Cancelled Sky - so what are the best alternatives?

Chalky

Also, what is the simplest way of recording TV?  Or does everything these days go up on iPlayer or the other channel equivalents?

Whats the view on Netflix vs Amazon vs Now TV?

All advice and views welcome.  Thanks!

BigLicks67

If you still have the dish then get a Freesat humax box that works just like the old Sky Hd box.

darthed1981

As someone who subscribes to all three...

Netflix has a large library of original content, and has whole set of Marvel shows, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things etc. and a nicely curated library of older content.  It is also technically the best, with clever compression algorithms and apps for everything.  No limit on the devices you can watch on, 2 maximum at once on the standard package.  For the £7.49 package you can get HD, going up to £9.99 a month gets you 4 screens and Ultra HD.

Amazon is more difficult to judge as it comes as part of the Prime package for most people, though you can subscribe seperately for £5.99 a month.  It has some decent original shows like Outlander and Man in the High Castle, Vikings and buys some US shows in like Lucifer and the Americans.  Quality is good and app support is decent,  Also quite good at getting new independent films on that arent in Skys exclusive deal with the big studios.

Now TV has a superb content library but if you wanted movies (same selection as Sky TV) and Entertainment (eleven channels off Sky, mostly the ones you actually want) it will cost you £18.99 a month.  Quality is limited to 720p which is still very good but it isn't 1080p.  They have promised an upgrade to 1080p this year but it hasn't materialised yet.  Gives you Game of Thrones, Billions and a library of old HBO shows on entertainment and the release window following the Blu/DVD one for movies from the major studios.  You can also stream the channels live in SD.  This leads on to the sport package for £31.99 a month (pricey) where you can get all the Sky Sports channels but only in SD.  There is also a really good kids package for £3.99 a month.

Overall the best thing is first off you can play "free trial musical chairs" and try them all for 30 days in Netflix and Amazon's sake (danger, prime is addictive, all those next day goodies) and 14 days for Now TV.

Netflix is probably the one I'd give up last, but honestly they are all pretty decent, and you can sign up and cancel at will, so if you find you aren't watching one, you can just drop it for a few months.

TheBigDipper

I use FreeSat on a Humax box. Works fine, but there's still "100 channels and nothing on"... 

EricTheWeary

We seem to have everything.
Now is good because you can just pay for a month at a time and once you’ve caught up stop paying. There’s quite a bit of music content, probably a bit middle of the road ( Joe Bonamasa concerts type stuff) but if it’s to your taste then there is an archive  worth wading through. 
I see amazon as a bonus of having Prime, it’s a more limited option TV wise. 
Netflix is what it is. If you like the US based big box set type programmes. Like amazon there’s a lot of old stuff on there seemingly to pad it out but if you’ve never seen TV before maybe you’ll be amazed.

I think what I’ve learned from having all these options is how hard it is to make good comedy. 

p90fool

Turn it off and do something else? 

Legionreturns

I'm amazed that people need DVRs these days. There is rarely anything to watch even with 800 channels! Just the same tired repeats and a few channels showing reality bollocks for the hard of thinking 

nick79

Netflix and a Humax freesat box for us. Got tired years ago of Sky's ever increasing price rises and repeat after repeat (not to mention ad breaks every 8 minutes).

57Deluxe

http://ocdn.eu/images/pulscms/NzA7MDA_/bfa3a85e7ade0f249eaaf830d7473825.jpeg

darthed1981

p90fool said:

Turn it off and do something else? 

80s Nostalgia below...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI14wfWJax8

BigLicks67

Legionreturns said:

I'm amazed that people need DVRs these days. There is rarely anything to watch even with 800 channels! Just the same tired repeats and a few channels showing reality bollocks for the hard of thinking 

Not a fan of Gardeners World, then?

strumjoughlamps

@Chalky  who supplies your bband? 

axisus

All I need on the TV these days is Netflix. There is a vast amount of interesting stuff on there, Waaaaaay better value than the BBC license. I haven't recorded anything to watch in many years, and I rarely watch anything when it 'goes out' on TV (basically just Dr Who when it's on). I don't care to be tied to a time for watching any more. 

Chalky

strumjoughlamps said:

@Chalky  who supplies your bband? 

BT

TTBZ

I'd be happy not paying the TV license and just using Netflix but for some reason my gf insists we need our Freesat box!

JezWynd

Tried Netflix for a couple of months but for the very rare occasions that something decent turns up I found it easier to cancel the subscription and rent the odd movie as and when I wanted it. The big, soapy box sets /series seem to be where Netflix excel and if you're not into that stuff then it's a waste of money. The financial difference is probably negligible but if you don't vote with your subscription they'll never try to improve.

The explosion in channels and the endless demand for content reveals that there are a lot of less talented actors/ directors/ writers out there who get snapped up by Netflix and their like, and it shows on screen imo. Their Lost In Space reboot was a prime example - running about in the woods with added cgi. And the endless 'Space' stuff is just getting tedious - running around endless corridors chasing or being chased. It's exhausting just watching the stuff. But I'm old and grumpy so your mileage may vary.

ESBlonde

I'm down wiv the kids n' watch yootoob init.

Skipped

1.Phone Virgin and offer them £19 a month for 100Mb broadband. Not phone. Not tv. Have all the current "fibre plus" deals in front of you.

2. Get a Fire Stick from Amazon next time there is a deal. Or......watch your Smart Tv.

3. Be more selective in your viewing.

4. Watch iPlayer in 4K.

5. Watch Youtube.

6. Put the ridiculous money you are saving each month into a GAS fund and then post a NGD thread later.

7. Listen to the radio - the pictures are better.

8. Play more guitar instead.

Chalky

Skipped said:

1.Phone Virgin and offer them £19 a month for 100Mb broadband. Not phone. Not tv. Have all the current "fibre plus" deals in front of you.

2. Get a Fire Stick from Amazon next time there is a deal. Or......watch your Smart Tv.

3. Be more selective in your viewing.

4. Watch iPlayer in 4K.

5. Watch Youtube.

6. Put the ridiculous money you are saving each month into a GAS fund and then post a NGD thread later.

7. Listen to the radio - the pictures are better.

8. Play more guitar instead.

Hard to argue with your faultless logic!

Heartfeltdawn

Chalky said:

Also, what is the simplest way of recording TV?  Or does everything these days go up on iPlayer or the other channel equivalents?

Whats the view on Netflix vs Amazon vs Now TV?

All advice and views welcome.  Thanks!

https://www.donorsearch.net/images/uploads/2015/04/Visit-your-local-library.png

fandango

p90fool said:

Turn it off and do something else? 

What, like play guitar? You having a larff?