Get Sky and then Free-to-Air

Red Pepper

Hi,

I have Saorview channels but I want to get more channels. I was thinking of getting Sky for a year or so and then cancelling and using the Sky dish and a combo box to get the Free-to-Air channels.

Is that a good idea?

husky7

Red Pepper wrote: »

Hi,

I have Saorview channels but I want to get more channels. I was thinking of getting Sky for a year or so and then cancelling and using the Sky dish and a combo box to get the Free-to-Air channels.

Is that a good idea?

why get a sky subscription , just install a dish and get a combo box for saorview and satellite free to air

Red Pepper

husky7 wrote: »

why get a sky subscription , just install a dish and get a combo box for saorview and satellite free to air

But would it be cheaper to get Sky 1st and then re-use the dish? I hear Sky are doing great new deals with free install. Could I cancel after 6 months?

uck51js9zml2yt

Red Pepper wrote: »

But would it be cheaper to get Sky 1st and then re-use the dish? I hear Sky are doing great new deals with free install. Could I cancel after 6 months?

you could cancel..but they will bill you for the other 6 as its a 12 month contract.

winston_1

Red Pepper wrote: »

But would it be cheaper to get Sky 1st and then re-use the dish? I hear Sky are doing great new deals with free install. Could I cancel after 6 months?

No it wouldn't. A dish costs a few pounds on ebay. A years Sky sub (the minimum) costs about 10 times that amount.

kooga

think about it, minimum sky sub €27 a month (new subscriber) X 12 = €324. I'm sure you would get set up with a combo install plus dish for cheaper!!

Frank Black

Even if you get SKy first and cancel, you'll still need to get a proper bax to get record/live telly pause and tv guide functions from the Freesat/FTA setup as the sky box can only be used to view FTA channels after you cancel your subscription.
Far better and cheaper to get a proper freesat/saorview box from the start and get a dish installed - there's plenty of people out there who will install the dish and run cables for you. I got mine installed by a guy who works for Sky and does nixers on the side.

groom

husky7 wrote: »

why get a sky subscription , just install a dish and get a combo box for saorview and satellite free to air

Because Sky subsidise box, dish, cabling and installation and their product and service are very good.
Because 1 year subscription minus fat cheese discount costs less than free sat set up

kooga

groom wrote: »

Because Sky subsidise box, dish, cabling and installation and their product and service are very good.
Because 1 year subscription minus fat cheese discount costs less than free sat set up

can you share the details?

winston_1

groom wrote: »

Because Sky subsidise box, dish, cabling and installation and their product and service are very good.
Because 1 year subscription minus fat cheese discount costs less than free sat set up

What are you talking about? The Sky box is useless without a sub, I question that their product is very good, and the service is not particularly good.
What is a fat cheese discount?

groom

winston_1 wrote: »

What are you talking about? The Sky box is useless without a sub, I question that their product is very good, and the service is not particularly good.
What is a fat cheese discount?

That's not an argument, that's just contradiction

Sky box is useless without a sub
A Sky box with a UK ftv card (See adverts for one of these) displays most free to air channels and some additional non-free to air channels neatly in an EPG. The few channels that aren't in the EPG can still be displayed outside the EPG.
You do lose the Sky+ (DVR) functions and the Irish channels without the sub.

I question that their product is very good
Their product (software/EPG/DVR/interface/content) is better than any other satbox / UPC I've experienced.

service is not particularly good
My first installation was no hassle. I moved house and they gave me a new dish, cabling and installation for free. That 2nd installation was no hassle. Both times their engineers ran additional LNBs from the dish to a bedroom for a tenner.
They put your dish out of sight on your roof which a free to air installer who frequents this forum said he wouldn't do because it's harder to service.

I vaguely recall them having to realign the dish once afterwards and they did it straight away at no cost. It was fixed same day while I was at work. Hence it is a vague memory.

