Alternatives to Sky?

[Chucklehead]

I've had Sky for years now. I like the planner (the new updates less so) and feel there's a good range of channels. I don'd particularly like the download stuff because I can't get fibre broadband and downloading any catch up tv is a no go. I've got Netflix which seems to work fine and I will probably keep it.

I'm moving to a new place this weekend and I don't think it has a satellite dish, and for the first time ever I'm thinking about jacking in Sky.

I want:
Landline, but it's hardly used and when it is it's for calling the Isle of Man so not covered by most offers of free calls.
Broadband, fibre and unlimited (checked the major providers and this is fine at my new address)
TV.. this is where it gets difficult. I need HD, not interested in 3D. Really would like the Discovery channel and the usual Sky and Freeview channels. Essentially, I must be able to get SkyF1HD. I'm not interested in any other sports channels. Would like SkyMovies.

I can't get Virgin Media, already checked.. the main reasons for leaving sky are the £60-70 bills before calls and avoiding installation of a Sky dish.

What are my options? BT? Talk talk? Any others? What do you recommend and other than quidco are there any offers to be had?

Thanks

[megaphone]

Discovery, Sky Movies, Sky Sports F1, sounds like you need Sky. You could go down the NowTV route, pay for a sports pass when you need it, or a 3 month Movies pass or get Netflix. Freeview or Freesat for the rest of your TV, get a recording box like a Humax or similar.

[Chucklehead]

Talktalk seems to do all of the above, albeit the price after all the offers run out will get back to the same kind of cost as sky.

Does anyone use BT or Talktalk for all three phone, tv and broadband have any opinion? I don't have a problem going back to sky but it'd be good to get an indication of better ways to do it

[paulrockliffe]

I use BT for all three.

Phoneline doesn't get used.

TV was a fiver a month extra, which I took to get the recorder box rather than the TV. BT sport channels only available on a Sky Box and the internet activation on their website doesn't work, so I've still never used it. The website loops you from one page to another and then back to the start again, at least that was the case last time I tried.

Broadband is great, but we have relatively low load on the local hardware where we are and get 15-19mb/s consistently. No throttling or shaping at all, so I can stream video in HD no problem.

It sounds like your only alternative to Sky for the TV is some sort of streaming service. XBMC, Raspberry Pi, LiveStreams Add-on and a subscription to a suitable website for a few quid a month may well be the best bet, so I've heard anyway.

[Renovation]

I kept Sky when I moved because the new place didn't even have a phone line.

Everyone else wanted a fortune to connect it up - Sky did it all for free and I only have the most basic package.

[clockworks]

I switched from Sky HD to BT Vision HD (YouView) a couple of months ago. Now paying £10 a month, rather than £33. The only things I miss are the Sky F1 channel, and one programme on Sky Living.
With BT, I can get Discovery, History and National Geographic in HD, via broadband (BT Infinity fibre), plus loads more stuff that I never watch.

Now that I'm used to it, the guide and planner on the BT-supplied Humax YouView box are just as good as on the Sky box.

[Chucklehead]

I like the packages BT offer, but no Sky F1 is a deal breaker for me. Only talktalk can do that for me, and apparently they have no engineers or you view boxes in my area?!! I could get sky go for £15/month and play it through my Xbox but I won't be getting up or staying awake for the early races coming up.... Decisions, decisions.

[Terminator X]

Sky price rise immanent, anything else out there other than Sky or Cable? Our bill is well over £100 p/m so could do with downsizing ...

TX.

[mondeoman]

OOOh this is on our radar too...

Only want F1 HD and access to up-to-date movies at around a fiver a time (HD of course), other than that don't really watch TV much, certainly not enough to demand certain channels, although the kids seem to use Sky Go a fair bit, again only for Movies. Are Netflix et al offering the same movies as SKy - the last time I looked I think they were about 6 months behind the new releases.

Got BT Infinity for broadband and phone (never used).

[Al's 991]

Terminator X said:

Sky price rise immanent, anything else out there other than Sky or Cable? Our bill is well over £100 p/m so could do with downsizing ...

TX.

Give Sky a ring. At £100 a month they will do a deal for you. Say you are thinking of changing to BT or Virgin (there cheaper). This has worked for a number of my friends. Good luck.

[Piglet]

Check out the Moneysavingexpert website and their digital TV guide, they reckon Sky are one of the easiest companies to haggle with and as an existing customer you ought to get a 35% discount or 50% if you really play hard to get and get someone willing to play ball. The suggestion is that your ring and give 30 days notice to cancel and they will ring you or offer you a better offer via their website if you log into your account.

MSE had a code offer last weekend which has now expired where all packages are 50% off for new customers so I'm getting full Sky Movies, Sports (inc F1) for £38 a month. If I was an existing customer I'd be ringing and asking for the same deal as they are offering new customers. F1 is the deal breaker for us as well at the moment otherwise I'd possibly bin Sky completely but having said that elderly Dad likes a range of channels for the daytime.

Go haggle 30 days notice takes you nicely past the end of the F1 season...

[richatnort]

Just got my friend a virgin media package, xl tv package, 150mb Unlimited broadband and a phone line thing that we don't use for £52 a month which is really good tbh. If you can get used to TiVo it's too sly your best option. Look on the hifo sections and you will see my post.