Irish consumers face raw deal in comparison with UK

Andy454

If you look at the restrictions placed on Irish sky boxes compared to UK it seems we get a bit of a raw deal.

In the UK subscribers can subscribe to sky plus for 10 euro a month and record, rewind and pause live tv on their free to air channels.

Here we can't even extract recordings from RTE / FTA stations due to their encrypted status.

Surely sky shouldn't be allowed to block RTE channels when the subscription goes into "Active Block" due to late subscription payment - surely they should only block RTE when the service is cancelled?

I notice that when Sky tv is cancelled now, SKY completely lock out the Irish hd boxes - that they are locked to the Irish EPG which blocks out ITV channels and blocks encrypted versions of Ch4 / E4 and stops access to other channels function - The only way to "free the box" is to insert an UK freesat card...

I'm starting to think that it may be better to get a high spec satellite receiver and NDS cam over current sky supplied model and go back to the way we operated in the old analogue days - sky card for sky channels....

Maybe we need to start a list of the best satellite receivers again the way WOTSAT used to based on EPG, recording the decoded video stream rather than the encrypted one... etc etc....

ftakeith

Andy454 wrote: »

If you look at the restrictions placed on Irish sky boxes compared to UK it seems we get a bit of a raw deal.

In the UK subscribers can subscribe to sky plus for 10 euro a month and record, rewind and pause live tv on their free to air channels.

Here we can't even extract recordings from RTE / FTA stations due to their encrypted status.

Surely sky shouldn't be allowed to block RTE channels when the subscription goes into "Active Block" due to late subscription payment - surely they should only block RTE when the service is cancelled?

I notice that when Sky tv is cancelled now, SKY completely lock out the Irish hd boxes - that they are locked to the Irish EPG which blocks out ITV channels and blocks encrypted versions of Ch4 / E4 and stops access to other channels function - The only way to "free the box" is to insert an UK freesat card...

I'm starting to think that it may be better to get a high spec satellite receiver and NDS cam over current sky supplied model and go back to the way we operated in the old analogue days - sky card for sky channels....

Maybe we need to start a list of the best satellite receivers again the way WOTSAT used to based on EPG, recording the decoded video stream rather than the encrypted one... etc etc....

just get a wifi in built humax freesat freetime for freesat with the itv player
and get a samsung smart tv for netflix, rte player, tv3 player, tg4 player

icdg

There is no discussion of using Sky cards in anything other than a Sky Digibox here. NDS do not make CAMs available legally in this market.

GerardKeating

ftakeith wrote: »

just get a wifi in built humax freesat freetime for freesat with the itv player
and get a samsung smart tv for netflix, rte player, tv3 player, tg4 player

I thought freesat free time was geoblocked?

ftakeith

GerardKeating wrote: »

I thought freesat free time was geoblocked?

ITV player for some strange reason, you can get it through freesat

twinklerunner

Andy454 wrote: »

If you look at the restrictions placed on Irish sky boxes compared to UK it seems we get a bit of a raw deal.

In the UK subscribers can subscribe to sky plus for 10 euro a month and record, rewind and pause live tv on their free to air channels.

Here we can't even extract recordings from RTE / FTA stations due to their encrypted status.

Surely sky shouldn't be allowed to block RTE channels when the subscription goes into "Active Block" due to late subscription payment - surely they should only block RTE when the service is cancelled?

I notice that when Sky tv is cancelled now, SKY completely lock out the Irish hd boxes - that they are locked to the Irish EPG which blocks out ITV channels and blocks encrypted versions of Ch4 / E4 and stops access to other channels function - The only way to "free the box" is to insert an UK freesat card...

I'm starting to think that it may be better to get a high spec satellite receiver and NDS cam over current sky supplied model and go back to the way we operated in the old analogue days - sky card for sky channels....

Maybe we need to start a list of the best satellite receivers again the way WOTSAT used to based on EPG, recording the decoded video stream rather than the encrypted one... etc etc....

I totally agree with you. I believe that Sky really need to up their game in Ireland:


These channels should be on the Irish epg: RTE1 HD, RTE1+1, RTE News Now, BBC 3 HD, BBC 4 HD, BBC News, BBC News HD, C4 HD, 4 Seven, plus the BBC radio stations.


At €15, the HD charge is too high, likewise with the multi-room charge.


RTE Player should be available.

ftakeith

twinklerunner wrote: »

I totally agree with you. I believe that Sky really need to up their game in Ireland:


These channels should be on the Irish epg: RTE1 HD, RTE1+1, RTE News Now, BBC 3 HD, BBC 4 HD, BBC News, BBC News HD, C4 HD, 4 Seven, plus the BBC radio stations.


