Sky Pricing-HD Channels

[Dermondo]

Hi all, has any else heard about changes to the pricing to the HD channels on sky

As I understand it at the moment, if you like me subscribe to the variety & HD pack I recieve most of the HD non premium channels, but there are rumours going around that from October 1st that you will be only able to recieve HD channels from the pack you subscribe to.

I contacted Sky in the Rep. of Ireland and they confirmed that as I subscribe before June these changes won't affect me until my current 1 year contract expires, not great news, but another rumour is the €15 euro HD charge will be scraped in favour of a new pricing structure, anyone shed any light.

 

[tvmog]

This rumour has been discussed in depth on other forums but nothing is confirmed yet, however it is in line with Sky's business model of slowly but continually turning the pricing screws on its current subscribers. The louder Sky shouted about having 50 HD channels by Christmas, the more certain it became that we would end up paying more for it.

Sky may be gambling that in these reccession hit times the last thing that people will cut back on is their home entertainment. However given the economic climate at the moment, if they are percieved to be trying to protect and increase their profit margins at the expense of their customers they may well become yet another organisation eventually humbled by their own greed.

 

[Anonymous]

I have cancelled my HD pack subscription in protest at Sky's blantant attempt to screw more money out of me.

I challenged them to justify charging me £10 for HD and now having to pay for the additional channel packs to maintain the current number of channels I have. Their response - "It's in the terms and conditions." I reasoned with them that it was a bit like having a magazine subscription and charging customers more or they will have a few blank pages next month.

We are in a recession and putting prices up drives people away - it does not bring them in. I'm close to switching to freesat.

Rant over.

 

[Anonymous]

Crispyjay:
I have cancelled my HD pack subscription in protest at Sky's blantant attempt to screw more money out of me.

I challenged them to justify charging me £10 for HD and now having to pay for the additional channel packs to maintain the current number of channels I have. Their response - "It's in the terms and conditions." I reasoned with them that it was a bit like having a magazine subscription and charging customers more or they will have a few blank pages next month.

We are in a recession and putting prices up drives people away - it does not bring them in. I'm close to switching to freesat.

Rant over.

switching to freesat i hope its not
for hd content you will be dissapointed thats for sure.

 

[Anonymous]

The most my bill has been is :

basic 71.00 with all calls 85.00.

max BB

unlimited local calls

13mb bb

and everything but the sports, I called vigin and they could no come near that, so am sticking with sky.

I would love to go freesat, but they only have a few hd shows, and whats the point of having home cinema and speakers ect, if you cant really listen to it at its best.

I think tv companies are a lot like oil tycoons, they know we will pay as we (need it) and they dont care. if we cut back whats one or two customers to them, they are not going to go out of business

 

[chris hollands]

I tried to get the 3D channel last week, im currently paying about £60 on average, yet i was told i had to have the full package including sky sports(that i currently dont have) with a price increase of £14 !!! they are turning the screws knowing that if you have a high def 3d TV no one else can offer you the content . I think they call it a monopoly in business circles and it would be clamped down on in any other industry.Roll on Virgin catching up and giving people a viable alternative!!

 

[Clare Newsome]

It would be good to see the 3D channel available as a separate option, certainly

However, it's a little unfair to call Sky a 'monopoly' re 3D when it's the sole UK provider to date who's made any serious investment in the technology. I think many rivals are waiting to see the uptake of 3D TVs before they jump in.

Plus, of course, much of the 3D content is going to be sport, so there's a certain kind of logic to making it avaialble to Sky Sports HD subscribers.

 

[chris hollands]

Yea, fair comment Clare, you gotta hand it to Sky , they do put there money where there mouth is, i was just hoping not to have to subscribe to sky sports until the footy season started...

 

[Alec]

This is not, I repeat not just a rumour (at least not in England), as I've had the email from Sky

Currently you get all HD channels except premium sports and movies, unless they are already part of your package. From Sept or Oct (oops, I forget), you will only get the HD channels that are in the mixes you already subscribe to.

I cannot speak for them dropping the HD subscription though, I've heard nothing there.

More problems with my box yesterday, loss of channels and failure to record. Investing money in anything more than the a very basic package (so probably a free one) is starting to look most unnappealing indeed! Bring back the days of 5 channels!

 

[Alec]

canada16:

I think tv companies are a lot like oil tycoons, they know we will pay as we (need it) and they dont care. if we cut back whats one or two customers to them, they are not going to go out of business

Did you put "need it" in brackets to signify that thats not true?

Sorry, but watvhing what fits with your kit rather than what you like watching seems strange to me.

 

[hammill]

canada16:

The most my bill has been is :

basic 71.00 with all calls 85.00.

max BB

unlimited local calls

13mb bb

and everything but the sports, I called vigin and they could no come near that, so am sticking with sky.

I would love to go freesat, but they only have a few hd shows, and whats the point of having home cinema and speakers ect, if you cant really listen to it at its best.

I think tv companies are a lot like oil tycoons, they know we will pay as we (need it) and they dont care. if we cut back whats one or two customers to them, they are not going to go out of business

Do your quoted prices include BT line rental.

