Sky Price Rise in ROI

LegacyUser

Hi folks,

Some bad news is in the post for you (if you're a Sky Digital subscriber).

Just got the new Sky Magazine which includes a letter concerning new subscription prices. I currently subscribe to the Movie package which costs £30. However the subscription will be increasing on 1st September to £35.44. It says that while this amount might seem to be an unusual one. it's because it's been calculated in advance of the upcoming conversion to the Euro.

It then says that because I'm a customer for less than 12 months, my charge won't increase until 7th October and it will then be frozen 'til 1st September 2002.

It says the price increase is to bring the monthly charge more in line with customers in the UK and because Sky's costs have grown in the past year as they have invested in original programming and have added new subscription channel such as BBC1 and BBC2.

I suppose we may have gotten away lightly in terms of prices when you convert the sterling amount they've been paying in the UK. I haven't done the conversion yet, but would this be an occurrence of the "rounding up" that the government has been assuring us would not be allowed to happen (how were they ever going to stop it ??)

Also it's interesting that they singled the Beebs out as new "subscription" channels. For some reason it doesn't bode well for the rest of the Beebs and other UK terrestrials. Will we have to pay more for BBC Choice or Channel 4, for example ?

As for the investment in original programming, I think I could live without "The World's Scariest Reps in Ibiza" or whatever it's called.

It's also a fairly hefty price hike. From £30 to £35.44. You work out the percentage.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news ....

LegacyUser

Had to come sooner or later I suppose. I subscribe to the same package as you. I have to agree with you on the programming bit, I don't know how they can say they have invested in new programming when they seem to show Ibiza uncovered etc nearly non-stop.

As you say doesn't bode well for UTV Ch4 coming on and forcing another price rise. mind you if they come on by the end of the year at least as they say the price will be fixed for 12 months.

i doubt if the Government would be too interested in us SkyDigi viewers with regards to the whole "rounding up" scenario.

jim

LegacyUser

as far as i know thats extremely illegal, i dont know the exact law but it is,
imagine the inflation rate if all companies did this

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Gladiator:
as far as i know thats extremely illegal, i dont know the exact law but it is,
imagine the inflation rate if all companies did this</font>

What?

LegacyUser

well if everyone raised price so that the euro converted into an even number, this could tack on alot to the inflation rate,
its meant to be illegal,
i notice none of them dropped their price to make it even

LegacyUser

Yeah, I got my letter yesterday aswell........I can well understand it and was pretty much expecting it, and people get used to the rounding up thing - it was a certainty that all companies are going to use the Euro confusion thing as an excuse to increase prices, we will be ripped off, and again I can't see how the Govt. will be able to do anything about it.

My subscription price won't change until next April, and is then frozen until Sept - again depends on when you got your subscription in the first place. I don't mind too much, I look at what they try to improve and add as opposed to the so called competition and there really is no comparison.

LegacyUser

Any news on the new prices for the other packages, especially the Family pack and Sky World.

LegacyUser

I got the letter yesterday to say the family pack is going up to £21.26. (27euros) from september. Almost a 33% increase.

LegacyUser

is it just or is this aload of bolox http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2001/0726/breaking35.htm

LegacyUser

On a similar issue, Anyone know of a pub in town showing tonights Liverpool game (it's on Sky Sports extra)

Cheers

Penfold

LegacyUser

I've just recieved that letter too. Having re-read it again I wonder if the price increase is actually to cover themselves for the introduction of ITV et al. I have to say a £5 increase wouldn't be that bad if we get those channels. The plot thickens

LegacyUser

£21 for family pack?Arounbd this time last year it was only £13!!!

LegacyUser

who cares, it wastes the competition still.

And big things are gonna happen in the next 2 years.

Astra are launching the biggest (kick a$$) satellite in north america soon and RP will soon own direct TV (or does he already) so we will see direct satellite to satellite feeds of tv from America--->Europe and Europe---->America.
its about to get even better.
well thats what i think will happen as Astra ownz part os Asia Sat (well i think thw own most now) and they do direct feeds from Astra Europe into Asia Sat.

---

Ashley...if only

Ashley Lyn Cafagna

[This message has been edited by chernobyl (edited 26-07-2001).]

