|
|
Post by jeepers on Jan 25, 2022 16:53:16 GMT
I've been with Virgin far too long. Only get broadband from them. I've spent the last year changing the email on any account that uses their email address, so that I'm ready to tell them to shove it with minimum hassle to me. Same (altho’ I never used their email). Can’t wait to tell them to get fucked. Shitty company and the shittest support ever. |
|
|
|
Post by Abarth71 on Jan 25, 2022 17:26:27 GMT
Ditched Sky a few years ago as, being an Openreach engineer, I get BT TV for £5 a month with BT Sport and also free FTTC broadband. They recently added Now TV free so I can watch Sky Atlantic etc.
Can believe Sky still have the nerve to charge extra for HD channels...
|
|
hedben
Junior Member
Formerly: hedben2013
Posts: 2,206
|
Post by hedben on Jan 25, 2022 17:39:02 GMT
The main reason I binned Virgin was that they gave me a router which had LAN ports which randomly switched off after several minutes and told me I'd need to use WiFi. Errr. Bye then. Tbh, I really haven't missed them. Openreach are currently doing full fibre to the home upgrades in this area, so we're about to go from 80Mb to 1000+Mb in Feb, I'm told. Woo hoo. I'm in a very similar situation- paying Virgin 87 a month for TV, phone and up to 200Mb broadband. We were happy for a couple of years but the internet seems both slower and more unreliable recently. I wanted to bin Virgin entirely, and go with BT for the whole lot, but they don't provide the freeview channels down their stream, so we'd need a new TV aerial, and it was going to be more expensive for less channels. So now I'm looking at splitting it and getting BT Openreach fibre but sticking with Virgin for the rest. I'd be fine staying with Virgin if I could just get stable WiFi in my whole house. We got their extender thing that plugs into the mains, but it's still a bit crap. |
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 25, 2022 17:40:03 GMT
Invest in a decent mesh network.
|
|
hedben
Junior Member
Formerly: hedben2013
Posts: 2,206
|
Post by hedben on Jan 25, 2022 17:41:41 GMT
Yeah that thought has occurred. Need to convince Mrs hedben it's worth the investment though
|
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 25, 2022 17:43:48 GMT
Even the shitty entry level one I've got has made a massive difference compared to the crap Sky router I had. Amazon always have offers on...
|
|
|
|
Post by elstoof on Jan 25, 2022 18:43:36 GMT
Virgin stops working when it rains here, they’ve got us over a barrel as the BT fibre is advertised at less than half the speed best case scenario
|
|
|
|
Post by Abarth71 on Jan 25, 2022 18:51:38 GMT
Virgin stops working when it rains here, they’ve got us over a barrel as the BT fibre is advertised at less than half the speed best case scenario What speed BT are you talking about, I'm on the 80mb and that's fast enough for 4K streaming etc. Is it the speed BT reckon you'd get based on your location? |
|
LFace
New Member
Posts: 311
|
Post by LFace on Jan 25, 2022 18:57:52 GMT
I have legit subscriptions to Netflix, prime, and Disney+, then for everything else there's Sonarr and Radarr
|
|
|
|
Post by elstoof on Jan 25, 2022 18:59:54 GMT
Virgin stops working when it rains here, they’ve got us over a barrel as the BT fibre is advertised at less than half the speed best case scenario What speed BT are you talking about, I'm on the 80mb and that's fast enough for 4K streaming etc. Is it the speed BT reckon you'd get based on your location? Yes |
|
zephro
Junior Member
Posts: 3,011
|
Post by zephro on Jan 25, 2022 19:08:06 GMT
I'll probably stick with the 500Mbps Virgin until some proper fibre connects up to the building and I can get 1G up/down. The TV remains a panel for the Roku stick with Disney/Netflix/C4/BBC etc.
I did get Now due to them having the Lions tour over the summer then binged HBO shows I'd missed over the last 15 years. So have stuck with it, its a joke they still charge extra for HD.
