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kawakid
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PostPosted: 21:13 - 14 Feb 2017    Post subject: Moving away from cable/Satellite TV Reply with quote

Hello,
Today i’ve finally taken the plunge and i’ve cancelled my Virgin Media subscription to the TV and telephone and I am just wondering, if anyone else has been in a similar situation?

I have found myself recently, going up and down channels and not really finding anything I like, in the last 6 months i’ve probably only recorded a handful of programs and what we do watch is on the main channels which are on freeview.

I have Netflix, which I love, Amazon Prime and Now TV (thanks Vodafone) and that alongside BBC Iplayer is all I seem to watch.

Plus ITV Hub is from yesterday now available on the Xbox One.


The only possible issue I can see is kids TV, (Freeview looks crxp for this), but I can get 6 channels including Cartoon Network & Nickelodeon for £3 a month with Now TV, so that will be bought.


The wife does seem a bit miffed, the TV downstairs can’t record. Though the one in the bedroom can (USB HD), though she can surely use the apps to watch her soaps.

The telephone I basically kept, because my mother phones using her landline (no mobile), but I can’t justify a phone line for 1 person, I have unlimited free minutes, I can ring her back.


The only comments from friends is sport, but I don’t watch it, even the kids don’t. We do like football, but only going to it, which we do every other week.

Now after all the above, has anyone else gone down a similar route, what was their experience? Will I end up needing a PVR, could you not cope?

PS doing the above is saving me ~ £500 a year.

PPS Just ordered the TV add on for the Xbox one £9 from Amazon. (no PVR, but lets you rewind/pause etc and apparently has a slick interface).

PPPS I have heard of Kodi, I do have a fire stick, but I am pretty legit tbh.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 22:07 - 14 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sodded off my Virgin TV about 3 years ago, and I haven't missed it since.

Netflix + Amazon + YouTube provides more than enough content to keep me and the Borglets amused.

Very occasionally I'll watch iPlayer4 when some Great British Ubiquity is on.

You will want The Big Knights on DVD, mind.
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linuxyeti
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PostPosted: 22:21 - 14 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, us too

Kodi, Now TV all that's needed ..
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M.C
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PostPosted: 22:25 - 14 Feb 2017    Post subject: Re: Moving away from cable/Satellite TV Reply with quote

kawakid wrote:
PPS Just ordered the TV add on for the Xbox one £9 from Amazon. (no PVR, but lets you rewind/pause etc and apparently has a slick interface).

I don't understand why you can't record, you could with the PS3 (although I rarely did) but I guess hard drive space's at a premium with this gen' of consoles. I didn't actually know about pause/rewind, but I have a freeview box which you can run through the Xbox and watch whilst playing a game. Useful when England are in action Smile
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bamt
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PostPosted: 22:38 - 14 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Binned off Sky when freeview became available in our area - ten years ago? Saved an absolute shed load of money since. Admittedly part of that was me getting stroppy when our Sky+ box started acting up following a software upgrade they'd pushed to it, and they wanted us to pay close to £100 for a service call out - when I was paying them £70 a month anyway. They wouldn't budge, I cancelled and bought a Toppy freeview recorder and never looked back.

Nowadays I have a freesat PVR, a youview recording box (on Plusnet fibre for a fiver a month) plus an Amazon box. We really got the youview because it lets us record Eurosport - which is Mrs Bamt's thing when the cycling is on.

The PVRs always record more telly than we watch. One would easily handle the soaps for your other half, and a decent one is half what you've saved on Sky. Get a Freesat one and it'll plug into your existing dish.
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kawakid
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PostPosted: 23:19 - 14 Feb 2017    Post subject: Re: Moving away from cable/Satellite TV Reply with quote

M.C wrote:
kawakid wrote:
PPS Just ordered the TV add on for the Xbox one £9 from Amazon. (no PVR, but lets you rewind/pause etc and apparently has a slick interface).

I don't understand why you can't record, you could with the PS3 Smile


Not sure either, apparently Microsoft had it on a wish list but never did anything with it. I have a 2TB HD on my xbox also.

I do still have a Ps3 and it's in the TV cabinet, I didn't know there was a tuner for it.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 00:03 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Re: Moving away from cable/Satellite TV Reply with quote

kawakid wrote:
Not sure either, apparently Microsoft had it on a wish list but never did anything with it. I have a 2TB HD on my xbox also.

I do still have a Ps3 and it's in the TV cabinet, I didn't know there was a tuner for it.

