I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.I don't want sky because i can't stand the adverts.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.
Do i need sky
No of course you don't need Sky.
If you are getting even a crappy TV these days it should have freeview built in. So you will have something to watch with plenty of ad's aswell.
If however you want to see HD television channels then your only option at the moment is to get Sky and pay a minimum of £16 a month if you buy the box yourself (not direct from Sky) and you will get 3 HD channels. Or if you buy the box direct from Sky they will sell you the HD subscription at an extra £10 a month and you will get those 3 HD channels and access to an additional 11 channels (depending on what package you take).
If you are getting even a crappy TV these days it should have freeview built in. So you will have something to watch with plenty of ad's aswell.
If however you want to see HD television channels then your only option at the moment is to get Sky and pay a minimum of £16 a month if you buy the box yourself (not direct from Sky) and you will get 3 HD channels. Or if you buy the box direct from Sky they will sell you the HD subscription at an extra £10 a month and you will get those 3 HD channels and access to an additional 11 channels (depending on what package you take).
Originally Posted by barmybacup:
“I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
“I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
Nobody needs Sky. But you won't get any high definition television via Freeview (for a long time).
If Sky didn't have adverts, they'd be charging a hell of a lot more in subscription costs to pay for the service. You are aware that the majority of programmes available via a Sky box are not owned by Sky aren't you? If the channel doesn't have the word Sky in the title, it is not owned by Sky. Paramount, Bravo, National Geographic, UK Gold etc are not owned by Sky - but they still show adverts.
Originally Posted by riando:
“No of course you don't need Sky.
If you are getting even a crappy TV these days it should have freeview built in. So you will have something to watch with plenty of ad's aswell.
If however you want to see HD television channels then your only option at the moment is to get Sky and pay a minimum of £16 a month if you buy the box yourself (not direct from Sky) and you will get 3 HD channels. Or if you buy the box direct from Sky they will sell you the HD subscription at an extra £10 a month and you will get those 3 HD channels and access to an additional 11 channels (depending on what package you take).”
“No of course you don't need Sky.
If you are getting even a crappy TV these days it should have freeview built in. So you will have something to watch with plenty of ad's aswell.
If however you want to see HD television channels then your only option at the moment is to get Sky and pay a minimum of £16 a month if you buy the box yourself (not direct from Sky) and you will get 3 HD channels. Or if you buy the box direct from Sky they will sell you the HD subscription at an extra £10 a month and you will get those 3 HD channels and access to an additional 11 channels (depending on what package you take).”
Thanks for your quick reply,i will not be getting a HD TV then ,because there is no way that i am having SKY.i will just after rethink my options
Originally Posted by barmybacup:
“Thanks for your quick reply,i will not be getting a HD TV then ,because there is no way that i am having SKY.i will just after rethink my options”
“Thanks for your quick reply,i will not be getting a HD TV then ,because there is no way that i am having SKY.i will just after rethink my options”
Why not consider the forthcoming Freesat then?, it should have a small number of free HD channels - the same ones as you get free on Sky HD.
Originally Posted by barmybacup:
“Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
“Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
You can still have "Sky" without paying a monthly fee you know - it's called Freesat From Sky. All the free satellite channels.
Or wait until sometime in 2008 for the BBC's Freesat service, which may well have free HD satellite channels.
Originally Posted by barmybacup:
“I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.I don't want sky because i can't stand the adverts.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
“I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.I don't want sky because i can't stand the adverts.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
Well, you have to ask yourself why you want a HDTV. Ignoring the fact that it's becoming increasingly difficult these days to find a non-HDTV in shops, there are only a limited number of ways in which you can see actual high-definition on a HDTV. For starters, you can not get high-definition (at the moment) from broadcasts received via an aerial, i.e. analogue TV and Freeview. So if that's all you use your TV for and you don't actually *need* a new TV, there's no point in getting a new HDTV. Sources of HD pictures are:
1. Satellite TV. No, you do not need Sky for that, you can get a "FTA" HD set top box although you'll only be able to receive BBC HD with it at the moment (and a strange new channel called Luxe). Freesat boxes will be out in March, which is a satellite equivalent of Freeview andis totally free of subscription, even for HD and PVRs (twin tuner hard-disk recorders, like Freeview recorders). By then, it is expected that ITV HD will have started broadcasting and it is hoped that Ch4 HD will follow very soon afterwards. However, only by getting a sky box and subscribing to their service, can you get multiple HD channels, such as Discovery, National Geographic, Sky Arts....
2. Some game consoles like the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 can output in high definition.
3. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players (like existing DVD players) can output in high definition.
4. PCs can also be connected to HDTVs and viewed in full resolution.
Erm, I can't think of anything else!
If you don't go for one of the above things, there's no point in getting a HDTV, unless you really need a new TV.
Originally Posted by Scalper Jack:
“You can still have "Sky" without paying a monthly fee you know - it's called Freesat From Sky. All the free satellite channels.”
“You can still have "Sky" without paying a monthly fee you know - it's called Freesat From Sky. All the free satellite channels.”
Note to the OP: FreesatfromSky is not high definition.
Note to Chris - the OP is 71. I hate to generalise, but I don't think he's got either a PS3 or an XBox 360. But he does like golf... 
