Want to move from virgin media to no bills, best option?

zweton · 01-02-2019 12:20PM #1

Hello, not sure if this is the right forum but basically i want to move my mum off of virgin media to something where she wont have any bills. She really just watches rte1,2,tg4,tv3 so anything else would be a bonus. I assume this would be the free to air option? Would a dish have to be installed?

Meant to add, would it be possible to but her a new telly with saorview built in to get around any dish? Is the dish a must have?

Thanks

Gerry Wicklow · 01-02-2019 12:28PM

In the vast majority of cases a dish is only needed for the UK channels. For Saorview (Irish channels) only she will probably need an conventional roof aerial. If her TV is reasonably new it should already have the correct tuner built in. If she is in a strong signal area she may get away with an indoor aerial. Use this site to see more info.

zweton · 01-02-2019 12:52PM

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

In the vast majority of cases a dish is only needed for the UK channels. For Saorview (Irish channels) only she will probably need an conventional roof aerial. If her TV is reasonably new it should already have the correct tuner built in. If she is in a strong signal area she may get away with an indoor aerial. Use this site to see more info.

Thanks Gerry, an aerial would be ideal. Are these tempremental or usually ok once up and running. I am looking into TVs now for her that have a tuner built in, wont need anything larger than a 30" if even. The one she has at the moment definetly doesnt have one built in.

Ten Pin · 01-02-2019 01:34PM

If you buy a new TV consider one with a satellite tuner as well as the terrestrial (Saorview) tuner. That will give the option of having FTA UK channels by adding a dish at a later stage.
If you have no aerial currently then you might as well get a dish installed at the same time. Just be careful of planning requirements (for the dish) if the house is in an urban location

zweton · 01-02-2019 01:38PM

Ten Pin wrote: »

If you buy a new TV consider one with a satellite tuner as well as the terrestrial (Saorview) tuner. That will give the option of having FTA UK channels by adding a dish.
If you have no aerial currently then you might as well get a dish installed at the same time. Just be careful of planning requirements (for the dish) if the house is in an urban location

Is there a website where i can check which tvs would have both ten pin?

Sorry not clued up on all this telly stuff!

Ten Pin · 01-02-2019 01:59PM

Power city, look for "Saorview & Satellite" in description...
https://powercity.ie/groups/10/12

They also have a combo box for 90e, TV needs to have HDMI input (or scart but preferably HDMI)...
https://powercity.ie/product/WPS818C

zweton · 01-02-2019 03:13PM

contacted power city and will need an aerial and a dish even with a sat tuner built in they were saying.

Ten Pin · 01-02-2019 03:28PM

You would only need both if you wanted to use both.

So you could buy the TV with Saorview and satellite tuners and only install an aerial for Saorview. The TV will absolutely work without the satellite dish connected, obviously you won't get the satellite channels but you will still get RTE1/2 VM1/2/3 TG4 via the aerial.

Getting a TV with a satellite tuner just gives the option of satellite channels if you decide in a few months to put a dish up. For the extra 20-30 euro on a TV it's worth it IMO. For example UTV (and ITV) is available on satellite and while a lot of ITV programs are already on VM on Saorview, some are not.

The Cush · 01-02-2019 05:01PM

zweton wrote: »

Is there a website where i can check which tvs would have both ten pin?

I would recommend one of the Vestel based TVs from Toshiba/Walker/Nordmende. Saorview and satellite channels in a single list, satellite channels start from 300 upwards. The TV comes with a preset list of satellite channels. The sat channels can be backed up to a USB stick and can be shared with other Vestel based TVs/boxes.

I would recommend the Toshiba over the other 2 makes - https://powercity.ie/groups/10/12/15110

Tigerandahalf · 02-02-2019 09:35AM

Be careful getting a tv with a satellite tuner. Some will only offer now or next on the epg while the freesat branded ones are meant to give user issues with the epg.

Johnboy1951 · 02-02-2019 12:25PM

I would keep the existing TV if it is still serviceable, and get a combo STB to feed the TV.
At least that way you can be sure to get the functions required in the STB, which would be easy return if not working correctly.

I would strongly consider the above even if the TV needed replacing.

Several combo STBs are suggested on these forums.

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Want to move from virgin media to no bills, best option?

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