Virgin turning off analogue tv early June

With my Virgin Media TV box I can record several programmes from different channels at the same time while watching another channel or even a programme that has not finished recording. It looks like this one:

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My Virgin Media box is limited to a dual tuner, so I can record two programmes at once; or I can watch one & record one at same time.
But if it is more than 2, I had been using VHS off analogue as backup.
9pm is a particularly busy slot!
 
odyssey06 said:
9pm is a particularly busy slot
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Thanks for the replies. Yes, around 9 o'clock is a busy time. If I could watch one and record two at the same time it would be great. It probably might only happen about a half dozen times a year though. I suppose I can always download some programmes or watch on my laptop using a VPN.

What happens to the old cables behind our walls that we got with cable/analogue TV? Are these obsolete now. Mine is 25 years old, just wondering if I could use them for a Saorview connection to one of the Tv's that is in the bedroom but seldom used?
 
Do they use the old analogue connection points to connect with the Horizon Box or is the Horizon Box a separate receiver in it's own right?
 
Brendan Burgess said:
The Horizon Box allows you to record 4 programmes and watch a 5th.
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How much does it cost to have a second box in a different room per annum/month?

For all the times we might use this second box I am not sure if I even need it, especially if on the main box you can watch and record 4 programmes at the same time?
 
Brendan Burgess said:
The Horizon Box allows you to record 4 programmes and watch a 5th.
Click to expand...
We have 3 analogue points in the house, seldom used. We are thinking of just having one room in the house for watching TV. Virgin Media charge €20 or €30 or €35 for their TV only packages, depending on how many channels you want.

Let's say I choose the €30 per month or €360 per year or €3600 over ten years. Would it not be better to get a satellite dish and run a cable in to the house for free TV, other than set up costs?

Can I get a box similar to the Horizon Box if I get a satellite dish installed? Can I get all the stations that Virgin Media provide....
 
Laramie said:
Can I get a box similar to the Horizon Box if I get a satellite dish installed? Can I get all the stations that Virgin Media provide....
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Take a look at the free to air satellite channels here.

I ditched Sky earlier in the year, and now have a combo box with dual satellite tuners and a single digital receiver picking up the Saorview channels.
 
Thanks Leo. Can you recommend someone to install this? Can you record on a combo box?
 
I bought a Formuler F1 box, the [broken link removed] is an updated model, but looks like that can only support 2 tuners, so you might need to research other options. I'd only look at one with a minimum of 3 tuners, 2+ satellite and at least one digital terrestrial.

I installed myself, it's not that difficult really, but means I'm unable to recommend anyone.
 
"O.K. Here is my situation. I just realised that I have been made a fool of by Virgin Media for my analogue service.

I pay for my analogue TV a year in advance. Last January I was billed €420 plus €54.60 for an extra point. I was given a "self service" discount of €42. So my total bill was for €432.59. When I got this bill I got no information/inserts/offers to tell me that the digital products were considerably cheaper.

Last week I got the letter to say that my analogue service was being reduced to 9 TV channels from August and removed in 2019 even though I have paid for the full compliment up until next January. I am being offered basically the Saor View channels plus BBC and Sky News.

I had a look at the Virgin website to see their digital offerings..... Freedom TV €240 per year, 20 channels....... Mix TV €360 per year, 50 plus channels....... Full House TV, 100 plus channels, €420 per year.

All cheaper, so why was I being charged €432 a year for basic analogue when Freedom TV was available for €240? Almost identical channels.

If Virgin knew that analogue was going in 2018, why did they not advise me last January and why did they bill me €432 for a years analogue TV upfront?"

I'm probably not alone here?
 
>>>All cheaper, so why was I being charged €432 a year for basic analogue when Freedom TV was available for €240? Almost identical channels.
Ans: Customer inertia...

>>>If Virgin knew that analogue was going in 2018, why did they not advise me last January and why did they bill me €432 for a years analogue TV upfront?"
Challenge them on this for a sort of refund + a switch to the equivalent digital version...

S.
 
suzie said:
>>>All cheaper, so why was I being charged €432 a year for basic analogue when Freedom TV was available for €240? Almost identical channels.
Ans: Customer inertia...
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Not really. Log on to Virgin TV and they have their pricing for Digital TV. They do not have any pricing for their Analogue TV. Many people were happy with their analogue service. They were sent a bill and paid the requested amount. They did not know that different people were being charged different prices. They should have displayed the price of the service they were offering.

I would be interested to know if a company who is selling a service must have their prices displayed?
 
theresa1 said:
Sorry Brendan but that's incorrect. Radio channels will only be available on Virgin via a set top box e.g. Horizon.
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Thanks theresa. That seems reasonable.

But the guy in Virgin told me that as well.
I asked to speak to his supervisor who told me that he thought the same but checked with their technical team and were told the opposite.

However, they are probably mixing up analogue and the Horizon box.

Have you a link to it so that I can confirm one way or the other?

Brendan
 
Bronco Lane said:
I would be interested to know if a company who is selling a service must have their prices displayed?
Click to expand...

The slow death of their analogue service has been flagged for years, there are threads here dating back to 2009 on the topic. This wasn't a service actively marketed to new customers, they were under no obligation to advertise pricing. No business is obliged to openly advertise the prices of all their services online.
 
I suspect that there's some confusion here.
VM are switching off their analog transmissions on their cable.
So that means all TV and radio channels there, previously available using just your tv, will disappear.
But they're obviously continuing their digital transmissions on their cable.
This means that digital TV channels and digital transmissions of radio channels that may be analog (e.g. FM) in their original form will continue to be available - via a horizon or similar digibox.
So, for example, the analog transmission of BBC R4 will disappear but the digital transmission of BBC R4 accessible using a Horizon or similar box will continue to be available.
That's my understanding and tallies with what VM have told Brendan.

I have no VM TV package but can still get the analog TV and radio transmissions in spite of that. Presumably not for much longer though.

However I'm pretty sure that in a few months Brendan will still be in the same situation as he is now with the same access to the same TV and radio stations via the VM digital signal decided by his VM box.
 
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Thanks ClubMan

That makes sense although the Supervisor was very clear that they would not be switching off analogue radio. But I think that he is wrong and that you and theresa are right.

That messes me up a lot. I have three radios plugged into analogue points throughout the house.

I will be able to get RTE and other Irish radios but I won't be able to get the BBC stations other than ones which are podcasted.

Brendan
 
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