Anytime I've called them I am straight through without having to wait and I've gotten what I've been looking for within minutes. Compare that to carnage of having to contact UPC.

http://www.fatcheese.ie/cashback/sky-ireland/

Frank Black

groom wrote: »

. Compare that to carnage of having to contact UPC.

Yes, but we're not comparing SKY to UPC, we're comparing it to a Freesat/Saorview setup.
While your experience with SKY sounds wonderfully fulfilling, there is a reason behind it - namely the monthly fee you pay them and the contract you enter into with them. You haven't mentioned either of these is your reply, and this is where a Freesat/Saorview setup blows Sky out of the water, as you've no contract and pay a grand total of Sweet FA every month to receive more channels than you can shake a stick at - many of them in HD quality and still have full PVR functionality.
Combine with a Netflix subscription and perhaps a subscription to one of those online streaming services mentioned in the Footy forum and you've all the sports/movies and tv you could ever want for very little money.
I don't know how people can justify paying over huge yearly fees to Sky/UPC when there's so much of the content available for free once you invested a aerial/dish and decoder box.

radiowaves

groom wrote: »

Sky box is useless without a sub
A Sky box with a UK ftv card (See adverts for one of these) displays most free to air channels and some additional non-free to air channels neatly in an EPG. The few channels that aren't in the EPG can still be displayed outside the EPG.
You do lose the Sky+ (DVR) functions and the Irish channels without the sub.

Absolute madness!

A free to air box (with no need for a card) displays ALL FTA channels in an EPG order of your choosing and without blue screens...

the "some additional non-FTA" channels can also be got with most cheap satellite boxes and a card...

and the deal-breaker, all channels can be recorded.

There really is no comparison between a non-subscription Sky box and the vast majority of other satellite receivers!

groom

Frank Black wrote: »

we're not comparing SKY to UPC, we're comparing it to a Freesat/Saorview setup

I realise that but it was a specific point in response to a about their quality of service that is N/A to free to air installers

Frank Black wrote: »

While your experience with SKY sounds wonderfully fulfilling, there is a reason behind it - namely the monthly fee you pay them and the contract you enter into with them.

I don't pay Sky a monthly fee. My 12 month contract with Sky is a long distance memory and I got good value out of it

Frank Black wrote: »

You haven't mentioned either of these is your reply, and this is where a Freesat/Saorview setup blows Sky out of the water, as you've no contract and pay a grand total of Sweet FA every month to receive more channels than you can shake a stick at - many of them in HD quality and still have full PVR functionality.

I do discuss that above.
I get all the same channels and some additional ones that come with the Sky FTV card.
I pay a grand total of Sweet FA every month to receive all these same channels, many of them in HD quality.

I concede above that the Sky box PVR functionality is lost without a sub but if I want PVR functionality I can just buy one of my choosing. That's the only discretionary cost I face.

Frank Black wrote: »

I don't know how people can justify paying over huge yearly fees to Sky/UPC when there's so much of the content available for free once you invested a aerial/dish and decoder box.

You haven't considered it properly or you're not comparing apples with apples. I asked the same question as the OP about 2 years ago. I got more or less the same prejudiced responses back where Sky was normally spelled $ky with people arguing that Sky would just suck me in with the enticing product and I'd be paying 100s a month for years to come

I reckoned people were missing the point and I went ahead and signed up for a year contract via fatcheese. It cost me about €200 for the year (in monthly increments) all up for the equipment and installation with the additional benefit of having a Sky sub for a year. I had rung around free sat installers and none were that cheap for installation alone. Plus they wouldn't put the sat on the roof. Extra LNBs were a fair bit extra.

Now I'm still on the sub 2 years later but that is because Sky are quite flexible in their desire to have people on subscriptions. I'm not paying anything like what you think I am for a service that is basic but above a free to air package.

As regards people that are actually paying over huge yearly fees for movies / sports - none of those expensive products are free via free to air satelite.

