[jamcambs]

Millions of Britons pay for extra TV channels, but would they miss them if they were gone?

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/pay...-worth-it.html

This part is so true!

It’s been a week since we cut off our Sky habit and I’ve realised that most of the channels we watched regularly were available on Freeview anyway.

When you’ve had a paid-for package so long, you sort of forget that a large portion of the best channels are available for free or under the licence fee.

[noise747]

When I got rid of sky a few years back I did miss it for a while, mainly the documentary channels. i got used to having five channels again, not that I watched TV that much.

i can understand why people want more choice, because the standard channels are to be honest rubbish most of the time, the weekdays are full of soaps, look at how much money I got to build my own house or buy a posh one, Antique shows, cookery shows and singing rubbish.

I don't mind the odd Antique show, but there is so many different ones now, i also don't mind the odd cooking show, but again, too many

The problem with Sky, too expensive for too many repeats, that is why I dumped sky and was offered a sky+ box. Now why do I want a box to record repeats?

But we are all different, I now find most of what I want to watch on Netflix, sure there are some old stuff, but I have never watched them before, like lost, i only ever watched one episode, now I am watching it all.

I wish there was more documentaries on the British version, there are some on the US version, still I got lovefilm and can rent Blu-ray versions.

I notice people saying that there is nothing on TV and yet they got Sky, how can there be nothing on TV with all those channels? if I thought that then I would get rid of Sky.

Some people keeps Sky for Sport.

[blueisthecolour]

Originally Posted by jamcambs

Millions of Britons pay for extra TV channels, but would they miss them if they were gone?

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/pay...-worth-it.html

This part is so true!

It’s been a week since we cut off our Sky habit and I’ve realised that most of the channels we watched regularly were available on Freeview anyway.

When you’ve had a paid-for package so long, you sort of forget that a large portion of the best channels are available for free or under the licence fee.

That article ignores the fact that most people get pay tv as part of a broadband/home phone package and so the cost is not as clear cut as they make out. Even without tv they would be paying a minimum of £14 a month for a phone line and around £15 a month (i'm guessing) for a half decent internet connection. Also I think the issue of Sky Sport is a separate one to general tv as sport is a passion for a lot of people and they are happy to pay to follow it.

Personally I have VM XL package and I do probably watch less than 10% of the channels on offer. However they have a great broadband and on demand service which means I never buy dvds now and rarely go to the cinema - so i'm saving there. Also I like being able to watch HD versions of channels, of which there are only a few provided on Freesat. Also TIVO is excellent.

[5 a day]

...or ditch all regular tv fees (Sky, BT, Virgin, BBC) full stop. For me, there are so many other things to do other than gawp at the goggle box.

Payg options (Lovefilm etc) are the way to go for me. Or the (very) occasional programme on one of the online catch-up services.

[thedrewser]

The report doesn't give you information on the sample size of those households asked. From the people I know and my friends a substantial portion take Sky for Sky Sports which is unavailable anywhere else (legally). For me I watch a huge amount of golf and foorball and a bit of rugby.

Whilst I enjoy Sky Atlantic with it's HBO offerings and the occassional movie, I am, if I'm honest, paying my Sky subs for access to Sky Sports (and these days probably the kids channels for my little darlings).

However, it is rather a rarity if I watch something on the 5 terrestrial channels (is that name still ok to use after switchover?).

The idea of Sky being value for money is a subjective one, but, as I once told my wife when she suggested we dump Sky, she'll be kicked out before Sky goes.

[ShaunW]

Pay TV not worth it, who said ?

[James68]

I subscribed to Sky TV to get Zone Romantica and Diva TV in September 2007. Last week I realised that the only thing I am watching now [that is not on Freeview] is Grimm on Watch! As this series will no doubt air on free TV before long it kind of made me realise that [sport aside] subscription seems to be quite pointless at this juncture..........

[theARE]

The big 3 things that the majority of people get and stick with pay tv for are probably:

1) Sports
2) Movies
3) 1st run American Series

These days with love film and netflix etc there is a cheaper alternative for films if that's all you're interested in.

The amount of "Must See" American tv series seems to have declined sharply - with Lost, 24 etc gone and no new ongoing scifi series like BSG or Stargate or Star Trek the stuff that Sky used to pack Sky One with is mostly gone.

Ironically by securing the firt run rights of everything HBO with Sky Atlantic they've also denied shows the chance to be seen by a broader audience and build up a fan base.

