Key Post: Sky Digital.

can someone please tell me exactly what stations you do get if you go with Sky digital. According to their site the sky entertainment package (p), family pack (1), there are about 100 stations listed, so I sent them a mail asking them to confirm that as an Irish subscriber I would get all of them.

This morning I got a reply telling me that I would, except for ITV, ITV 2, Channel 4 or Channel 5.

So what would I be getting for my money ?

also where is the best place to go to arrange installation ?

any ideas ?

Re: sky digital

Hi Bruce

It depends on which package you go for. There's a huge array of channels under the following headings:

Entertainment
Movies
Sports
News & Documentaries
Kids
Music & Radio
Specialist

A number of these are only available if you pay extra subscriptions.

Entertainment includes Sky One, UK Gold, Bravo, paramount and a load of similar channels. It also includes BBC1 and BBC2 Northern Ireland. Channels 101 to 105 are not available in Ireland (i.e. BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4, C5). There's also no ITV2, so the reply you got seems to be reaonably accurate.

As regards installation, it probably doesn't matter much who you use. We booked directly with Sky, but you can also book through some of the major retailers (e.g. Dixons).

If you want to know which channels are available, you could call into one of these retailers and ask them to let you check through the "TV Guide". This will show you exactly what's available in Ireland.

Regards
Homer

Re: sky digital

We had sky digital installed in December so some notes from my experience (figures are in IR£).

Installation was £80 which is a standard install fee if you go for any package other than the FULL package, in which case installation drops to £60 (but the full package costs circ £40 per month as apposed to circa £20 per month for the family package). All suppliers charge this same fee.

The gotcha was that they have to plug your sky digi box into the phone line and IF the phone connection is not in the same room as where the sky box is going to be there is an additional charge for running the phone extension cable. In our case the phone socket is out in the hallway, not uncommon, and I was charged a further £30 for the cable install. In the installers favour he did a very tidy job with all the cables hidden and he spent a good 30 mins up in the loft space so I was on the whole happy.

As far as the 100+ channels, that's the ol' marketing wheels spinning fast. Many of the channels you will probably never watch. For example many various religious, shopping, music channels. And also they count the channels that are described as +1HR where, for example, You can watch Discovery or Nat Geo and then one hour later on a differnt channel watch all the same programmes again. Quite handy but a bit of a cheat sayings "it's another channel".

As a guide to my own viewing habits, there is a feature on the sky digi box setup that allows you to pre-select upto 20 favourite channels that you can get to quickly with going through all the menus. I have about 18 selected of which I probably watch selected programmes from about 10 of them.

I've used the pay per view for box office movies which is more expensive than getting a video, but proably works out about the same considering that the vid shop is 30 mon round trip drive away.

There are other things I could discuss on sky digital but not sure if you want that much info

Re: sky digital

just reread your post and realised I didn't really answer your question of "what do you get?", so here's the list of channels in the family pack at EUR26.99 per month:
ENTERTAINMENT:
sky one
uk gold
uk gold 2
living
granda plus
challenge tv
bravo
paramount comedy channel
sci-fi channel
discovery home and leisure
discovery home and leisure +1 hr
granda breeze
granda men and motors
uk style
uk drame
hallmark
tara television
sky travel
discovery health
E4
wellbeing
bbc one
bbc two
play uk

SPORTS:
sky sports news
british europsport

NEWS & DOCUMENTARIES
sky news
bloomberg
CNBC
discovery channel
discovery channel +1 hr
discovery travel and adventure
discovery civilisation
discovery sci-trek
discovery animal planet
discovery animal planet +1HR
discovery wings
national geographic
nat geo +1 hr
A1 adventure
history channel
history channel +1 hr
uk horizons
uk horizons +1 hr
biography

KIDS:
cartoon network
cartoon network plus
nickelodeon
nickelodeon replay
Nick Jr.
trouble
fox kids
fox kids +1 hr
discovery kids

MUSIC and SPECIALIST:
MTV
MTV Hits
MTV base
MTV2
MTV Dance
VH1
VH1 classic
the box
QVC
music choice
kiss
Q
rapture
kerrang!
smash hits
magic
-----------

phew! plus there are all the other very niche channels which go to make up the 100 figure they quote.

