Eir TV (eir Vision replacement - tvOS/Apple TV based)

Harry Palmr

It's amazing how quickly a new service is revealed to be far too little for far too much. Esp bearing in mind the eircom line rental is on top of this fee. It's so long since I had legacy "copper" I don't know what it costs these days.

Also I notice they don't have ITV/2/3/4 or Talking Pictures (okay a bit niche that one)

galtee boy

Griffin Thousands Foreigner wrote: »

Adrian Weckler reporting that you can't record BBC on this service which isn't great to be honest.

https://twitter.com/adrianweckler/status/1185213416899784705

A minor catch ? Not to be able to record the BBC channels? This thing will be up there with Saorview Connect fighting for the worst piece of kit competition.

dam099

mollser wrote: »

An ability to integrate the individual app subs (Now TV, Eurosport etc) into the Eir app EPG would be the real game changer here. Not having those on the main EPG is not great - the apps are fine if you know there's something specific on you want to watch, but flicking between them doesn't make for a good browsing experience.

I thought the approach Apple were trying to take (at least in the US) is to get the cable TV providers to feed their channels into the (Apple) TV app albeit possibly also with their own app as an alternative.

It would probably be better for Apple to do the integration and offer APIs to Eir/NowTV et al rather than have 100s of TV providers reinvent the wheel.

Tigerandahalf

If the recorded content is in the cloud already how are they setting it up? Let's say you want to record something on rte 2. Are you accessing eir's cloud or pulling content from the rte player?

If it is the latter it would seem eir are handing everything over to the streaming services of other providers. Perhaps this explains why there is no bbc. They weren't given access to the iplayer. If they are accessing the players for recordings there is a good chance that your recording wouldn't be on the player.

This product might appeal to the streaming generation that are renting and/or those that can't put up a satellite dish.

I believe Adrian Weckler said you have to have eir (eir broadband I presume he means). Despite the poor box that Virgin have I can't see too many of those subscribers switching. Afterall Virgin subscribers can now also get BT Sport through the Now tv app.

Tigerandahalf

Harry Palmr wrote: »

So it's basically **** then? Is the iplayer available here yet?

No. It is the best streaming service out there. Great mix of content. You can download stuff for offline viewing too.

cafard

Don't know about the top box, but app support is an absolute joke. I had Eir Sports pushed on me because it became part of my broadband package (at a price increase), but can't even watch it now that they switched to the new Eir TV app. Last week the rugby was playing just fine, this week after update, it refuses to play, blaming my phone for not matching their DRM requirements. A 1 year old Android phone. And of course, no live support until at least 9am...

NotToScale

It will put pressure on Virgin to rollout the next version of Horizon or something more usable.

There's no particular reason why Virgin or Vodafone or anyone else couldn't just adopt Apple TV too. I doubt Apple did an exclusivity deal with anyone on this.

As far as I'm aware, Apple do provide some kind of framework to build your TV app on so, they'll all be broadly the same and work well. It's not likely to be a case of ISPs and cable cos reinventing the wheel each time.

icdg

dam099 wrote: »

I thought the approach Apple were trying to take (at least in the US) is to get the cable TV providers to feed their channels into the (Apple) TV app albeit possibly also with their own app as an alternative

Sort of - there is “Apple TV channels” but it’s really a way to use the Apple TV app to access third party OTT content (because Apple TV+ doesn’t have any). It’s actually available in Ireland but there are only two channels, Starzplay and Smithsonian.

Delta2113

Not being able to record the BBC channels makes this a total non runner from the start.

browne_rob5

Delta2113 wrote: »

Not being able to record the BBC channels makes this a total non runner from the start.

Anyone know if this might be rectified in the future? I'd be interested in EIR TV but I like being able to skip through MOTD on a Sunday morning!

greendom

I was about to purchase but no BBC recording makes this a complete no no

NotToScale

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

If the recorded content is in the cloud already how are they setting it up? Let's say you want to record something on rte 2. Are you accessing eir's cloud or pulling content from the rte player?

