Virgin Media - analogue TV service reduction and switch off

dodzy

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

I spoke too soon, gone of this morning also. I haven't done anything about it either, was using it as the only source of TV so will now be ordering a satellite receiver box to hook up an existing dish for FTA channels and probably also have to get an aeriel for the different Irish soarview channels.
Might then move from Virgin altogether as paying them €56/m for broadband (they wouldn't play ball when contract was up a couple of months ago and best they'd offer me was €5 off per month). Always got 6 months half price previously.

I advised a few friend in the same boat to call and express their desire to move away from VM. they have all received 9mths at half price (92 down to 46), returning to full price in month 10 and 5 extra per box, per mth. Not horrific. These calls were all made yesterday.

Dr_Colossus

dodzy wrote: »

I advised a few friend in the same boat to call and express their desire to move away from VM. they have all received 9mths at half price (92 down to 46), returning to full price in month 10 and 5 extra per box, per mth. Not horrific. These calls were all made yesterday.

Thanks, I've never had a Virgin TV service and no interest in paying them extra over my existing broadband package so don't have the same bargaining power. Will still try ringing them as the analogue service was handy so could use it's removal as an excuse to move altogether.

dodzy

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Thanks, I've never had a Virgin TV service and no interest in paying them extra over my existing broadband package so don't have the same bargaining power. Will still try ringing them as the analogue service was handy so could use it's removal as an excuse to move altogether.

Unlikely you'll get anything like the 'fiver per box' deal considering you have no existing TV sub, but sure, nothing ventured......;)

Wabbit Ears

dodzy wrote: »

Unlikely you'll get anything like the 'fiver per box' deal considering you have no existing TV sub, but sure, nothing ventured......;)

Except that the converstaion is essentially "hey, I havent ever paid you for your tv service but Ive been using it anyway. So, eh, because im not stealing from you anymore any chance of a discount?"

bulbs2010

Wabbit Ears wrote: »

Except that the converstaion is essentially "hey, I havent ever paid you for your tv service but Ive been using it anyway. So, eh, because im not stealing from you anymore any chance of a discount?"

Everybody that has been paying for broadband has been paying 5 euro a month from there bill for the analog service sky were aware there channels were been carried on analog

Wabbit Ears

bulbs2010 wrote:

Everybody that has been paying for broadband has been paying 5 euro a month from there bill for the analog service sky were aware there channels were been carried on analog

Yea. That's not correct. I'm genuinely curious why you think it is? Does it actually say analog service on the bill?

AndrewJRenko

Darando wrote: »

Have 2 boxes downstairs and just old analog in bedroom-thinking of getting the digital working upstairs using a hdmi splitter on the output side from the downstairs box but problem is changing a channel (any long range remote type system that might work??) I won’t be watching downstairs at same time as upstairs btw.. (don’t want to give them money for another rarely used box)

My problem is a wiring problem. The TV in the bedroom is mounted on the wall with the Virgin analogue wired behind the wall. Even if they provided a free box, I really don't want to have an ugly cable hanging down from my otherwise pristine wall.

Is there any kind of wireless connection I can get to connect the TV to a digital box? Something like a Chromecast, but for all TV. I don't have a dish at all, and I'd prefer to avoid that if possible.

ozmo

Darando wrote: »

Have 2 boxes downstairs and just old analog in bedroom-thinking of getting the digital working upstairs using a hdmi splitter on the output side from the downstairs box but problem is changing a channel (any long range remote type system that might work??) I won’t be watching downstairs at same time as upstairs btw.. (don’t want to give them money for another rarely used box)

You can get a hdmi over Ethernet adapter for about 40 -it splits the signal and has a remote control relay to the Upc box.
Make sure to get one that has a hdmi output at the sender so you don’t need a separate powered splitter.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B071S7VQWX

Delta2113

bulbs2010 wrote: »

Everybody that has been paying for broadband has been paying 5 euro a month from there bill for the analog service sky were aware there channels were been carried on analog

- Maybe your thinking about the old Broadband standalone charge which once was €6 and then went to €8 per month.

OfTheMarsWongs

Received a letter yesterday to say analog in Limerick being switched off in June. Forget the exact date, think it was around the 16th.

Got one today...June 18th for me. Not sure whether to stick with Virgin or go the Satellite route. Anybody more savvy like to give me the pros and cons please?

TPMP

Got the letter today. It came out of the blue for me as I had no idea this was slowly being phased out. I live on the 9th floor of my building so getting a FTA satellite is not possible. What are the alternatives? Any tv packages I see are 50+ a month which seems very expensive.