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by The Gopher:
£21 for family pack?Arounbd this time last year it was only £13!!!</font>

Even sooner, up until yesterday it was £13.

---

Ashley...if only

Ashley Lyn Cafagna

LegacyUser

Isn't it ironic (as Alanis Morrisette would say) that Sky announce an increase in charges a week after they removed a channel from our service. Although most people won't miss Tara TV too much, I guess there's a lot of people out there with bad RTE reception who would have used it.

What we really need now is an excellent service from NTL/Chorus etc. to bring increased competition and so force Sky to keep prices down and increase choice in Ireland.

As far as terrestrial digital in Ireland is concerned - it's already dead in the water. At the moment, if you want a big selection of channels, Sky is the only place to go - it's not surprising they know they can increase their prices without too much of a fuss.

LegacyUser

I just got the letter there as well....we have the full package and its gone upto £41 squid if memory serves me correctly and Tara was handy cuz we have crap reception on irish channels here in Cavan...good UK channels tho!

an extra few quid a month doesn't seem that much but it all adds up at the end of the year.

Farls

LegacyUser

The Tara thing was nothing to do with Sky, once again it was a stupid decision by RTE, who have incidently announced they are to launch 4 Digital channels (don't get excited, they may well never see the light of day), the channels they are planning to launch won't fill you with excitment either - a 24-hour news channel which turns into a local sports channel at the weekends (fair enough, a good idea), an education channel, a youth channel and more Oireachtas coverage......
For this they will be asking for a hefty license fee increase next year, which they will get I'm sure if the plan is approved...the news channel is to come online in Autumn 2002, with the others the following year - all very scetchy. These channels will apparently cost £40 per year.

I do agree that the services being offered by Sky are getting better all the time, and the proposed takeover of DirecTV (not quite signed and sealed yet) could prove very interesting, but if anyone thinks that NTL or the increasingly fading Chorus are going to bring in good packages at reasonable prices - you're mad......NTL are £15bn in debt, not a sign that they will want to make large subsidies for their customers, and if they are being blocked by regulators from increasing their subscription charges - I reckon they will charge heavily for the new set-top-boxes and installation of same......I'd also look out very soon for a hefty increase in the subscription charges from NTL of Sky channels, just to pass on the increase Sky have made to digital customers.

LegacyUser

well i dont see how they can charge that much for a set top box, if your allready with they, and they want to upgrade you, they cants force it on you,
ill jsut say no idont want digital,
its will be shti anyway, im still ****ed about only being able to watch one thing at one time, *******s, i dont want digital,
and the thought of them charging me serveral hundread pounds for the pleasure of giving them more money each year to watch stations i dont want to watch, is missed up

LegacyUser

Gladiator, who is forcing Sky Digital on you? There is no obligation to sign up for SkyDigi service. Do you have SkyDigi service? It wipes the floor with the likes of NTL's service in Dublin.
If you did some research you'd know that there is a new decoder available soon with which you can watch one channel and record another onto, much like Tivo.
Can you also please tone down the language, not because I am offended by it but it makes it difficult to make sense of your already hard to decipher posts.

LegacyUser

actually i was talking about ntl focing me to use digital or drop them, and actually i know all about Tivo smart ass, but i was lead to believe ntl wont be useing that

LegacyUser

Q>What forum are you posting in
A>Digital satellite.

Tip there is another forum for NTL questions.

I didn't say you didn't know anything about Tivo I said it was coming for SkyDigi.

LegacyUser

i know that, but this topic had already gone off topic in ntl world,

LegacyUser

yes it has, thank you for sending it that way

[This message has been edited by BNC (edited 27-07-2001).]

LegacyUser

"What we really need now is an excellent service from NTL/Chorus etc. to bring increased competition and so force Sky to keep prices down and increase choice in Ireland."

"but if anyone thinks that NTL or the increasingly fading Chorus are going to bring in good packages at reasonable prices - you're mad......NTL are £15bn in debt, not a sign that they will want to make large subsidies for their customers, and if they are being blocked by regulators from increasing their subscription charges - I reckon they will charge heavily for the new set-top-boxes and installation of same......I'd also look out very soon for a hefty increase in the subscription charges from NTL of Sky channels, "

no i think these lads did, but thanks for being a pain

LegacyUser

Given that the topic in question is the increase in Sky Digital's prices, I think it's reasonable to discuss other companies services in the context of keeping Sky's prices down.