Originally Posted by barmybacup:
“I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.I don't want sky because i can't stand the adverts.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
“I am thinking of getting a HD ready TV.do i have to be hooked up to SKY?or can i use freeview.I don't want sky because i can't stand the adverts.Personaly i think SKY are a rip off because you have to pay a monthy fee and also they get a massive amount of money from adverts.”
Apart from the BBC I don't think there are many other channels that don't have adverts, this is the case for Freeview and Sky. I know Sky's movie channels are not interrupted by adverts, I think that's about it.
You could go for Sky+ HD and basically use it as a freeview box, this should give you BBC HD and Chan4 HD, the box will even allow you to FFW through the adverts.
Originally Posted by TommyW:
“Apart from the BBC I don't think there are many other channels that don't have adverts, this is the case for Freeview and Sky. I know Sky's movie channels are not interrupted by adverts, I think that's about it.
You could go for Sky+ HD and basically use it as a freeview box, this should give you BBC HD and Chan4 HD, the box will even allow you to FFW through the adverts.”
“Apart from the BBC I don't think there are many other channels that don't have adverts, this is the case for Freeview and Sky. I know Sky's movie channels are not interrupted by adverts, I think that's about it.
You could go for Sky+ HD and basically use it as a freeview box, this should give you BBC HD and Chan4 HD, the box will even allow you to FFW through the adverts.”
...but will cost £399 if he buys it from Sky and doesn't take out a Sky subscription.
Originally Posted by riando:
“If however you want to see HD television channels then your only option at the moment is to get Sky and pay a minimum of £16 a month if you buy the box yourself (not direct from Sky) and you will get 3 HD channels. Or if you buy the box direct from Sky they will sell you the HD subscription at an extra £10 a month and you will get those 3 HD channels and access to an additional 11 channels (depending on what package you take).”
“If however you want to see HD television channels then your only option at the moment is to get Sky and pay a minimum of £16 a month if you buy the box yourself (not direct from Sky) and you will get 3 HD channels. Or if you buy the box direct from Sky they will sell you the HD subscription at an extra £10 a month and you will get those 3 HD channels and access to an additional 11 channels (depending on what package you take).”
Are you saying that if you buy the box yourself you have to pay Sky £16 a month rather than £10? I'm a current Sky subscriber and had assumed that if I bought the box myself I'd just have to phone them up to get HD enabled for £10 a month.
Originally Posted by bobcar:
“Are you saying that if you buy the box yourself you have to pay Sky £16 a month rather than £10? I'm a current Sky subscriber and had assumed that if I bought the box myself I'd just have to phone them up to get HD enabled for £10 a month.”
“Are you saying that if you buy the box yourself you have to pay Sky £16 a month rather than £10? I'm a current Sky subscriber and had assumed that if I bought the box myself I'd just have to phone them up to get HD enabled for £10 a month.”
I think what he means is that by subscribing to one mix (£16) you will get the recording functions - rather than paying £10 for them?.
But you would get the three free HD channels regardless, as long as you have a FSFS card to enable CH4 HD.
Currently though I would suggest waiting and see what happens with FreeSat, and in response to FreeSat - unless you can find an exceptional deal on an HD box?.
Originally Posted by broadz:
“...but will cost £399 if he buys it from Sky and doesn't take out a Sky subscription.”
“...but will cost £399 if he buys it from Sky and doesn't take out a Sky subscription.”
Ebay or one of the many independent satellite retailers would be his best bet then. Midsat are doing them for £249 + £30 installation.
Is the curry's deal of £69 + £30 installation subject to subscription?
Originally Posted by TommyW:
“Ebay or one of the many independent satellite retailers would be his best bet then. Midsat are doing them for £249 + £30 installation.
Is the curry's deal of £69 + £30 installation subject to subscription?”
“Ebay or one of the many independent satellite retailers would be his best bet then. Midsat are doing them for £249 + £30 installation.
Is the curry's deal of £69 + £30 installation subject to subscription?”
I would have thought so, as it's a Sky deal through Currys, not a Currys deal.
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“I think what he means is that by subscribing to one mix (£16) you will get the recording functions - rather than paying £10 for them?.”
“I think what he means is that by subscribing to one mix (£16) you will get the recording functions - rather than paying £10 for them?.”
That's good, you can get the Sky HD boxes for £235 independently whereas Sky say £145 - £299 with subscription but the lower prices are dependent on taking out some or all of Sky broadband, multiroom or Sky talk - none of which I want so it would be £299 (£399 without subscription
).They also say there is a £30 "set up charge", it's not clear whether this is installation or whether they charge it just to press a button on their computer.
Originally Posted by Scalper Jack:
“You can still have "Sky" without paying a monthly fee you know - it's called Freesat From Sky. All the free satellite channels.
Or wait until sometime in 2008 for the BBC's Freesat service, which may well have free HD satellite channels.”
“You can still have "Sky" without paying a monthly fee you know - it's called Freesat From Sky. All the free satellite channels.
Or wait until sometime in 2008 for the BBC's Freesat service, which may well have free HD satellite channels.”
Hi thanks scalper it looks like i will be getting Freesat from theBBC,I will shop around for a HD ready plasma TV and be ready for the switch on in 2008.I noticed a packet on the john lewis site the other night with a 5 year warrenty,i will try to find it again and make my mind up. Thanks again