sky digital

it is possible to manually tune in to bbc radio 1,2,3,4
press services on remote controll
press 4 system set up
press 4 add channels
enter frequency 11.798
enter polarization H
use down button on remote controll to highlight find channel then press select
scroll down to each radio station and press yellow button on remote controll to store
press select
wait until channel line up complete appears
press select
to listen to radio stations press services on remote cont.
press 6 other channels
scroll to channel using down button on remote cont. and press select

sky digital

tara tv is not available
bbc parliament tv is also available
it is tuned in manually using
frequency 12.129
polarization V

adding channels

I had UTV at one stage. I got this by adding channels and keying in the details. Now UTV is no longer available, Is it possible to get it back and is there other channel that I can manually input to my dish.

Re:ITV

Yep, we had the ITV channels for a while after manually tuning them in, but as yous say they dissapeared. I phoned up sky for some advice and they say that ITV had caught on the this and have stopped 'unauthorised' viewers from gettin g the channel. Not sure what will happend next. It might never be available to us here in Ireland or it might come out on a 'pay for the xtra channel' basis.

UTV

There's an article in this weeks Business & Finance about UTV disappearing. Something about the fact that it was not included in the original deal ITV did with Sky. I think ITV are looking for additional money for rights, because a large part of UTV's advertising revenue comes from the south of Ireland.

p.s. If you have Sky Digital, can you watch more the one channel at the same time. (i.e. MTV in the living room & BBC 1 in the bedroom), or can you only watch the same channel all over the home ?

Re: sky

You can only watch one channel in the house in fact you can only tape this channel either crazy situation I know.

Sky Digital

In the name of sanity ........... forget the damn thing.

I live on the wild and barren Burren and was once tempted to get all the available channels through on of the MMDS providers. I think I had something like 14 channels including RTE (The BBC1 BBC2 UTV, CH4 Discovery, plus some more that I cannot even remember)

Talk about a BORE.. what you can see on RTE on say Monday night turns up on say BBC1 on Friday night and visa versa.

Talk about an over rated over blown over priced load of cringing repetition.

As soon as my subscription was up I got rid and went back to RTE Land and its more than enough.

Get outside folks and mow the lawn, walk the dog, walk for the sake of it, go to the pub but for pitys sake strike a blow for Irish Freedom and get rid of Murdoch for good and for glory and have more money in your pocket and a trimer waistline.

Slan agus beannacht.

....

Hi,


I have Sky Digital .... it was installed by Sky TV themselves, not a 3rd party.


i) I do not & never did have my phone connected up to my digibox - no problem.


ii) ITV Regions were until recently available, by tunning them in manually - now they are not available due to copyright. It amazes me how its ok for NTL to show UTV, once they pay them a few quid, but not Sky TV.

... I think its time the 200,000 Irish subscribers started writting to Sky compalining about this issue.


iii) You can watch a different Sky Digital TV station in another room of your house, once you have paid for the instalation of an additional equipment - I think it costs about é15 per month. I beleive you can have up to 4 different receivers, selecting up to 4 different channels, from the one dish (well, lnb )

NB - Anyone thinking about joining Sky should hold off until they can get "Sky Plus" - more features, including a method of recording without needing a video

Sky Digital Plus

I seen in the paper recently that Sky Digital Plus has been launched in Ireland. Does anybody know if it's already available from Sky or when is it due to be released to the public?

Re: >>sky digital

john Joe
Unregistered User

All is itv available on sky digital in the republic of Ireland?

Is ITV available in the republic of Ireland on Sky Digital, if so what frequency is it and what other procedures do i need to go through to obtain it? good man yourself, thanks very much.......Lad............i'll buy ya a few large ones.

oldprop
Unregistered User

And while you're at it ....

Does anyone know how to get BBC 24 hours news and BBC4 on digital in the Republic. Neither - nor ITV - is available in the supplied Sky packages altho BBC News is supposedly 'free to air'.

happydude1
Registered User

BBC News and ITV

Those channels are only available in the UK via Sky Digital. They are free - to UK tv licence payers. There is a number to call to get a free card - but you need a UK address. Check out [broken link removed]

Browse the forums, as it has been widely discussed

garrettod
Long time poster
Posts: 455

This drives me nuts, particularly as Sky are getting so much money from anyone subscribing to Sky Digital via a dish.