Combine with Netflix /online streaming services

we're not comparing SKY to Netflix, we're comparing it to a Freesat/Saorview setup

groom

radiowaves wrote: »

Absolute madness!

Strange definition of insanity

radiowaves wrote: »

There really is no comparison between a non-subscription Sky box and the vast majority of other satellite receivers!

Alot of people like myself find a non-Sky box with a €20 ftv card very satisfactory. See the 'card trick' thread for evidence of that. If we didn't we have the option of purchasing a different sat box seeing as the Sky box was subsidized in the first place.

OldRio

I don't pay Sky a monthly fee. My 12 month contract with Sky is a long distance memory and I got good value out of it


Now I'm still on the sub 2 years later but that is because Sky are quite flexible in their desire to have people on subscriptions. I'm not paying anything like what you think I am for a service that is basic but above a free to air package.


So are you paying a sub to Sky or not?

groom

There is no contradiction is those 2 quotes and the answer is in the 2nd quote. Let's leave it at that.

dublinman1990

Supposing you stopped paying the subscription to Sky. Would you have either sold the box onto someone else or kept it yourself?

What are your current subscriptions at the moment as well as your basic package (Which you can get for free anyway from Saorview/Freesat)?

Do it include both Movies & Sports channels?

When you subscribed to fat cheese; did you like the idea of keeping both of the sports & movie subscriptions together or would you have preferred picking one of the two to give yourself better value?

Frank Black

groom wrote: »

I asked the same question as the OP about 2 years ago. I got more or less the same prejudiced responses back where Sky was normally spelled $ky with people arguing that Sky would just suck me in with the enticing product and I'd be paying 100s a month for years to come

Sounds like you should have listened back then.

groom wrote: »

Now I'm still on the sub 2 years later but that is because Sky are quite flexible in their desire to have people on subscriptions.

As a matter of interest why don't you post up the total amount of money you've paid to SKY over the years and the packages you've received as a result - I mean if you're going to argue that getting a Sky subscription is better value than Freesat (which seems to be what you are arguing) - then I'd like to see actual figures to back this up, because I find it difficult to believe.

groom

Frank Black wrote: »

Sounds like you should have listened back then.

I did listen but what I heard was an ill considered argument that Sky getting Sky to install your satellite TV can never be cheaper than getting someone else to install your satellite TV.

Frank Black wrote: »

As a matter of interest why don't you post up the total amount of money you've paid to SKY over the years and the packages you've received as a result - I mean if you're going to argue that getting a Sky subscription is better value than Freesat (which seems to be what you are arguing) - then I'd like to see actual figures to back this up, because I find it difficult to believe.

I've already posted all that information. Approx €200 in total all up after special offers and incentives being applied. My package is Sky Entertainment Extra.
You're clearly missing the point when you say "over the years". Have another look at what the OP asked.

Frank Black

groom wrote: »

Really glad I didn't.



I've already posted all that information. Approx €200 in total all up after special offers and incentives being applied. My package is Sky Entertainment Extra
You're clearly missing the point when you say "over the years". Have another look at what the OP asked.

So €200 for 24months of SKY.
Or approx €8.33 a month including VAT at 23%.
So SKy are providing your package for an average of less than €7 p/m

Are you related to Rupert Murdoch or something?
Otherwise forgive me if I treat this with extreme dubiousness.

groom

Frank Black wrote: »

So €200 for 24months of SKY.
Or approx €8.33 a month including VAT at 23%.
So SKy are providing your package for an average of less than €7 p/m

Are you related to Rupert Murdoch or something?
Otherwise forgive me if I treat this with extreme dubiousness.

I signed up with the deal of the day which was about €23 pm. There was a €50 rebate from Sky for signing up. There was a €70 rebate from Fatcheese for signing up. That was the 1 year contract term. When my term ended there were incentives not to cancel.

