- Sky satellite viewers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will lose access to the standard definition version of TG4.
Months after UK broadcasters started closing down standard definition (SD) broadcasts in earnest, Irish public broadcaster TG4 is also going HD only on Sky.
Sky has confirmed that TG4 SD will close on satellite on Monday 8th April 2024, leaving only the HD version of the channel. This will affect subscribers in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This will match the current arrangement on other TV platforms, including digital terrestrial TV platform Saorview where TG4 HD has broadcast since 2022, and Sky’s internet-only TV platform that powers Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
According to TG4, in the past year, 3.67 million people (81% of the Irish population), tuned in to TG4 at some point. That means the change is highly likely to affect satellite viewers still using older equipment.
Any non-HD Sky receivers will not be able to receive TG4 beyond Monday 8th April. These receivers will have already lost BBC channels this year.
Affected subscribers should contact Sky to upgrade to new satellite equipment. Alternatively, Sky offers most channels, including RTÉ and TG4 via its internet-based Sky Glass TV set or Sky Stream puck.
Viewers who still use old non-HD boxes can expect to lose further channels in the future. Broadcasters are calling time on SD broadcasts due to the cost of duplicating services. Meanwhile, platform operators want to retire older receivers that they no longer actively support.
Who won’t be affected
Viewers with HD compatible equipment (Sky+HD or Sky Q) are not affected.
You’ll already receive TG4 in HD on either channel 104 (Republic of Ireland) or channel 163 (Northern Ireland).
However, the SD simulcast on channel 804 (ROI) and channel 839 (NI) will be removed. This leaves you with just one copy of TG4 on the Sky channel list.
Sky subscribers who have switched to its internet-based Sky Glass or Sky Stream service are also unaffected.
Marc Thornham
[Image: TG4]