Do BT still tie getting sport to paying for their shit ass broadband? Or can you just subscribe to the one thing now? Even then I just want to watch Rugby Union and don't fucking care about any other sport. Why haven't sports just set up their own Netflix style thing? I could just subscribe to Rugby and maybe Cricket as they're probably cheap and I'm not wasting cash on Footie.
|
|
|
|
Post by spacein_vader on Jan 25, 2022 19:38:52 GMT
I have legit subscriptions to Netflix, prime, and Disney+, then for everything else there's Sonarr and Radarr Sonarr + Radarr + Jackett + Emby = no subscriptions |
|
|
|
Post by simple on Jan 25, 2022 20:35:21 GMT
Ditched Sky a few years ago as, being an Openreach engineer, I get BT TV for £5 a month with BT Sport and also free FTTC broadband. They recently added Now TV free so I can watch Sky Atlantic etc. Can believe Sky still have the nerve to charge extra for HD channels... Pretty shan they still make you pay a fiver like. They’d not be losing out if employees got it free. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2022 21:06:28 GMT
I quit Sky years ago and haven't missed it. There was too much and it was mostly repeats of the same stuff with the odd new film. I had Now TV for a while when they were doing all the offers. Now I just have Disney+ and Amazon Prime. We also use catch up for ITV, Channel 4 and 5. With that, I've way more than I could ever watch. Just my Disney backlog is something that is growing as their selection grows.
We've got Firesticks for all the TV's apart from the Living room one which is a smart TV itself (one of the others is, but its an old one so missing Disney). As some have said, a mesh network really helps. I'm using the BT system. I've also got BT broadband that is 60mbs. I'm waiting for fibre broadband to come to our village. That will be £24 for 100mbs which should be more than fast enough. They are supposed to be routing that to our houses this week onwards.
Anyway, Sky is way over priced for my needs. My current setup cost me less a year than the OP pays a month.
|
|
Binky
Junior Member
Posts: 1,126
|
Post by Binky on Jan 25, 2022 23:39:48 GMT
Out of curiosity have those that have ditched it got a partner and kids? I wonder if that makes any difference?
|
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 26, 2022 6:15:34 GMT
Yes and yes! Tbh, the only reason I keep sky cinema is because my wife watches lots of random shit films. The biggies that end up there I would rather buy. Never had the kids channels, so my 2 are happy with Netflix and Disney. And even the entertainment pack is kept for a few specific shows, which we could probably just binge a few times a year.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2022 7:34:56 GMT
Yes, I've a wife and kids. The kids like Disney (and Netflix when we get it) and they've more than enough to watch. If there's anything they particularly want, then I'll buy it digitally on Amazon. That works out cheap for the (hideous) Mr Darcy stuff they like.
The kids know we're not made of money and there's much more important things to spend on than TV.
|
|
EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,150 
|
Post by EMarkM on Jan 26, 2022 8:08:55 GMT
I used to enjoy this thread in the old place, and it did help me make some decisions.
When the original Mrs. EMarkM was alive, we started with the then five terrestrial channels, and our exposure to Sky was negligible.
It was only when we looked after a friend's house for a week, by way of a holiday for ourselves, in 2001, that we got the chance to use Sky regularly.
My goodness.
The Ancient Egypt and natural history documentaries on their own were enough to tip me over the edge - we NEEDED that service, and signed up as soon as we got home.
Following the bereavement in 2015, I quickly started to notice that I was watching Sky less and less, and was relying on YouTube for more of my entertainment. In the end, I realised that even my favourite documentary channels were largely filled with absolute, utter shit, and the quality had almost completely gone.
Moving in with the current Mrs. EMarkM, we have "normal" telly, which is really just used for HGTV and Challenge, Disney+ and YouTube (not the premium one).
We've just ditched Amazon Prime due to the temporary "not using Visa" shenanigans (I got my £20 out of them, though!) and we have no plans to return to it.
We are considering returning to Netflix instead, as there are films we want to watch from time to time that are not on Disney+.
Anyway, yes: life without Sky is better and cheaper. Not a jot of interest in watching sport at this end, which probably helps.
|
|
Binky
Junior Member
Posts: 1,126
|
Post by Binky on Jan 26, 2022 22:19:37 GMT
Coming back to the hardware/software side of things, has anyone had any experience with an Apple TV box?
Whilst I’m happy with the LG apps on the TV, not everyone in the house is, and one of the big pros for Sky is that everything is in one place. An Apple TV box looks like it might tick that box for accessibility/tech fear.
