Stick with Sky or Check out Alternatives?

[varkanoid]

can you record the series and watch anytime in HD or Ultra HD?

there is a reason why it's cheaper.

thats why its worth it and I can make do with it. If it was something I may watch more than once than I would be bothered about HD or UltraHD but watching it @ 720p anytime I want is fine for a series I wont watch again. Being able to watch other programmes in HD or ultrahd on Sky that I pay for but will never watch whats the point. BTW just for the record I had sky for about 15 years before I ended it including being on the VIP sub for 2 of those years.

 

[Luckystrike123]

I have recently cancelled both sky and the TV license. We now watch youtube and amazon prime now and we aren't feeling like we are missing out at all.

We also have on demand from itv, c5 and c4 but haven't found the need to use them as yet. When thrones is back on TV we'll get now TV for a couple of months and then get rid again.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I have recently cancelled both sky and the TV license. We now watch youtube and amazon prime now and we aren't feeling like we are missing out at all.

We also have on demand from itv, c5 and c4 but haven't found the need to use them as yet. When thrones is back on TV we'll get now TV for a couple of months and then get rid again.

netflix is good to sub to for a couple of months a year too. 95% of it is garbage though.

 

[Oxide™]

So after some research would this be a good cheaper Sky alternative with most of Sky+ HD services/usability

Freeview pvr - Humax FVP-5000T (£220)
Netflix (£9/month)

 

[xs2man]

I have Netflix, Amazon Prime and Now TV. Now TV is almost a no brainer as you can cancel every few months, and then generally get offered the packages half price, or better. I pay less than £10 a month for the Movies and Entertainment (about £3.50 each) with the current offering. And I've basically been on that deal for over 12 months now.

I am always tempted to get Sky back. The interface is so useful. But to be honest, at £50+ per month, compared to about £20 with the 3 services I currently use, it's trickier. I wouldn't want to lose Netflix. There are plenty shows on there I watch. I use it all the time when I'm travelling (over 100 days a year, internationally, so the Sky app doesn't work). We don't use Amazon Prime as much for video content, but it pays for itself with the next day delivery anyway. So then, when you boil it down, it's swapping the £7 Now TV for a £50+ Sky package. Not really worth it.

Oxide, rather than buying that pvr, which I'm sure is great. I think I'd be more inclined to put that money towards a newer TV (plus HDD), that has the functionality built in, and therefore doesn't require an extra box / plug / cables. Can't disagree with Netflix though. But unless you have a 4K TV, or are planning on Netflix to be on every TV in the house simultaneously, then the cheaper one might be worth it?

 

[Armageus]

So after some research would this be a good cheaper Sky alternative with most of Sky+ HD services/usability

Freeview pvr - Humax FVP-5000T (£220)
Netflix (£9/month)

Depending on what your needs are, the dtr-t2000 may be a better choice - being based on Youview it offers the NowTV app as well, although at the cost of only being a dual tuner rather than 3 tuner model
https://uk.humaxdigital.com/product/dtr-t2000/

 

[TheVoice]

YouView boxes don't currently support Now TV fully, only movies.

If you need a Freeview box a second-hand BT TV box might be worth a look (they're made by Humax), they give them away with BT TV contracts so you'd be able to pick one up cheaply. The UHD one is a bit quicker and has a larger HDD. If you have BT broadband, you might be able to get a decent deal for BT TV from them which would work out cheaper than buying a Freeview box anyway.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So after some research would this be a good cheaper Sky alternative with most of Sky+ HD services/usability

Freeview pvr - Humax FVP-5000T (£220)
Netflix (£9/month)

tv license on top @ £13 a month or whatever it is. get rid of freeview and you can get rid of the license.

 

[Oxide™]

I appreciate all your input guys - I hadn't thought of a BT TV box and I'll look into this too

Just thinking - I don't suppose there are any Sky Q (and are the boxes very good?) deals that would be cheaper than I'm paying now or is that a no go? Reason I ask is because it's so much easier to stay with Sky and now it also includes Netflix which the missus really wants - if I can swing it that Sky Q is a bit cheaper with possible discounts I may just be able to stay with Sky

 

[xs2man]

I appreciate all your input guys - I hadn't thought of a BT TV box and I'll look into this too

Just thinking - I don't suppose there are any Sky Q (and are the boxes very good?) deals that would be cheaper than I'm paying now or is that a no go? Reason I ask is because it's so much easier to stay with Sky and now it also includes Netflix which the missus really wants - if I can swing it that Sky Q is a bit cheaper with possible discounts I may just be able to stay with Sky

From the Sky Friends & Family thread:

Sky Entertainment & Broadband Unlimited
Sky TV with over 300 Entertainment channels and Broadband Unlimited.
£30.00
a month
Line Rental & Sky Talk included

The Best of Sky
Over 300 channels, Sky Box Sets & Netflix, 11 kids channels and over 1,000 movies on demand - All in stunning HD
£35.00
a month

The Sky TV Big Bundle
Over 300 channels, Sky Box Sets & Netflix, 11 kids channels, Sky Cinema & Sky Sports - All in stunning HD.
£45.00
a month

The Sky TV Big Bundle + Broadband Unlimited
Over 300 channels, Sky Box Sets & Netflix, 11 kids channels, Sky Cinema & Sky Sports - All in stunning HD.
Plus, totally unlimited broadband.
£60.00
a month
Line Rental & Sky Talk included

 

[FrankJH]

It would be interesting to know why Sky is so much more complex than BT / Netflix in regards to the IP only service, it really shouldn't be that difficult.

