UPC may lose RTE channels in Analogue switchoff?

odyssey06

Apologies if this has already been asked and answered but I'm getting very conflicting information coming from UPC about the impact on their analogue service due to the switchover to Saorview.

Yesterday a UPC sales agent was going door to door in my area (D3) claiming that even though we're analogue UPC customers we would have to switch to digital in October to continue getting our current channels.

When I spoke to UPC they stated they don't have final confirmation yet that RTE channels will still be available on their analogue cable service post the national switchover.

This contradicts the current info on the UPC website.
http://support.upc.ie/app/answers/detail/a_id/320

Can anyone shed any light on this?

icdg

That's the first I heard of it - UPC have not announced any plans to switch off their analogue service in October.

It may have been that the sales agent was chancing his arm in order to make the sales, it wouldn't have been the first time it happened. (I had a Sky agent call to my door and claim that ESPN was part of the basic package on Sky. When I told her I knew for a fact that you needed to either pay extra for ESPN standalone or subscribe to Sky Sports, she angrily retorted, "which of us works for Sky???" I let her off but she sounded utterly convinced, even though I knew she was wrong!!!!)

Moral of the story, don't believe everything door to door salespeople tell you. They only care about making their sale and getting their commission.

As for UPC, well if the analogue service does continue (and we have no indication to say that it won't be), then RTÉ, TV3, and TG4 remain must-carry channels and there's nothing to indicate that the Government intends to remove this status. Practically all of the other channels on UPC's analogue service are actually sourced from digital sources now anyway, and have been for many years (analogue Sky closed back in 2001)

Solair

I wouldn't believe most things that door to door sales people say!

However, I'd say UPC want those 17 channels for other purposes. It's a lot of bandwidth to be wasting on 17 PAL channels when it could be used for more digital tv or, to offer even higher bandwidth broadband.

Also, I'm a little confused as to how upc distribute analogue now that they're gone fibre to kerb. They must be distributing it digitally to each node or something?
It would reduce rollout costs if they could just ditch it entirely.

It's also likely that after 2012 when allbof Europe is DVB T converted, that televisions will not be made with analogue tuners anymore. I mean, why bother including an expensive component that there is no signal for anymore?

So, perhaps it may well get shut off, but as yet there is no announcement nor is there any obligation on upc to get rid of analogue or to keep it.

Mountjoy Mugger

Already answered by UPC as icdg says. Scaremongering by salespeople.

mickko

Solair wrote: »

However, I'd say UPC want those 17 channels for other purposes. It's a lot of bandwidth to be wasting on 17 PAL channels when it could be used for more digital tv or, to offer even higher bandwidth broadband.

Also, I'm a little confused as to how upc distribute analogue now that they're gone fibre to kerb. They must be distributing it digitally to each node or something?
It would reduce rollout costs if they could just ditch it entirely.

17 Pal channels, although taking up a significant amount of bandwidth, is not alot on a cable net considering that UPC's network would work to at least 550 MHz. Thats nearly 70 8MHz Pal channels, plenty of room left for Digital TV multiplexes and QAM downstream carriers for docsis 3 broadband.
Approximately 20 Analogue channels is probably a good number for the market for Analogue TV and do not be surprised if there is still some sort of Analogue service on cable ops in 10 years time. RTE would be last to go. I know of several cable ops in Ireland who are reinvesting in their Analogue service. It's a very viable multi-room option, particularly if it's not doing much harm to their spectrum, and costing little to run or maintain.

Analogue and/or Digital can be transmitted over fibre. UPC's entire spectrum of Analogue RF carrriers and Digital QAM mux's are just converted from electrical to light for transporting over fibre, and then back from light to electrical at the fibre node, for transport over coax to the home.

Virgin Media: Jason

Digital switchover or Analogue switch off refers to the turning off of Ireland's terrestrial analogue TV service.

It has absolutely no impact to any customers receiving their TV service from UPC.