As far as I am concerned, Sky should & easily could, negotiate a deal with both BBC & ITV to broadcast their channels into RofI. All the channels are available on different cable networks around the country (although not sure if all on the one network, if you follow me ).

Furthermore, UTV (probably the most well known ITV region in Ireland) carries a fair amount of advertising directed towards RofI .... if our adverts are good enough, then surely we are too !

Speaking of Sky - I would love a decent, honest answer as to why they have not introduced Sky Plus services in Ireland ?

We pay Sky a lot of money, the least we should be entitled to is the same modern facilities as our UK counterparts (ie such facilities as being able to "freeze live tv", record Digital programmes on our Sky Plus box etc).

Next time your on the phone to Sky ... let 'em have it

regards

G>

Peter Griffin
Unregistered User

Would anybody know of any company offering cheap installation of Sky digital at present?

Almost30
Registered User

I got sky digital in directly from SKY in January. €15 installation which included one month free subscription to the Sky World package (sports & movies). I don't remember the phone number but look them up at

Almost30

Mikeyboy
Unregistered User

Sky's no is 0818 719 802 but I'd recommend finding an indepndent installer in your area.

You could do worse than ask for info on installers at this satellite discussion board:
[broken link removed]

Peter Griffin
Unregistered User

Thank you for the advice. Will follow up. That boards site has some fantastic info on it.

yoyo
Unregistered User

While we're on the subject anyone know why Sky insist on a landline being present & more importantly anyone know how to get Sky without one?????

Mikeyboy
Unregistered User

They insist on the landline to "encourage" you to use their interactive services and charge you a fortune to do so.

Only way to get out of the landline is buy a secondhand box.

Tony Soprano
Unregistered User

Sky - Landline

Rubbish - They do not insist on it. I do not have a landline yet I got Sky - no probs.

yoyo
Unregistered User

When did you get it? Who installed it? & how much...??

Kilteragh
Registered User
Re:

Tony Soprano - please don't send the boys around but SKY do insist on the phone line to get connected (they may not have in your case). I got SKY installed 2 years ago. The installer left and then I rang SKY to complete the connection but they insisted I have the phone line connected. I had to ring the exasperated installer again who gave me an extra long phone cable and told me I could just disconnect once I had been validated by SKY. I still have the disconnected cable in case I need it in future.

SKY want you to be connected so you can order their movies, pizzas, betting etc on line. Although why anyone would want to I just don't know........

Mikeyboy
Unregistered User
sky

For the past 18 months, you CANNOT under any circumstances get Sky without a landline, so obviously Tony Soprano became a subscriber before then.

Also, every now and then, Sky will send out a signal to get your digibox to "phone home" on a freephone number. If the box doesn't call home, they know you're not connected and have broken your contract.

In the UK, you ar apparently liable to a charge of £5 every time they catch you out. Dunno about here through.

Maceface
Registered User
Sky+

I know there a bit of talk recently about Sky and the likes, but I will be geting it next month and would be very interested in hearing from people who actually have Sky+ as well.

Does it really change the way you watch TV?
Any negatives about it?
Should I believe what Sky say about it?

thanks.

richus maximus
Unregistered User

it is just the same as sky but u can record stuff. what's the point when everything is repeated over and over again anyway? 'Create your own tv channel' can't you do that already by just changing the channel you are watching? just another way for sky to get more cash out of you every month i reckon.

Jildy
Registered User
Sky Digital

Is Sky Digital worth the money. As opposed to NTL ?? How much does an extra connection cost with Sky??

gongey
Registered User
sky digital

check their wbsite. the good thing about them is that you're not stuck on a yearly contract.

there was an offer of free set up if you purchased the premium package at first. it may cost you 60 quid in the first month but you can reduce down to a lower package starting from 30 quid thereafter.

Not wanting to start another NTL rant (we had it only last month I think), but I'd stay well clear of them. Their department for cutting you off seems to be the the only one of their departments that operates ahead of schedule.

philwork2003
Unregistered User
sky digital

You have to subscribe to sky digital for a year. If you take out a more expensive package it's for a year also

gongey
Registered User

untrue

yes but you can take a lower digital package, you dont have to be on the premium one for a year.

thats why its called Sky Digital anyway

shnaek
Registered User
Re: untrue

As far as I know after a year you can hold on to the dish and the decoder so it works out quite well in the end. You can't get the premium channels but you end up with about 50 channels including BBC1-5, eurosport etc.

