Getting rid of Sky TV | General discussion ( non motoring ) | Back Room Forum

Thu 14 Feb 2019 18:34

Getting rid of Sky TV - badbusdriver

After quite a number of years having Sky TV, i have decided that there is not much point in having it. The youngest son has his own Netflix subscription, oldest son doesn't live with us, my wife doesn't watch TV, and after thinking about it, i realised that hardly any of what i watch myself is on Sky. Most of what i watch are on either the 'terrestrial channels', or channels which would come under 'freeview'. As there is no point handing Sky this money for something i'm not really using, i've been thinking about getting rid of it but have some questions (as someone not very tech saavy).

Would i need a TV ariel?

Is there some universal device which would allow me to watch the channels mentioned through the internet?

Would it be better to have either or both of the above?

Or is there something else entirely i might be better with?

Thanks!

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 18:48

Getting rid of Sky TV - AdeyG

Get Freesat. You can connect to your Sky dish, so you don't need an aerial. I think Freesat boxes start at about £50

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 19:08

Getting rid of Sky TV - Engineer Andy

Get Freesat. You can connect to your Sky dish, so you don't need an aerial. I think Freesat boxes start at about £50

£50 would only get you a tuner, no facility to record at least one channel and wath another or a recording. Add £80 - £150 for that.

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 19:13

Getting rid of Sky TV - gordonbennet

We have both Amazon Prime and Netflix, both of which are on many of the latest internet linked TVs, may well be on the freesat box (as above, it will use your existing dish) or you may decide to get an Amazon fire device.

You may find the internet signal not strong enough in the part of the house you use these devices, and we bought Comfast wifi signal boosters (simple enough even for me) which do what they say on the tin well, our bungalow is long and all walls solid so signal does not travel easily throughout.

However best of luck getting rid of Sky, leaving the EU and hotel california will seem the easiest of tasks compared to leaving this lot, we would not consider having Sky again for this reason alone, quite apart from the ridiculous cost, we wish we'd done this ages before we did.

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 07:40

Getting rid of Sky TV - Bob Wick

We have both Amazon Prime and Netflix, both of which are on many of the latest internet linked TVs, may well be on the freesat box (as above, it will use your existing dish) or you may decide to get an Amazon fire device.

You may find the internet signal not strong enough in the part of the house you use these devices, and we bought Comfast wifi signal boosters (simple enough even for me) which do what they say on the tin well, our bungalow is long and all walls solid so signal does not travel easily throughout.

However best of luck getting rid of Sky, leaving the EU and hotel california will seem the easiest of tasks compared to leaving this lot, we would not consider having Sky again for this reason alone, quite apart from the ridiculous cost, we wish we'd done this ages before we did.

What do you suggest among Hulu, Amazon, and Netfix. I'm planning to cut cable and looking for Internet TV. I watch CBS and Espn most of the time.

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 08:17

Getting rid of Sky TV - gordonbennet

What do you suggest among Hulu, Amazon, and Netfix. I'm planning to cut cable and looking for Internet TV. I watch CBS and Espn most of the time.

Haven't looked at Hulu so can't comment.

We have both Netflix and Amazon, Netflix is really very good and excellent value for money.

Amazon isn't as good, but considering it's cheaper than the already relatively cheap Netflix account that's fair enough, Prime video we consider a freeby bonus of the Prime annual fee (if you buy regularly and want the fast delivery options pre-paid) so it's free if you get Prime anyway, they also have other services we make no use of, ie music.

Last time i looked i think Netflix account was £9 a month and Amazon annual Prime costs something like £80, not sure i'd pay for Amazon's output if we didn't use the Prime delivery service regularly, because our viewing is mostly Netflix.

All personal taste of course, i might have a poke nose at Hulu and see what they have to offer.

Ours admittedly is not a common view because i watch nothing from the terrestrial broadcasters, the only reason i haven't cancelled the TV licence tax the state broadcaster demands-with- menaces is SWMBO sometimes watches various catch up programs from the terrestrials.

Others will have differing views about which if any from the services you mention are worth buying...also it might be that you are not in Britain judging by the programs you mention, so the state broadcaster's tax i'm compelled to stump up for may mean nothing to you.

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 16:24

Getting rid of Sky TV - concrete

I go along with GB. For the amount I watch and listen these days the license fee is looking like poor value. It is not all LSD with me it is the annoying fact that so much money is wasted instead of going onto programming. For a kick off getting rid of 90% of so called 'news' staff would help. Spending 14 hours a day directing every utterance, no matter how banal and putting there own spin on it. Then asking a series of stupid questions about it then answering their own questions. Appalling. Also being in the four channel output back to two and improve the all round quality. Simples. When do I start?