At €15, the HD charge is too high, likewise with the multi-room charge.


RTE Player should be available.

all those channels are in hd through freesat/saorview
Are my missing something from watching sky tv channels in hd
I just have the sky original bundle in the main tv room but have freesat/saorview in 2 other rooms
I record those above channels on my freesat freetime in hd as I own the recordings not sky

twinklerunner

ftakeith wrote: »

all those channels are in hd through freesat/saorview
Are my missing something from watching sky tv channels in hd
I just have the sky original bundle in the main tv room but have freesat/saorview in 2 other rooms
I record those above channels on my freesat freetime in hd as I own the recordings not sky

I know that .. and I use Freesat too. Just saying what Sky need to go to improve their offering.

ftakeith

twinklerunner wrote: »

I know that .. and I use Freesat too. Just saying what Sky need to go to improve their offering.

sky won' reduce the hd pack costs until every irish sky customer cancelled it

winston_1

There is no such thing as a UK Freesat card. Freesat is free and does not need a card. The term is freest from sky. Any expired UK card will unlock the box. But really if you think sky is such a raw deal don't have it. RTE is available from an aerial so no problem there. Freesat is available for all UK channels and recording is free. You already have the dish.

muffler

twinklerunner wrote: »

I know that .. and I use Freesat too. Just saying what Sky need to go to improve their offering.

Have you tried taking this up with Sky???

amdaley28

ftakeith wrote: »

sky won' reduce the hd pack costs until every irish sky customer cancelled it

That's why I cancelled.

muffler wrote: »

Have you tried taking this up with Sky???

Have asked Sky various things on numerous occasions but all you get is the usual Sky waffle.
By my nature I'm a patient person but asking Sky anything outside the usual is a complete waste of time.
Even a blunt "Would you please answer my question" didn't bring a response other than they didn't know or they (customer services) don't make the decisions regarding the Irish market.
My partner & I decided that most of what we watch is free to air. Sky had simply become an expensive habit. I've been away from Sky for about two weeks now & haven't missed a thing.

lertsnim

There's too many Irish customers paying them every month. Why would they update the service when 100's of thousands continue to pay them anyway.

mikeym

I could ramble on about Sky for days about them ripping us off.

Were I live my options are limited to watch Pay Tv. Also 90% of homes in my estate have a Sky dish fixed to the property.

Sky are making huge money off us because they provide the best service compared to a crappy mmds service from Upc/Chorus.

Sky could easily do a deal were you get a good discount on their Tv package when you sign up to their broadband service.

Electric Ireland give you a small discount if you sign up to their Gas and Electricity why dont Sky do the same.

Johnboy1951

mikeym wrote: »

I could ramble on about Sky for days about them ripping us off.

Were I live my options are limited to watch Pay Tv. Also 90% of homes in my estate have a Sky dish fixed to the property.

Sky are making huge money off us because they provide the best service compared to a crappy mmds service from Upc/Chorus.

Sky could easily do a deal were you get a good discount on their Tv package when you sign up to their broadband service.

Electric Ireland give you a small discount if you sign up to their Gas and Electricity why dont Sky do the same.

Were I live my options are limited to watch Pay Tv.

What is limiting you to pay TV? Landlord's rules?

mikeym

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

What is limiting you to pay TV? Landlord's rules?

What I meant was geograpical limitations I dont live in a cable tv area.

My Pay Tv options are Upc or Sky thats as limited as you can get.

Johnboy1951

mikeym wrote: »

What I meant was geograpical limitations I dont live in a cable tv area.

My Pay Tv options are Upc or Sky thats as limited as you can get.

You can use the dish, an aerial and a receiver to get the vast majority of TV channels without subscription.

So you are not limited to pay TV only.

same ol sh1te

9 of the 10 most watched channels in this country are free

ohohseven

I stopped paying for sky six months ago, bought the cheapest sattelite receiver I could find and with a memory stick I can still pause, rewind and record.all for a once off payment of 40 quid for the box it's pretty much paid for itself now.

channelsurfer2

it reaily is disgraceful and from 30th September they wont even let you view box sets unless you have the HD pack.

winston_1

mikeym wrote: »

Sky are making huge money off us because they provide the best service compared to a crappy mmds service from Upc/Chorus.

Sky could easily do a deal were you get a good discount on their Tv package when you sign up to their broadband service.

Electric Ireland give you a small discount if you sign up to their Gas and Electricity why dont Sky do the same.

Eh, so that is the answer, the best service.

Rolls Royce cost more than a Ford. RR could give you a discount on petrol if you buy one of their cars but they don't.

You get what you pay for and if you want the best service pay up.