Let's face it the two points have a strong bearing on each other.

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Charles Slane:
Given that the topic in question is the increase in Sky Digital's prices, I think it's reasonable to discuss other companies services in the context of keeping Sky's prices down.

Let's face it the two points have a strong bearing on each other.</font>

Absolutely, I think its wrong though to make sweeping statements as to the fact that NTL's digi service will be rubbbish when it hasn't even been launched yet, and also to compare it to SkyDigi when the person making these statements doesn't actually have it! (I don't work for either company )

I think the service's from Sky are worth the increase, as stated by someone else. Something that is overlooked on this is you are also paying for the quality of the service. How many of us ditched Chorus because of their lack of customer focus, their bad reception etc. When I lived in Dublin it, was cablelink at the time, their customer facing skills left a lot to be desired and the reception could be patchy to say the most.
i think we should take in the overall picture, Digital quality Sound and picture, huge choice, and good customer service, hardly any breakdown in service (I had a problem and the engineer arrived the same day!). I think this adds up to a good package for the money.

LegacyUser

i didnt compare it to sky you muppet, never not once, stop!
and ntl cable is at this point in time crap, how would do you think it will be with 40 digital channels going down the same lines

LegacyUser

my apologies i read one of your post's incorrectly in regards sky. my other comments stand.

[This message has been edited by BNC (edited 27-07-2001).]

LegacyUser

Isnt the family pack currently £16 Chernobyl?

LegacyUser

If you were an early subscriber (like me), you would have had the cost of Sky World frozen for 2.5 years at IEP£29.99 per month. I got my letter and from September this year it goes up to £41.74 (€53) per month. That becomes quite expensive, specially if the Sky+ gets launched here and costs £10 or more extra per month.

I'd still pay it though - beats the c**p out of Chorus.

Mark.

LegacyUser

There's been a lot of coverage in the Irish Sunday papers about the price rise which doesn't look very good for Sky Digital. They could do with improving the public's perception of them.

Maybe it's time to announce Interactivity for Irish subscribers.

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BNC:
Gladiator, who is forcing Sky Digital on you? There is no obligation to sign up for SkyDigi service. </font>

Well if you subscribe to Sky Analogue, you pretty much have no choice now.

---

Ashley...if only

Ashley Lyn Cafagna

LegacyUser

I am a very recent SD subscribed, like one month, so does this mean i will have the pay incerase right away?

How come i dont get a sky mag?

LegacyUser

your price will rise after your first year contract ends (ie) 12 months after you ordered your installation/ signed the contract.

---

Ashley...if only

Ashley Lyn Cafagna

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by chernobyl:

Well if you subscribe to Sky Analogue, you pretty much have no choice now.

</font>

Very true, he was talking about NTL though, as I later figured out I wonder will it be the same case for NTL viewers when they get Digi.

Fi. They will eventually get around to sending you your mag. took them about two months to send mine out. Why dont you ring them and ask, never know you might get a freebie or something which isn't unheard of

---

How do I set a laser printer to stun?

LegacyUser

As far as i know NTL will force you to upgrade to Digital if the area is enabled for it, and NTL now have digital feeds of the sky channels even on analogue (but they are obviously converted to analogue beforehand..duh! )

---

Ashley...if only

Ashley Lyn Cafagna

LegacyUser

jeez, thats going to go down well with a lot of people . to calm any big outcry with that they would surely have to keep the pricing as it is now for the analogue service. or else introduce the service with all the "bells and whistles" ready to go on launch i.e interactive, email etc..

(this should really be in the Cable MMDS board) sorry we've gone off topic.



[This message has been edited by BNC (edited 29-07-2001).]

LegacyUser

BNC thankyou dare i ask do you know the phone number i should ring?

Is there anything good in the mag?

icdg

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by chernobyl:
As far as i know NTL will force you to upgrade to Digital if the area is enabled for it,
</font>

No, NTL have not forced any of their UK subscribers to upgrade to digital (although they have done stuff like increasing analogue fees to the same as digital and/or offering free conversion). Analogue cable switch off will simply not happen for at least three years, unlike analogue Sky which will be switched off completely in September.

