Unsure about whether to get BT TV

[redrabbit29]

I've just moved into a new house.

There is no working/connected TV aerial. There is a Sky dish which is wired to living room but it doesn't work. The old owners used BT TV and Broadband - many people around here do this as there is no FTTP. Most say it's OK.

The options I am consider now are:

1) Getting a guy round to just fix the sky dish so I can get freeview through my sky box - like I did in my old house.

2) Getting a guy round to fit the TV aerial

3) Get BT TV with Broadband - This will be practically same cost as I would pay for Zen internet by itself (£37 a month). I have signed up for Zen but can cancel within the next 10 days.

4) Sign up again to Sky for a new box, get dish sorted out, etc. Doesn't seem worth it though, I never feel like I get very good value for money from Sky

Questions

1. I thought BT used a broadband connection for the premium channels? If bandwidth is a bit ropy then, doesn't that just add more load and could mean the channels don't really stream that well?.
2. I also thought BT used a TV aerial for freeview channels? So how can this work if I don't even have one and the old owners say the TV aerial has never worked for at least them and the previous owners.

Thanks Everyone

 

[Bluecube]

That’s my understanding as well with regards to your BT TV questions. Premium over broadband, freeview for the rest. Thus is how it was for me about five years ago.

I’d personally just get the Sky dish sorted and use it for Freeview channels. I always found Sky packages to be overpriced ad laden pap.

 

[tres]

super cheap and easy to fit an aerial inside the attic. Ours was a cheapy from B&Q and picks up every Freeview channel without a problem. There is a good phone app that shows you the direction to point it in.

 

[redrabbit29]

super cheap and easy to fit an aerial inside the attic. Ours was a cheapy from B&Q and picks up every Freeview channel without a problem. There is a good phone app that shows you the direction to point it in.

That sounds good. There is an aerial cable in the living room where the TV should be hung, but it's obviously not connected to anything. In the kitchen is a TV aerial socket too.

How easy would you say it would be for a pro to fit a TV Aerial and have the table in the living room and the kitchen? I have asked someone and just waiting on a quote after bank holiday

That’s my understanding as well with regards to your BT TV questions. Premium over broadband, freeview for the rest. Thus is how it was for me about five years ago.

I’d personally just get the Sky dish sorted and use it for Freeview channels. I always found Sky packages to be overpriced ad laden pap.

Yea same, I've never liked or valued Sky much. I enjoyed the sports but when it was about £70+ it was just too much

 

[TheVoice]

As above, BT uses Freeview for free channels then broadband for the subscription ones. If you have a reasonably decent connection you shouldn't notice any impact, you might get the odd glitch here and there but then Freeview isn't entirely error-free either. That said, there's not much on the subscription channels to make it entirely worthwhile these days. Their 4K offering seemed appealing at the time (plus they had some excellent deals) but as far as I'm aware they've still only got sport in 4K.

The boxes are pretty good though, it's a Humax YouView one and although I haven't had BT TV for 3+years I still use the box for recording.

 

[Arcane]

I had my house refurbished last year and a new HD ready Ariel fitted was £250. I have BT TV too and find it to be very reliable (the Broadband too). There's nothing particularly exciting on it that you can't get elsewhere though. I get NowTV entertainment through the BT Box for a tenner a month which I watch a lot, the rest of it isn't worth paying for imo.