Yeah Play TV, you can get them for a fiver from CEX: https://uk.webuy.com/product.php?sku=SPS3PTV001#.WKOKi3TfWf0

I've got a 1TB external drive + 500GB internal but I'm already filling that up, f'ing Halo updates Rolling Eyes

Is Youview any good? I couldn't see any benefits over the other free options. BT got on my bad side anyway with the BT Sport thing, when I had standard broadband the package with BT Europe etc. was free, but my line didn't pass their tech check (funny that) so I couldn't get it. Now I have fibre they charge for the package. Stinks of offering something they never intended on supplying.
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MahatmaAndhi
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PostPosted: 01:17 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm getting rid of my phone and TV (Virgin) next month. I refuse to get rid of their broadband though. It's far above the rest.
My boy watches non-stop episodes of Paw Patrol and Team Oomizoomi when he gets the chance, so Netflix is enough for him. My daughter has her head buried in a DS and rarely watches anything.

I've got a PS3 hooked up to the living room tele for a media server and all streaming content, so the only pro about having a Virgin box is the record/rewind feature.

I'll probably buy/scrounge a TV box from someone which is capable of doing the same thing. Or frankenstein a PC for that kinda stuff. Dunno if a Raspberry Pi would do the trick. For £30-odd, it's worth a punt.
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CaNsA
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PostPosted: 04:43 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

My kodi boxes have been selling well recently.
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bamt
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PostPosted: 08:53 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Re: Moving away from cable/Satellite TV Reply with quote

M.C wrote:

Is Youview any good? I couldn't see any benefits over the other free options.


I have it on plusnet fibre, with the recording box. As mentioned above, for us the killer feature was being able to record Eurosport for the cycling (which tends to be on live during the working day).

The interface works nicely, it does what you'd expect a Freeview PVR to do, with a few extra channels. It also has a nice non-technical user interface, so everyone in the house knows how to use it. You can go backwards on the EPG too, and if content is available online it is tagged in the EPG so you can watch stuff off iplayer etc. as easily as selecting a live program. You can also set up recordings from your smartphone wherever you are - so if someone at work mentions a program that is on that evening, you can set the box to record it there and then.

Whether or not it works better than the free options is down to personal use and taste for how much like a simple appliance your TV stuff should be (I never went down the route of hacking together something on a PC or games console as whilst it may be cheaper and possibly better functionality I know that Mrs Bamt would never get the hang of it and so never use it.)
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trevoriv
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PostPosted: 09:09 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Currently debating it - our sky subscription including phone and broadband is £1,500 a year and all we seem to watch we could get from Amazon, Netflix, Kodi, torrents and plex etc. We've kept Sky because it's convienient and we can afford it.

I do have quite high minimum quality requirements when it comes to watching TV though which is one thing that puts me off the kodi box way of living (and to be fair one thing that winds me up with Sky too). I begrudge watching Sky at 720p/1080i when I'm paying for it and I generally wont allow a film to be played on my main TV without it being minimum 1080p and DTS which both puts me off Kodi etc and also makes me look like a moron for paying for Sky Movies (1080i and DD at best)

I think the first stage will be a threat to cancel and get the cost halved for a bit.
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MarJay
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PostPosted: 09:36 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have BT TV for free with my telephone and internet package (I don't have Virgin coverage where I live) but I honestly don't use it. I've never even hooked up the aerial.

I basically use Amazon Prime, iPlayer and watch DVD's and Blu Rays most of the time. The GF uses 5 on demand to watch Neighbours when she comes around sometimes but other than that we don't miss it. The BT box I have has some Dave on demand stuff we sometimes use, and we have a borrowed Netflix account, but to be honest we could live without all of it except iPlayer if we had to.
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chris-red
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PostPosted: 11:32 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only thing I miss from Sky/Virgin, is BT sport for the GP. I have the MotoGP vid pass instead but the BT coverage is much better. Before you say Kodi. I want a reliable HD stream IMO no point watching it is SD.

I even contacted BT to see if I could buy an account to watch it online but they said they wouldn't do it. It's £20 something quid a month but you need to have sky already. It'll end up being the only way I can get it is paying £60 a month. Rolling Eyes Fuck that.

I've got Freeview Netflix Kodi and Amazon, there's always something to watch.

As for recording my TV has a feature where you can plug in a USB HDD and record stuff. Maybe get a better tv with the money you saved Thumbs Up
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Hong Kong Phooey
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PostPosted: 11:53 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apparently there are satellite boxes that come prepared to receive the decryption keys over the internet. If I had one running for 2 months it would have paid for itself.

As it happens it's been on for over 6 months. Whistle Dance!

That, play TV on ps3 and Kodi would hypothetically suit my needs.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 12:31 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

CaNsA wrote:
My kodi boxes have been selling well recently.

How's the myHermes pickup service from HMP Altcourse?
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Pjay
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PostPosted: 12:41 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hong Kong Phooey wrote:
Apparently there are satellite boxes that come prepared to receive the decryption keys over the internet. If I had one running for 2 months it would have paid for itself.

