Rant: Flat screen full HD Televisions..Obsolete!

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Knuttell

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CHRISTMAS shoppers are in danger of buying digital TVs that are not compatible with the new Irish digital service and will be useless in a year's time.
At the end of 2012, Saorview, [broken link removed]'s new digital service, will be up and running.
By that time, all Irish homes need to upgrade their TV sets to receive a digital signal to watch RTE One, RTE Two, [broken link removed] and [broken link removed] as the analogue terrestrial television network -- which is the system of watching television stations through an outdoor or indoor aerial -- will be switched off.
[broken link removed] TD and consumer protection spokeswoman [broken link removed] warned shoppers buying a new digital TV this Christmas to make sure the set is MPEG4-compatible.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/that-new-christmas-tv-could-soon-be-useless-2459527.html
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Thus is the first I have read about this major development,
I bought a Sony Bravia 40V4000 2 years ago only to find out today after reading this article that my 40"full HD flat screen will be obsolete in 2 years!!
I do not subscribe to SKY or UPC so thanks to this massive oversight in communications/roll out,probably by some over paid civil servant,I will have to buy another television in 2 years time:mad:
Surely some Govt dept has responsibility for this incompetent carry on,it should not be down to a FG TD to highlight/flag this to consumers.
This country is so backward its utterly infuriating and highlights once again "why we are where we are"
 
probably by some over paid civil servant
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What an over reaction. There is loads of information on this on this site and others and you wont have to replace you TV, however you will need to buy a decoder box if you TV is not mpeg4 compatible.

Why do we always look for someone else to blame in this country?

I dont think "we are where we are" because nobody informed you and freeview.
 
This looks like incorrect reporting to me. See question 9 at the link below. You will need a set top box (assuming your TV hasn't built in MPEG4 support).

[broken link removed]
 
venice said:
What an over reaction. There is loads of information on this on this site and others and you wont have to replace you TV, however you will need to buy a decoder box if you TV is not mpeg4 compatible.

Why do we always look for someone else to blame in this country?

I dont think "we are where we are" because nobody informed you and freeview.
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+1. well said. Perhaps the OP can let us all know what research they did when buying their tv?
 
Total over-reaction here. The introduction of digital television here has been widely reported for years at this stage. If you want to blame anyone here, you'll have to look at yourself as YOBR points out for not researching a major purchase properly.
 
Leo said:
If you want to blame anyone here, you'll have to look at yourself as YOBR points out for not researching a major purchase properly.
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Of course I am aware of the roll out of the roll out of digital television,that is not the point,the point is televisions were being sold and probably still are that cannot support the signal making them obsolete within years,are you seriously telling me that the majority of the people buying televisions were asking that question 2 to 3 years ago?

My point is quite simple,why are televisions that will not fit for purpose in a few years allowed to be sold in this country and please save the not researching the purchase properly nonsense,its a television for Gods sake you expect it to be able to receive RTE1 & RTE 2 at a minimum.


Why do we always look for someone else to blame in this country?
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Indeed no one is really to blame for anything in this country,the massive financial meltdown in our Banks just happened on its own did it?silliest comment I have read in a long time.
 
Knuttell said:
My point is quite simple,why are televisions that will not fit for purpose in a few years allowed to be sold in this country and please save the not researching the purchase properly nonsense,its a television for Gods sake you expect it to be able to receive RTE1 & RTE 2 at a minimum.
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I agree wholeheartedly, these televisions should not have been allowed to be offered for sale. An awful lot of the buying public ( especially the older sector) would not have had an idea what to check, to see if it would be fit to receive home channels in a few years.
 
SparkRite said:
I agree wholeheartedly, these televisions should not have been allowed to be offered for sale. An awful lot of the buying public ( especially the older sector) would not have had an idea what to check, to see if it would be fit to receive home channels in a few years.
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So for the years where we knew what was coming, but no TV's on the market were future proof you think that no TV's should have been sold?
Shut down a whole industry in and retail sector over the Irish digital signal...
 
A set top box will solve the problem
[broken link removed] one is €100 but a Freeview HD also works I believe and maybe cheaper.
Expect Lidl/Aldi to stock at some point also!
 
There was no problem informing consumers which TVs were HD ready and Full HD,it was right up there on the price sticker,there is going to be some very annoyed people who on top of having to replace aerials etc are also going to have to buy decoders or indeed new televisions...

If you are someone who lives on forums and has a post count in the thousands,then of course you are more up to speed than your average Joe and Mary Sixpack and to answer your question,no those televisions should not have been for sale,they are not fit for purpose,end of story.