If it is the latter it would seem eir are handing everything over to the streaming services of other providers. Perhaps this explains why there is no bbc. They weren't given access to the iplayer. If they are accessing the players for recordings there is a good chance that your recording wouldn't be on the player.

This product might appeal to the streaming generation that are renting and/or those that can't put up a satellite dish.

I believe Adrian Weckler said you have to have eir (eir broadband I presume he means). Despite the poor box that Virgin have I can't see too many of those subscribers switching. Afterall Virgin subscribers can now also get BT Sport through the Now tv app.

No it wouldn't be anything to do with the TV channels' on demand / player services. Eir use their own servers to cache programming for the end users.

It's fairly petty of the BBC to make the licence technology specific, as it renders next generation set too boxes like this unworkable.

I wonder if this could also be what's holding up Virgin Media's rollout of their new boxes? Horizon's successor is also cloud based.

The Apple TV is a very nice platform/device to use but eir’s implementation and what’s being provided is not great really.

Done properly (full suite of channels incl sky sports etc available) it would be a great way to offer the service.

icdg

To be honest I’m not sure why anyone who is not restricted from installing a satellite dish (because they don’t own the property or are subject to a restrictive covenant) would take this service over installing Saorview & Freesat. There’s few non FTA channels on it bar some of the kids and documentary channels and the eir Sport pack. You can pair Now TV with any other service anyway, and I suppose the only advantage of eir TV in that regard is that you can do it on the same set top box as the eir TV service.

I understand rights issues but from the point of view of a user who doesn’t understand the underlying tech differences, they’ll just be wondering why Sky and Virgin can offer recording of BBC services and eir can’t.

Tigerandahalf

Is TG4 now on the eir tv app even if you don't have the tv subscription?

From their email
....
Benefits of eir TV app

All the great Sporting channels you have are still available for you to enjoy with the best of rugby from the World Cup to Pro 14, the best of GAA Allianz Leagues and all the best football from the Europa and UEFA champions leagues with eir sport 1 & 2, FreeSports, Virgin Media Sport and Virgin Media Sport extra 1-6 & TG4.
.....

Edit: It is and is in hd.

Kurn

Has anyone ordered this?

kooga

Kurn wrote: »

Has anyone ordered this?

No and I don’t intend upgrading- quiet happy with evision

kooga

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Is TG4 now on the eir tv app even if you don't have the tv subscription?

From their email
....
Benefits of eir TV app

All the great Sporting channels you have are still available for you to enjoy with the best of rugby from the World Cup to Pro 14, the best of GAA Allianz Leagues and all the best football from the Europa and UEFA champions leagues with eir sport 1 & 2, FreeSports, Virgin Media Sport and Virgin Media Sport extra 1-6 & TG4.
.....

Edit: It is and is in hd.

When you go to the App Store the only eir app is the black one - yet I can’t get all the channels just eir sport Virgin sport and tg4 / strange

Tigerandahalf

When I went onto the green app earlier it only had one 'extra eir channel' on it. I updated the app and now I have this.

Tigerandahalf

Having tg4 in hd is brilliant. It was the one drawback for me of having a fta system as lots of gaa games and rugby was on it. The tg4 app was useless as it wouldn't play live tv for me.
Now it can be chromecast to the tv or used out and about.

If only rte would allow its channels on it and we wouldn't have to use the useless rte player.

the heathen

Kurn wrote:

Has anyone ordered this?

kooga wrote:

No and I don’t intend upgrading- quiet happy with evision

You sure that no-one has ordered it? That would have to be the worst service launch of all time if so. Surely someone has?

icdg

I think we can take it that the OP only speaks for him/herself on that one. I do know someone that has ordered it, as it happens.

kooga

the heathen wrote: »

You sure that no-one has ordered it? That would have to be the worst service launch of all time if so. Surely someone has?

apologies i was only speaking on my own behalf.

greendom

spoke to a EIR rep yesterday who suggested it would only be a matter of time before the BBC channels became available for recording. He seemed to suggest it would be in the next month but I'll take that with a pinch of salt.