UPC operates a standalone network with our own separate signal for RTE ONE, RTE TWO, TV3 and TG4. As these networks operate independently from the national analogue service it will not be impacted by the national analogue switch off campaign.

These channels will continue to be available on UPC networks in both analogue and digital formats.

If you currently receive your analogue TV service from UPC this service will continue to be available in its current format after the national analogue switch off takes place.

You will not need to make any changes to your service or purchase any additional equipment.

The switchover from analogue to digital is due to take place this October and when it is fully completed will be replaced with the new Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service called Saorview.

Hope that helps

Regards

Jason

Apogee

UPC: Jason wrote: »

Digital switchover or Analogue switch off refers to the turning off of Ireland's terrestrial analogue TV service.

It has absolutely no impact to any customers receiving their TV service from UPC.

Could you please outline what is the UPC policy in relation to their sales agents who spread misinformation in order to sell more/upgraded subs?

Solair

Unfortunately, you seem to get a lot of rogue sales people working for many companies, not just UPC.

I've been given utter b/s at the door from reps working for all sorts of companies. They usually don't work directly for the company they're representing and they will sometimes have very little technical knowledge themselves and will do anything for a sale as they have seriously huge pressure to make sales either it's a large % of their income (commission) or they have to reach certain targets.

aidan_dunne

Solair wrote: »

I've been given utter b/s at the door from reps working for all sorts of companies. They usually don't work directly for the company they're representing and they will sometimes have very little technical knowledge themselves.......

Very true. I've had this happen a few times where it's pretty obvious they don't actually work directly for the company and know little or nothing of the service they're trying to sell you, they were just handed a few leaflets and, if they're lucky, given a brief explanation of what they're selling and then sent out on their way. When they come knocking, if you then ask them any detailed questions or technical details that they don't have to hand or haven't been told of in advance, they start stumbling or trying to make up stuff on the spot.

One of the worst examples of this was a couple of years ago when a woman came to the door trying to sell me Imagine's WiMax. All she seemed to be able to tell me was how much the service cost. She told me the price and, when I asked her what speed the service ran at, she ummed and ahhed and desperately started searching through the leaflets she had to try and find an answer. I then asked her if there were any download caps and she said "what does that mean?" I told her it meant if there was a limit to how much you could download in a month before you were charged extra or your connection was throttled. She then asked what having your connection throttled meant. I explained it to her but she still didn't seem to understand so she just went, "well, umm, I'm sure it's all in this leaflet here or you can find the answer on the Imagine website."

But, if all that wasn't bad enough, what happened next really took the biscuit! She then went back to the only thing she did know, which was the price, and came out with the unbelieveable statement that "all your neighbours can see the great value this service is and are already using WiMax and, those who don't, have agreed to sign up today. The whole estate is going WiMax. Do you really want to be the only one to be left out?" I had to physically restrain myself at this point from bursting out laughing and shouting "BULLSH!T" in her face! So, to finally put an end to this whole thing, I just took her leaflet, told her politely that I'd have a read of it and think it over get back to her on it....... which, of course, I never did and, as it turns out, neither did most of the neighbours either! :rolleyes:

Solair

While it's often b/s it's also a horrible job with bad pay and over-reliance on commission. So, I think a lot of these 'reps' are just under awful pressure to make a sale no matter what.

They should employ people under better T&Cs if they want to get good quality service in sales.

coylemj

Solair wrote: »

While it's often b/s it's also a horrible job with bad pay and over-reliance on commission. So, I think a lot of these 'reps' are just under awful pressure to make a sale no matter what.

They should employ people under better T&Cs if they want to get good quality service in sales.

It's a sad fact that in most cases, the people who sell the most are out and out liars. Selling door to door means you can say what you like and deny it afterwards because there's no record of the conversation.

An awful lot of people are gullble enough to believe anything that's told to them, they don't start from the premise that most sales people are prepared to stretch the truth a bit, if not tell downright lies in order to close the deal. Just look at some of the stories on the Motors forum outlining people's experiences with car salesmen.