Cheers Concrete

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 13:24

Getting rid of Sky TV - Engineer Andy

We have both Amazon Prime and Netflix, both of which are on many of the latest internet linked TVs, may well be on the freesat box (as above, it will use your existing dish) or you may decide to get an Amazon fire device.

You may find the internet signal not strong enough in the part of the house you use these devices, and we bought Comfast wifi signal boosters (simple enough even for me) which do what they say on the tin well, our bungalow is long and all walls solid so signal does not travel easily throughout.

However best of luck getting rid of Sky, leaving the EU and hotel california will seem the easiest of tasks compared to leaving this lot, we would not consider having Sky again for this reason alone, quite apart from the ridiculous cost, we wish we'd done this ages before we did.

What do you suggest among Hulu, Amazon, and Netfix. I'm planning to cut cable and looking for Internet TV. I watch CBS and Espn most of the time.

Exactly how to you watch CBS All Access - that channel is only available in North America. I'm hoping you've strayed onto this website thinking it was the (completely different) US-based website HonestJohn dot com.

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 19:07

Getting rid of Sky TV - Engineer Andy

My questions:

Would you be able to keep you satellite dish after cancelling SKY? If it were new, they might want it back, but unlikely, as many ISPs never ask for the router back if you leave, although they may charge for the installation if you leave within X years of starting a subscription.

If you can keep the dish, you could get Freesat (essentially the same as Freeview, just using a dish instead of a traditional aerial, although I'm not sure if you can record 1 or 2 channels and watch a third/recorded program like using Freeview PVRs), but you'd have to be buy a Freesat PVR (equivalent to the Sky box, in the region of £130 - £250 depending on the make and features you want).

As you TV is likely (unless it's as old as mine [2007] which only has an old analogue tuner, even though it's an LCD TV) to have a Freeview tuner, it can be connected directly to an aerial (indoor or standard outside one) via an old style co-ax cable. You just get live Freeview only. Add a Freeview PVR for between £130 - £250 to gain the recording facility I mentioned above.

The TV may be new enough that you could connect it via a network cable to a hub or it has a wifi facility, or the PVR could have one (more expensive) to provide access to internet-based on-demand (including netflix on some) and catchup (iPlayer, ITVhub and Freeview Play generally [still a bit limited - only 8 days back and not all Freeview channels or shows, but getting better]).

You could buy a streaming player - I'm not that familiar with them, only doing a quite check on the Richer Sounds website. You may be a bit more limited about the content (depending on which make you go for), but I'm not sure. It may also depend on the overall household ISP bandwidth what is possible.

I suppose also it depends upon how expensive it would be to have an aerial installed and the signal strength of Freeview in your area. Note also that Freeview does come with radio stations covering most national ones and a reasonable number of local ones, if your interested.

Not sure if you can somehow just use the internet to watch live TV from the main 5 'terrestrial' channels - never really tried except for Sports events (via the Sports News pages on the BBC), which I found (admitedly with only ADSL and 6Mbps) to be glitchy.

Here's the Freeview website (not great, but OK) to explain what's available (useful to go to the page to see what channels your area can receive - enter your post code):

www.freeview.co.uk/

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 19:17

Getting rid of Sky TV - Brit_in_Germany

Try calling Sky:

"Freesat from Sky is an easy way of getting digital satellite television for a simple one-off payment. Call 08442 410 595 to order."

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 20:26

Getting rid of Sky TV - gordonbennet

You may find they don't want your current sky box(es) back, and they should continue to work on the non premium channels, oh and we find freesat via the satellite a far better picture quality than freeview via the TV aerial, even when the TV signal is amplified.

Edited by gordonbennet on 14/02/2019 at 20:32

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 21:22

Getting rid of Sky TV - badbusdriver

Thanks for all the replies!.

Re the Sky dish and box, we've had them for more than two years, so probably unlikely they'd want them back?. I've had a look at the freesat website, and while there are boxes from £50, you can't record, for that you'd need to spend £180.

So a futher question. Given that my existing Sky box does record, would i be able to route the basic freesat box through the Sky box so i can record programmes?

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 22:56

Getting rid of Sky TV - Chris M

I'm no expert here but my eldest moved into a fairly new flat around 18mths ago. Signed up for Sky TV inc. sport plus phone and broadband. Sky was already plumbed in via a communal dish. However, as the installation only had one feed cable he couldn't use the full functionality e.g. couldn't watch one channel and record another. Phoned Sky and told them that they should have realised it wouldn't work when the engineer installed the box. They cancelled the TV supply (he kept phone and broadband) and they didn't want the box back. He is able to watch the Freesat stuff through it, but only record what he is watching. He mostly watches Prime and Netflix now anyway.