Kurn

the heathen wrote: »

You sure that no-one has ordered it? That would have to be the worst service launch of all time if so. Surely someone has?

Sorry... The question was intended to illicit responses from people who ordered the system and had an opinion/review on it. :cool:

Delta2113

browne_rob5 wrote: »

Anyone know if this might be rectified in the future? I'd be interested in EIR TV but I like being able to skip through MOTD on a Sunday morning!

- No.

Delta2113

greendom wrote: »

spoke to a EIR rep yesterday who suggested it would only be a matter of time before the BBC channels became available for recording. He seemed to suggest it would be in the next month but I'll take that with a pinch of salt.

- Total nonsense.

Tigerandahalf

According to the media today Virgin are taking eir to court for putting the virgin channels on their new apple box.

It seems the court has to decide whether the eir service is a tv service (ok to carry them) or a streaming service (not ok to carry them).

joe_99

It depends how they are carried on the eir network. Their old TV service was via multicast and the TV had dedicated bandwidth that was isolated from other internet traffic, hence the need for a fixed rate profile with reduced speed. As eir are now providing the service over an app Virgin will argue that it is streaming.

Tigerandahalf

What services are going through an app though.
I would think the virgin channels are on the tv guide part?

Tg4 also have their channel on the eir tv app so more than just Virgin involved. If tg4 are on it, why not rte?

joe_99

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

What services are going through an app though.
I would think the virgin channels are on the tv guide part?

Tg4 also have their channel on the eir tv app so more than just Virgin involved. If tg4 are on it, why not rte?

Eir TV itself is an app on the Apple TV

Bored Accountant

Kurn wrote: »

Has anyone ordered this?

Received it yesterday. Getting a divorce next week

You can't record RTE, Virgin, BBC along with other channels.
For RTE programs, they have the RTE app embedded so you watch that way, meaning you are forced to now watch adds.

Can't record Virgin one (TV3) which means herself is losing out on Cornation St, Emerdale, X-Factor and all that other stuff. The Virgin app isn't on Apple TV, so you can't watch there. You can't cast the app to the TV either so I'm goosed.

I suppose the box is meant to be revolutionary and change how TV is watched and all that. Really its just pushing you towards having to have a netflix subscription, now TV subscription and so on and you just watch everything on demand.

I don't have any apple devices, so trying to actually get the box up and running was no fun. I was even forced to install itunes on my laptop to link my new apple id to my itunes account so I could download the RTE & netfix apps.

The apple TV remote nearly has 2 few buttons. press the wrong one, and you jump from watching eir TV out to the apple TV homescreen. Will take a bit of getting used to, or I'll just have to order Sky, or a saorview box that will record...removing the need to have eirtv.

Cyrus

Bored Accountant wrote: »

Received it yesterday. Getting a divorce next week

You can't record RTE, Virgin, BBC along with other channels.
For RTE programs, they have the RTE app embedded so you watch that way, meaning you are forced to now watch adds.

Can't record Virgin one (TV3) which means herself is losing out on Cornation St, Emerdale, X-Factor and all that other stuff. The Virgin app isn't on Apple TV, so you can't watch there. You can't cast the app to the TV either so I'm goosed.

I suppose the box is meant to be revolutionary and change how TV is watched and all that. Really its just pushing you towards having to have a netflix subscription, now TV subscription and so on and you just watch everything on demand.

I don't have any apple devices, so trying to actually get the box up and running was no fun. I was even forced to install itunes on my laptop to link my new apple id to my itunes account so I could download the RTE & netfix apps.