Sky did after all poach 24 and Lost of FTA after they had built up a rabid fan base that probably helped to bring in subscribers.

If you really want to watch a particular American Series - it's probably cheeper to either wait for it to appear on one of the streaming service mentioned previously, or to just get the DVD when it comes out.

That just leaves sports - and here Sky do have the advantage unquestionably.

If I was BBC or ITV I'd be investing some money in trying to popularise other sports, take somethink like hockey for example. In exchange for a very long term tv rights put money into building up regional teams, school sports programmes etc.

Football is in very real danger of pricing itself out of existance. If a tv company could help present a cheap family friendly sport with lots of tv exposure the obsession with football might get taperd a bit.

That's the only way I can see a FTA tv company being able to "compete" with Sky on the sports front - but they'd need to have a clear vision and the dedication to stick with it for the long term.

[peter05]

Originally Posted by ShaunW

Pay TV not worth it, who said ?

All the poster's above, and many many more

[grumpyscot]

I got rid of Sky Sports, Movies and HD. (1) I never watch sport except tennis, and Sky rarely cover that sport, (2) I'm not into movies, and if I want to watch any particular one, I either hire the DVD or download it. (3) HD Simply isn't worth it since so many progs are on HD but are not actually IN Hd.

But I d like documentaries, and SKY seems the only option for that since our village isn't scheduled to get cable until 2025 (the year, not the time!) and I'll be well into my 70s by then so will have seen every reshowing on BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, Dave, Watch, Quest,.............

[Radiomike]

Originally Posted by peter05

All the poster's above, and many many more

On the other hand there are over 10 million Sky subscribers and however many Virgin subscribers who clearly are of the opposite view!

[ShaunW]

Originally Posted by peter05

All the poster's above, and many many more

All ? No they didn't.

[derek500]

Originally Posted by grumpyscot

I never watch sport except tennis, and Sky rarely cover that sport

Rarely? You're not much of a tennis fan.

Here's next month's tennis.

Mon 6 Toronto Masters 1000
4pm Day One
Tue 7 Toronto Masters 1000
4pm Day Two
Wed 8 Toronto Masters 1000
4pm Day Three
Thu 9 Toronto Masters 1000
4pm Day Four
Fri 10 Toronto Masters 1000
6pm Day Five - Quarter-Finals #1 and #2
Fri 10 Toronto Masters 1000
Midnight (Sat) Day Five - Quarter-Finals #3 and #4
Sat 11 Toronto Masters 1000
7pm Day Six - Semi-Final #1
Sat 11 Toronto Masters 1000
11.30pm Day Six - Semi-Final #2
Sun 12 Toronto Masters 1000
Midnight (Mon) Day Seven - Final
Mon 13 Cincinnati Masters 1000
4pm Day One
Tue 14 Cincinnati Masters 1000
4pm Day Two
Wed 15 Cincinnati Masters 1000
4pm Day Three
Thu 16 Cincinnati Masters 1000
4pm Day Four
Fri 17 Cincinnati Masters 1000
4pm Day Five - Quarter-Finals #1 and #2
Fri 17 Cincinnati Masters 1000
Midnight (Sat) Day Five - Quarter-Finals #3 and #4
Sat 18 Cincinnati Masters 1000
6pm Day Six - Semi-Finals
Sun 19 Cincinnati Masters 1000
5.30pm Day Seven - Final
Mon 27 US Open
4pm Day One, Session One
Mon 27 US Open
Midnight (Tue) Day One, Session Two
Tue 28 US Open
4pm Day Two, Session One
Tue 28 US Open
Midnight (Wed) Day Two, Session Two
Wed 29 US Open
4pm Day Three, Session One
Wed 29 US Open
7.30pm Day Three, Session Two
Thu 30 US Open
4pm Day Four, Session One
Thu 30 US Open
Midnight (Fri) Day Four, Session Two
Fri 31 US Open
4pm Day Five, Session One
Fri 31 US Open
Midnight (Sat) Day Five, Session Two

[exlordlucan]

Originally Posted by ShaunW

Pay TV not worth it, who said ?

Those who ditched it and those who haven't got it for the said reason..

[ktla5]

When the main Channels put most of the prgramming from Discovery National Geo, History. Bio and the likes on their channels, then yes I will get rid of Sky, but as they are what some call 'minority' programmes it ain't gonna happen!