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Sat 16 Feb 2019 21:03

Getting rid of Sky TV - FiestaOwner

Hi BBD

My parents ditched Sky a couple of years a go and replaced the sky box with this Humax twin channel Freesat recorder. It can also connect to your router with a wireless connection for the catch up services. They never regretted replacing Sky with this box, it works well. It's a direct replacement for the Sky box and the dish doesn't need re-adjusted.

www.johnlewis.com/humax-hdr-1100s-smart-500gb-free...8

If you have an aerial then I would recommend this YouView recorder which I have used myself for a few years. It also has the catch up services but can only be connected to your router with an ethernet cable (it doesn't have wireless).

www.johnlewis.com/bt-youview-smart-500gb-freeview-...3

If you need a recorder similar to the YouView one (ie using an aerial) but need a wireless connection for the catch up services, I would go for this Freeview Play Recorder.

www.johnlewis.com/humax-fvp-5000t-500gb-smart-free...5

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Tue 21 Apr 2020 12:56

Getting rid of Sky TV - Bob Wick

Hi BBD

My parents ditched Sky a couple of years a go and replaced the sky box with this Humax twin channel Freesat recorder. It can also connect to your router with a wireless connection for the catch up services. They never regretted replacing Sky with this box, it works well. It's a direct replacement for the Sky box and the dish doesn't need re-adjusted.

www.johnlewis.com/humax-hdr-1100s-smart-500gb-free...8

If you have an aerial then I would recommend this YouView recorder which I have used myself for a few years. It also has the catch up services but can only be connected to your router with an ethernet cable (it doesn't have wireless).

https://neptunofilms.com/hulu-channels-list-hulu-network-lineup/

If you need a recorder similar to the YouView one (ie using an aerial) but need a wireless connection for the catch up services, I would go for this Freeview Play Recorder.

www.johnlewis.com/humax-fvp-5000t-500gb-smart-free...5

I'm planning to cut cable and opting for live TV service and have Hulu, Sling, and PhiloTV as an option. CBS, Hallmark, and HGTV are main focus.

Edited by Bob Wick on 21/04/2020 at 12:57

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Sat 16 Feb 2019 21:09

Getting rid of Sky TV - FiestaOwner

oh and we find freesat via the satellite a far better picture quality than freeview via the TV aerial, even when the TV signal is amplified.

Whether using the Freeview tuner on my 5 year old 32" Samsung tv or my YouView box, I find the picture quality to be perfect. I just can't fault it.

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Sat 16 Feb 2019 21:38

Getting rid of Sky TV - badbusdriver

Thanks for that FiestaOwner!.

I am still trying to find out if i could route a basic Freesat box through my existing Sky box so i could use it to record. Do you know if this is possible?. If so, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending around £200 on a Freesat box, which records, if i could get away with a basic reciever for £50 and use the Sky box (which i already have) to record.

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Sat 16 Feb 2019 21:45

Getting rid of Sky TV - FiestaOwner

I am still trying to find out if i could route a basic Freesat box through my existing Sky box so i could use it to record. Do you know if this is possible?. If so, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending around £200 on a Freesat box, which records, if i could get away with a basic reciever for £50 and use the Sky box (which i already have) to record.

Sure it used to be the case with Sky recorders, when you cancelled your subscription (or took out Freesat from Sky) that the recording function ceased operation altogether.

I think with any of the recorders (Freeview, Freesat or Sky), you can only record using their own internal tuner(s). Pretty sure you can't do what you are suggesting. Sorry.

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Sun 17 Feb 2019 11:27

Getting rid of Sky TV - badbusdriver

I am still trying to find out if i could route a basic Freesat box through my existing Sky box so i could use it to record. Do you know if this is possible?. If so, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending around £200 on a Freesat box, which records, if i could get away with a basic reciever for £50 and use the Sky box (which i already have) to record.

Sure it used to be the case with Sky recorders, when you cancelled your subscription (or took out Freesat from Sky) that the recording function ceased operation altogether.

I think with any of the recorders (Freeview, Freesat or Sky), you can only record using their own internal tuner(s). Pretty sure you can't do what you are suggesting. Sorry.

No worries, i just wanted to check. Thanks for the info!.

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Sun 17 Feb 2019 12:20

Getting rid of Sky TV - Bolt

I am still trying to find out if i could route a basic Freesat box through my existing Sky box so i could use it to record. Do you know if this is possible?. If so, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending around £200 on a Freesat box, which records, if i could get away with a basic reciever for £50 and use the Sky box (which i already have) to record.

Sure it used to be the case with Sky recorders, when you cancelled your subscription (or took out Freesat from Sky) that the recording function ceased operation altogether.

I think with any of the recorders (Freeview, Freesat or Sky), you can only record using their own internal tuner(s). Pretty sure you can't do what you are suggesting. Sorry.

No worries, i just wanted to check. Thanks for the info!.

