Sky or Freeview?

[Finless]

I bought my Mum and Dad a Sky set up and a years subscription to all available channels for Christmas YEARS ago.

As is the older generations way, she declined to renew ANY subscriptions at all SO as I understand it all she gets is the usual "terrestrial channels" and some of the news channels. I just phoned Sky and the 2 choice option is £15 per month and the 4 choice option is £18 per month. Unfotunately I can't afford (for a while) to upgrade her Sky package on her behalf and, to be honest, even if I did she'll just keep saying "I don't know how to work it" .......................... It's deliberate bloody obstinacy!!!!

Despite having made me bloody annoyed and having caused me to grind my teeth down to stumps by her "this'll do me" attitude (when she spends a lot of .....................)! Calm blue seas, calm blue seas, wind in the forrest, wheat rippling in the wind .......

Anyway, my question is "any recommendations on one of the freeview set top box options?" I know little about them and I'm aware that there are things like something WEST(?) where you get phone lines and TV? The picture (if you'll pardon the pun) is quite confusing.

[Scuby]

Freeview is simple, easy, and very cheap (boxes can be had for around £30 now). But it doesn't cover all areas.

By "West" I assume you mean Telewest, which is cable - NTL is too. Its a subscription service like Sky, which by the sounds of it your parents wouldn't be all that interested in.

In addition to what Sky have told you, there's also FreeSat from Sky. Essentially very similar to Freeview, but comes through the dish instead - no subscription. Not sure what is required in terms of the equipment though, i'd have thought what they've got would be fine but you'd have to confirm that with Sky. If you specifically ask for it they should tell you.

David

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Scuby

Freeview is simple, easy, and very cheap (boxes can be had for around £30 now). But it doesn't cover all areas.

By "West" I assume you mean Telewest, which is cable - NTL is too. Its a subscription service like Sky, which by the sounds of it your parents wouldn't be all that interested in.

In addition to what Sky have told you, there's also FreeSat from Sky. Essentially very similar to Freeview, but comes through the dish instead - no subscription. Not sure what is required in terms of the equipment though, i'd have thought what they've got would be fine but you'd have to confirm that with Sky. If you specifically ask for it they should tell you.

David

David,

I just phoned Sky and the Free Sat is what she is on at the moment - over 100 channels but the majority are free because no one would pay for them - religion, shopping!

Bloody parents!!!! Never go out, don't hardly spend anything and won't even spend £18 a month to get a decent package of TV options because they see it as wasteful. I mean, they can't take it with them! No, they just add more pressure by wanting to "leave something for us" - aaaaarggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, all I meant to say was thanks for the info!

Bryan

[colinicky]

Bryan
Freeview info here :-
Freeview

Also if you enter your mums postcode it will tell you if she can recieve it via an aerial but you may need to upgrade to a digital aerial .A freeview box is easier than a sky box with no package as there aren't so many blank channels on it ! which even at my tender age I find a major PITA.
Knowing your Mums addy it looks as if she can get freeview m8 .
If you want to know anything let me know as I have a freeview box that you could borrow to check if you need a different aerial .Only takes a couple of minutes to set up .

[Scuby]

There's always DVDs...

[milldog]

do what i did, chip last years card for sky and when they catch you say it's last years programs so your using last years card!! cheap as chips

[Eeyore]

Originally Posted by Scuby

There's always DVDs...

DVD, Moving pictures.....devils work older generation you know

could always try BETA MAX....bigger buttons

[rossbale28]

I believe you can buy a card for a Skybox for a one-off fee of £20 which should then unlock all freeview channels to watch through a skybox/dish - this would be useful if no suitable external aerial was available.

Sky have also just launched an interesting broadband service - you can get upto 2Mb broadband for nothing if you have a current Sky TV Subscription - maybe if you are paying for broadband, you could chop that and get a basic sky subscription with free broadband???

It's a 12 month contract for the broadband tho.

[The Purist]

One service that $ky don't seem to publicise is 'month by month' - iirc it's about 150 quid for the install, and then you pay extra for each package you want (+ an extra per-package fee for the month by month option) BUT you can subscribe/unsubscribe on a monthly basis so you're not tied to a 12 month contract on $ky sports just to watch the Rugby World Cup or whatever.

Of course you could also unsubscribe from all the packages after the first month and get a Freesat equivalent (and I understand this costs less than a normal freesat install).