UPC Only Building?

Saint Sonner

I live in new apartments - there are about 100 apts.

They only cable option we have is UPC and we are not allowed to get Sky. Is this possible or allowable and if not what can we do to change the situation?

athtrasna

Saint Sonner wrote: »

I live in new apartments - there are about 100 apts.

They only cable option we have is UPC and we are not allowed to get Sky. Is this possible or allowable and if not what can we do to change the situation?

Satellite dishes are not typically permitted in the planning permission for apartment developments. Are you an owner? If so did you not check this before you bought?

seamus

Pretty soon someone's going to come on and tell you that access to a satellite dish is a human right and you can go ahead and mount one on the external wall without repercussions.

But they're wrong.

The management company own the building (even if you "own" your apartment) and so you must get approval from the management company before you can change or install anything on the building, including satellite dishes.

For apartment installs, the companies generally refuse to do individual installs and instead require that a set number of apartments sign up to make it viable.
But again, you need your management company to contact Sky to get it set up. If the management company decide they're not interested, you're out of luck.

Arbiter of Good Taste

seamus wrote: »

Pretty soon someone's going to come on and tell you that access to a satellite dish is a human right and you can go ahead and mount one on the external wall without repercussions.

But they're wrong.

The management company own the building (even if you "own" your apartment) and so you must get approval from the management company before you can change or install anything on the building, including satellite dishes.

For apartment installs, the companies generally refuse to do individual installs and instead require that a set number of apartments sign up to make it viable.
But again, you need your management company to contact Sky to get it set up. If the management company decide they're not interested, you're out of luck.

Just to add, IF it is permitted, and IF the management company is interested, it is still likely to go to a vote of owners. So unless a majority of units are happy, it isn't going to happen

maximoose

I heard a Sky ad on the radio yesterday specifically targeting apartment dwellers

http://www.sky.com/ireland/tv/skyinyourapartment/

Thousands of apartments in Ireland are ready for Sky TV. No dish required. Call 0818 762 888

Not sure of the specifics. Might be worth a call?

newacc2015

A lot of apartment blocks have a communal dish somewhere on the block. Maybe ask the management company if they have one?

Saint Sonner

Sorry yeah I meant to say that I rent and the whole apartment block is rental only so I take it we would just have to follow advice above.

Senecio

maximoose wrote: »

I heard a Sky ad on the radio yesterday specifically targeting apartment dwellers

http://www.sky.com/ireland/tv/skyinyourapartment/



Not sure of the specifics. Might be worth a call?

I believe this is targeted at people using the SkyGo app over broadband.

Saint Sonner

athtrasna wrote: »

Satellite dishes are not typically permitted in the planning permission for apartment developments. Are you an owner? If so did you not check this before you bought?

Just on that I remember when the letting agent was getting me to sign up I asked him about whats the story with internet and tv and he said go with UPC is amazing I have it at home. He was kind of smarmy and keen to get the deal signed - now on hindsight I see what he was at.

I stupidly never thought of raising the question was sky available!

listermint

At least your broadband will be spot on.

There are better things in life than Sky

Saint Sonner

Senecio wrote: »

I believe this is targeted at people using the SkyGo app over broadband.

I'm interested in this.

I have sky go through my subscription at another premises in Northern Ireland. Is it possible for me to watch through the TV now?

Saint Sonner

listermint wrote: »

At least your broadband will be spot on.

There are better things in life than Sky

TRUE just so sick of paying for the UPC TV when it is in my opinion total garbage!!!!

L1011

Senecio wrote: »

I believe this is targeted at people using the SkyGo app over broadband.

Its not. Sky have had communal dish systems installed in a huge number of blocks (at their expense) recently.

riclad

And you might be asked to take it down, you might be able to put a small dish on the balcony, if it’s faced in the right direction to pick up the sky signal. http://www. boards. ie/vbulletin/showthread. php?t=2055761436

Make sure the dish is fully secure. If I wanted to install a dish, I have to put it underneath the bathroom window. I’d have to go into my neighbour’s garden to install a dish. I have no access to the roof where i live. NO point installing a dish if you can’t get a signal from the satellite. I’ll just rely on online TV, or cable TV for the moment.