Also, having had Sky for so long I’ve never had to think about terrestrial telly in ages. Would I be able to take the satellite aerial cables out of the Sky Q box and whack them into the back of the LG CX as a digital aerial? Does it work like that?
|
|
|
|
Post by damagedinc on Jan 26, 2022 22:23:00 GMT
I fight tooth and nail every year. But I have sky q 4k full package, Netflix and broadband for 85. I'm happy paying that
|
|
Binky
Junior Member
Posts: 1,126
|
Post by Binky on Jan 26, 2022 22:26:33 GMT
“Full” as in sports and cinema or just the entertainment stuff? (Trying to work out what’s reasonable when I call them next week.)
|
|
スコットランド
Junior Member
Delicious gruel
Posts: 3,934
|
Post by スコットランド on Jan 26, 2022 22:30:52 GMT
Coming back to the hardware/software side of things, has anyone had any experience with an Apple TV box? Whilst I’m happy with the LG apps on the TV, not everyone in the house is, and one of the big pros for Sky is that everything is in one place. An Apple TV box looks like it might tick that box for accessibility/tech fear. Also, having had Sky for so long I’ve never had to think about terrestrial telly in ages. Would I be able to take the satellite aerial cables out of the Sky Q box and whack them into the back of the LG CX as a digital aerial? Does it work like that? I've been using Apple TV for years and find the apps for Netflix, Prime etc. nicer to use and more stable than the LG apps (I have a C8), there are also other apps for streaming from NAS etc. which work great plus Apple TV+ has some good stuff and Apple's movie renting is great. However, the hardware is expensive compared to some of the other boxes. |
|
Binky
Junior Member
Posts: 1,126
|
Post by Binky on Jan 26, 2022 22:33:39 GMT
On looking at the videos, it seems the most “sky like” in its delivery of content, which is what I’m after. I don’t mind the cost of entry if it gets me out of paying that price every month.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 26, 2022 22:35:57 GMT
Binky yeah, the CX should have Freesat. Only thing missing is 4HD. And if you grab a USB SSD you can record to that. The downside is that the EPG and recording menus are a bit shit.
|
|
|
|
Post by brokenkey on Jan 26, 2022 22:52:39 GMT
Channel 4 hd is back on Freesat, channel 126. Seems to be a secret.
|
|
|
|
Post by muddyfunster on Jan 26, 2022 23:05:47 GMT
The sky model is pretty ridiculous as the haggling is a pain in the arse but it's well worth fighting them on price. Every year I have to call up tell them I'm quitting and then wait for the actual good offers.
Renewed before Christmas for £40 a month (£43 billed but got some one off credits). For that we get 4k hdr sport entertainment and Netflix (no cinema). If Sky lost the F1 I'd probably cancel the sport package but for now I get value.
Internet is with BT. Had little joy haggling with them last time. Their customer service has been excellent whenever we've had issues though.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 27, 2022 6:38:38 GMT
Channel 4 hd is back on Freesat, channel 126. Seems to be a secret. Well fuck a duck. Ta! Not that we ever watch terrestrial. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2022 7:39:04 GMT
Binky yeah, the CX should have Freesat. Only thing missing is 4HD. And if you grab a USB SSD you can record to that. The downside is that the EPG and recording menus are a bit shit. We use the web browser for All4. I've just set the home page on that too All4 and then set long press 4 to open the browser. We had a firestick in the back at first, but seemed a waste as the apps seem fine for the most part. |
|
|
|
Post by Blackmarsh63 on Jan 27, 2022 7:43:49 GMT
Coming back to the hardware/software side of things, has anyone had any experience with an Apple TV box? Whilst I’m happy with the LG apps on the TV, not everyone in the house is, and one of the big pros for Sky is that everything is in one place. An Apple TV box looks like it might tick that box for accessibility/tech fear. Also, having had Sky for so long I’ve never had to think about terrestrial telly in ages. Would I be able to take the satellite aerial cables out of the Sky Q box and whack them into the back of the LG CX as a digital aerial? Does it work like that? The Sky Q box uses as different LNB on the dish and wont work on a standard satellite tuner apparently. I'm curious about this so will try it later on....... Have you not got a TV aerial ? |
|
111
New Member
Posts: 230
|
Post by 111 on Jan 27, 2022 7:55:19 GMT
Blown away at the idea of £141 a month (plus Netflix/Apple/Amazon/Disney subs). Back in the four/five channels vs Sky days, well personally I probably still wouldn't have spent that much but I can see that you're getting a lot extra from Sky, even if it is pricey.
But in a world where Freeview is free and Netflix is £6-£10...?
|
|