The apple TV remote nearly has 2 few buttons. press the wrong one, and you jump from watching eir TV out to the apple TV homescreen. Will take a bit of getting used to, or I'll just have to order Sky, or a saorview box that will record...removing the need to have eirtv.

that sounds like absolute garbage, the type of thing you probably wouldnt put up with if it was free

kooga

Cyrus wrote: »

that sounds like absolute garbage, the type of thing you probably wouldnt put up with if it was free

im keeping my evision!

galtee boy

Bored Accountant wrote: »

Received it yesterday. Getting a divorce next week

You can't record RTE, Virgin, BBC along with other channels.
For RTE programs, they have the RTE app embedded so you watch that way, meaning you are forced to now watch adds.

Can't record Virgin one (TV3) which means herself is losing out on Cornation St, Emerdale, X-Factor and all that other stuff. The Virgin app isn't on Apple TV, so you can't watch there. You can't cast the app to the TV either so I'm goosed.

I suppose the box is meant to be revolutionary and change how TV is watched and all that. Really its just pushing you towards having to have a netflix subscription, now TV subscription and so on and you just watch everything on demand.

I don't have any apple devices, so trying to actually get the box up and running was no fun. I was even forced to install itunes on my laptop to link my new apple id to my itunes account so I could download the RTE & netfix apps.

The apple TV remote nearly has 2 few buttons. press the wrong one, and you jump from watching eir TV out to the apple TV homescreen. Will take a bit of getting used to, or I'll just have to order Sky, or a saorview box that will record...removing the need to have eirtv.

And we thought the Saorview Connect box was a pile of sh**e ! Looks like it has serious competition now .

joe_99

Bored Accountant wrote: »

Received it yesterday. Getting a divorce next week

You can't record RTE, Virgin, BBC along with other channels.
For RTE programs, they have the RTE app embedded so you watch that way, meaning you are forced to now watch adds.

Can't record Virgin one (TV3) which means herself is losing out on Cornation St, Emerdale, X-Factor and all that other stuff. The Virgin app isn't on Apple TV, so you can't watch there. You can't cast the app to the TV either so I'm goosed.

I suppose the box is meant to be revolutionary and change how TV is watched and all that. Really its just pushing you towards having to have a netflix subscription, now TV subscription and so on and you just watch everything on demand.

I don't have any apple devices, so trying to actually get the box up and running was no fun. I was even forced to install itunes on my laptop to link my new apple id to my itunes account so I could download the RTE & netfix apps.

The apple TV remote nearly has 2 few buttons. press the wrong one, and you jump from watching eir TV out to the apple TV homescreen. Will take a bit of getting used to, or I'll just have to order Sky, or a saorview box that will record...removing the need to have eirtv.

Thanks for the info. I will stay away from that. Can any channels be recorded? I assume you can pause and rewind?

Tigerandahalf

But if the Virgin app isn't in the Apple store how are you able to view the Virgin channels.

I am laughing with the idea of watching rte through the rte player.

Thank goodness there is freesat.
Redord motd and you can quickly move through the ads.

Regards the eir tv app - some people seem to have different channels on it.
Kooga said there was only a few channels on their app.
I have eir broadband and have tg4, all virgin channels in hd (720 at best, though the Virgin Sport one is better), eir sports 1 & 2 and freesports. No rte channels though.

Delta2113

"You can't record RTE, Virgin, BBC along with other channels." - this vital information should be clearly stated on eir website but hey let's not bother and chance our arm and hopefully not too many will cancel when they discover this for themselves.

Sickening but not surprising behaviour from this lot.

kooga

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

But if the Virgin app isn't in the Apple store how are you able to view the Virgin channels.

I am laughing with the idea of watching rte through the rte player.

Thank goodness there is freesat.
Redord motd and you can quickly move through the ads.

Regards the eir tv app - some people seem to have different channels on it.
Kooga said there was only a few channels on their app.
I have eir broadband and have tg4, all virgin channels in hd (720 at best, though the Virgin Sport one is better), eir sports 1 & 2 and freesports. No rte channels though.

