which is what seems to be happening with regard to paying or not paying for RTE2 HD.


    Got your point now and I agree that if a existing or new customer rings UPC and ask for this free channel then for a set fee they should be able to swap their existing standard box to a HD capable box with no extra montly subscription just the once off swap out fee


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    #126
    Virgin Media: Jason
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,796 ✭✭✭Virgin Media: Jason


    michaelduignan

    I can confirm once again that what I stated regarding RTE2 HD being available to any and all UPC customers that have a HD box from UPC is correct.

    If there is any confusion over this, apologies, there really shouldn't be it is really straightforward

    In summary:

    "RTE2 HD is now being carried on the UPC network (Channel 135), and can be received free of charge and without a HD subscription by any current UPC Digital TV subscriber who has an existing HD box in their home".


    Regards

    Jason


    michaelduignan wrote: »
    I can also confirm speaking to upc rep a few weeks ago, who tried to get me to take out a HD subscription, and when I quoted Jason, was told he was wrong.


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    #127
    liamcu
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭liamcu


    STB wrote: »
    Am I right in saying that the digital value+ is the basic package ?

    The list of channels on digital value+ also include setanta hd and bbc hd according to this.

    http://www.upc.ie/television/digitalvalueplus/

    Those HD channels are only available with a HD subscription. You do not need a HD subscription to received RTE2 HD, once you have a HD box. The only reason I have a HD box is because I subscribed to HD for over a year and subsequently cancelled the HD subscription.


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    #128
    liamcu
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭liamcu


    UPC: Jason wrote: »
    michaelduignan

    I can confirm once again that what I stated regarding RTE2 HD being available to any and all UPC customers that have a HD box from UPC is correct.

    If there is any confusion over this, apologies, there really shouldn't be it is really straightforward

    In summary:

    "RTE2 HD is now being carried on the UPC network (Channel 135), and can be received free of charge and without a HD subscription by any current UPC Digital TV subscriber who has an existing HD box in their home".


    Regards

    Jason


    Jason,

    That's all very well but Customer Care staff are ignorant of the fact and continue to insist that customers take out a HD subscription. In my case, a HD subscription was added without my consent.

    This has not been communicated correctly to Customer Care staff and is causing unnecessary inconvenience and expenses for customers.

    Liam


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    #129
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    STB wrote: »

    Given Analogue Switch Off happens on October 24th this year, RTE2HD as a station will only be available as a HD station requiring HD hardware. It will not be broadcast simultaneously in SD. At that point will UPC customers loose RTE2HD altogether ?l.

    Simple. They transmit it in SD to customers with SD boxes. RTE just make a SD feed available to UPC, Sky and whoever else wants it. Alternatively, UPC downscale it and just play it out in SD format.

    Just like the "in stereo (where available)" in the past.


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    #130
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,511 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    I tried to explain that before. To do it again...

    The reason there is only one version of RTÉ Two on Saorview, namely RTÉ Two HD, is that ALL Saorview certified STBs are capable of recieving an MPEG4 HD signal. For SD TVs, the STB is connected via SCART, which provides an SD picture. Therefore there is no need for a seperate RTÉ Two SD for SD viewers.

    On Sky and UPC, however, only HD STBs are capable of recieving a HD signal. Standard boxes don't even see HD channels. Therefore, in order to serve both SD and HD viewers, UPC (and perhaps in the future Sky) has to provide both RTÉ Two (SD) (on Channel 102) and RTÉ Two HD (on Channel 135).

    The previous poster appears to believe that RTÉ have taken a decision that only owners of HD sets will be allowed view RTÉ Two once ASO takes place. That is not true. The only reason there is only one version of RTÉ Two (a HD version) on Saorview is that there is no need for a seperate SD version in order for SD viewers of Saorview to be served. But there is need for a seperate SD version in order for SD viewers of UPC and Sky to be served. That's why after October, not only will you continue to have RTÉ Two (SD) on UPC and Sky, but you'll almost certainly still have an analogue version of RTÉ Two available on analogue cable, notwithstanding the fact that there will be no analogue version of RTÉ Two available terrestrially.

    That's the last explaination I'm giving.