Lux23

A management company can't have an exclusivity agreement with a TV company for more than five years as the TV company will have recouped the money spent on installing the communal dish. The management company can ban individual satellite dishes but should really hold a competitive tender at reasonable intervals to allow their tenants to get the best deal.

Really if UPC have supplied the building for more than five years then the management company has really no excuse from blocking Sky in to install a communal dish.

http://www.tca.ie/EN/Whats-The-Story/Whats-the-story-withgetting-TV-into-my-apartment.aspx

athtrasna

OP as a tenant you have no right to install a dish or to contact the management company in relation to this issue. You can ask your landlord about it and they could pursue it with the management company. Or they might not. They might also bear it in mind when renewing your lease or not.

Next time you rent do some research before you move. The vast majority of apartment developments do not permit satellite dishes. Yes there are some with communal dishes but a visual scan should reveal this.

Marcusm

athtrasna wrote: »

OP as a tenant you have no right to install a dish or to contact the management company in relation to this issue. You can ask your landlord about it and they could pursue it with the management company. Or they might not. They might also bear it in mind when renewing your lease or not.

Next time you rent do some research before you move. The vast majority of apartment developments do not permit satellite dishes. Yes there are some with communal dishes but a visual scan should reveal this.

Seriously? Most landlords would be quite happy with a ten at contacting a management company to establish whether a communal dish exists. While I am very tall, even I find it difficult to establish whether there is/are communal satellite dish(Es) on apartment buildings.

There are only a small number of whole block rentals in Dublin; if yours is a Kennedy Wilson block it may be that they are tied into an initial service contract. Having had such a rental for 7 years, I found them very proactive in opening up once the exclusivity period ended.

athtrasna

Marcusm wrote: »

Seriously? Most landlords would be quite happy with a ten at contacting a management company to establish whether a communal dish exists.

It's not the landlord's perspective I was speaking from. The management company has no requirement to deal with tenant enquiries and certainly not with challenges to management company policies.

pinkypinky

Sky installed a communal dish in my building, by agreement with the management company, at no cost to the development.
Individuals then paid for installation into their own apartment.

You would need your landlord to approach the management company about it, but it's certainly doable.

Lux23

athtrasna wrote: »

It's not the landlord's perspective I was speaking from. The management company has no requirement to deal with tenant enquiries and certainly not with challenges to management company policies.

Any management company I ever encountered would deal with tenant queries. Plus when the polices directly affect the tenants then the management company should be sensible enough to deal with the most important stakeholder.

MarkAnthony

Senecio wrote: »

I believe this is targeted at people using the SkyGo app over broadband.

It's not.

It's communal dishes on the roof.

As for finding out of dishes are present, easier to contact Sky I'd imagine.

athtrasna

Lux23 wrote: »

Any management company I ever encountered would deal with tenant queries. Plus when the polices directly affect the tenants then the management company should be sensible enough to deal with the most important stakeholder.

I'd disagree. Tenants are transient, landlords signed up to contracts at purchase with lots of stipulations, often including a ban on satellite dishes. If a tenant wants to put up a satellite dish then they need to move to somewhere that permits that.

If there was an option of communal dishes then I don't see how the OP's building could be UPC only?

Marcusm

athtrasna wrote: »

I'd disagree. Tenants are transient, landlords signed up to contracts at purchase with lots of stipulations, often including a ban on satellite dishes. If a tenant wants to put up a satellite dish then they need to move to somewhere that permits that.

If there was an option of communal dishes then I don't see how the OP's building could be UPC only?

Irrespective of the view of the management company, planning permission will never be granted for individual satellite dishes. The issue is whether there is a communal dish, whether the OP can access it or whether one could be installed. Multiple options for tv enhance the value of apartment developments. It was common place in the boom for developers to take funding from ntl/upc and grant a period of exclusivity: when this expires, some management companies engage satellite companies such as SkyConway and allow them to offer a competing product. Other more enlightened management companies recognising that open access is often in the best interest of all residents either permit Sky to put up a dish (generally on a hidden place on the roof) or fund it themselves. This is then simply connected into the cables already existing i. The building such that satellite is obtained through a port which might have upc or ntl written on it. This is no different if the original developer had specc'd out electrical sockets with ESB written on them.

Issues often arise where management company directors fail to understand or inform themselves and rule out options which are low or no cost and might be of value to fellow residents.

awec

Saint Sonner wrote: »

I'm interested in this.