The Cush

TPMP wrote: »

What are the alternatives? Any tv packages I see are 50+ a month which seems very expensive.

VM have a TV sub for €20 per month with 30 day contract.

https://www.virginmedia.ie/television/buy-a-tv-package/

bulbs2010

Wabbit Ears wrote: »

Yea. That's not correct. I'm genuinely curious why you think it is? Does it actually say analog service on the bill?

HI i USED WORK FOR UPC AND WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS THE CASE

icdg

No SHOUTING

Windowsnut

My grandparents just received a text that the Analogue service is going to be cut on the 5th of June about an hour ago.

They must be the last Analogue subscribers in Dublin!

They where happy with just the 6 channels and that they only had to learn to use a 5 button remote! (Volume up and down, program up and down and on/off button) and the fact that only one coax had to be run between two TV's in the house.

Going to try get two TV's with integrated satellite and terrestrial tuners that will allow me to store the six channels they use in the order they like - Pretty Crazy!!! I know!

It would have been a lot easier if Virgin had of moved the MPEG 2 versions of the "old Favourites" into one bouquet and left it clear so that the kitchen and bedroom TV's wouldn't be left with nothing after switch-off!!

RTE 1, RTE 2, BBC 1, BBC 2 ITV & CH4...

If they had of done this they could have continued to pay the nominal amount they do every month for the past 40 years and wouldn't have cause me this much commotion having to install a dish and an aerial for freesat and freeview!!



On another note, this really IS the end of the Analogue Era! I don't know how many TV's I've tuned those 15 channels in on and then sat for an hour trying to work out how to add the name to each one - every new TV seemed to have invented a new way of entering the names - Some of the later versions were great when they picked up the names from the teletext service... ( RTE 2 still comes up as Net2 on some still today!)

It was also always handy when you moved into a new place for the first night or two, it was a grand service, you could set up the tv and get the "bare basics" until you got the digital box was posted out!

I have to say it will be missed!!

It was also handy for fault finding - if the box or broadband started acting up, you could check if there was an analogue tv service still on and verify that the fault was not with your setup very quickly!

I think the reason sky 1 and MTV are still on it today has something to do with the bust up they had with Cablelink in the 90's after which some very skilled negotiators managed to negotiate a carriage deal for the remaining life of the system!

mackersdublin

Windowsnut wrote: »

My grandparents just received a text that the Analogue service is going to be cut on the 5th of June about an hour ago.

Aren't customers suppose to get 6 weeks notice?


And whereabouts in Dublin are they based?

Windowsnut

The only other pain in the ass thing is that most new houses in Dublin built within the last 20 years has had a single coax cable looped all over the house with the intention of just installing a small TV two foot down from the ceiling in bedrooms kitchens!

To keep some service, they will now have to add one of these monstrously sized horizon boxes on the wall!

Windowsnut

mackersdublin wrote: »

Aren't customers suppose to get 6 weeks notice?


And whereabouts in Dublin are they based?

Based in Greenhills, they didn’t notice anything in the post - probably wouldn’t have know what it was anyway!

coylemj

Windowsnut wrote: »

To keep some service, they will now have to add one of these monstrously sized horizon boxes on the wall!

Bit of an exaggeration there, you don't need a 'monstrously-sized' Horizon box for a TV that previously relied on the analog signal. The non-recording digital box in my bedroom fits snugly under the TV base. The biggest hassle people are going to have is that you will have an extra plug that has to go in somewhere so I suspect there will be a big increase in the sale of double adapters.

ozmo

coylemj wrote: »

Bit of an exaggeration there, you don't need a 'monstrously-sized' Horizon box for a TV ...

Neighbour got one this week - 20 euros I think a month for basic TV stations (feeeddom no contract rolling plan) - and I was surprised at how big the box was - installation charge is very high though if you have pay it.

The old upc digital boxes were tiny - these are not - If TV is on a cabinet its like an old VHS recorder type of size - but if its flush mounted on the wall like the last poster suggested - then its going to look very odd mounted on the wall - plus it seems to have a fan so not silent.

coylemj

ozmo wrote: »

Neighbour got one this week - 20 euros I think a month for basic TV stations (feeeddom no contract rolling plan) - and I was surprised at how big the box was - installation charge is very high though if you have pay it.

The old upc digital boxes were tiny - these are not - If TV is on a cabinet its like an old VHS recorder type of size - but if its flush mounted on the wall like the last poster suggested - then its going to look very odd mounted on the wall - plus it seems to have a fan so not silent.

