Sky v Satellite TV once off payment

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dillsquatt

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We are paying a monthly fee to Sky for TV, broadband and phone - we are thinking of changing to Satellite TV and just paying a once off fee and getting broadband from a separate provider - is anyone aware of disadvantages of making a once off payment for TV as opposed to monthly fee .

thanks
 
You will not get the same number of channels on the Satellite TV as on Sky

So it really comes down to what channels you want to watch
 
I assume you are talking about a legitimate as opposed to illegal set-up.

You will lose the Sky channels.
The satellite will get you the free-to-air overseas channels, eg, BBC channels, ITV channels, Channel 4, Channel 5, plus various more obscure channels. You don't have the subscription sports channels options.
If you want to get the Irish channels you will need a complementary Saorview set-up.
You need to decide whether you want a facility to record programmes and a 7-day EPG guide. This is similar to the Sky EPG but it is not the same and some people say it is not as slick.
You can get combos to include some or all of these options, eg, https://freesat.ie/products/freesat-hd-recorder-saorview-package.
I don't avail of this service so this is not a recommendation or otherwise. I like my Sky :).
 
Early Riser said:
I assume you are talking about a legitimate as opposed to illegal set-up.

You will lose the Sky channels.
The satellite will get you the free-to-air overseas channels, eg, BBC channels, ITV channels, Channel 4, Channel 5, plus various more obscure channels. You don't have the subscription sports channels options.
If you want to get the Irish channels you will need a complementary Saorview set-up.
You need to decide whether you want a facility to record programmes and a 7-day EPG guide. This is similar to the Sky EPG but it is not the same and some people say it is not as slick.
You can get combos to include some or all of these options, eg, https://freesat.ie/products/freesat-hd-recorder-saorview-package.
I don't avail of this service so this is not a recommendation or otherwise. I like my Sky :).
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yes it would be legitimate. We actually had planned to use the company you quoted below. Thanks for your advises, give us something to think about
 
You can get skins for the enigma boxes that give the sky look and feel, you don't miss out on much from the basic sky package
 
Free-to-air channel frequencies change from time to time. These are up-dated automatically for channels included in the Sky package. You will probably need to do manual re-scanning/updating from time to time with freesat.
 
I have the setup you are thinking about. If you are not into sports you will be happy with it. It's not difficult to occasionally retune any stations which have changed channels. All satellite tuning information is available online at Lyngsat. My only monthly cost is 30 euro for broadband from Vodafone. Ring them up each year and ask them to renew at this rate.
 
Gordon Gekko said:
Sky is a superb product and streets ahead of the competition, legit or illegal.

Sometimes it’s better to just ‘pay up’ for the best experience.
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Would have to disagree Gordon if its for standard freesat and saorview, if you are any way technical you can replicate the experience, if you aren't then paying up may be the best bet though.
 
I've had various packages over the years. Sky has the best channel selection. In terms of the list of Saorview/Freesat channels it would be on a par with the likes of Virgin Media.

If you were with Virgin I'd absolutely say go with the the Freesat/Saorview option. Versus Sky it's a little less clear cut and will come down to the what channels your watch.

Unless you're wedded to channels starting with "Sky" or ending in "sports" or a TV addict, it's worth considering. As a casual TV viewer who primarily watches rte, BBC, Channel 4 and ITV the combo box is perfect for me.

A combo box will require a little more input initially but once you master it you will have greater flexibility for things like channel ordering. Yes there is more maintenance in terms of rescanning but for the price I'd consider it a small imposition.
 
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Blackrock1 said:
Would have to disagree Gordon if its for standard freesat and saorview, if you are any way technical you can replicate the experience, if you aren't then paying up may be the best bet though.
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TV is one of the areas where I won’t compromise. I have seen all of the options over the years and the likes of Virgin, Saorview, etc are rubbish. They’re absolutely terrible.
 
Gordon Gekko said:
Sky is a superb product and streets ahead of the competition, legit or illegal.

Sometimes it’s better to just ‘pay up’ for the best experience.
Click to expand...


Gordon Gekko said:
TV is one of the areas where I won’t compromise. I have seen all of the options over the years and the likes of Virgin, Saorview, etc are rubbish. They’re absolutely terrible.
Click to expand...

Could you explain what makes Sky the uncompromising choice and the others terrible?

Perhaps you feel passionately about the ergonomics of the Sky remote or nothing floats your boat like the little red stand-by light. Maybe it's the fact you get more 4k content? All of these might be very important for you but possibly less so for the OP.
 