If you're going to argue that getting Freesat is better value than a 1 year Sky subscription (which seems to be what you are arguing) -then I'd like to see actual figures for 2 installations, 2 x cabling, 2 x dishes, 1 satbox plus additional LNBs to bedrooms (which is what I've received from Sky because I moved house ) to back this up, because I find it difficult to believe.

We'll ignore that you get a years Sky subscription for comparison purposes

Frank Black

groom wrote: »

I signed up with the deal of the day which was about €23 pm. There was a €50 rebate from Sky for signing up. There was a €70 rebate from Fatcheese for signing up. That was the 1 year contract term. When my term ended there were incentives not to cancel. .

Don't get your incentives link as it's a link for first time buyers of Sky, nothing to do with renewing your contract - why have you such an issue answering a basic question - how much have you paid Sky over your 24months - I'm presuming you're moving away from the €200 figure - it's baby steps, but we'll get there in the end.

groom wrote: »

If you're going to argue that getting Freesat is better value than a 1 year Sky subscription (which seems to be what you are arguing) -then I'd like to see actual figures for 2 installations, 2 x cabling, 2 x dishes, 1 satbox (which is what I've received from Sky because I moved house ) to back this up,.

Well, you wouldn't need 2 dishes if you move house -bring the original one with you.
You'll get a satellite dish and lnb for about £20 from Amazon. A basic box is around £20 if you don't want HDR (which is all you'll have from SKY if you cancel). Cables are dirt cheap.
I installed it all myself and I'm not electronic whizz - drill a few holes, run some cable - did it all in about 3-4hours on a Saturday afternoon for my first install. I got a guy to do it for me (which took him about 30minutes) for €50 for my second.

So about €150 in total with no bills.

Now I actually spent more because I wanted a humax box - which IMO is better than a (fully functional) SKY box, but we're comparing like with like here, and you won't have a fully functional sky box unless you keep paying a subscription - like you're doing.

groom wrote: »

because I find it difficult to believe.

Believe it.

Now - let's see your figures?

groom

Frank Black wrote: »

Don't get your incentives link as it's a link for first time buyers of Sky

The thread title is 'Deals On Sky TV Service - (Mostly Cancellation deals)'. The later posts deal with deals people are negotiating with Sky not to cancel, but you're right in that it has nothing to do with renewing a contract merely not cancelling subscription.

Frank Black wrote: »

why have you such an issue answering a basic question - how much have you paid Sky over your 24months - I'm presuming you're moving away from the €200 figure - it's baby steps, but we'll get there in the end.

Why presume? I've answered your question. approx €200 is all I've ever paid Sky.

Frank Black wrote: »

I installed it all myself

So FreeSat is slightly cheaper if you're willing to climb roofs. I think most people considerations includes installation

Frank Black wrote: »

Now - let's see your figures?

You're tiresome.

I signed up with the deal of the day which was about €23 pm. There was a €50 rebate from Sky for signing up. There was a €70 rebate from Fatcheese for signing up. That was the 1 year contract term. When my term ended there were incentives not to cancel.

then when my year subscription ended I negotiated half price for a few months, then they offered me free credit

radiowaves

groom wrote: »

Strange definition of insanity



Alot of people like myself find a non-Sky box with a €20 ftv card very satisfactory. See the 'card trick' thread for evidence of that. If we didn't we have the option of purchasing a different sat box seeing as the Sky box was subsidized in the first place.

I'm assuming you meant a Skybox? The point is, and you're admitting it, that you have to do the card-trick! And skip over blue-screen channels. Fine if you're happy with that but it is madness to claim that set-up is preferable to a non-Sky software crippled box.

Frank Black

groom wrote: »

The thread title is 'Deals On Sky TV Service - (Mostly Cancellation deals)'. The later posts deal with deals people are negotiating with Sky not to cancel, but you're right in that it has nothing to do with renewing a contract merely not cancelling subscription.