Big C

amazing ! everybody want a free service yet for €20 a month u get basic sky + sky box. I suppose 80cent a day is expensive ? doh

whomitconcerns

Andy454 wrote: »

I'm starting to think that it may be better to get a high spec satellite receiver and NDS cam over current sky supplied model and go back to the way we operated in the old analogue days - sky card for sky channels....

Unfortunately in UK & Ireland there is no offiicial or sanctioned NDS cam available. Infact its illegal to use one if there was one afaik

Aerohead

I don't know why people knock sky all the time, look at UPC their pack with Sky Sports is 76 Euro a month yet sky are miles ahead of them in both quality and quantity and have far more programmes than UPC.

whomitconcerns

I have magnet TV and I can tell you its menu is like a teletext service from the 80s but less functional, pvr function is more miss than hit, IF it works at all. And the bandwith of the tv stations/picture quality is meh at best! I would pay for sky tomorrow if i could get it

mdolly123

i find its very irritating that SKY block HD content from RTE too, we already paying for it through TV License

amdaley28

Its all a matter of choices.
You want, you pay.
You don't want, you don't pay.

I had Sky for years but I decided that since most of the programs we watched were free to air we got rid of Sky.
I now use the Sky dish & a receiver to receive all the free to air channels I could watch.
There are alternatives to Sky if people just look for them.
With a lot of us Sky just became a convenient habit.

muffler

Big C wrote: »

amazing ! everybody want a free service yet for €20 a month u get basic sky + sky box. I suppose 80cent a day is expensive ? doh

The cheapest pack Sky have is the basic one which costs €28 a month.

Big C

muffler wrote: »

The cheapest pack Sky have is the basic one which costs €28 a month.

sorry u are correct €28, nearly a euro a day, and i thought it was nearer 80cent. I must have too much cash

muffler

Big C wrote: »

I must have too much cash

I'll PM you my address

same ol sh1te

Big C wrote: »

sorry u are correct €28, nearly a euro a day, and i thought it was nearer 80cent. I must have too much cash

The majority of this Euro a day is already free, what do you get in this basic standard definition package that's so amazing?

Sam Russell

With a Freesat receiver, you get ALL the UK terestial TV for free. You enter a postcade to select the region you want and you get all the local news and all the national stuff for FREE. With Freesat+ you can record any of it using series link. All for FREE. (You pay for the receiver).

Some sport, like rugby, is available by looking at Welsh and Scottish channels. But Sky has bought a lot of rights (like premier soccer) that you have to pay Sky huge money to watch. Now you have to pay extra to BT and Setanta as well as Sky for more soccer.

For Irish stations, you get an aerial and watch it on Saorview. If your TV cannot get Saorview, you need a box (cost about €50).

Why do people pay Sky up to €130 a month? Extra for HD, extra for 2nd room, extra for movies, extra for sport - why? Free with Freesat and Saorview (nearly - not so much sport).

Most of what people actually watch is free - well over 95%.

lertsnim

Big C wrote: »

amazing ! everybody want a free service yet for €20 a month u get basic sky + sky box. I suppose 80cent a day is expensive ? doh

For some people it is regardless of how you trivialise it.

mdolly123 wrote: »

i find its very irritating that SKY block HD content from RTE too, we already paying for it through TV License

What do they block from RTÉ? If you want RTÉ One HD it is available FTA to most of the country already.

Johnboy1951

mdolly123 wrote: »

i find its very irritating that SKY block HD content from RTE too, we already paying for it through TV License

No you are not paying for that service through your licence fee.

You Sky subscription is to pay for their service.

Sky has made a commercial decision (or agreement maybe) that they will not provide RTE etc FTA, and they will apparently charge more for HD channels.

That has nothing at all to do with the service provided in this country through Saorview/Saorsat

Infoanon

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

it reaily is disgraceful and from 30th September they wont even let you view box sets unless you have the HD pack.

Just came across this new T+C, considering the HD charge has been dropped in the UK this really is ripping off the Irish viewers.

There is a need for an independent regulator for both Sky and UPC.

muffler

Infoanon wrote: »

Link?

From here

Here's the legal bit

*From 30 September, ROI customers will require a Sky HD subscription to access Box Sets.

Infoanon

muffler wrote: »

From here

Thanks - applies to Irish viewers only afaik

Cherrycola

And what if you dont have a HD tv and are not interested in having HD channels? its such a scam! €15 a month, i dont think so! Its cheaper to get a subscription to netflix!

winston_1

Cherrycola wrote: »

And what if you dont have a HD tv and are not interested in having HD channels? its such a scam! €15 a month, i dont think so! Its cheaper to get a subscription to netflix!