As soon as NowTV move to 1080p I may try it again (which I believe should be before Xmas) , I have been missing some of their exclusives but I just hated their interface the last time I used it last year (at one point they cancelled inbrowser viewing and their Win10 app appeared to want to scroll from side to side but actually went up /down and it just annoyed the **** out of me hahaha)

I not even going to try and start watching 720p on a lovely new 65" B8 OLED

 

[xs2man]

I don't see the problem. I often watch 720p on my 120" projector, and it often looks fine. I have Now TV hooked up to it, and it looks fine. Sure, 1080p would be better, but 720p is good enough.

 

[jpaul]

NOWTV - what's the deal with the PC/windows program you now need to install to see programmes ?
Are they now tracking more accurately which devices have accessed nowtv ?, or are there some new benefits ?

( I had a voucher I needed to apply before Dec time-out, even though, after TWD reviews, it does not seem worth watching
, last used nowtv 2 months back. ... not sure anything elses is new)

edit after re-subscribing offer I had seen in hotuk popped up

Paul, it’s a race against time to grab one of our Black Friday deals offering over 50% off for 12 months on our Entertainment and Sky Cinema passes.

Hurry though, as you only have until midnight 29th November to claim the deal of your choice.

 

[jpaul]

I had a voucher I needed to apply before Dec time-out,

should have sold my 2 month nowtv ent pass ... there is nothing worth watching... band of brothers and laura Palmer were all I could find
maybe netflix ? which http://vodzilla.co/new-on-now-tv/ announces as new on sky tv ... have Sky given up on content ?

... there is more of interest on Channel 4 catchup - walter presents

 

[FrankJH]

The one thing I love about Netflix / NowTV which means I now cant watch C4/C5 ......adverts

Years ago when none of the other options were available, I put up with them through gritted teeth - now when catchup has it I just ignore the service / channel as a whole (and admittedly I got ****** off when catch up was new when it would get to an add break and constantly mess up between the program and ads and then back to the program so I used to end up watching 10 adverts to get to the 2nd half of the program so I just gave up)

I don't watch as much of youtube as I might because of the little blighters either hahaha

and what REALLY annoys me - occasionally I want to watch a live event on ITV....so I tune in at kick off....and it still forces adverts on you (when tv is actually broadcasting the game already) - every way you look at that, its wrong - again another service I basically ignore

 

[Psycho Sonny]

The one thing I love about Netflix / NowTV which means I now cant watch C4/C5 ......adverts

Years ago when none of the other options were available, I put up with them through gritted teeth - now when catchup has it I just ignore the service / channel as a whole (and admittedly I got ****** off when catch up was new when it would get to an add break and constantly mess up between the program and ads and then back to the program so I used to end up watching 10 adverts to get to the 2nd half of the program so I just gave up)

I don't watch as much of youtube as I might because of the little blighters either hahaha

and what REALLY annoys me - occasionally I want to watch a live event on ITV....so I tune in at kick off....and it still forces adverts on you (when tv is actually broadcasting the game already) - every way you look at that, its wrong - again another service I basically ignore

as much as i hate ads. you can normally skip them after 5 seconds or less so it isn't a big deal IMO.

i certainly wouldn't stop watching i want to watch because of adverts. "Cutting off the nose to spite the face".

I think you are overreacting here.

 

[TheVoice]

It would be interesting to know why Sky is so much more complex than BT / Netflix in regards to the IP only service, it really shouldn't be that difficult.

BT isn't IP only either, it's only the few subscription-based channels which it delivers via multicasting. The rest are the regular Freeview channels.

 

[Bigpig]

Prime, Netflix and Disney Life user. I sometimes miss sky and fine myself looking at deals but the last time I tried sky now it was the same old pap.

Apart from GOT and the discovery channel I would struggle to pick something off the top of my head.

I enjoy the content Netflix put out and don't mind supporting them.

Stranger Thing's, Lost in space, Marvel (which is soon to end) and I can't wait for the Witcher series. These are my favourite but you if Google you will find a large list of popular content.

Prime am using for Amazon shipping but I do enjoy the grandtour, preacher, Viking's and watching the older content.

Top it all off I've been license free for the past year snd not paying thoses cretins at the BBC is a plus.

 

[jpaul]

BT isn't IP only either, it's only the few subscription-based channels which it delivers via multicasting. The rest are the regular Freeview channels.

you don't have to have a freeview/aeriel connection though, and you have a useful humax box (or is it rented now too) for post-bt freeview recording.

From previous threads, aren't there BT streams of sd freeview channels too, that are better quality (h265?) than (legacy mpeg2) freeview aeriel,
like the TVplayer service.

 

[Doug2507]

We binned sky maybe 2 years ago, not missed it once. Netflix/prime/Freesat + view. We use Amazon a fair bit for shopping so free postage saves us quite a lot, changed Spotify for Amazon music unlimited. Both handy for watching on phones/tablets/laptops etc around the house and when out. All Alexa'd up now also with a couple of echo plus in the house.

If anything actually good comes on sky then it's only a download away if needed.

Tried kodi for a bit but was more hassle than it was worth, easier to d/l anything specific. Not bothered with iptv, no need tbh.