It so personal - depends on your lifestyle, technical ability , what you watch and how you watch. Base sky Q isn't that expensive when rolled in with broadband and it depends on the things you value. i have tried every solution under the sun for me (mainly triggered by my disgust that sky charge more here for the same product as UK when it comes from same satellite in the sky!) I am now at peace and I value what sky gives me for the price:
  • Very easy to use and no tech knowledge needed (although i have good tech knowledge, don't really want to be putting my time and thought into my tv). Every other solution I tried needed more tech input at some point, although a good recording freesat box was the easiest but still didn't let me record irish channels.
  • Very easy record all channels i choose to subscribe to - irish and UK and any premium - for me I see value in starting the evening golf an hour late and fast forwarding all the adverts so i am watching the end of the tournament live with no wasted time for adverts - but for some people this has zero value!!!
  • Different people can watch different recordings at same time in different rooms of house - again zero value for some
  • Watch recordings and pick up in any room or on sky wherever you left off. I will often watch then start of something in the lounge and the end in bed etc, or 3 episodes of a series at home and 2 on a plane as I travel a lot with work.
Like Gordon, I've tried them all and am now comfy that what I have represents best value for me - not cheap, but we all enjoy our TV. But maybe you need to go on that journey to find out. Sometimes stripping back and building up again is necessary to show you what you really value. You can actually make do without any satellite - even legally with a fire stick and a digital aerial you can get a great viewing experience if you only want the main channels and no recording. A lot is available on RTE player etc for on demand.

If you answer the following questions it might help us further help you:
  • Which channels must you have?
  • Which of these do you want to record? (life gets easier if none or at least not the irish ones)
  • Do you subscribe to any other service e.g. Netflix
  • How technical are you?
  • How many rooms do you want to watch in?
  • Do you have access to irish channels via aerial?
  • Which sky do you have now - (important as sky and sky Q use a different LNB so freesat maybe plug and play for you or you may need some work on dish etc)
  • Why do you subscibe to phone - just check theres a good reason for this as often people barely use it and their mobile contract actually covers their needs.
 
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Hello,

Having paid Sky a fortune, for many years, I finally ditched them, a few years ago.

I went for a FreeToAir Satellite TV and Saorview, combo box. Including installation, recording option etc., I think it was about 450 euro, at the time. It's a once off cost, no further bills.

For a basic TV service, it's very good - perfect digital quality picture and sound. Sure, you don't have Sky Sports, Sky Movies etc, but there are options, if you really want movies and sports. Let's not forget Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV etc. You can also get a NowTV subscription, for occasional Sky Sports, if you really want to.

We had the option of Virgin fibre, and it's second to none, when compared with alternative services delivered over part copper wire networks. That said, check to see if you can connect to SIRO, if you can, you've got several resellers that can then also provide quality fibre broadband.

No doubt in my mind that ditching Sky was a good move - apart from Sky Sports, I don't miss it, and I've saved a good few thousand euro, at this stage. I think I was paying them over €1,500 per year (before occasional, negotiated discounts, which also became a pain, and a waste of 30-45mins of my time by phone, every 3-6 months). The amount of times that Sky phoned me, trying to get me to resubscribe, during the first 12 months, after I left them, only confirmed how much profit they must make from a customer!

Remember, I can still get a short term pass for NowTV, when I do want to watch Sky Sports, for a month or three!

Quitting Sky, was just like quitting cigarettes, looking back on it... took a long time to do it, but once I kicked the habit, I knew I'd done the right thing!
 
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sky have a package called "Essentials" which is only €10 a month on top of the broadband, might be worth asking them about it. Has all the basic channels, not much else but you still have the functionality of the Sky box. I don't think they advertise it, it's a retention deal.

Alternatively you could get an official "Freesat" box from Amazon which has recording and catchup services (some of which will need a VPN from Ireland), though you'll need a separate box, or a Saorview-compatible TV, and aerial for the Irish channels.

It's not entirely straightforward though, if you have SkyQ your dish may or may not be compatible with the various Free satellite boxes as SkyQ uses a special LNB (the yoke that sticks out in front of the dish).
 
My preference was a ‘Walker’ TV. It has a built in satellite tuner so with a dish it gives free to air ( no digibox required). It also has Netflix (subscription required) and WIFI. Plug and play option. A lot of people with motorhomes use this.
 
Early Riser said:
Free-to-air channel frequencies change from time to time. These are up-dated automatically for channels included in the Sky package. You will probably need to do manual re-scanning/updating from time to time with freesat.
Click to expand...
To draw a distinction between Free To Air (FTA) satellite and Freesat. They both have the same free channels, Freesat however is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV. The difference is that Freesat is designed to be a free version of Sky, it has a similar look and feel, and doesn't require re-tuning when channel frequencies change. You can buy Freesat boxes, or indeed some TVs have integrated Freesat software. You get prompted to enter a UK postcode when setting it up first, and it will display the local BBC/ITV region accordingly in the Electronic Program Guide (EPG).


In an Irish context, the only disadvantage is that you cannot get a "combo" box with Freesat as it's designed for a UK market, which would have no need to combine satellite and terrestrial versions of the same channels.
 
nest egg said:
In an Irish context, the only disadvantage is that you cannot get a "combo" box with Freesat as it's designed for a UK market, which would have no need to combine satellite and terrestrial versions of the same channels.
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that's true but most modern TVs will pick up the Irish channels via an aerial; ok you have to change the source on the TV to go from Irish to satellite channels but that's not a massive inconvenience.

The combo FTA boxes are either fairly basic with only "now and next" on the satellite channels, or potentially quite complex linux receivers that require a bit of technical aptitude to setup and keep up to date.
 
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