Hi- I currently have virgin media: so house is cabled up.

with it, tv, broadband and phone.

Virgin media has BBC I player and ITV, CH4 and CH 5 player too for catch up tv.

I don't have a TIVO box for recording.

We're about to move house (sold ours, buying another) and unfortunately the street hasn't been cabled.

So my research tells me: SKY is the only TV option.

Question being, is it worth it ?

I don't watch any sport. I mean ANY at all. Don't care about pay as go movies etc.

I love having the varying I players, but I'm told SKY don't offer this at all.

Also, I didn't realise that the broadband doesn't come via the dish (I'm being a bit thick here) but its back to a normal crappy BT line v the lovely fibre optic cable I have now.


Should I just keep the virgin phone line and their phone line broadband at the new house....

and just use freeview, but by myself a freeview HD hard drive ? That I understand can at least link via the internet to BBC I player.


I thinking if I have a SKY package, what am I actually getting that I need, if I can't have the I players like virgin ?


I'm not the most techy person, so hence my ask to the scooby masses.

Our TV watching seems to consist of a lot of Cbeebies and some grown up telly till about 10 pm and we then need to go to bed !

we have a 2 yr old and another baby due in March: telly ain't a focus anymore really

cheers guys.

 

In that case I'd look at freeview rathern than SKY.

 

I just have freeview.

The only channels i'd be interested in on SKY, would be the Discovery channel, and History channel. All the rest are just sh!te.

 

Just out of interest, how much tdo you pay for phone & broadband?

If you just go for freeview. Utility Warehouse do 8meg Broadband, and 24hour free telephone for £19.99 (including VAT)

 

Another thought: our Panasonic TV has a dongle to connect to the WiFi and then can access BBC iPlayer and YouTube independent of other sources. With Freeview you also get 4 free HD channels through the aerial.

 

Broadband down a phone line.............shudder

Got that in France, and speed and reliability are problems.

Over there, there IS a relatively new SATELLITE broadband......€25 a month.

 

You can get a freeview HD recorder, but TBH you might find it drops out fron time to time dependent on the quality and strength of signal. Same also applies to how good the BB line is for internet viewing.

I have a Samsung smart tv and like mentioned above you can get a dongle for wifi or if the router is nearby you can plug straight in. Problem is with mine the Iplayer stalls all the time due to my rubbish BB line!

 

I have broadband through the phone line from sky (via bt hub) and it has been fine!

 

some interesting thoughts.

virgin are offering phone line and net (via) phone line for £21.89 and claim 10.5 mbs ???

on the tested line.

had bt broadband years ago on the phone line. it was poo. as was BT !!!

 

Dont get me started on Virgin Wan kers!!!

I had a similar issue, I was with them for years when I lived in Edinburgh and got a new job in Aberdeen so had to move. I called Virgin and asked about moving my services to my new house when I move in 4 months time I was told " Yes that is not a problem it will be done free of charge " excellent problem solved.

I moved house 4 month later and called to get my services set up at my new house only to be told " We do not provide Aberdeen with the services you require " Ehhhh hang on a min here I called you guys and asked this and was told I can have my whole package here.

Virgin
No we do not offer any of the services you have with us we can give you phone and broadband but you will need a BT line installed and we do not offer the TV package at all.

Me
Ok I will just cancel then as its the whole thing or nothing for me thanks I will get the Sky deal as it will be far cheaper almost £40 cheaper.

Virgin
Not a problem just sent us your HD box and any other equipment and once we receive it we will close your account.

So I sent it all back and went about my daily life then I get two letters on the same day through the door.

1. Virgin media : Failure to give due notice of cancellation of account wanting £120.
2. Debt collectors letter for the same £120 acting on behalf of Virgin media.

Ehhh what the Fu ck!!!

First of all I did ask them before moving, 4 month before and they said yes, so in my eyes they lied to me about my service. I did cancel on the phone and was not told anything about the £120 charge or I might have payed it and been done with them there and then.

Secondly how dare they pass on my name and details to a debt collecting agency without even giving me the chance to pay the bill first.

I called them up and payed the bill under protest but had to pay it in the end. They could not give a monkeys about what I was told before moving not one bit.

As for the debt agency, they told me to contact them and tell them I had payed I said "Get to Fu ck!! you can call them why should I do it they should never have been involved in the first place the two letters are dated the same day" I will never use them again for anything..

If you do move and need to cancel make sure you give good notice or you too will get a letter and charges..

 

I only have freeview and am perfectly happy. I'd never pay for anything extra. Not worth it.

 

cheers cammy for heads up. I have given 30 days notice, now I'm getting deludged with calls and emails from virgin trying to keep my business !

the two obvious monthly costs I can reduce (now we're moving and I'm actually going to have a larger mortgage for once , as I've always had one for buttons) is the cable tv services and our mobile phone bills.

every little helps as they say !