I have sky go through my subscription at another premises in Northern Ireland. Is it possible for me to watch through the TV now?

Yep. If you have something to get it onto your TV, e.g. a playstation or xbox with the sky go app or the right cables for your laptop.

L1011

Saint Sonner wrote: »

I have sky go through my subscription at another premises in Northern Ireland. Is it possible for me to watch through the TV now?

I suspect an NI SkyGo sub won't work long term (if at all) from an ROI IP address.

the_syco

maximoose wrote: »

I heard a Sky ad on the radio yesterday specifically targeting apartment dwellers

http://www.sky.com/ireland/tv/skyinyourapartment/

Not sure of the specifics. Might be worth a call?

In the T&C;

Sky functionality requires two satellite feeds

=-=

In saying that, if you have SkyGo on the laptop, can't see why it wouldn't work if you connect the laptop upto the TV.

Then install a WiFii Mouse on your phone & laptop, and you can then control the laptop/TV from your coach

riclad

I seems to vary , some blocks allow people to install dish,s close to balconys,
Some buildings will not allow any dishes at all ,
apart from 1 communal dish installed by sky .
Its easy to check before you move in to a building ,
look around the block.
IF you have broadband get netflix, or similar ip services .
Most sky channels are also on upc as far as i can see .
Apart from the fta satellite channels .
i installed a sky hd box, with one feed ,
it just means my friend can record one channel at a time .
whens she,s gone out , or busy reading etc.
Her block has 1 sky feed in each apartment.

Nichard Dixon

Communal dishes are all very fine, but how is the signal distributed to individual apartments?

MarkAnthony

Nichard Dixon wrote: »

Communal dishes are all very fine, but how is the signal distributed to individual apartments?

Cables. I've 16 feeds in my home. My old apartment had 4 dishes which would have been 64 feeds, presuming they don't use larger LNBs. Seriously this isn't rocket science although I suppose it does involve space :pac:

Actually thinking about it IIRC mine was a optical splitter with 4 feeds into the apartment. I think I had the box crash on me (freeze) 4 times in 5 years. My UPC used to do that 4 times a week.

In fairness they broke my window fitting it. It was repaired within a couple of days. The glazier was so good I got the windows done!

greasepalm

if apartments are wired should be through your wall plate when built.

Marcusm

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Cables. I've 16 feeds in my home. My old apartment had 4 dishes which would have been 64 feeds, presuming they don't use larger LNBs. Seriously this isn't rocket science although I suppose it does involve space :pac:

Actually thinking about it IIRC mine was a optical splitter with 4 feeds into the apartment. I think I had the box crash on me (freeze) 4 times in 5 years. My UPC used to do that 4 times a week.

In fairness they broke my window fitting it. It was repaired within a couple of days. The glazier was so good I got the windows done!

They shouldn't need to have 4 dishes; I lived in an apartment block with60 units and a single dish no larger than a standard Sky dish. Each apartment had 2-4 feeds. They can use a stacker-destacker or similar function. In a lot of UK blocks, Sky have even begun rolling out a single feed solution where there is only a single cable run. With a small tweak, two signals can be obtained to run Sky+ efficiently of to use standard boxes in two rooms. None of this is rocket science and even retrofitting is not that expensive.

L1011

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Cables. I've 16 feeds in my home. My old apartment had 4 dishes which would have been 64 feeds, presuming they don't use larger LNBs. Seriously this isn't rocket science although I suppose it does involve space :pac:

Actually thinking about it IIRC mine was a optical splitter with 4 feeds into the apartment. I think I had the box crash on me (freeze) 4 times in 5 years. My UPC used to do that 4 times a week.

In fairness they broke my window fitting it. It was repaired within a couple of days. The glazier was so good I got the windows done!

They use multiswitches rather than multiple dishes. Buildings with multiple different dishes are usually offering multiple satellites for those who want foreign packages. Not uncommon on newer blocks.

awec

L1011 wrote: »

I suspect an NI SkyGo sub won't work long term (if at all) from an ROI IP address.

Works fine.

The only thing that doesn't work in my experience is ITV over Sky Go.

athtrasna

Moderator note

Can we get back on topic please. The satellite tv forum is a more appropriate place to discuss the logistics of satellite feeds from communal dishes. Thanks.