As it happens it's been on for over 6 months. Whistle Dance!


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kawakid
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PostPosted: 13:46 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the advice and info, the wife is the only one a bit miffed by it all.

Children seem absolutely fine, i'll be connecting an aerial up to their TV (they have virgin in bedroom) and they have a PS4, which will have Now TV and thus 6 kids channels.

I have kept the Virgin broaband, like other posters this is the most importing thing and work help me out with it, so I have the 200mb package.

I am going to go to Screwfix today and get a coax splitter and aerial leads and hopefully my Xbox one freeview thingy will come today.

The only thing I can think might change my mind is 4K. My downstairs TV is 5 years old in April and at some stage I will look to upgrade, which will mean PS4 pro and the new Xbox one that's due out later this year. The V6 from Virgin looks okay, but there is zero 4k content.

I will try and get the ps3 TV tuner, i've read good and bad reviews on the interweb but for <£10 it's worth a punt.

Or if I have to, this seems the future

https://www.richersounds.com/product/digital-set-top-boxes/panasonic/dmrhwt150eb/pana-dmrhwt150eb-blk
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 14:11 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not wanting to derail the thread, but as this is pretty well another query about the same sort of thing.......

Has anyone got freesat and how good is it? I have sky and want rid (£90 a month) but can't get freeview without a complete new aerial system.

I plan putting two of these on the lounge and bedroom satellite feeds.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4252476

Any comments please?
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wodge
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PostPosted: 22:56 - 15 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hong Kong Phooey wrote:
Apparently there are satellite boxes that come prepared to receive the decryption keys over the internet. If I had one running for 2 months it would have paid for itself.

As it happens it's been on for over 6 months. Whistle Dance!

That, play TV on ps3 and Kodi would hypothetically suit my needs.


About 3 years at £25 to £30 a year for all Film, Sports, Documentaries etc No HD though, you can only get Standard Definition..

(I'm talking about a mate's setup of course)
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M.C
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PostPosted: 00:43 - 16 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

kawakid wrote:
I will try and get the ps3 TV tuner, i've read good and bad reviews on the interweb but for <£10 it's worth a punt.

Only negative's it doesn't pickup HD channels. You can have mine if you want, I don't use it.
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Pjay
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PostPosted: 01:09 - 16 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

wodge wrote:
About 3 years at £25 to £30 a year for all Film, Sports, Documentaries etc No HD though, you can only get Standard Definition..

(I'm talking about a mate's setup of course)


You do get HD, just not the Sky HD, like sports/movies
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B5234FT
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PostPosted: 10:24 - 16 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got rid of my TV license when I moved house in 2011 and haven't had one since.

No sky/virgin
No freeview
No nothing.

I have Netflix, Amazon Prime (had it anyway for delivery) and otherwise DVDs.

I found that once I sat down to watch tv, in spite of there being 'nothing to watch', hours of my life vanished. Now I choose when I want to watch it and then watch a specific show for an hour and turn it off.
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kawakid
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PostPosted: 11:41 - 16 Feb 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the offer MC. I might take you up on it.

I got the Xbox one digital TV working last night and from thinking it was rubbish (no instructions, blank epg), to thinking this is really good in about 20 mins. The EPG is really good, showing film logos, nice information etc, really impressive and a bargain for < £9 .

Had a bit more of a chat with wifey and now currently bidding on a BT Youview+ box. But I don't want to spent a lot if I don't have to.
(The issue is the wife, not being techie, I have 3 boys, who have zero problems with gadgets, but the wife doesn't really know the difference between ps3/ps4/xbox one, even my mother 70+ has been on the PSVR, wife hasn't).

I've also seen a PVR that needs a USB HD, called an August 415 for about £25.

I also setup the new ITV app on the Xbox one, it seems okay, though I think I need to register it and log in as it lets you resume play etc.
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kawakid
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PostPosted: 14:23 - 20 Mar 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a bit of an update, the Virgin TV has finally gone, as has the phone.

After quite a lot of research, I purchased a new BT Humax Youview box for the wifes TV recordings. Which is excellent, the wife uses it really, but it is super quick and like a breath of fresh air compared to the sluggish Tivo.

I also purchased a Cisco SPA112 SIP router and I have configured this (took a while) with a company called Sipgate. This gives me a normal telephone number for my area, but all calls are routed over the internet, there is no line rental and calls are about 1p per minute. Which is only ideally really if your are on Virgin broadband as you would have a phone line already.

So far no complaints, the kids use NowTV on the Xbox, they have 6 kids channels plus lots of stuff on demand and it's only £3 per month.

I still have access to about 12 Sky channels via NowTV (Thanks again Vodafone).

So far so good. Wish i'd done it earlier.
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