As for most of the shows being watched are on Freeview, quite a few go to bed at about 10pm and the rest apart from 1-5 are either shopping at inflated prices or tits and bums. FV is free as no-one would pay for it! :-)

[Bill Clinton]

I'd say documentary choice is the big advantage of pay TV for me now not being into sport, in most other departments the free channels are virtually as good, especially in entertainment shows, sitcoms, drama etc, Freeview & Freesat combined have reduced Sky Pay TV in this respect to "just a little bit extra". Even Movies which were once a big luxury to be gained by having Sky have been sidelined, Sky might have 12 movie channels but for some reason newer films don't have the draw anymore, and then you have channels like Film4 and Sony Movies showing lots of classic films, along with the ubiquitous amount of films on basic entertainment channels such as E4 and ITV2, it doesn't even feel long anymore when premieres come around to these channels. I'd say that Sky needs to do something to overhaul its movie channels again, for one it's very boring to have Premiere as a channel with a repetitive schedule like Sky Box Office, if it were a mix of the latest and greatest films on at different times the channel would have more appeal and prestige, plus it only starts at 10am which is very poor for a channel that acts as the front door to the Sky Movies package.

The choice in documentaries is still as luxurious as the movie channels once were, and on free channels they are often sidelined even on channels like Yesterday.

[ShaunW]

Originally Posted by exlordlucan

Those who ditched it and those who haven't got it for the said reason..

I see, so excluding users of Sky, Virgin, Smallworld, Top-up, BTVision, Netflix, Lovefilm, Blinkbox, Zune and any others you care to mention, the opinion is PayTV is not worth it. Worthy the all encompassing headline.

[ShaunIOW]

I only have the basic Sky package and I only really keep it for the Sky+ facility and the cheap broadband, as a decent FreesatHD PVR box is over £200 which I can't afford, and broadband would be at least another £10 a month and still probably not unlimited, but even so I do find 85% of my viewing is on the free channels anyway.

[derek500]

Originally Posted by Bill Clinton

I'd say that Sky needs to do something to overhaul its movie channels again, for one it's very boring to have Premiere as a channel with a repetitive schedule like Sky Box Office, if it were a mix of the latest and greatest films on at different times the channel would have more appeal and prestige, plus it only starts at 10am which is very poor for a channel that acts as the front door to the Sky Movies package.

It's a channel to show all the week's new releases. There are a dozen other channels to show the rest.

The idea is to have choice and different genres at all times.

[pakokelso93]

Originally Posted by grumpyscot

I got rid of Sky Sports, Movies and HD. (1) I never watch sport except tennis, and Sky rarely cover that sport, (2) I'm not into movies, and if I want to watch any particular one, I either hire the DVD or download it. (3) HD Simply isn't worth it since so many progs are on HD but are not actually IN Hd.

But I d like documentaries, and SKY seems the only option for that since our village isn't scheduled to get cable until 2025 (the year, not the time!) and I'll be well into my 70s by then so will have seen every reshowing on BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, Dave, Watch, Quest,.............

Originally Posted by derek500

Rarely? You're not much of a tennis fan.

Here's next month's tennis.

It's alright Derek, this guy tried to say the Murray match wasn't in HD ON Sunday, not even checking BBC1 HD.

[ShaunW]

Originally Posted by derek500

It's a channel to show all the week's new releases. There are a dozen other channels to show the rest.

The idea is to have choice and different genres at all times.

I hardly use the linear channels anymore, with the library on Anytime + at my disposal.

[linkinpark875]

Okay so we all know pay tv is not worth it.

Freeview has enough channels, there's enough on Sky.

Why don't we call cancel? Because we take multi deals from our providers with broadband and telephone. Plus HD and Sky Sports/Movies.

Cancel and you get shows 6 months later, Hardly any sport on the BBC and movies 3/4 years past cinema release. The choice depends on what you can afford that's the facts.

[KIIS102]

What about the asian folk who don't really have an alternative to paying for Sky/Virgin to get channels dedicated to their culture and lifestyle?

[exlordlucan]

Originally Posted by KIIS102

What about the asian folk who don't really have an alternative to paying for Sky/Virgin to get channels dedicated to their culture and lifestyle?

You could say that for any race, nationality, culture etc etc living here.

If there was a demand then I'm sure some entrepreneur would have started a FTA channel by now and perhaps there is?

I know there are on other platforms.

[thedrewser]

I can'r ditch sky anyway. No cable where I live and I don't have a tv aerial!!!!!!!