The library
Channels and content, described honestly
This page explains what is in the library by category and how it is organised on screen. You will not find broadcaster names or channel logos here, because we do not publish claims about rights we have not confirmed in writing.
By category
The eight categories that make up the line-up
Most Irish households use three or four of these regularly. The rest sit in the guide until someone goes looking for them.
The everyday viewing most Irish households expect: general channels, soaps, panel shows, lifestyle and daytime programming.
Domestic and international sport across the calendar, including weekend fixtures, midweek European nights and racing.
A large on-demand film library sorted by genre and release year, refreshed on an ongoing basis.
Full seasons you can start and stop, with an episode list rather than a fixed broadcast schedule.
Cartoons, family films and pre-school programming, with an adult-content lock you can ask us to enable.
Channels in other languages for households in Ireland who want programming from home as well as local viewing.
Rolling news, current affairs and factual programming, including history, nature and science strands.
Many live channels keep a catch-up window so you can watch something that aired earlier in the week.
Two different things
Live channels and on-demand are not the same product
Live channels
These run to a schedule exactly like ordinary television. You cannot pause a live channel at will, and a programme that has already finished is only available if that channel carries catch-up.
On demand
Films and series you start whenever you like, with pause, resume and episode lists. This part behaves much more like the streaming apps most people already know.
Catch-up, where it exists
Some live channels keep a rolling window of recent programmes. It is not universal, it varies by channel, and we will not pretend otherwise.
Finding things
How the guide is organised on screen
A large line-up is only useful if you can navigate it. These are the four routes people actually use.
Category folders
Sport, films, children and news each have their own folder, so you are not scrolling one enormous alphabetical list.
Favourites
Mark the eight or ten channels your household actually watches and they sit at the top from then on. This is the single biggest improvement most people make.
Search
Type a title into the on-demand search rather than browsing. Searching is much faster than scrolling on a remote control.
The programme guide
A grid of what is on now and next. On older televisions this is the slowest screen to load, which is worth knowing before you judge the service.
Straight answers
What we will not tell you about the line-up
Plenty of sites in this market publish channel logos and league names. We do not, and here is the reasoning.
- We do not name specific broadcasters, channels, competitions, studios or films on this website.
- We do not display third-party logos, badges or artwork we have no licence to use.
- We do not promise that any particular event will be available at any particular time.
- We do not publish a channel count, because those numbers are trivially inflated and mean nothing to a viewer.
If a particular kind of content is the whole reason you are considering this, ask us directly before ordering and you will get a straight answer.
Ask about a category
Tell us what your household actually watches and we will tell you whether the library covers it.
Picture quality
What quality to expect on an Irish connection
Quality depends on three things: the source, your connection and your device. Two of those are in your house.
Standard definition
Some channels are only available in standard definition. On a large modern television that is noticeable. It is a property of the source, not of your setup.
High definition
The majority of viewing. Around 15 Mbps sustained is the practical minimum, and a wired connection is far steadier than Wi-Fi across an Irish house.
Peak evening hours
Between roughly 7pm and 10pm every network in the country is busier. If your line is marginal, that is when you will notice it first.
If picture quality disappoints you, tell us before asking for a refund. In most cases we can identify whether the cause is the channel source, your Wi-Fi or your device, and two of those three we can usually fix with you.
Decide with facts
Ask us what is in the library before you pay for it
We would rather answer a specific question now than process a refund in three weeks. Tell us what your household watches and we will tell you whether this suits.
Prefer email? Write to [email protected]. We answer 09:00 to 23:00 Irish time.