Sky Value For Money?

djtwigster

What is your current Sky package and how much is it per month? I currently have the entertainment extra package for 18.50 a month.This ends in January.

MarkK

Whether it is value for money or not depends on what you watch and how much you watch.

There is plenty of variety combining Saorview with the free satellite channels:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28%C2%B0E

The free channels give me more good programmes than I have time to watch.

watty

You are paying that for less than 8% of your viewing time, maybe only 5%.

Freddy Smelly

sky is not good value imo... most of the shows are repeats, even eden/discovery plays the same 4 shows many times a day

freesat + saorview is more than enough for me.

excollier

MarkK wrote: »

Whether it is value for money or not depends on what you watch and how much you watch..

I find I can only watch one thing at a time, and the license fee is quite enough, thank you.

snaps

No value at all for sky. Unfortunatly if your a sports fan, sky has you by the balls. Best value for money now is free to air and saorview. Plenty to watch without a doubt.

excollier

Depends on what sport you like.

machiavellianme

watty wrote: »

You are paying that for less than 8% of your viewing time, maybe only 5%.

Really?
I only watch sport or movies. While the missus predominantly watches docs, arts, movies or bio. Where can I get them FTA? Film 4 aside (and who hasnt seen their content several times previously) and German Eurosport, there isnt much out there. Even with 3 other birds, most of the above can rarely be gotten in the English language without a sub. Admittedly I watch some through other languages, but again, the content is reliant on a sub.

I have more of an issue handing monies to RTE every year despite watching exacly 5 hours of their content per annum (the All-Island Hurling final).

watty

If you want sport (=football) then you need Pay TV.
There are cheaper paid methods to watch movies.

My figure is From BARB (UK) and Nielsen (Ireland). Of course there are exceptions.

If RTE didn't exist you would STILL be taxed to watch TV. So that's a red herring.

Obviously machiavellianme Pay TV suits you. But the reality is that Sky and UPC are sucking nearly 1/2 Billion Euros from Irish Viewers, who on average, are watching only 8% pay TV.

Almost all that money leaves the country.
A tiny fraction compared to Netflix or DVD box sets actually goes into Film and TV production.

The Sports rights money seems to result only in overpaid players and inflated Club cashflow. It doesn't really help sport.

Cantona's Collars

€45 a month for SkyWorld HD;). You get so used to watching stuff in HD that you feel cheated looking at SD content.For the price of a newspaper I have plenty of choice every day.

FTA wouldn't cut it in my house,Sports for me,movies for the missus (despite me having about 800gigs of them available) & Disney for the young lad.FTA is used on 2 other tv's in the house,one is rarely used as anything decent for night time viewing is on pay tv.

Anyone with kids finds the price of Sky acceptable for the amount of childrens channels alone,far cheaper than buying or renting dvd's the whole time.

Depends on what you want to watch really,apart from some stuff on E4 & BBC there's not a whole lot on FTA to interest me.

Sky holds a trump card with ease of use & UPC has whole generations tied in as they have grown up with nothing else.

greendom

I pay €25 for the entertainment plus package. Kids watch plenty of the children's programming and the older boy watches plenty of the documentary channels.

For me though its all about the technology. The ease of use and functionality of the sky plus hd box just cant be found in freesat World

Hotblack Desiato

greendom wrote: »

For me though its all about the technology. The ease of use and functionality of the sky plus hd box just cant be found in freesat World

Have you ever used a Foxsat-HDR?

M three

ninja900 wrote: »

Have you ever used a Foxsat-HDR?

What dish do you use with that Ninja? Am I right in saying that you need an aerial along with that to get the irish channels?

You might tell me a bit about your set up, have cable at the min but moving, cable wont be an option where I'm moving to

greendom

ninja900 wrote: »

Have you ever used a Foxsat-HDR?

No - how comparable is it with the Sky box - not so much functionality but how easy that functionality is to use ?

munchkin_utd

greendom wrote: »

No - how comparable is it with the Sky box - not so much functionality but how easy that functionality is to use ?

i havent used it but from their website it looks very very swish and arguably more user friendly (including the "showcase" feature for selected interesting programmes later that day) than sky.

http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/freesat/default.asp

Tazz T

My plan was to go the Freesat route after my subscription was up, but I'd miss the Sky+. The £25 is worth is for that alone.

excollier

Which channels would you be missing, exactly, for 300 euros a year. I am just curious to know, I am not critical. You earn it, you spend it.

excollier

ninja900 wrote: »

Have you ever used a Foxsat-HDR?

