Thinking of switching to UPC, but have reservations

Rob113

Hi folks.

I'm half thinking of switching to UPC, just for the tv. Broadband not available down this way yet.

Logic behind it is, I'm currently paying close to 60 with sky for a +box and an additional standard box with just sky sports 1 as an added extra.

I can get a package with UPC for 40 for the 2 boxes incl espn and setanta. Granted I'll be losing ss1 but I'll still get some football on those 2.

What's stopping me is I had chorus digital in about 5yrs ago and the signal was atrocious. Kept freezing and losing signal. In the end I had a pole the size of a lamppost up on the roof with the aerial up on top trying to get signal.

I love sky and am loathe to get rid but I just can't afford it at the min (I'm currently cut off for falling behind with the bill).

Has the service improved at all? I'm in laois if that helps. Am I mad to get rid of sky.

I know freeview is also an option but the kids would crack up without their stations to watch. The kids offerings on the freeview are rubbish at the minute.

Kristopherus

You will most probably get a digital service via mmds from UPC in your neck of the woods. The digital picture quality is on a par with Sky SD.The choices with UPC are more keenly priced than Sky. Multiroom is only €5 extra per month. If I was in you position,I'd let Sky take a jump for themselves. They have cancelled your contract, but you still own the dish and box.You will never own the equipment with UPC, but they will provide free service. With Sky gone you can take the cards out, turn off the boxes, the turn them on again and you will have a pile of free channels, including free kiddie ones. You will have all the BBCs, ITVs, & Channel 4s. free plus a heap of rubbishy & shopping ones. Ironically, some of the channels you will be paying UPC for will be free via the sat boxes.You will lose the + facility on those boxes though.Enquire from UPC or check their website if they are still offering Sky Sports free for the first 2 months. That way you would only have to pay 1 month(May). You could then cancel that for the Summer.

watty

No way MMDS is same as Sky SD quality. It's got an extra step of re-encoding usually and a lower bit rate usually.

Cantona's Collars

Watty is correct,UPC mmds picture is poor in comparison.And prices are on a par now,Sky Sports were the expensive part of your sub.
Recently Setanta have started broadcasting EPL games on Setanta1 whereas you get Setanta Ireland included on UPC so less live soccer available unless your willing to pay an extra €15 per month for one channel.ESPN wouldnt be a great attraction as they have very little EPL games live and a FA cup games can be got FTA on ITV.(Depends who you support though).
UPC charge a downgrade fee of €15 so getting rid of sports for the summer costs nearly a months sub.
If your UPC signal was bad before I doubt it has improved over the years so would you go back to that?

If you owe Sky money don't ignore the situation,phone them and explain your situation and maybe you can come to some arrangement,I know of a few people who are paying reduced rates for their Sky after explaining that they'd like to keep the service but can't really afford it.They'd rather get something from you than nothing at all.No harm in asking.
As a last resort simply sign up again under someone elses name and bank details to avail of new customer deals.If you can live without multiroom simply use the second box for FTA.

nodolan

I'm in Cork city centre and have just cancelled UPC. I found their picture quality to be very poor - artefacts, sound drops etc. - I had an old Sky dish (with no account) sitting INSIDE my window and had a better reception than cable TV with UPC.

huggs2

nodolan wrote: »

I'm in Cork city centre and have just cancelled UPC. I found their picture quality to be very poor - artefacts, sound drops etc. - I had an old Sky dish (with no account) sitting INSIDE my window and had a better reception than cable TV with UPC.

Their cable box is not as good as sky. The picture and especially sound on their hdr box is not as good as my old sky sd box.

Rob113

Thanks for the replies. Reckon I'll tough it out with sky and just sacrifice the sports. Even though they're the only stations I watch myself.

Gipo3

Last year I had Sky Sports for ten months with 40% off because I wanted to cancel them. So try that first, cancel sky sports and they might give you a reduction to keep it.

Lantus

Having had both at various times there is simply no substitute for sky in it's simplicity and quality.

chorus was dump in every respect. made tv painful.

that said sky have just dumped channel 1 and bravo so no star trek which is infuriating to say the least.

nodolan

Lantus wrote: »

Having had both at various times there is simply no substitute for sky in it's simplicity and quality.

chorus was dump in every respect. made tv painful.

that said sky have just dumped channel 1 and bravo so no star trek which is infuriating to say the least.

Well we got to the end of Star Trek Voyager (again) but we do miss SG1 and the different flavours of ST

hsq

Rob and all,

Thinkin of switchin to sky because UPC screw you for fees. I want to donwgrade my broadband and get rid of HD but its not worth it with costs, plus they have increased charges. they even kindly upgraded my broadband for the extra charge, I never asked for faster net and dont need it.

If I go to Sky for TV can i get channels in another room without a box? one good thing with UPC is that you do not need another box, just an aerial connection and you will get 16 channels in another room for free.

Cantona's Collars

hsq wrote: »

Rob and all,

Thinkin of switchin to sky because UPC screw you for fees. I want to donwgrade my broadband and get rid of HD but its not worth it with costs, plus they have increased charges. they even kindly upgraded my broadband for the extra charge, I never asked for faster net and dont need it.

If I go to Sky for TV can i get channels in another room without a box? one good thing with UPC is that you do not need another box, just an aerial connection and you will get 16 channels in another room for free.

Use FTA for the second room-200 channels about 40 decent ones and no monthly bill.You can pick up a generic FTA box for half nothing now.Even an old sky box will do,try Adverts.ie

hdowney

anyone know what the upc service is like in the wicklow area? have sky but they are REALLY getting on my nerves, as i ranted in the sky atlantic forum on here! and want rid, but really don't want second rate viewing either. sky refuse to give me any sort of discount, even though i have been a long term customer, their staff are rude and downright stupid at times. and it is going to cost me 100euro to get them to come and fix a cable!!! would fix it myself if i knew how