Why presume? I've answered your question. approx €200 is all I've ever paid Sky.


So FreeSat is slightly cheaper if you're willing to climb roofs. I think most people considerations includes installation




You're tiresome.

then when my year subscription ended I negotiated half price for a few months, then they offered me free credit

Your figures don't add up quite simply and if you paid attention to mine you would see that instalation cost is included. So You're actually wrong twice within one reply.
This is like pulling teeth - what free credit were you offered and define a few months?

groom

radiowaves wrote: »

I'm assuming you meant a Skybox? The point is, and you're admitting it, that you have to do the card-trick! And skip over blue-screen channels. Fine if you're happy with that but it is madness to claim that set-up is preferable to a non-Sky software crippled box.

I'm not doing the card trick, i didn't say i was doing the card truck. I mentioned it to point to the number of people with ftv cards. You're just making stuff up. What is the point of arguing with you if you're just going to make stuff up.

There are no blue channels with an ftv card.

radiowaves

groom wrote: »

I'm not doing the card trick, i didn't say i was doing the card truck. I mentioned it to point to the number of people with ftv cards. You're just making stuff up. What is the point of arguing with you if you're just going to make stuff up.

There are no blue channels with an ftv card.

Is this a serious reply?

Where did I say that you personally were doing the card-trick? It was you that brought it up!!!
You (in this instance I do actually mean you personally) obviously don't need to do the card-trick - you (do I have to do this every time?) have a FTV card and no subscription.
The most obvious reason for doing the card-trick is to make the FTA UK channels EPG recordable in tandem with an Irish EPG. This is a pointless exercise when you (this time I don't mean you personally) have no recording functionality as the Irish channels are subscription channels. I haven't read the dozens of pages in the thread you (!) referred to but if anyone there is doing the trick in your scenario ie a sub-free box, they've misunderstood the point of it!

The blue channels thing. You're taking the piss right? You are, though, aren't you? Because if you have a FTV card that opens every channel on a Skybox I want one please. Where did you (yes, you) get it?

smee again

The dish you get off Sky is a terrible POS that will last about 4 yrs depending on where it's installed. I'm in the trade and can buy them for about 15 quid plus VAT, but I don't bother with them. Any Freesat/FTA installer will sell you a much better Triax or Inverto one that will last longer than 4 yrs. Ask for coated aluminum, you'll get 15+ yrs out of it.

groom

radiowaves wrote: »

Is this a serious reply?

Where did I say that you personally were doing the card-trick? It was you that brought it up!!!
You (in this instance I do actually mean you personally) obviously don't need to do the card-trick - you (do I have to do this every time?) have a FTV card and no subscription.
The most obvious reason for doing the card-trick is to make the FTA UK channels EPG recordable in tandem with an Irish EPG. This is a pointless exercise when you (this time I don't mean you personally) have no recording functionality as the Irish channels are subscription channels. I haven't read the dozens of pages in the thread you (!) referred to but if anyone there is doing the trick in your scenario ie a sub-free box, they've misunderstood the point of it!

The blue channels thing. You're taking the piss right? You are, though, aren't you? Because if you have a FTV card that opens every channel on a Skybox I want one please. Where did you (yes, you) get it?

I think I might have misunderstood When you say blue channel what do you mean?

radiowaves

groom wrote: »

I think I might have misunderstood When you say blue channel what do you mean?

Blue-screen channel!!!

Goto 106 on your Skybox and tell us what you can see.

Colonial

Frank Black wrote: »

Sounds like you should have listened back then.



As a matter of interest why don't you post up the total amount of money you've paid to SKY over the years and the packages you've received as a result - I mean if you're going to argue that getting a Sky subscription is better value than Freesat (which seems to be what you are arguing) - then I'd like to see actual figures to back this up, because I find it difficult to believe.