The Foxsat HDR is very easy to use,straight out of the box. Then add in Raydon's software,(free) along with your home router, and for functionality, it blows the Sky+HD out of the water.
Want to watch something you recorded on the HDR in another room, on your laptop or pc? While someone at the main tv watches a live programme and records a second one? All at the same time? While someone else watches yet another different pre-recorded programme in a different room? This is the Foxsat HDR.
All for the purchase price.(around £220 for a 500GB model) There's more.
No Sky pay channels, but with a CI slot and some extra lnbs on a larger dish and you have foreign pay/fta tv added to your set up - Premiership football anyone? 3pm Saturday kick offs, albeit foreign language.
I know this needs extra work, but compared to a year's sub to Sky Sports and movies, it would easily pay for itself inside 18 months, at which point Sky starts to look horribly expensive.

maggy_thatcher

watty wrote: »

You are paying that for less than 8% of your viewing time, maybe only 5%.

I'd disagree with that. The viewing figures may show that 5-8% of watched TV is pay-tv, but that doesn't mean that if you have Pay-TV you'll only be watching that 5-8% of the time.

Looking at my own personal viewing, the channels I watch primarily are Sky Atlantic, Universal, Alibi, Nat-Geo, History and Discovery. All of those are pay-only. RTÉ/BBC do get a look-in occasionally, but not as much. We don't get the movie/sport channels, as it's not economical for movies, and I have enough sports with Sky F1 and Eurosport (which I rarely watch anyway).

Without resorting to illegal measures, how would you watch the content that is on those channels? Wait 6 months+ for the DVD/BR, and buy them then, or hope that an FTA channel will one day air them?

In my view, it really depends on what you want to watch. If the programming you want is on the various FTA options, then by all means stick to that, but if you watch programmes that are only available on pay-tv, and you'd prefer to have it immediately rather than waiting around then pick that option.

nc6000

I don't really think it's good value but I like watching my Heineken Cup weekends so not much choice really. Their coverage on these weekends is pretty good in fairness.

MBSnr

I pay €25 per month for the basic package. I can record all the channels on one box plus I get the 'extras' such as remote record, Sky Go and On Demand. I also have a multi sat setup combo box on the other TV with DTT and SAT channels, so I'm fully aware of *all* the alternative viewing options. But for seer simplicity and ease of use the one Sky box wins hands down.

The way I see it (currently), is that a Freesat PVR and the Saorview PVR will cost me nearly 2 years Sky subscription to buy outright. I then have 2 boxes & 2 remotes, 2 inputs to switch between which is a pain for family use. (3 switchable inputs if you watch the TVs DTT tuner...)

Of course once the Saorview PVRs mature/appear (perhaps next year) I may revisit this, especially since Sky's price freeze will end in 2013.

However as it stands now I pay to watch (mostly) FTA TV. From now until this time next year I'd have paid approx €300 to Sky - or I could go and buy the Walker PVR (a google search for the model number WP6500TTR finds 3 results..) and a Freesat PVR - combined cost approx €500.

So there you go, it's a solution that works at present.

EDIT - I know the Triax 212 is less than the Walker PVR but it's GUI is fairly nasty.... Actually I'd wonder how nice the Walker GUI would be..

watty

The Triax 212 is a dual tuner with external USB. It's not a PVR

justsomebloke

Surely the term Value for Money is all relative. For Some people the progammes they enjoy aren't FTA so for them SKY is good value for money. For others most of the their watching is on the FTA channels and for them it isn't value for money.

For me FTA wouldn't be good value for money as most of the channels and programmes I watch aren't FTA but someone like my parent's it's great value for money.

excollier

True

MBSnr

watty wrote: »

The Triax 212 is a dual tuner with external USB. It's not a PVR

I know, my parents in law have one and I set it up for them.

Jpmarn

Although I don't subscribe to sky sports am I still paying for the top soccer players in my sub fees?

lertsnim

Yes you are.

somairle

Paying about €43 per month, entertainment extra, was paying about €28 but I added HD.

At €28 I find it worth it, even without a HD package you get RTE 2 & BBC 1 HD channels, I also have ITV & Channel 4 HD tuned in for free. I love the documentaries and I am in love with Sky Atlantic I watch a lot of TV on there, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Blue Bloods, Sopranos, The Wire, The Newsroom etc.

I am not quite sure if the €15 extra a moth for the HD package is worth it, the Sky Atlantic shows & documentaries are stunning, but a 50% increase in my subscription for these? Not sure yet. HD would definitely be worth it if we had sports and movies.

The new On Demand service is really good, only adds to the value, hopefully they will add RTÉ player etc in the future and hopefully Sky will allow ITV on sky with full recording etc so we don't have to keep tuning on the other channels.

lertsnim

somairle wrote: »

hopefully Sky will allow ITV on sky with full recording etc so we don't have to keep tuning on the other channels.