That looks like a recording box with a HDD (hard disk drive) inside, I wonder does VM insist that the first digital box in a house is a full function device with recording capabilities?

Seems strange for people that are moving from analog but the default in these situations is to upsell, maybe your friend should have asked for a multiroom box - the VM term for a bedroom or kitchen box with no HDD.

My little silver Pace box in the bedroom broke and as a replacement, they shipped me a box with a HDD which used to spin up (and wake me up) for a s/w refresh at 4 a.m. every morning. It took a call lasting an hour to convince a lady in the Philippines that I wanted a box with no HDD so I could get a night's sleep.

So if you're getting a box for the bedroom to replace the analog signal, be warned and make sure the digital box you get has no HDD. Based on my experience, the only term the call agents understand for this box is 'multiroom'.

ozmo

coylemj wrote: »

.. I wonder does VM insist that the first digital box in a house is a full function device with recording capabilities?
..My little silver Pace box in the bedroom broke and as a replacement, they shipped me a box with a HDD which used to spin up (and wake me up)..
..Based on my experience, the only term the call agents understand for this box is 'multiroom'.

Yes - good advice - ask for a multiroom even for the main room if you like silent low power devices.

Possibly the older Pace devices couldn't handle the HD signals so they just send out the bigger ones - she is an elderly lady who was very impressed with the HD quality transmission of the recent uk royal wedding though!

icdg

I have vague memories of there having originally been promised a Horizon multroom Box (which would have worked along the lines of Sky Q mini) which never ever arrived.

For whatever reason that may be, Virgin have always continued to ship UPC Mediaboxes for multiroom, even though it has the old UPC EPG. I can’t remember if there was ever a UPC HD PVR - I don’t think there was but someone will probably correct me on that one - but the black mini (non-PVR) boxes most cetainly could do HD, but not HD swap (so RTE One HD is on 135, for example)

coylemj

icdg wrote: »

... the black mini (non-PVR) boxes most cetainly could do HD, but not HD swap (so RTE One HD is on 135, for example)

+1 the HD channels are mainly at 135, 136 etc. so I have SD and HD versions of RTE and BBC in the bedroom whereas on the Horizon box downstairs, with the exception of BBC2 NI on 109, the HD versions replaced all of the SD channels at 101, 102 .....

OfTheMarsWongs

icdg wrote: »

I have vague memories of there having originally been promised a Horizon multroom Box (which would have worked along the lines of Sky Q mini) which never ever arrived.

For whatever reason that may be, Virgin have always continued to ship UPC Mediaboxes for multiroom, even though it has the old UPC EPG. I can’t remember if there was ever a UPC HD PVR - I don’t think there was but someone will probably correct me on that one - but the black mini (non-PVR) boxes most cetainly could do HD, but not HD swap (so RTE One HD is on 135, for example)

There was a HD PVR, it was flatter but wider than the Horizon. I had one pre-Horizon.

ozmo

ozmo wrote: »

Oh - just to mention - the remote on this box she got (pictured) has a full qwerty keyboard on the back... thought that was unusual - kinda cool but not sure what I'd use it for on vm box...

coylemj

ozmo wrote: »

Oh - just to mention - the remote on this box she got (pictured) has a full qwerty keyboard on the back... thought that was unusual - kinda cool but not sure what I'd use it for on vm box...

There's a few 'apps' that you can use on the Horizon box, the keyboard is there to enter text like userid/password or search arguments into apps like Netflix and Twitter.

L1011

OfTheMarsWongs wrote: »

There was a HD PVR, it was flatter but wider than the Horizon. I had one pre-Horizon.

Cisco branded unit. And compared to Horizon it was fantastic.

Capt'n Midnight

Deleted User wrote: »

Got one today...June 18th for me. Not sure whether to stick with Virgin or go the Satellite route. Anybody more savvy like to give me the pros and cons please?

It depends.

What channels do you watch ?

Most likely you'll get the Irish channels on an aerial on your TV.
The three Virgin channels are in low definition but most of what they show is available in HD on Freesat anyway.

If you need sports or certain kids channels or latest movies you'll have to buy them somewhere. Netflix can be used to top up stuff too.



Freesat has over Channels if you include radio and shopping channels. If you already have a SKY dish (and it isn't SKYQ) you can pickup a second hand Freesat box on ebay , hook up the cables, use something like BT1 as the postcodes and job done. Look at your neighbours to see which way the dishes point, if you live in an apartment then it might be a case of Do Not Pass Go.