Thats exactly the channel list I have - see attached photo from the latest eir magazine there seems to be three levels of tv Channels - the app seems to have only the eir tv basic - and as it is linked to your subscription you probably need to have apple tv.

the eir Tv basic is fulfilling the requirement to provide the eir sport pack free to broadband customers

Tigerandahalf

How come tg4 is on it I wonder?
Is it eir's way of covering their commitment to have all pro14 games covered I wonder?
Some of the games would only be on tg4, e.g. Connacht games.

icdg

So here’s another question.

If you have eir Broadband (not eir TV) and happen to own an Apple TV (privately purchased)- can you download the eir TV app and use it to watch eir Sport?

Bored Accountant

Now that I have it a couple of days, it's starting to grow on me. It's handy to be able to jump in & out from sir TV to Netflix to now TV to Amazon prime.
I still find the remote is very fiddly. Press the wrong button and you end up closing an app!!
Adds on the rte player aren't actually too bad. Your made watch one add is all.
On the eir TV, you have the ability to restart a show that's already in progress, but if you restart, you can't fast forward. So if they sorted out a virgin TV app on the apple box, it would be all good.

icdg

icdg wrote: »

So here’s another question.

If you have eir Broadband (not eir TV) and happen to own an Apple TV (privately purchased)- can you download the eir TV app and use it to watch eir Sport?

I use a family members eir log in to watch eir sport on my iPhone (they don’t have eir tv either). Downloaded the eir tv app on my Apple TV and I can see the available channels which work on my phone (sports channels plus TG4) but I’m getting a restricted content and channels not available at your location.

I’m not connecting to the internet using eir BB however so this may be the reason? I had hoped the app would work the same as on the phone for the sports channels and not require you to be using it on an eir connection.

ssmith6287

Bored Accountant wrote: »

Now that I have it a couple of days, it's starting to grow on me. It's handy to be able to jump in & out from sir TV to Netflix to now TV to Amazon prime.
I still find the remote is very fiddly. Press the wrong button and you end up closing an app!!
Adds on the rte player aren't actually too bad. Your made watch one add is all.
On the eir TV, you have the ability to restart a show that's already in progress, but if you restart, you can't fast forward. So if they sorted out a virgin TV app on the apple box, it would be all good.

Any chance do you know how to record pograms on it. We have eir tv and have recorded lots of kids shows. I can find the show but cant find a way to set them to record

Bored Accountant

ssmith6287 wrote: »

Any chance do you know how to record pograms on it. We have eir tv and have recorded lots of kids shows. I can find the show but cant find a way to set them to record

What channel are the shows on? You can only record some channels.

IrishHomer

I received the Eir Apple TV box yesterday and it's growing on me also.

Things I dislike: only SD for channel 4, more 4 and most channels only SD.

Things I like: nice simple mix of channels, catch-up has some nice stuff and features, nice that I can access it on the phone and tablet, all 4 app, Amazon prime, Netflix, YouTube, iptv smarters app

I must check to see can I install the Eir tv onto a firestick or Android box

Darren 83

I recently upgraded my phone and was told I’d get the Apple TV because I was on an old plan but I think it’s for new customers only. Any one get it as a previous customer.

Kurn

Darren 83 wrote: »

I recently upgraded my phone and was told I’d get the Apple TV because I was on an old plan but I think it’s for new customers only. Any one get it as a previous customer.

Are you sure it's not the apple tv+ you would get - the streaming service?

kooga

Was onto eir today Re my bill and asked about what’s happening to evision

No option anymore to add sky sports or cinema or any other add ons

I currently have the ps/bt sports pack with hd on a promo and in January ( after h cup rugby) if I cancel it I can’t get it again later in the season on the eir platform

All premium channels will now be through now tv

In contract till August so if I stay with eir and want tv will have to upgrade to Apple 🎠tv

From a previous post ch 4 etc was never in hd

Quackster

kooga wrote: »

From a previous post ch 4 etc was never in hd

I presume that's because C4 don't provide Irish HD versions of their channels (ie with Irish ads) and is the same on all Irish cable systems?