I don't think it's a case of Sky allowing ITV to be there. If ITV approached Sky I am sure Sky would put them there (with certain programming blocked no doubt, same as Channel 4)

watty

It's up to Sky actually, they have to Pay UK FTA channels to put them on Irish EPG.

lertsnim

It's a two way street. ITV still have to agree.

Hotblack Desiato

Didn't TV3 object? But then, they object to everything...

somairle

ninja900 wrote: »

Didn't TV3 object? But then, they object to everything...

Yeah TV3 objected because they have rights to a lot of ITV content and don't want us watching it elsewhere. Apparently the UPC agreement predates the sky one and doesn't have the same clause so they can show if.

Either way, I think sky customers in Ireland are missing out, one TV3 in SD vs 4 ITV channels in HD.

tdv123

Sky World HD €76 monthly.

Is it value for money? Probably not but I'd still rather it than any other television subscription service out there at the moment.

watty

Take Licence off TV3 and just put UTV on DTT. Problem solved for Pay TV customers

Capt'n Midnight

somairle wrote: »

Paying about €43 per month, entertainment extra, was paying about €28 but I added HD.

At €28 I find it worth it, even without a HD package you get RTE 2 & BBC 1 HD channels, I also have ITV & Channel 4 HD tuned in for free

. I love the documentaries and I am in love with Sky Atlantic I watch a lot of TV on there, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Blue Bloods, Sopranos, The Wire, The Newsroom etc.

I am not quite sure if the €15 extra a moth for the HD package is worth it, the Sky Atlantic shows & documentaries are stunning, but a 50% increase in my subscription for these? Not sure yet. HD would definitely be worth it if we had sports and movies.

The new On Demand service is really good, only adds to the value, hopefully they will add RTÉ player etc in the future and hopefully Sky will allow ITV on sky with full recording etc so we don't have to keep tuning on the other channels.

http://www.freesat.co.uk/products/freesat-box-range/humax-freesat-hd-digital-tv-recorder-500gb one off £215 payment
HD recorder for UK terrestrial channels.
I'm not sure about the on-demand or catchup but recent freesat ads have been going on about finding shows from the last week - I don't know if this is internet based or speculative pre-recording

In addition most Saorview boxes will record in HD (one channel , external HDD) - €100 if you get 16-32GB USB stick


Just driving home the point that the only thing you need to continue to pay sky for is the premium channels. HD , EPG, Recording one channel while watching another, series links , live pause etc. are all available for a one off payment on everything except the premium channels.

As long as you aren't addicted to sport , €43 a month means you can stockup on boxsets. - It just depends on what you want to watch and when you want to watch it. The Wire has been on TG4 , Pick TV for some of the older seasons of some of the others

somairle

That looks good but that doesn't have Sky Atlantic does it? That's the channel I watch most & I also watch a lot of documentaries & sky 1.

Also the iPad sky + app is brilliant, coupled with Sky Go & access to Sky News app etc I am happy to pay Sky at the minute

Frank Black

Saorview + Freesat + Netflix US Version + LiveOnlineFooty/Bitscores = less than €15 per month.
Gives me more tv series, live sport and movies that I can actually watch.
There's no way I would ever return sky/upc service.

IMO the Humax HDR box is more user friendly than Sky+ as well.

Cantona's Collars

watty wrote: »

Take Licence off TV3 and just put UTV ITVHD on DTT. Problem solved for Pay TV customers

Fixed that for you Watty,ITV is superior to UTV,better selection of movies etc.

Capt'n Midnight

zerks wrote: »

Fixed that for you Watty,ITV is superior to UTV,better selection of movies etc.

UTV is superior to ITV when it comes to original Irish content, they would almost certainly be due more a bigger share the license fee than TV3.

Most Hollywood films get shown on several channels around the same time because it's up to the rights holders to decide when it's time for them to do the rounds again. (Exceptions would be where the channel owns the films)

Providing programs you won't see anywhere else is what gives viewers choice, not repeating movies you've seen before.

It's nice having the choice of UTV and ITV and the BBC regions, even if you only use it as a sort of +1 when they show local programs on one of them.

watty

The point is that UTV already owns many Irish Radio stations and is one of the two independent parts of ITV and is based in the Island of Ireland. So they are well situated with already N.I. Mux allocations to have an All Ireland Service. TV3 is not on the NI mini-mux and not on NI Sky Sub. Tg4, RTE and UTV are on the Sky N.I. package.

TV3 is also almost bankrupt due to leveraged buyout. Why is it allowed to borrow money, use it to take control and then transfer that Debt to the purchased company? It's a form of asset stripping. It's not investment, which is what the share system was invented to facilitate.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Capt'n Midnight

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The series link option hasn't been enabled in the Saorview EPG , yet. At present you can do a text search for the title of programs for the next week.