Check with sky, I was told that to use recorder the LNB has to be changed to give a duel signal, one to watch the other to record, which is why there are 2 dish connections on the rear so afaia you can record to sky box from free sat

I think, but could be wrong, the card needs to be left in the sky box to work as it contains all relevant info on what the box can do and cant do

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Mon 18 Feb 2019 16:07

Getting rid of Sky TV - concrete

I cancelled my Sky contract, no problem, just the standard 30 days notice required. Got BT Infinity and a BT box for BT Vision. Cancelled the vision after a while but still have the box. The BT box is still active and I can record, watch tv via the ariel or through the internet with catch up, Netflix or Now( courtesy of our daughter). If I turn the BT box off I can do all of these things through our smart TV. Sometimes SWMBO and daughter are watching tv in different rooms via the internet and I can still use my laptop via wifi without problems. Presumably you have good internet if you live in a town. We live in a village and do alright. We pay line rental annually to achieve a decent saving but never use the landline for calls. We get lots of minutes through our mobile sim only deals. Good savings all round after paying out for Sky.

Cheers Concrete

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Sat 29 Feb 2020 13:10

Getting rid of Sky TV - glidermania

If you cancel Sky, they just turn off the Sky service.

Your Sky box becomes a FreeSat box effectively and you can view the free to air channels. No, they dont take back the dish and box(es). Even if you were a new subscriber, they'd just make you pay up the contracted terms instead.

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Sun 1 Mar 2020 12:21

Getting rid of Sky TV - glidermania

In reference to my post above, I made the statement based on the fact the OP said they had been with Sky for years and as such, did not have Sky Q.

If you do have Sky Q, I believe unlike the Sky+ and HD boxes, Sky retain ownership of the Sky Q box and multi room repeaters. If you cancel Sky, they will ask for these back. Another reason not to takeup the Sky Q offer!

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Thu 5 Mar 2020 21:12

Getting rid of Sky TV - dan86

Thanks for that FiestaOwner!.

I am still trying to find out if i could route a basic Freesat box through my existing Sky box so i could use it to record. Do you know if this is possible?. If so, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending around £200 on a Freesat box, which records, if i could get away with a basic reciever for £50 and use the Sky box (which i already have) to record.

It depends on your sky box. Do you have a sky + box or a q box if the former it's yours to keep and has a standard LNB if the later its skys box and you must return it. It also will have a wideband LNB and is incompatible with freesat.

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Mon 2 Mar 2020 10:13

Getting rid of Sky TV - FoxyJukebox

Yes indeed--forget Freeview-use your dish and buy a freesat box-plenty available for reasonable prices--just remember to get one that "records" .

Some boxes -like Humax- have internet tv apps integrated too!...the essentials being Iplayer,Netflix and Amazon-plus of course ITVhUB,C4 and C5 apps.

If you are an Amazon Prime member your Amazon Prime tv is is a free to use( lots of good stuff on it).

Thus the Netflix app at £6.99 a month is all you will need to pay extra for.

What you might consider buying is an Amazon Firestick which plugs into one of your hd slots--lots of apps on that-including radio and music( Spotify free and premium),

No need for Sky. I agree with you

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Mon 2 Mar 2020 18:00

Getting rid of Sky TV - Zippy123

I have a Sky Q box and want to drop Sky and the Q box will be going back.

Even with the old HD Boxes became view only and the recording ability stopped if you stopped subscribing.

The problem that I have is I really do find that more than two tuners are needed. The Q box could record six channels at once!

Are there any FreeView or FreeSat tuners out there that have more than two tuners?

Thanks!

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Thu 5 Mar 2020 21:17

Getting rid of Sky TV - dan86

I have a Sky Q box and want to drop Sky and the Q box will be going back.

Even with the old HD Boxes became view only and the recording ability stopped if you stopped subscribing.

The problem that I have is I really do find that more than two tuners are needed. The Q box could record six channels at once!

Are there any FreeView or FreeSat tuners out there that have more than two tuners?

Thanks!

The reason the q box can record 6 channels at once is because it has a wideband LNB its also has 12 tuners in the 2tb box so it can record 6 channels and watch in 2 mini boxes and 2 tablets phones ect.

The LNB is incompatible with freesat unless it's a hybrid LNB. You. Can tell because a standard q LNB will have 2 outputs from the LNB and a hybrid will have 2 wideband and 4 standard outputs.

Edited by dan86 on 05/03/2020 at 21:19

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 10:09

Getting rid of Sky TV - Falkirk Bairn

The aerial provider from the local paper adverts can retro fit an "old style LNB" and you will be back in business.

You could buy a suitable LNB on Ebay but you will need a head for heights if it's high on a chimney like mine. I had roof repairs done 10 years ago & the LNB+ bracket were damaged £50 then fixed it including re-aligning the dish which had also moved.

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