    Merging the threads and moving the posts in the threads that were hijacked to talk about this subject to this thread. No more seperate threads or raising the subject of RTÉ Two HD on other threads please.


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    #131
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    BrianD wrote: »
    Simple. They transmit it in SD to customers with SD boxes. RTE just make a SD feed available to UPC, Sky and whoever else wants it. Alternatively, UPC downscale it and just play it out in SD format.

    Just like the "in stereo (where available)" in the past.

    Simple ?

    RTE wont be providing any Standard Definition verision of RTE2HD in the same way that they wont be providing the analogue version of RTE2 after 24 October 2012 or a mirrored SD RTE2 on the Saorview Service, I would imagine, unless the tail starts wagging the dog. RTE wouldn't have bothered with launching and branding a HD ONLY Station in the first instance if that were the case.

    As regards your suggestion of UPC re-encoding this with the RTE2HD Dog on screen after the ASO date, surely that would belittle the HD service RTE are providing especially during HD sports broadcasts and especially given it is a PSB channel with specific HD branding. I think its time to ask RTE what the T&C's of the must offer/carry for this station is exactly and the channels availability on must carry after October 2012 and whether they are bothered that it may not being presented in its native form (as it is terrestrially broadcast) or perhaps not even available to all UPC customers.

    We may find that the station is HD ONLY and must be presented in that form regardless of the platform (I am a little surprised it would be requested under must offer if this is the case).

    I have read the responses and I must say that it has been like pulling teeth. And the responses have been that people who have HD boxes (as a result of having HD in the past, yet have cancelled) will be the only people who will be able to receive this particular station WITHOUT additional subscription charges.

    The silence is deafening on those that wish to pay a set fee for a new box reception (like an OTC Saorview Box) for the purposes of receiving RTE2HD without continued subscription of €5 a month.

    I take ICDGs point that those scarting Saorview boxes are in effect degrading the signal to Standard Definition but that is an option on the Saorview box (the cost of the box is the same). It also allows people to view via HDMI. There are no subscription charges associated with reception of RTE2HD with a Saorview Box. Is this true of ALL UPC supplied boxes.

    The reverse of this arguement is also true though ICDG. People if offered access to UPC HD boxes at a reasonable rate without further subscription costs could equally watch the SD content being provided by UPC over HDMI with the addition of watching RTE2HD in HD. But that seems not to be the case without additional subscription charges.

    It begs the question why SD only boxes are even being supplied by Cable Companies in this day and age.


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    #132
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    STB wrote: »
    Simple ?

    RTE wont be providing any Standard Definition verision of RTE2HD in the same way that they wont be providing the analogue version of RTE2 after 24 October 2012 or a mirrored SD RTE2 on the Saorview Service, I would imagine, unless the tail starts wagging the dog. RTE wouldn't have bothered with launching and branding a HD ONLY Station in the first instance if that were the case.

    As regards your suggestion of UPC re-encoding this with the RTE2HD Dog on screen after the ASO date, surely that would belittle the HD service RTE are providing especially during HD sports broadcasts and especially given it is a PSB channel with specific HD branding. I think its time to ask RTE what the T&C's of the must offer/carry for this station is exactly and the channels availability on must carry after October 2012 and whether they are bothered that it may not being presented in its native form (as it is terrestrially broadcast) or perhaps not even available to all UPC customers.

    We may find that the station is HD ONLY and must be presented in that form regardless of the platform (I am a little surprised it would be requested under must offer if this is the case).

    I have read the responses and I must say that it has been like pulling teeth. And the responses have been that people who have HD boxes (as a result of having HD in the past, yet have cancelled) will be the only people who will be able to receive this particular station WITHOUT additional subscription charges.

    The silence is deafening on those that wish to pay a set fee for a new box reception (like an OTC Saorview Box) for the purposes of receiving RTE2HD without continued subscription of €5 a month.

    I take ICDGs point that those scarting Saorview boxes are in effect degrading the signal to Standard Definition but that is an option on the Saorview box (the cost of the box is the same). It also allows people to view via HDMI. There are no subscription charges associated with reception of RTE2HD with a Saorview Box. Is this true of ALL UPC supplied boxes.