Freesat supports series link

Both support live pausing - just run through the record setup to check it's not been set to something daft like 5 minutes.

Cantona's Collars

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

UTV is superior to ITV when it comes to original Irish content, they would almost certainly be due more a bigger share the license fee than TV3.

Most Hollywood films get shown on several channels around the same time because it's up to the rights holders to decide when it's time for them to do the rounds again. (Exceptions would be where the channel owns the films)

Providing programs you won't see anywhere else is what gives viewers choice, not repeating movies you've seen before.

It's nice having the choice of UTV and ITV and the BBC regions, even if you only use it as a sort of +1 when they show local programs on one of them.

Down my neck of the woods we were reared on HTV:)

lertsnim

zerks wrote: »

Down my neck of the woods we were reared on HTV:)

And S4C :mad: Oh how I hated it lol

Freddy Smelly

somairle wrote: »

At €28 I find it worth it, even without a HD package you get RTE 2 & BBC 1 HD channels, I also have ITV & Channel 4 HD tuned in for free.

ITV 1 HD, BBC 1 HD, BBC 1 NI HD, BBC HD, Channel 4 HD and RTE TWO HD are all available on saorview/freesat HD combo boxes.

Peter Rhea

Freddy Smelly wrote: »

. . . all available on saorview/freesat HD combo boxes.

Once again Fred, Freesat is a brand name (owned by BBC & ITV) & they don't licence any combo boxes.

There are a few Saorview approved combos, but the satellite side is just plain free-to-air without full EPG & no automatic retunes whenever channels change frequency.

maggy_thatcher

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Once again Fred, Freesat is a brand name (owned by BBC & ITV) & they don't licence any combo boxes.

There are a few Saorview approved combos, but the satellite side is just plain free-to-air without full EPG & no automatic retunes whenever channels change frequency.

Not entirely true - there are combo boxes that are both Saorview & Freesat approved, however they're in the form of TVs (and while they are Saorview approved, you have to pretend it is in the UK and have the 'Freeview HD' logo present instead of the Saorview logo).

As an example - the Samsung ES6300 series - this has both Freesat and Saorview.

Assuming you don't want to go out and buy a new TV, this probably isn't the option you want to consider

Peter Rhea

maggy_thatcher wrote: »

Not entirely true - there are combo boxes that are both Saorview & Freesat approved, however they're in the form of TVs

You see where your argument kind of falls apart there? Particularly so, given that the thread title is 'Sky Value For Money?' & Sky most certainly do not support IDTVs, so whatever valid comparison there is between Sky/Freesat/Combo is immediately lost once you stray into the territory of IDTVs.

And, obviously, you know for a fact that changing the tv's country setting to UK has no effect whatsoever on its handling of the Saorview spec?

maggy_thatcher

Peter Rhea wrote: »

You see where your argument kind of falls apart there? Particularly so, given that the thread title is 'Sky Value For Money?' & Sky most certainly do not support IDTVs, so whatever valid comparison there is between Sky/Freesat/Combo is immediately lost once you stray into the territory of IDTVs.

And, obviously, you know for a fact that changing the tv's country setting to UK has no effect whatsoever on its handling of the Saorview spec?

If you are looking to buy a new combobox to replace the Skybox, then it's possible to also consider replacing the TV as well, if it needs upgrading anyway. I don't mean anything hostile by it! An IDTV is a combo-box with a screen.

We have one of these TVs in a different room, so one person can watch an FTA channel while another is watching a PTV channel. The only issues I've seen when switching it over to the UK mode is that the channels selected for Saorview aren't right (it starts with RTÉ at channel 800). All the rest of the features work fine (7 day guide for both Freesat & Saorview, Timeshift for recording functionality, the "upgrade" to Aertel, etc.). While the TV is in UK mode, the SmartTV functionality is still in Irish mode, so features such as RTÉ player still works fine as well.

There are certainly limitations with it - you can't watch/record at the same time, even on alternate antennae, and you can't distribute SD versions around the house like you can with a separate box (at least you can with Sky, I assume you can on other boxes), but it works well for us.

Capt'n Midnight

maggy_thatcher wrote: »

As an example - the Samsung ES6300 series - this has both Freesat and Saorview.

Assuming you don't want to go out and buy a new TV, this probably isn't the option you want to consider

£589.80 is far from the cheapest way to get freesat + Saorview

also can you merge both EPG's / what PVR functionality does it have ?


IMHO the big difference between FTA satellite boxes is the functionality of the menu and it's usually annoying little things, - a classic example being the lack of a previous channel button on SKY