FTA channels without a VM box
Muzer
Posts: 3,668 Forum Member
✭✭✭
I'm curious. I have Virgin Media broadband, but not TV. If I were to buy a passive splitter or something and connect my TV (which I believe has a DVB-C tuner), would I be able to receive the FTA channels (I know there aren't many of them)? Would this affect the broadband at all? Could be useful since my house doesn't have the best of aerial installations, it needs more waterproofing 
0
Comments
The action you intend to take may very well effect not only your own broadband but the service of other customers in your area.
Speak to Virgin Media, they may be able to supply a very basic TV service on top of your broadband (and landline) for very little extra. Best speak to 0345 454 1111 (or 150 from a Virgin Media landline) and take options 5 then 3.
they do have "free to subscriber" channels
your tv licence does not guarantee you tv... it only allows you to watch it if you can receive it but makes no promise and gives no right to actually being able to receive it.
a tv channel may transmit their signal in a way you can get it for free - eg freesat & freeview but other systems are "services" you pay for them to provide you with a retransimission of those channels... eg sky, now, ee-tv, bt-tv, talk talk tv, fire-tv, roku , virgin media etc...
think if Virgin as a delivery service... it is not free to use their network & you must be a customer
a tv licence is required if you own any equipment meant for watching live (or "near live") tv
however if you are ok with catch up tv only, via a device like a pc/tablet or anything else without a tuner (a tuner would put you in a hard to prove it was not being used for live/near live) then you only need broadband... and there is the good bit... the broadband of many providers is sold with some kind of tv add on at little extra cost...
so switch to a broadband provider that offers tv and thats likely your best legal option.
What about the non-HD BBC channels, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 then?
1) I never said I intended to take this action.
2) I obviously wouldn't do it if it would affect others!
I think these two posts were a bit of an overreaction, but fair enough, I can see how it would be considered dodgy (and I agree it's against the Ts & Cs, but *IF* it doesn't affect anyone else and the channels in question are FTA anyway, who would honestly care?).
You have to wonder what is so fundamentally poor about Virgin's network that means connecting a TV might bring the service down for everyone in the area, compared to numerous countries in Europe + the US who have a much liberal approach to customer supplied equipment on their cable networks
You seem to have completely missed the key parts to the answer - you are mistaken about the meaning of FTA and your "rights" : if you can change your understanding on those it will become clear and obvious.
If your house isnt up to standard then you have to spend money to get it up to standard... The TV companies do not have to make your house able to receive their services, if they do, lucky you, but if you want others to do something for you - you have to pay. Remember you have NO RIGHT to a tv signal at all. Some channels do have an obligation to broadcast their services generally via freeview and if you have the equipment to receive them, in an area where they can be received (and that is not 100% coverage nor has to be - although they do have a minimum "standard" of coverage it is not every house in every area with perfect reception) and a tv licence you can legally watch them - but there is no obligation to provide you specifically with that signal. Some channels are also paid for by those companies to be carried over Freesat which again they have no obligation to equip you with the bits needed to then watch them.
They are NOT FTA "anyway you want it." That is what you don't understand.. they happen to be provided in a certain way where you don't need to pay any more IF you have equipped yourself with the right equipment.. but you havent.. and then you want to take someone elses premium service for free that offers those channels without paying their service fee..
Using your mind set, i am off to the local newsagents for a chilled bottle of water from their fridge.. I don't need to pay because water is "free" (well it sort of is free as I have a tap I pay for and it's water...) Oh but that would be theft of their value added service... that, is the same with Virgins special service pipe.
Am I mistaken in my belief that if you were to pay for a Virgin subscription for some period of time then cancel it, you would still be able to receive the FTA channels using the equipment? This would certainly cast doubt on your assertions that the service is designed only to be received if you are paying Virgin... or is using the box that you have bought from Virgin on Virgin's network after your subscription has expired against their terms of service too? (This is a genuine question, I'm not being rhetorical here).
nice try to deflect but your "What about the non-HD BBC channels, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 then" shows it IS what you meant.... your attempt to pretend you meant something else is pitched at a very low debating skill... its clear what you meant.
It depends on the area. Technically you shouldn't get anything but there are reports of a handful of channels broadcasting FTA in some locations. Also, the equipment is rented and must be returned if you cancel the service.
You would get the Freeview channels - until they took the box back of course!
you mean your normative understanding... not a real one. how you see things. big difference.
ps great question you ask (so clear i was right from the start in seeing what you meant).. if i pay for something then stop, how long can i contiue to keep getting what im not paying for... it clearly says what you are, you just dont see it that way... i should employ you... get you to work for a week then expected you to keep turning up and continuing to work for nothing
see the lamp post outside your house... if you hook a wire up to it... you can get free electricity too.. no difference.
to you, its free if you can take it. so if the doors open, you can pop your hand in and take things... not that you have the right to it. there are no channels "free" to non subscribers.
For a few pounds a month you can add the entertainment package with the likes of Sky One,Gold,ITV Encore etc) ,Movies for a tenner or a Sky Sport pass.
Maybe an option?
orangeballoon: I'm tired of arguing with you, I shan't be responding to your particular arguments any more, but suffice it to say that none of the analogies you use are at all reasonable or comparable, and your reasoning has been rather dubious at best. I don't particularly like the personal attacks, but I won't sink to your level by doing some of my own, as much as I'd like to.
Did those people ever retain ownership of the equipment or was the £200 or whatever simply an installation fee?
Ignore him, he seems to be having hallucinations of this thread.
I know someone who has been doing just this for years. Since he cancelled the Virgin Media TV service, he only receives the FTA TV & radio channels, but only uses BBC1 and Radio 4.
Thats correct, but eventually cabtidy will disconnect the premises at the cabinet. therefore making the line dead.
With the amount of people signing up and cancelling it's not cost effective to keep sending out cabtidy to disconnect the line.
Basically, yes! But even if you bought one, you would need a viewing card to watch those 'free' channels.
Not only that
but anything you buy at the bootsale VM will not touch or activate. Waste of money.
Slightly irrelevant, but it's amazing how far their equipment ends up.
I've seen VM equipment in car boots that are about 80 miles from where VM's network ends. I think I've even seen TiVo boxes.
It was almost worth buying just for the decently sized HDD