Value is subjective, therefore more consistent content, better connection to the world - can certainly change the perception of value.

cronley

Frank Black wrote: »

Yes, but we're not comparing SKY to UPC, we're comparing it to a Freesat/Saorview setup.
While your experience with SKY sounds wonderfully fulfilling, there is a reason behind it - namely the monthly fee you pay them and the contract you enter into with them. You haven't mentioned either of these is your reply, and this is where a Freesat/Saorview setup blows Sky out of the water, as you've no contract and pay a grand total of Sweet FA every month to receive more channels than you can shake a stick at - many of them in HD quality and still have full PVR functionality.
Combine with a Netflix subscription and perhaps a subscription to one of those online streaming services mentioned in the Footy forum and you've all the sports/movies and tv you could ever want for very little money.
I don't know how people can justify paying over huge yearly fees to Sky/UPC when there's so much of the content available for free once you invested a aerial/dish and decoder box.

FrankBlack
Id be interested in your "online streaming services in the Footy forum" - please shed more light, or where can I find them

Frank Black

cronley wrote: »

FrankBlack
Id be interested in your "online streaming services in the Footy forum" - please shed more light, or where can I find them

Pm sent.

STB

groom wrote: »

Because Sky subsidise box, dish, cabling and installation and their product and service are very good.
Because 1 year subscription minus fat cheese discount costs less than free sat set up

This is simply untrue. A Combo Box and Dish and cabling would cost less than €200. That is a once off hardware cost. You never pay anything ever again.

Paying Sky for a proprietary box for a year just to get someone to install a dish! Thats not a good idea.

Clue: a Sky dish with Quad LNB costs €20 retail. You do not need to subscribe to Sky to buy one.

If you want Sky and dont mind the bills, get Sky.

If you want Free to Air BBCs/ITVs etc and Saorview, get a combo box and pay no subscription fees.

radiowaves

STB wrote: »

This is simply untrue. A Combo Box and Dish and cabling would cost less than €200. That is a once off hardware cost. You never pay anything ever again.

Paying Sky for a proprietary box for a year just to get someone to install a dish! Thats not a good idea.

Clue: a Sky dish with Quad LNB costs €20 retail. You do not need to subscribe to Sky to buy one.

If you want Sky and dont mind the bills, get Sky.

If you want Free to Air BBCs/ITVs etc and Saorview, get a combo box and pay no subscription fees.

Spot on.

Cheapest Sky subscription x12 months v costs outlined there by STB...

Even on a half-price deal it's coming in around the same.

And that's without certain FTA channels!

Colonial

STB wrote: »

This is simply untrue. A Combo Box and Dish and cabling would cost less than €200. That is a once off hardware cost. You never pay anything ever again.

Paying Sky for a proprietary box for a year just to get someone to install a dish! Thats not a good idea.

Clue: a Sky dish with Quad LNB costs €20 retail. You do not need to subscribe to Sky to buy one.

If you want Sky and dont mind the bills, get Sky.

If you want Free to Air BBCs/ITVs etc and Saorview, get a combo box and pay no subscription fees.

Not 100% correct... What happens when you need technical support if your free option needs a retune or worse as we all know? What happens if any of this equipment needs support beyond this? Yes for the technical savvy, it might be less, but for the average consumer it can equate to very high costs, stress and more that is simply not worth the hassle...

winston_1

Colonial wrote: »

Not 100% correct... What happens when you need technical support if your free option needs a retune or worse as we all know? What happens if any of this equipment needs support beyond this? Yes for the technical savvy, it might be less, but for the average consumer it can equate to very high costs, stress and more that is simply not worth the hassle...

With Sky the equipment still belongs to the customer, who is responsible for servicing it if it goes wrong.

smee again

Colonial wrote: »

Not 100% correct... What happens when you need technical support if your free option needs a retune or worse as we all know? What happens if any of this equipment needs support beyond this? Yes for the technical savvy, it might be less, but for the average consumer it can equate to very high costs, stress and more that is simply not worth the hassle...