Joe Nonety
Frequent poster

Re: untrue

Is there much difference between their costs?
Is there any connection fee or equipment costs?

gongey
Registered User
costs

Ii just got connected there two minutes ago. costs €10 for installation and €61 for the first month. after that i can pick any of the lesser packages. i'll probably have to get rid of Sky Sports or I'll be a single man. damn women football and tiddlywinks haters

Elcato
Moderator
Re: costs

gongey - Where did you get that deal from ?

Siddo
Unregistered User
BBC

I have Sky Digital all the packages but i do not have BBC 345 only 1 to 2.

Anything wrong here??

Kilteragh
Registered User

Re: BBC

Siddo,

You need to do [broken link removed]

npgallag
Registered User
Re: BBC

You dont have to start on the 61euro package ....you can pick anyone you want at installation...would recommend the sky sports package with out the movies which is 49euro..then you can ring sky and ask them to add movies 2,4,6,+8 and it will only cost you 50euro per month....saving 11 euro and only loseing movies 1,3,5+7 from top packaage....seems like a good deal to me...??

Maceface
Registered User
G1 no longer available

Read yesterday that this package is no longer available. They realised how bad it was for them.
For anyone who has it already, they will be given all Movie channels until the end of Sep "to get them used to the channels" so they will upgrade fully.



Kilteragh
Registered UserRe: G1 no longer available

I have this package. When am I getting 1, 3, 5 and 7?

gongey
Registered User

Elcato,

Sorry, gone over the weekend so i couldn't reply.

I rang the Sky Centre and for 10 euros I got connected (well, I'll get connected next Wednesday week). Its costs 100 euros to get connected if you dont avail of the premium package. But like I said you can go down to a lower package thereafter.

JohnDung
Registered User
Free Channels

The following are Free i.e. You can see these after cancelling you Sky Subscription legally after a year.
148 Travel Channel Travel documentaries
149 Travel Channel 2 Travel documentaries
151 S4C Welsh language channel
160 Life TV 'Safe' entertainment
166 Overload chart show
169 BBC ONE regional BBC's entertainment channel
170 BBC TWO regional BBC's second channel
172 Game Network Channel for computer gamers
178 You TV Entertainment channel
181 AVAGO Interactive bingo TV channel
184 B.E.N Entertainment for the African community
187 Reality TV Entertainment channel
202 Performance Classical music channel
205 Rapture TV The ultimate youth channel for clubbing& sports.
208 Friendly TV Interactive talk television
211 ACTV African Caribean entertainment
214 L!VE TV Light entertainment
217 Nation 217
220 Fashion TV Fashion shows from around the world
226 Game In TV Gaming & gambling entertainment
232 Hollywood
247 Classics TV Classic films & shows
277 Nation277 Interactive games channel
416 Motors TV Channel dedicated to motor racing
422 Extreme Sports Extreme sports action
429 Golf TV Channel dedicated to golf
431 i Sports TV Interactive sports TV
432 Wrestling TV
455 Chart Show TV Music charts of all genres 24/7
456 The Vault Music channel from Chart Show TV
464 Classics FM TV Classic music channel from Classic FM
467 Channel U Interactive urban music jukebox
501 Sky News Sky's award winning news channel
513 CNN Leading International news Network
525 ITV News Channel Non stop news from the ITV Network
528 Euronews Non stop news from around Europe
534 CCTV-9 News direct from China
616 CBBC Children's entertainment
617 CBeebies Pre-school programming
619 POP Pre-school entertainment & music from Chart Show TV
620 POP Plus Same as above
630 - 698 Lots of shopping & Religious programmes
805 PCNE Chinese Chinese Entertainment
807 MTA- Muslim TV Muslim Educational
824 Abu Dhabi TV News & documentaries channel direct from Dubai
827 ATN Asian entertainment
828 Vectone Urdu Interactive Urdu channel from Vectone
829 SAB TV Asian entertainment
830 Record TV Brazilian entertainment
831 - 833 Vectone India Interactive Hindi channel from Vectone

ITV

Check out www.cheapskydigiboxes.com if you want to find out how to get ITV,CH 4,CH 5 on your Sky box.I did it before Christmas and still have these channels.