Can anyone supply me with a list of the exact new prices for all packs (Value, themed, Family, Sports, Movies, and World) so I can post them on the website?

LegacyUser

hmm something tell me that the email part wont be with ntl digital in september,
i have to wonder how they would do that anyway with out a two way cable network, unless they connected it up to the phone,

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by fi:
BNC thankyou dare i ask do you know the phone number i should ring?

Is there anything good in the mag?

</font>

Fi- The phone number for Sky is 1800 535 767. Hope this helps

Prices also went up in UK but they're obviously not as high as here. Wonder when we can expect to see UTV, C4 (if ever), Interactive (email, betting, etc)

---

WILL D

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by irishblimp:
Wonder when we can expect to see UTV, C4 (if ever), Interactive (email, betting, etc)


[/B]</font>

Well, Will, we could start taking bets now

LegacyUser

Actually the price here for Sky World is still cheaper than in the UK once you take the difference in Sterling into account. Sky World in the UK is UK£34. €53 works out at just over UK£32.

LegacyUser

Why can't we send e-mail from sky text. The price rise is to bring us in line with the UK but we can't use all the services.Wots that all about.

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by enday2k:
Why can't we send e-mail from sky text. The price rise is to bring us in line with the UK but we can't use all the services.Wots that all about.</font>

It has been mentioned elsewhere in this forum that Sky and an undisclosed telecoms company (probably Eircom as they install dishes) are working on launching an Irish based interactive system or something in the near future. This will include email, betting etc. You will find it also somewhere in the archives (about fortnite ago) of www.electricnews.net .

---

WILL D

LegacyUser

just about to order sky digtal with my £50 but it was £80, ffs, when did that happen? :S

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Gideon2000:
just about to order sky digtal with my £50 but it was £80, ffs, when did that happen? :S</font>

Been like that since beginning of July. Also now compulsory to have it connected to phoneline so if you've no landline, you get no SkyD. Why not subscribe to Sky World and get install for £60. Then after about a month or so, degrade subscription!

---

WILL D

LegacyUser

Do they not have any kind of stipulation in the contract that says you have keep the Sky World subscription for a year ? Surely everyone would take advantage of it otherwise. If not it's a great idea.

LegacyUser

The price rise is to bring us in line with the UK but we can't use all the services.Wots that all about.

Irrespective of the Sky price rise, it beats the hell out of paying Chorus IEP18.50 monthly for their handful of channels, and dodgy service. Joe Public seems to agree, and on a daily basis I see MMDS aeriels disappear, and mini-dishes appear on my, and the the adjoining estate. One wonders how many subscribers Chorus have left...and for how long!

LegacyUser

Re: Sky Price hike.
There are a number of points to consider here

1. Initially, Sky were precluded from offering the free Digibox offer, so they duplicated the Irish pricing with Sterling.
This meant Irish viewers were paying quite a bit less for say, the family pack
(Stg £30 v. IR£30 equv. to Stg.£24 approx.)

2. The Euro excuse is to explain why the Irish prices are so uneven
e.g. IR£ 47.42 instead of IR£ 47.50

3. The price jump was higher for the fact that subs were kept low for people who bought their equipment initially, like a lot of Irish people did.

4. The BBC addition (with more to follow) did not come cheap. If the UK terrestrials were FTA, we would see a blue screen every time a good movie or sports event went on air, leaving theae channels useless for most.

5. Finally, pd's point about people leaving Chorus for Sky is very valid.
Chorus' service left a lot to be desired, to put it mildly, and people will pay a premium for a superb service like Sky.

I am a Sky subscriber, I don't like paying higher charges, but anything is better than what had.. no choice.

LegacyUser

Pat,
I couldn't agree more.
I have the full sky package and film four ( £47 from next january), reason being , if I want a years experience of Sky so I'm able to know what is there, and fully decide what I'm likely to watch.
I also have an ondigital box , giving me an idea what digital terrestial will be like.
When the latter becomes available in Ireland , I will be making my informed choice based on price and programmes.
mm
Incidently if I went to the sky family pack , I could buy a DVD player and several rentals with the saving , or I could go for Itish DTT ( when available) and do the same.