    The reverse of this arguement is also true though ICDG. People if offered access to UPC HD boxes at a reasonable rate without further subscription costs could equally watch the SD content being provided by UPC over HDMI with the addition of watching RTE2HD in HD. But that seems not to be the case without additional subscription charges.

    It begs the question why SD only boxes are even being supplied by Cable Companies in this day and age.

    It is as simple as I said. Come changeover, there will be only be one version of RTE2 which may originate as as HD channel but can be distributed as HD, SD or good old fashioned analogue.

    It's up to UPC and Sky to decide if access to their HD service is at a premium or not. HD channels are seen as a premium product but I doubt it will be for long. I would imagine that in a year or two all boxes will be HD.


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    #133
    mollser
    Registered Users Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭mollser


    How come RTE News Now never appeared? Actually find that the most useful of the Saorview additional channels - have it on a lot!


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    #134
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,481 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    mollser wrote: »
    How come RTE News Now never appeared? Actually find that the most useful of the Saorview additional channels - have it on a lot!

    Coming in June, see post #1.


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    #135
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    The Cush wrote: »
    Coming in June, see post #1.

    When you say Summer in Post one, do you really mean August 31st? ;)


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    #136
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Why don't UPC just add the Saorview mux as a channel in the late twenties or low thirties and allow the viewer to watch it as they currently watch analogue channels, via their TV tuner ( or Saorview box) and it ceases to be an issue? DVT -T1 signals will go down the cable just as well as DVB-C does.


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    #137
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Jason, My mammy in law has three analogue TVs in her house in Galway. One has a digital UPC unit scarted into it on a subscription.

    She watches analogue channels only on the other two. Recently she had to retune as they sort of dissappeared on her for a while. UPC did something to its analogue channel ordering in Galway.

    Couple of Qs.

    *Will there be any further changes to the analogue channels in Galway.
    *Will she continue to receive analogue channels from UPC after October 2012
    *When will UPC finally shut down their analogue services in Galway??

    TIA


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    #138
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    *Will she continue to receive analogue channels from UPC after October 2012
    *When will UPC finally shut down their analogue services in Galway??

    UPC don't have to turn off their analogue TV and they have made no statement so far to suggest they are turning analogue off.

    Analogue Switch Off only refers to Terrestrial TV.


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    #139
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,511 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    Jason, My mammy in law has three analogue TVs in her house in Galway. One has a digital UPC unit scarted into it on a subscription.

    She watches analogue channels only on the other two. Recently she had to retune as they sort of dissappeared on her for a while. UPC did something to its analogue channel ordering in Galway.

    Couple of Qs.

    *Will there be any further changes to the analogue channels in Galway.
    *Will she continue to receive analogue channels from UPC after October 2012
    *When will UPC finally shut down their analogue services in Galway??

    TIA

    You might be interested in this post Jason made last week.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=77720696&postcount=82

    Analogue switch off on UPC has only happened in Cork, and while there doesn't seem to be any plans to close the analogue service elsewhere yet (and I can imagine there would be some resistance to doing it in Dublin in particular), UPC are removing five channels from their analogue line up in Galway (and as far as I'm aware, only Galway). The Irish, UK terrestrials, Sky One, Sky News, 3e, and Setanta Ireland will continue though.

    There was a particular local reason it was done in Cork - the analogue service was encrypted there so everyone needed STBs anyway. Thus it was easier to migrate everyone to digital.


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    #140
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,266 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Is anybody elses RTE HD a bit slow, every now and then the picture stops or goes blocky, it doesn't happen on any of the other HD channels.


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    #141
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,511 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Merged.


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    #142
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,511 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Unstickied.


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    #143
    Infoanon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,619 ✭✭✭Infoanon


    UPC are running promos on their website implying that you can get RTE2HD for just €5 per month by adding the HD package.

    This is clearly misleading as RTE 2HD is available without a HD Sub (and legally must be available).


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    #144
    mackersdublin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,429 ✭✭✭mackersdublin


    Correct

    A friend of mine is paying €25.40 for the Value Pack, and gets RTE Two HD with his HD Box, but doesn't receive BBC & Setanta in HD


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