Alternatives to Sky

Soldato
Joined
25 Apr 2007
Posts
5,255
I suspect the answer to this is 'no'.

I have Sky Q at home, for which I pay £47-odd quid for movies, HD and Netflix, with a multiroom subscription.

My wife is very happy with the setup. The children watch lots of tat on Netflix in the conservatory and the Sky system is very easy and straightforward.

However, my wife and I don't actually watch very much TV and most of it is terrestrial soaps (her, not me). Therefore I reckon we're paying quite a lot of money to effectively hire a PVR with lots of advert-ridden channels.

Is there anything similar where I can go into a shop and buy a freesat box or whatever that does the same thing, but where I can pick and choose my subscriptions as and when I want them? It's got to be easy to use, by which I mean exactly as easy to use as the Sky setup. Any compromises to that won't get past my wife.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
25 Apr 2007
Posts
5,255
Neither of these allow recording on a box. I've got a Now TV dongle, but it's really not the same level of convenience as Sky Q.

There must be an opening in the market for something like this.
 
Associate
Joined
15 Jul 2006
Posts
940
Location
Up Carp Creek
There is a new 4K Freesat recorder coming that has Netflix intergration.
Only the standard version is available to pre-order at present.

You would struggle with multi room though, but Neflix/catchup could be done via Roku Box/Fire Stick etc
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
25 Apr 2007
Posts
5,255
What do you actually want?

Something similar to Sky's service where all the subscription stuff (netflix, amazon prime video and whatever else) can be accessed in one place via a user-friendly portal that's snappy, not sluggish and also with the ability to watch and record free channels.

A box or boxes that I can pay for up front rather than being tied in to endless £47 quids a month. The Sky Q box is essentially this, just tied in to a Sky subscription.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Jan 2018
Posts
14,657
Location
Hampshire
Most smart TVs offer netflix, prime etc built in you dont need a sky box for that. If you dont have a smart TV, then an amazon fire stick will do what you want with regards to the streaming services, then you just need any freeview recording box.
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Aug 2005
Posts
22,947
Location
Glasgow
A UHD BT TV box might be worth a look, there's probably loads on eBay fairly cheap. They can do Freeview HD, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Now TV (although still only the movies unfortunately) as well as the full suite of catch-up apps e.g. iPlayer, All4 etc. The UHD one is quicker than the regular one and also means you get Netflix (and I assume Amazon) in UHD.

You don't need a BT TV subscription to use the box either, although obviously some of the channels (plus the BT Player app) won't work without.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
25 Apr 2007
Posts
5,255
Thanks - I'll check out the BT box. Now you mention it, I seem to recall trying to get BT's 4k service before but they wouldn't sell me it because my line wasn't fast enough.

They're probably cheap enough to buy a couple :)
 
Soldato
Joined
31 Dec 2007
Posts
13,616
Location
The TARDIS, Wakefield, UK
BT are about to bring out a new range of packages with 30 day add on bolt ons you can opt in and out of. Its meant to start this Friday 21st Feb from as little as £10 per month. They are also meant to be incorporating the full NowTV app (previously just have Now TV Sky Cinema) which includes Sky Sports channels and Sky Entertainment. Also its meant to mean you can record NowTV. So you can pay one monthly fee and have access to Netflix, Amazon Prime, NowTV and BT TV. As BT TV has the apps for Netflix etc it also means you can still use your existing account to sign in if you dont want to pay via BT. So for instance I have a Netflix account that I pay via Netflix and I can use it on my BT box, same with Amazon.

It will mean a step closer to one box does all to give you access to NowTV (Sky), Amazon Prime, Netflix, BT TV, Freeview and all the freeview players eg iPlayer and they are also planning to incorporate Disney+ later this year. The UHD box already delivers some 4k content, ie Netflix, BT Sport with Dolby Atmos but a new box is due this year which gives you HDR.

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/...change-subscriptions-on-month-to-month-basis/

My BT TV is out of contract and I`m still on an old legacy package and my broadband is up in Sept I was going to give them a ring to see what they can offer but I think I will wait for Friday and then give them a call. My BT boxes just got an update last night so this is probably in readiness.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
7,016
Location
Tamworth
The current Virgin V6 box supports both Netflix and Prime apps.

Assuming you live in a cabled street, Virgin Media to some decent deals for new customers. But trust me when I say you won't think their V6 box is a patch on anything from Sky.

Your best course of action to start with is calling Sky and trying to renegotiate you current deal.

Also bear in mind that if you leave Sky and keep Netflix then you'll be paying between £8 and £12 a month to Netflix, depending on your subscription.
 
Back
Top Bottom