Alternative to UPC

markjbloggs

Hello,

please help an old geezer who wades through this and other forums for answers but just ends up confusing himself. I am looking for an alternative to UPC, given the following considerations.

Situation : -
- Satelite and external aerial installation not possible
- UPC price increase, have decided to get rid (€600 per annum, just watch a handful of channels anyway). Have a few days to cancel without contractual problems.
- Have Eircom for broadband.
- Am line-of-sight to 3 Rock (Saorview) transmitter.

Questions :-
- Is there a single box solution to getting Irish and BBC channels via broadband? Was thinking along the line of Amazon Fire or Roku 2.
- Can I receive Saorview to TV (believe it to be compatible) using rabbit ears?
- Is Eircom TV offering a possibility?


Any other suggestions are welcome, given the boundary conditions outlined above.

thanks in advance
m.

odckdo

markjbloggs wrote: »

I am looking for an alternative to UPC, given the following considerations.

Situation : -
- Satelite and external aerial installation not possible
- Have Eircom for broadband.

Questions :-
- Is there a single box solution to getting Irish and BBC channels via broadband? Was thinking along the line of Amazon Fire or Roku 2.
- Can I receive Saorview to TV (believe it to be compatible) using rabbit ears?
- Is Eircom TV offering a possibility?

With no possibility for a dish/aerial, I would say your best choice is to get both Irish and UK channels is Eircom's eVision.

Amazon Fire, Roku, etc offer further TV choices but you won't get your basic Irish and UK channels. Plus extra boxes = extra remotes.

eVision have offers again at the moment - quickly reading it, ordering online might give a better discount. (You could always ring first to discuss your options.)

Also what broadband plan do you have with Eircom? As eVision will use a chunk of it.

(I tried eVision on demo before the launch - If your router connection is close to your TV/eVision box they might run a cable or they could use home plugs which carry your braodband over the internal electrical cables in your house. Check with eVision maybe?)

Gerry Wicklow

If you have line of sight to 3Rock, a cheapo indoor aerial from a Euro shop might be worth a try. If it didn't work out then no great loss. You would still need another source for UK channels.

dubrov

If UPC provide broadband in your area you should be able to get broadband, TV and phone for about 700. Ring up to cancel and you will then be transferred to the loyalty team. Once there explain it costs too much and you are going to free to air. They will make you offers

winston_1

So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for FM and DAB radio only. Not suitable for UHF TV.

This is one of the better indoor aerials:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Telecam-TCE2000-Indoor-Aerial-Antenna/dp/B00IUC9CZ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422040311&sr=8-1&keywords=tce+2000

Never get an amplified or boosted indoor aerial. They boost the noise more than the signal.

fixXxer

Sorry to jump in here but this is close to what I was thinking of too. Basically we just need Irish and the bbc uk channels. Was thinking of using a upc box without the card as I assume this would still get the free channels ans we still have the UPC connection point. Would one of these work
http://www.argos.ie/static/Browse/ID72/28608375/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entertainment+and+sat+nav%7C14419512/c_2/2%7C14419512%7CDigital+boxes+and+services%7C14419633/c_3/3%7Ccat_14419633%7CSet+top+boxes%7C28608375.htm

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1144697/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entertainment+and+sat+nav%7C14419512/c_2/3%7C19780832%7CDigital+boxes+and+services%7C14419633/c_3/4%7Ccat_14419633%7CDigital+tv+recorders%7C28608209.htm

mass_debater

fixxxer wrote: »

Sorry to jump in here but this is close to what I was thinking of too. Basically we just need Irish and the bbc uk channels. Was thinking of using a upc box without the card as I assume this would still get the free channels ans we still have the UPC connection point. Would one of these work
http://www.argos.ie/static/Browse/ID72/28608375/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entertainment+and+sat+nav%7C14419512/c_2/2%7C14419512%7CDigital+boxes+and+services%7C14419633/c_3/3%7Ccat_14419633%7CSet+top+boxes%7C28608375.htm

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1144697/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entertainment+and+sat+nav%7C14419512/c_2/3%7C19780832%7CDigital+boxes+and+services%7C14419633/c_3/4%7Ccat_14419633%7CDigital+tv+recorders%7C28608209.htm

Not with Upc, you would need a satellite dish

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Capt'n Midnight

Get prices of alternatives then play hardball with UPC

If you get BB from UPC as well then you can cancel the TV and still get 16 analog channels on the cable which include the Irish channels and BBC and C4 , picture quality may not be great though.



BBC and ITV are very picky about geographical and have blocked sales of FreeSat here. It relates to their cut from the UK TV license so isn't going to change any time soon.

Channel 4 allow you to stream over here, I've even had them post me out 3D glasses


Eircom TV is an option. But you need good BB for that. It's an 18 month contract for efibre. It eats into your BB connection. Recording a HD channel while watching another will use up 20Mb of your connection.


Sit down and work out what channels you really need and which ones are just nice to have.

markjbloggs

Have bitten the bullet and decided to cancel UPC. Spoke with one rep who offered a reduction in channels to reduce bill to €42 per month, but told her that this was unacceptable so he transferred me - Have been on hold online and on phone for 45 mins so far to confirm cancellation but they just will not respond!! Piss poor customer service.

Will a response to the email advising of the price increase suffice for a cancellation request?

ardmacha

Your best plan is probably to get UPC Broadband, haggle with them not to charge much for the TV and dump Eircom.

up4dabah

I stuck an old rf cable into a can and i'm getting perfect saorview. i'm in cork city. it's worth trying before forking out money on amazon.

Cushie Butterfield

markjbloggs wrote: »

Will a response to the email advising of the price increase suffice for a cancellation request?

No.

Send an email to resolutionteam@upc.ie giving your 30 day cancellation notice.