Not true, Sky charge a service callout fee for any issues after the one year warranty you get when you first sign up. If you buy a Freesat box there is no re-tuning. Also some of the linux boxes now can auto update frequency changes and give the channels the same numbers as Sky with the autobouquets plugin

uck51js9zml2yt

smee again wrote: »

Not true, Sky charge a service callout fee for any issues after the one year warranty you get when you first sign up. If you buy a Freesat box there is no re-tuning. Also some of the linux boxes now can auto update frequency changes and give the channels the same numbers as Sky with the autobouquets plugin

which boxes ?

smee again

Grayson Zealous Yogurt wrote: »

which boxes ?

Any that run Enigma2, which is lots, Dreamboxes, Vu+, Amiko Alien, etc. There are different versions of the plugin for the different cpu's sat boxes contain, Mips, Sh4 etc.

uck51js9zml2yt

reading the amiko thread scares me to death. can it just be plugged in and played?

smee again

Grayson Zealous Yogurt wrote: »

reading the amiko thread scares me to death. can it just be plugged in and played?

No, it runs a default software, Spark, which is functional but crap. To get the most of the box you need to install enigma as a dual boot OS, there are prebuilt enigma images available in the thread that you can install and be ready to go, but you'll have to read up on how to do this. Ask some questions in the thread, they are very helpful, most of them started from knowing nothing about what they were venturing into.

slave1

Howdy folks, took up the half price sky offer to get a HD box, new dish and installation, for €12.50/month, the year is up so I cancelled my sub.
I powered down the sky box and took the card out, when I powered back up it's still coming up with RTE etc and therefore no FTA channels which my other old sky boxes get.
Am I missing something?

kooga

slave1 wrote: »

Howdy folks, took up the half price sky offer to get a HD box, new dish and installation, for €12.50/month, the year is up so I cancelled my sub.
I powered down the sky box and took the card out, when I powered back up it's still coming up with RTE etc and therefore no FTA channels which my other old sky boxes get.
Am I missing something?

no uk fta channels ?

slave1

No, was expecting BBC1 in 101 etc but RTE still there...

smee again

slave1 wrote: »

No, was expecting BBC1 in 101 etc but RTE still there...

Not on a HD box, it's stuck with Irish layout unless you get UK Free To View card, try Ebay

kooga

do you have bbc elsewhere and can watch it?


as above i got a uk fta card on adverts.ie €20 including pp

slave1

smee again wrote: »

Not on a HD box, it's stuck with Irish layout unless you get UK Free To View card, try Ebay

Ara, boll1x, fair enough, might just put it up on Adverts then as looking at a new TV so may as well get one with Freesat capabilities...

STB

Colonial wrote: »

Not 100% correct... What happens when you need technical support if your free option needs a retune or worse as we all know? What happens if any of this equipment needs support beyond this? Yes for the technical savvy, it might be less, but for the average consumer it can equate to very high costs, stress and more that is simply not worth the hassle...

The average consumer ? The average consumer who has become enslaved to a proprietary box menu system ala Sky ? Are they the average consumer ?

To be quite blunt they read the feckin manual.

Yes the likes of a combo box requires some initial setup. Just now Eutelsat & Astra are rijigging the allocated frequencies for all UK services on satellite, both pay and non pay. Saorview are sending out retune messages in their epg. Fine, I get your point, but its not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination. I can see how being subject to a Sky proprietary box could make one lazy to read a mnual in the event of a retune. But these solutions on how to retune boxes are in the manual that comes with these boxes.

The happier outcome is that for reading that manual you will not have to part with any monthly subscription fees to the likes of Sky. For very long the tech people you are talking about have constantly asked the same question, Why are people continuing to pay for channels that are free to air (9 out of the Top 10 channels that people watch are FTA). More and more are discovering this in Ireland.

How did we survive before Sky ? We read the bloody manual