Are smart TVs s*%t why can’t I watch itv
Are smart TVs s*%t why can’t I watch itv
Author
Discussion

petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,495 posts

199 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
So got rid of sky ( on mobile so can’t find the thread ) and was hoping to survive with my Sony smart tv on WiFi. Experience is st though am I missing something? Eg I want to watch itv tonight for the footy and the ITVX app doesn’t seem to work without youview which needs an aerial? I can watch bbc app though?

Why can’t I watch simple channels like I did 30 years ago! Any help appreciated for an old guy before I’m forced to get sky stream

petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,495 posts

199 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
Update I can stream itv from my phone but it’s crap quality for my 500mb internet line

jayemm89

4,343 posts

146 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
Do you have any way to plug it into an aerial?

Logic dictates if you want to watch stuff like 30 years ago, use the connections you did then

petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,495 posts

199 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
jayemm89 said:
Do you have any way to plug it into an aerial?

Logic dictates if you want to watch stuff like 30 years ago, use the connections you did then
Nope. I was hoping for progress smile

Skyedriver

20,743 posts

298 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
If you want progress in reverse then try Discovery Plus. It's like the Lada of TV apps. More clunky than a box of misshapen lego.

mikef

5,723 posts

267 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
I believe that you need an aerial to set ITVx up, so that it knows which region to provide over internet, after which it can used without the aerial

Apparently some TV installers carry a portable aerial around for this reason ( second post )

petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,495 posts

199 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
mikef said:
I believe that you need an aerial to set ITVx up, so that it knows which region to provide over internet, after which it can used without the aerial

Apparently some TV installers carry a portable aerial around for this reason ( second post )
Interesting if annoying! Thanks

LuS1fer

42,685 posts

261 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
You can set ITV X up on a Firestick so don't need an aerial.

mikef

5,723 posts

267 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
You can set ITV X up on a Firestick so don't need an aerial.
Do you get live ITV like that?

mikeiow

7,220 posts

146 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
mikef said:
LuS1fer said:
You can set ITV X up on a Firestick so don't need an aerial.
Do you get live ITV like that?
We have a few firesticks on a few TVs, & yes, ITV/BBC/Channel 4/5 are available to stream

LuS1fer

42,685 posts

261 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
mikef said:
LuS1fer said:
You can set ITV X up on a Firestick so don't need an aerial.
Do you get live ITV like that?
I don't have an aerial so can watch the mainstream channels through my old Sky box.

dan98

924 posts

129 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
You can stream via apps but it's an ongoing faff IME.

If a portable aerial works at the top your house (or in the attic), you can use an HDhomerun box to allow your TV to pick up all the live Freeview channels via Wifi.

MOMACC

519 posts

53 months

Monday 3rd March
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Had the same issue
Dished out an old firestick and watched that way

FourWheelDrift

91,058 posts

300 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
Do you still have your Sky equipment? You should still have all the free to air channels including HD versions of BBC ITV C4 C5 (if you had a HD box).

miniman

28,409 posts

278 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
petemurphy said:
So got rid of sky ( on mobile so can’t find the thread ) and was hoping to survive with my Sony smart tv on WiFi. Experience is st though am I missing something? Eg I want to watch itv tonight for the footy and the ITVX app doesn’t seem to work without youview which needs an aerial? I can watch bbc app though?

Why can’t I watch simple channels like I did 30 years ago! Any help appreciated for an old guy before I’m forced to get sky stream
Tragic isn’t it? Christ only knows why Sony insist on it being this way but I had exactly the same. What sort of dipst designs a system whereby in order to remove the need for an aerial, you have to have an aerial?

superpp

501 posts

214 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
ITVX have different versions of their app depending on what device/TV you have.
Not all have live TV and some have the option to watch from start (whilst it is still on) like iplayer does.

Currently watching the footy on ITV4 via ITVX as it's in HD (freeview version is VERY SD).
A firestick or Roku is your best bet as TV apps can become unsupported and stop working.

mikef

5,723 posts

267 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
I just did this on my Sony Bravia and it worked

On the TV select Apps and + (add)
It may offer more than one version of the ITVx app, try them all in turn until one installs - the first one I tried failed with "not available in you location"
Enter ITVx
When prompted on screen, open www.itv.com/watch/pair and enter the code on your screen
Open the downloaded app and it will ask for your postcode (to select the ITV provider)
Select Live TV in the ITVx app and the channel you want to watch

ps: I first tried to get around the "not available in your location" thing by using my VPN (I use ExpressVPN) to location to UK, not sure if this was needed or not


Edited by mikef on Tuesday 4th March 06:50

Mandat

4,290 posts

254 months

Monday 3rd March
quotequote all
If you've just god rid of SKY, presumably you still have the dish and cabling in place.

Hook up the dish feed to a freesat connection (assuming you have one on your TV) and you can watch the usual terrestrial channels via that.

miniman

28,409 posts

278 months

Tuesday 4th March
quotequote all
Mandat said:
If you've just god rid of SKY, presumably you still have the dish and cabling in place.

Hook up the dish feed to a freesat connection (assuming you have one on your TV) and you can watch the usual terrestrial channels via that.
Assuming that the TV has some sort of usable guide for Freesat. I assumed that my Bravia would have this. It did not.

FourWheelDrift

91,058 posts

300 months

Tuesday 4th March
quotequote all
miniman said:
Mandat said:
If you've just god rid of SKY, presumably you still have the dish and cabling in place.

Hook up the dish feed to a freesat connection (assuming you have one on your TV) and you can watch the usual terrestrial channels via that.
Assuming that the TV has some sort of usable guide for Freesat. I assumed that my Bravia would have this. It did not.
You use the Sky guide.