Need recommendation re TV broadband

Chryan

Hi,

I am new to Ireland and can't figure out who to take broadband, Tv etc with. I will be living in the IFSC area and I think my apartment has got UPC and Eircom connections.
I have the following questions:
1. Do I need a TV package in Ireland? Is there a "freeview" equivalent of the UK? Where can I find more details about those channels? What TV packages would you recommend? I am aware of Sky products only.
2. Is there anything that I could install to get all the BBC channels, 5, channel 4, ITV etc? Or are these already available for free?
3. between UPC and Eircom, which one is a better service? I dont really care about customer care but the actual speed of internet and no-drops in service. Any package recommendations?
4. How long does it take to install phone connection (already wired) and broadband?

Thanks
C

ED E

Look into Saorview for our free to air TV. Sky have the best TV experience due to much better DVR/PVR boxes but may not be available in an apartment.

Theres a good chance your eircom connection will only be DSL for the minute so UPC is a good bet. You can get their 120Mb BB and phone package, and tv too if you decide you want it.

colm_mcm

Saorview mightn't be an option if its in an apartment block?

Are indoor antennas any good in this situation?

bk

Chryan wrote: »

Hi,

I am new to Ireland and can't figure out who to take broadband, Tv etc with. I will be living in the IFSC area and I think my apartment has got UPC and Eircom connections.
I have the following questions:

Welcome to Ireland

Chryan wrote: »

1. Do I need a TV package in Ireland? Is there a "freeview" equivalent of the UK? Where can I find more details about those channels? What TV packages would you recommend? I am aware of Sky products only.

You don't have to get a TV package (though you do have to pay a TV license).

You can get free TV by the following:

1) Saorview, Digital TV that comes in over an aerial. Usually you can use a small rabbit ears aerial to pick this up. Modern TV's you can tune it is directly. Older TV's will require a €50 Saorview box. The following channels are on saorview, mostly Irish so might be limited interest to a foreigner.

RTE 1, 2, 1+1, News Now, TV3, TG4, 3e, UTV Ireland

2) You can use a satellite dish to pick up most of the big UK channels unencrypted: All the BBC's, ITV's, C4's, C5's etc. and many more, about 100 channels.

You will need a Sky dish, but not necessarily a sky sub. You need to check if your apartment is already wired for this. If it is , then you can use a deactivated Sky box to pick up these channels or for even a better experience, a Freesat box.

Chryan wrote: »

2. Is there anything that I could install to get all the BBC channels, 5, channel 4, ITV etc? Or are these already available for free?

See above, only over satellite.

Chryan wrote: »

3. between UPC and Eircom, which one is a better service? I dont really care about customer care but the actual speed of internet and no-drops in service. Any package recommendations?

UPC hands down, no questions asked.

€45 per month gets you 240mb/s down, 24mb/s up + unlimited national and mobile calls + 400 minutes international calls (might be handy for you as a foreigner).

Vastly better speeds and value for money then Eircom.

Chryan wrote: »

4. How long does it take to install phone connection (already wired) and broadband?

Thanks
C

Should only take a few days, UPC are pretty fast with this.

bk

colm_mcm wrote: »

Saorview mightn't be an option if its in an apartment block?

Are indoor antennas any good in this situation?

They typically work very well around Dublin.

Chryan

my Tv has a built in freeview. I imagine it might be able to pick up the free channels, if not i will get the antennas. My husband is very excited to watch the Hurling cup and gaelic footy on RTE but i still need the comfort of standard UK channels !

I do have a Sky box from the UK, don't know if its going to be of any use though. Id the Sky box doesn't work and I get a freesat box mentioned above, I presume it still needs a Sky dish?

Definitely UPC then. I like the app thing they have got where I can use the minutes from a smartphone to call internationally. Definitely handy. Is Sky worth looking into for broadband and TV bundle?

paulosam

Chryan wrote: »

my Tv has a built in freeview. I imagine it might be able to pick up the free channels, if not i will get the antennas. My husband is very excited to watch the Hurling cup and gaelic footy on RTE but i still need the comfort of standard UK channels !

I do have a Sky box from the UK, don't know if its going to be of any use though. Id the Sky box doesn't work and I get a freesat box mentioned above, I presume it still needs a Sky dish?

Definitely UPC then. I like the app thing they have got where I can use the minutes from a smartphone to call internationally. Definitely handy. Is Sky worth looking into for broadband and TV bundle?

Yeah you'd need a Sky dish to connect your UK box to, doesn't matter that your box is a UK one though. You'll still get all the BBC/ITV/C4/E4 channels.

Sky use the same DSL broadband infrastructure as Eircom, so you'd be better sticking with UPC if speed is a priority for you. Think it works out cheaper to get UPC Broadband and the basic Sky package separately than go with a Sky/UPC bundle. UPC's TV boxes are horrendously annoying to use!

bk

Chryan wrote: »

my Tv has a built in freeview. I imagine it might be able to pick up the free channels, if not i will get the antennas. My husband is very excited to watch the Hurling cup and gaelic footy on RTE but i still need the comfort of standard UK channels !

Well it may need a small rabbit ear aerial hooked up to the TV, but it should work otherwise.

Chryan wrote: »

I do have a Sky box from the UK, don't know if its going to be of any use though. Id the Sky box doesn't work and I get a freesat box mentioned above, I presume it still needs a Sky dish?

Yes, either way you will need a Sky dish or another satellite dish.

The Sky box will work if your apartment is wired for satellite. You will still be able to get the unecrypted channels on the Sky box, such as BBC, C4, ITV, etc.

The disadvantage of using the Sky box is that without a subscription, it can't record and the EPG is full of encrypted channels mixed into the unecrypted channels. Also there are a few channels that the Sky box can't pick up, which a Freesat box can.

You certainly don't need a Freesat box, it just gives you a better experience then a non sub Sky box.

If I was you I'd just check if your apartment has satellite, use the Sky box first if it does and then think about upgrading to a Freesat box later.

Chryan wrote: »

Definitely UPC then. I like the app thing they have got where I can use the minutes from a smartphone to call internationally. Definitely handy. Is Sky worth looking into for broadband and TV bundle?

Not at all, they are bad value for money for phone and broadband compared to UPC.

You could just get TV from Sky * and phone and Broadband from UPC. Best of both worlds and actually cheaper then getting everything from Sky.

* Remember your apartment needs to be wired for a Sky dish for this to work.