There should have been a line drawn at a certain date and beyond which TVs whose spec did not include mpeg4 should not have been allowed for sale to the consumer.

It really is that simple
 
MrMan said:
So for the years where we knew what was coming, but no TV's on the market were future proof you think that no TV's should have been sold?
Shut down a whole industry in and retail sector over the Irish digital signal...
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I never said nor implied that NO TVs should have been sold, just those that in 2/3 years would not be fit for the purpose that they were sold for without some additional hardware.

Thats all, plain and simple!
 
Indeed no one is really to blame for anything in this country,the massive financial meltdown in our Banks just happened on its own did it?
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Knuttell. I bought a new HTC Desire HD phone recently and thought that I could subscribe and watch Sky sports on it the same way my friends can on the iPhone. I can’t but it’s not the banks fault or “some over paid civil servant” as you put it.

Yes the banks played a big part in the problems the country is going through but they cannot be blamed on the fact that you cannot watch Irish freeview channels in a couple of years time. So there is no point in going off on a rant. GET OVER IT.


Now google DTT or Saorview or freeview Ireland and all the information you need is there and has been for some time now. Or Boards.ie has forum after forum and also askaboutmoney to name but a few. The Irish Times and Indo have done lots of articles also.
 
venice said:
Yes the banks played a big part in the problems the country is going through but they cannot be blamed on the fact that you cannot watch Irish freeview channels in a couple of years time. So there is no point in going off on a rant. GET OVER IT.
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You asked in an earlier post
Why do we always look for someone else to blame in this country?
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Its a stupid comment,of course when something goes wrong there is usually someone sitting in a well appointed office on a fat salary who has not managed to do their job to any degree of competence and OF COURSE they should be blamed and held accountable...I used the Banks as an example to highlight this idiocy.

I was not blaming the banks for the fact that my 2 year old television is heading for obsolesce due to the fact that the roll out of this digital changeover has been handled so poorly.

I feel I have communicated clearly enough what my issue is and one which shortly will become an issue for many others in this Country when they find out their 2 year old television cannot pick up RTE 1 AND RTE2 without paying either for modification or a new set.

I disagree completely with you in your belief that this issue concerning peoples television has been widely communicated and consumers are aware of it.
 
of course when something goes wrong there is usually someone sitting in a well appointed office on a fat salary who has not managed to do their job to any degree of competence and OF COURSE they should be blamed and held accountable...
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With statements like that you sound like you are heading for a break down.


Well of all the forums and articles I have read, you are the only one I have come across with an issue. Most people are delighted to be able to watch 5 or 6 Irish channels in digital. I bought a TV on pixmania about 18 months ago and think the service and picture quality in excellent.

As for you TV being obsolite, well you can connect to a satellite, to cable subscription, to a Playstation, a Nintendo Wii, xBox, use it as a monitor for you computer etc. My point is that its not obsolete, it’s just not compatible for what you want it for.
Next thing you will probably go on another rant that it is not 3D compatible....
 
venice said:
As for you TV being obsolite, well you can connect to a satellite, to cable subscription, to a Playstation, a Nintendo Wii, xBox, use it as a monitor for you computer etc. My point is that its not obsolete, it’s just not compatible for what you want it for.
Next thing you will probably go on another rant that it is not 3D compatible....
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Sorry Sir, I know you bought(we sold you) a petrol powered car, but petrol is no longer available, but you can use it as a trolley, or pushchair, or somewhere to sleep, or just change the power unit (engine) to diesel. It is not obsolete its just not compatible for what you want. Or indeed for what you bought it for!! Or even for what we sold it to you for.

Get real!!
You buy a kettle to boil water, a bed to sleep in, a cooker to cook with, a camera to take pictures and a television to receive television programs. It is reasonable to assume that what you are sold will work for that purpose (without having to buy further hardware) for at least a few years.
 
Sorry Sir, I know you bought(we sold you) a petrol powered car, but petrol is no longer available, but you can use it as a trolley, or pushchair, or somewhere to sleep, or just change the power unit (engine) to diesel. It is not obsolete its just not compatible for what you want. Or indeed for what you bought it for!! Or even for what we sold it to you for.
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OK, you really don’t get “technology” now do you? And you are being silly now.

Maybe the OP should put it back in its box and ask for a refund or get onto The Consumers' Association of Ireland and look for a refund. If he has a case then he will get a refund, right?

Let me know how you get on because I bought a PC from those shower in PC World 3 years ago with Windows XP on it and now Windows 7 is out and my computer is out of date…I am so angry

That’s the way with technology, it’s a moving target.
 
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