I pay £35 a month for 10mb broadband + phone calls on Virgin which does not require BT line.

 

[Pindi]

hammill:canada16:

The most my bill has been is :

basic 71.00 with all calls 85.00.

max BB

unlimited local calls

13mb bb

and everything but the sports, I called vigin and they could no come near that, so am sticking with sky.

I would love to go freesat, but they only have a few hd shows, and whats the point of having home cinema and speakers ect, if you cant really listen to it at its best.

I think tv companies are a lot like oil tycoons, they know we will pay as we (need it) and they dont care. if we cut back whats one or two customers to them, they are not going to go out of business

Do your quoted prices include BT line rental.

I pay £35 a month for 10mb broadband + phone calls on Virgin which does not require BT line.

I don't think anyone can beat Orange's broadband and phone offers...

If you're on an Orange mobile phone contract:

£21 for unlimited internet, unlimited anytime free calls, includes line rental and you also get a second line that also has unlimited anytime free calls. And finally, you get unlimited anytime free calls to 20 international numbers.

I think it's £24 if you haven't got an Orange mobile phone contract.

 

[Dermondo]

Mhmm, I have just been informed by sky that my monthly sub. is to increase in September by ?1, has anyone else been issued with this info...............

 

[The_Lhc]

Only one? Mine's going up £2.50!

 

[daveh75]

It varies depending on the pack(s) you have...

 

[Anonymous]

....and don't forget VAT will go up next year too!

 

[Anonymous]

hammill:canada16:

The most my bill has been is :

basic 71.00 with all calls 85.00.

max BB

unlimited local calls

13mb bb

and everything but the sports, I called vigin and they could no come near that, so am sticking with sky.

I would love to go freesat, but they only have a few hd shows, and whats the point of having home cinema and speakers ect, if you cant really listen to it at its best.

I think tv companies are a lot like oil tycoons, they know we will pay as we (need it) and they dont care. if we cut back whats one or two customers to them, they are not going to go out of business

Do your quoted prices include BT line rental.

I pay £35 a month for 10mb broadband + phone calls on Virgin which does not require BT line.

Hey yeh all prices are including line rental so its 72.00 per month, soon to be 73.00 due to price increase, I put need it in brackets, because we dont really need it but I could not do without it. if that made sense

 

[Anonymous]

Just had the latest letter from Sky with the magazine which states prices to increase for my HD full package by £2.50 from 1st September. No information on any changes to the actual HD elements of the packages I recieve.

Prices will go up again in January 2011 with the VAT increase.

Brook

 

[grdunn123]

Brook.B:

Just had the latest letter from Sky with the magazine which states prices to increase for my HD full package by £2.50 from 1st September. No information on any changes to the actual HD elements of the packages I recieve.

Prices will go up again in January 2011 with the VAT increase.

Brook
Whist my Sky bill will increase by £2.50 I can't blame Sky for the VAT increase next January, that's 'our' fault for not being careful with 'our' money.

 

[sonycentre]

Ahhh,that old chestnut...you pay for sky or you don't..its your choice,and using a "resession" is not an excuse.Sky have increased subscriptions since 1992.prices go up each year on most things we have in life.

 

[Anonymous]

id say there are more things coming down in price than going up , tvs , av receivers , alcohol , cars , rent rates , wages , unemployment benefit , etc , because of the recession , why is it ok for sky to keep upping their prices ?

answer .. because people keep paying for sky , price hikes or no price hikes , and because they have basically got a monopoly ...

sky are doing nobody any favours , sure , if you can afford sky tv , and are happy with their service then thats fine , but come on , they are out to make as much money as possible , thats all they are about , dont applaud them for it ...

 

[sonycentre]

Any business is out to make money,and yes maxflinn things are coming down in price,but that can be a bad thing,as most things do not seem to hold any value any more.Sky pump a hell of a lot of money into what they do....so they should see a return in profits.Look at british gas pre-tax profits of 98%.

 

[Anonymous]

sky could easily afford to drop their prices , they are making billions every year , why the sky worship ? i just dont get it ? if they had their way then all sports , movies , kids programmes , news etc would be shown soley on their channels , whether people could afford to pay for them or not , sky are ruthless , see them for what they are , pay for it if you want , but dont defend them ....

 

[Crossie]

I have just cancelled with Sky, going to give Virgin a try. £20 less per month for a similar service.

 

[Anonymous]

maxflinn:sky could easily afford to drop their prices , they are making billions every year , why the sky worship ? i just dont get it ? if they had their way then all sports , movies , kids programmes , news etc would be shown soley on their channels , whether people could afford to pay for them or not , sky are ruthless , see them for what they are , pay for it if you want , but dont defend them ....

But what choice do we have here in Ireland? I dropped UPC because their HD network is painfully behind schedule and they couldn't even give me a rough idea when it would be available, and I'm 20 minutes outside Dublin city !!! There is no other realistic competition for SKY here in Ireland so it's a case of pay up or shut up unfortunately !!!ÿ