Well do that then. How many times does it have to be said if you think sky is a rip off don't have it?

Cherrycola

winston_1 wrote: »

Well do that then. How many times does it have to be said if you think sky is a rip off don't have it?

Christ who peed in your soup?!

The point is, sky offered on demand free of charge with our sub, gave us a free on demand connector, and are now moving the goal posts, charging us for it, by making us take a sub for something we don't want or need. Linking the box sets to a HD sub is weird and just a way to get people to buy what is obviously a loser for them here.
And the fact it's not happening in the UK is just unfair on the Irish market.

Personally I dont think sky in general is a rip off, we only have what we can afford and we enjoy the record facility etc, but this is one element that seems very unfair.

same ol sh1te

Cherrycola wrote: »

Personally I dont think sky in general is a rip off, we only have what we can afford and we enjoy the record facility etc, but this is one element that seems very unfair.

Recording is not exclusive to Sky, you can record on many of the free systems too, in fact some of them are much better at it. Here's something you didn't realise, Sky sell you a box with recording functionality, you own the box, it's yours to keep (and pay to replace when it breaks), but then they rent you back the recording function. Stop paying Sky and the box becomes useless and your recordings disappear.

Johnboy1951

same ol sh1te wrote: »

Recording is not exclusive to Sky, you can record on many of the free systems too, in fact some of them are much better at it. Here's something you didn't realise, Sky sell you a box with recording functionality, you own the box, it's yours to keep (and pay to replace when it breaks), but then they rent you back the recording function. Stop paying Sky and the box becomes useless and your recordings disappear.

I pity those who have used the recording function and then find they cannot access their recordings if they drop Sky.

Actually it is a wonder to me that someone has not worked around this limitation.

Cherrycola

same ol sh1te wrote: »

Recording is not exclusive to Sky, you can record on many of the free systems too, in fact some of them are much better at it. Here's something you didn't realise, Sky sell you a box with recording functionality, you own the box, it's yours to keep (and pay to replace when it breaks), but then they rent you back the recording function. Stop paying Sky and the box becomes useless and your recordings disappear.

Oh I'm fully aware how it works and what I'm paying for thanks.

corm500

Well I finally cancelled Sky today after being with them for nearly 20 years. For the last few years I was with them only because of the HD stations but it always needled me that I had to pay €15 extra for the privilege.
Any new HD stations lately are free to air (BBC3 HD BBC4HD Channel 4 HD etc) and Sky havent bothered getting them for their Irish customers nor have they chased RTE for their HD offering (RTE One HD). I think finding out that the UK does not pay extra for HD was the final straw.
I truly believe that Sky sees Ireland as a bit of a cash cow and that we will pay through the nose for a service wildly inferior to Skys UK offering. Well here is one man who said enough is enough. I have a Humax and im getting Saorview in the next week or so. Most of the stuff im watching is on Netflix anyway.

So long Sky. You have got your last easy Euro from me:)

twinklerunner

corm500 wrote: »

Well I finally cancelled Sky today after being with them for nearly 20 years. For the last few years I was with them only because of the HD stations but it always needled me that I had to pay €15 extra for the privilege.
Any new HD stations lately are free to air (BBC3 HD BBC4HD Channel 4 HD etc) and Sky havent bothered getting them for their Irish customers nor have they chased RTE for their HD offering (RTE One HD). I think finding out that the UK does not pay extra for HD was the final straw.
I truly believe that Sky sees Ireland as a bit of a cash cow and that we will pay through the nose for a service wildly inferior to Skys UK offering. Well here is one man who said enough is enough. I have a Humax and im getting Saorview in the next week or so. Most of the stuff im watching is on Netflix anyway.

So long Sky. You have got your last easy Euro from me:)

Same here - it's farewell to Sky from me too.

amdaley28

corm500 wrote: »

Well I finally cancelled Sky today after being with them for nearly 20 years. For the last few years I was with them only because of the HD stations but it always needled me that I had to pay €15 extra for the privilege.
Any new HD stations lately are free to air (BBC3 HD BBC4HD Channel 4 HD etc) and Sky havent bothered getting them for their Irish customers nor have they chased RTE for their HD offering (RTE One HD). I think finding out that the UK does not pay extra for HD was the final straw.
I truly believe that Sky sees Ireland as a bit of a cash cow and that we will pay through the nose for a service wildly inferior to Skys UK offering. Well here is one man who said enough is enough. I have a Humax and im getting Saorview in the next week or so. Most of the stuff im watching is on Netflix anyway.

So long Sky. You have got your last easy Euro from me:)

twinklerunner wrote: »

Same here - it's farewell to Sky from me too.

Well done one & all.:cool:
The next to go will be the broadband.