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Free to air system or UPC or SKY:want to save some £€€€€!!

  • 21-10-2014 08:24PM
    #1
    Arequipa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭


    Hi!

    I am currently with UPC and have the Horizon tv and internet bundle..at a cost of €73 per month.
    With all the bills going up, I am trying to save some €€€!
    So I can renew with Upc for €63 or am thinking of switching to Free to Air system.
    I have not been overly impressed by the Horizon box to be honest...My favourite channels are the bbc's, channel 4, more 4, and e4's...
    I guess I also like Dave channel & some of the Discovery and National Geo channels...most of the others, I dont really watch!
    Increasingly also I watch movies/boxsets which i stream from my laptop....: have used the Twonky App via UPC; but it has been very dodgy!

    So is the free to air system generally reliable?
    If the channel frequencies change can the systems update them?

    Overall are they to be recommended?

    Thanks a mil!

    A


Comments

  • #2
    cml387
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 9,292 ✭✭✭cml387


    Firts of all, Dave, Nat Geo and Discovery are not FTA so you'll lose them.

    All the BBC and ITV, C4 , C5 E4 More 4 etc. are available on FTA satellite.

    If you're living near the border they are also on Freeview.

    If you search this forum more info is available.


  • #3
    Arequipa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭Arequipa


    Thanks for the reply!
    Yea, i know i will lose the Nat Geo etc...but I think you can download/watch series online or via netflix...

    Is the free to air system reliable?

    I was looking at one via Freesat.ie


  • #4
    winston_1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,687 ✭✭✭winston_1


    Arequipa wrote: »

    Is the free to air system reliable?

    Of course it is. It uses the same satellite, and broadcasts as Sky. Only the EPG is different, and better in my opinion.


  • #5
    doney84
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 382 ✭✭doney84


    If you are in an area with Freeview overspill you can get Dave...


  • #6
    Thurston?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,278 ✭✭✭Thurston?


    doney84 wrote: »
    If you are in an area with Freeview overspill you can get Dave...

    Some areas with Freeview overspill. Not from relay transmitters like Kilkeel or Strabane, not from Divis in places due to interference from Mt. Leinster.


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  • #7
    doney84
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 382 ✭✭doney84


    Thurston? wrote: »
    Some areas with Freeview overspill. Not from relay transmitters like Kilkeel or Strabane, not from Divis in places due to interference from Mt. Leinster.

    Yeah I should have mentioned freeview overspill from one of the main transmitters and not a relay station. Luckily for me where I am in Louth I can get very good reception from Divis.


  • #8
    Arequipa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭Arequipa


    The overspill is a nice bonus..

    I contacted a guy in freesat & he said he would install the entire system for €250...
    Does this sound reasonable?!

    A


  • #9
    pizzahead77
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,544 ✭✭✭pizzahead77


    Are you getting a combo box that does both satellite and terrestrial? The Irish channels are not available on FTA satellite.


  • #10
    Thurston?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,278 ✭✭✭Thurston?


    Arequipa wrote: »
    I contacted a guy in freesat & he said he would install the entire system

    Just because they call themselves 'freesat.ie', don't be expecting a Freesat box, as the 2 concerns are in no way connected.

    Basic free-to-air satellite for UK channels has only now-&-next EPG, & no automatic retuning when needed, although this should be a rare event for the 'main' channels.


  • #11
    Machinehead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 732 ✭✭✭Machinehead


    I bought a TV with DTT (Saorview) & DVB-S HD (FTA) tuners built in a few years ago & never looked back. As well as having the Saorview HD channels I've also got all the BBC's, ITV1 & Channel4 in stunning HD. Your other channels will include Film4, E4, More4, 4seven & the much maligned bunch of Channel5 variants all for free! Why pay anyone when all that's on offer. Still got my Sky basic sub though just to keep the kids happy as it offers a kind of multi-room option for them.
    P.S. The Walker combo STB or something similar will get you everything you need except for the subscription channels if you don't want to splash out on a new TV with DVB-S tuner built in. I have one of those on a second TV fed from the existing Sky dish.


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  • #12
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 20,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Was helping a cousin fit a dish to get FTA TV. The dish is a lidl one I had in the garage, being used by spiders as a home. I put a Quad LNB URL]http://www.satworld.ie/inverto-pro-quad-terrestrial-lnb.html[/URL with a fifth input from the Saorview aerial that was mounted on a pole next to the dish. Four cables were brought down to three TVs, one with a dual feed for recording. Each cable at the TV end was then split by a sat/uhf spitter with the two feeds sent to TV and Freesat Humax boxes, one an HDR.

    A neat and efficient job.

    All TVs are Soarview approved, and the Humax box is the HB-1000S and HDR-100S. The benefit of having all Freesat boxes the same era makes for easy 'training of the granny' factor, plus all TVs have stations at the same numbers. All this was to replace a creaking UPC installation that cannot be upgraded to digital.

    It would be possible to add the UPC analogue, but there are only 6 extra channels, and realistically, just Sky1, Setanta Ireland, Sky Living, and (possibly) Discovery Channel. Only Setanta would be worth it.

    All cables were newly run and it took 100m of cable! I thought 50m would have been enough.


  • #13
    Arequipa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭Arequipa


    Evening! Thanks for the feedback..
    Yea, €250 will include the Irish free to air channels, and the uk ones and full installation of the components..

    The only channel I will miss really would be Discovery and Nat Geo...
    the rest of the channels on the UPC digital package are never watched!!

    Would it be cheaper for me to buy the components online and pay someone to install it?

    A


  • #14
    Technofobe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 474 ✭✭Technofobe


    See givecredits bargain alert here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057246289&page=92
    I got rid of sky and got the amiko alien 2+
    Bang on a usb drive and you can pause and record
    + being a triple tuner you can watch a terrestial station and record 2 satelite stations at same time
    You can stream from the box to your android or laptop and watch tv or you recordings in bed
    all with 1 remote and all in 1 bouquet ( channel list) and with autoboquets if the frequency changes it will automaticly update
    If you connect the box to the net you get a full 7 day epg

    however dont forget that if you get rid of upc you will be gettin rid of your internet too


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