Advice for nebie to streaming TV

MrCostington

My current setup is Analogue TV with Virgin, a TV , a Chromecast and Netflix/Android Tablet.

Analogue is switching off next week. I don't want to upgrade to Digital TV (because I'm a tight bas**d, hate Virgin, always jacking up prices, and I don't watch that much anyway).

My TV licence is due end of May, so, I was thinking I'll use the €160 to get a PC monitor with a HDMI interface. I guess I'll need a soundbar too?

First question, am I correct in saying I can watch IP TV, Netflix etc without a licence?

Assuming so, what are my (legal) options to watch TV (UK channels, Irish if possible, great if I can have Discovery back, no interest in sport or films).

Now TV seems to just have Sky channels? I saw a post here (but cannot find it again), that mentioned iBox, that sounds great for 60 channels for a tenner. But it would be great if there was a box or stick I could plug into the monitor and have a remote control other than the tablet (but not essential).

I don't want a satellite dish, and I don't have a landline/Eir account either.

Thanks!

PS title should be Advice for newbie!!

Patrick2010

Mate of mine has iBox on an Amazon fire stick, I think they're pretty cheap.
Heres the instructions for putting the app on the stick.

http://www.ibox.ie/sideload.html

I use a combination of iBox on my phone and cast it to the TV with Chromecast, you could try that. Its a free months trial so nothing to lose.

MrCostington

Thanks!

I'll look at the Firestick

I read elsewhere that IBox kept charging someone after they cancelled, (or charged too much after the trail) any experience of this?

bingo76

Hi, I've been with iBox since last September. Never been over-charged (although have never tried cancelling either)

The service is pretty good to be fair. The streaming is high quality, and as I don't have terrestrial it's great to be able to get live tv events like 6 nations rugby, late late etc. 7 day catch-up service is also very handy.

Combined with a Firestick (Prime video and netflix) I have pretty much as much tv as I could want.

2 negatives with ibox:

1) I emailed them twice about 2 different issues and never got a response, so while you only pay your €10 a month you get no customer service.

2) Your subscription only works on one device at any one time. While this is understandable from an anti-credential sharing perspective, it's really annoying if you have multi firesticks. i.e. watch tv on downstairs device, then to watch tv in bedroom, you have to re log-in (which logs you out downstairs) and entering username/password on a firestick everytime is very slow.

Overall though I'd happily recommend them, and plan to stay with them ongoing.

galtee boy

bingo76 wrote: »

Hi, I've been with iBox since last September. Never been over-charged (although have never tried cancelling either)

The service is pretty good to be fair. The streaming is high quality, and as I don't have terrestrial it's great to be able to get live tv events like 6 nations rugby, late late etc. 7 day catch-up service is also very handy.

Combined with a Firestick (Prime video and netflix) I have pretty much as much tv as I could want.

2 negatives with ibox:

1) I emailed them twice about 2 different issues and never got a response, so while you only pay your €10 a month you get no customer service.

2) Your subscription only works on one device at any one time. While this is understandable from an anti-credential sharing perspective, it's really annoying if you have multi firesticks. i.e. watch tv on downstairs device, then to watch tv in bedroom, you have to re log-in (which logs you out downstairs) and entering username/password on a firestick everytime is very slow.

Overall though I'd happily recommend them, and plan to stay with them ongoing.

Out of curiosity, are many or any of the channels in HD on iBox ?

bingo76

Sorry, I don't actually know. I don't think any of them are HD, but then I've never been that fussed about HD

Tigerandahalf

How does the rte catch up content work given their own player is very poor?
I thought all catch up content would be coming from rte's end?

bingo76

I can't comment on rte player ( I tried side-loading it onto firestick, but couldn't get it working) but rte content, and all content works 100% on ibox catch-up. No issues at all

Tigerandahalf

I know I could google but does ibox cover uk and Irish channels?
Is it legal?

Smells very like aertv. Where is that now?

bingo76

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I know I could google but does ibox cover uk and Irish channels?
Is it legal?

Smells very like aertv. Where is that now?

Google ibox channel list! :-)
Short answer = yes

MrCostington

OP here sorry thought I updated the thread. Got iBox sometime in May/June I think. I went for the €10/60 channels, too much for me! so just have the €3pm/10 channels package, happy to get Channel 4 and the F1. Am happy so far, it does drop out the odd time (was impossible to watch the Wimbledon final). So I have that and Netflix and Youtube, more than enough for me.

Billing seems a bit odd though, I seemed to be charged for €7 and then €5 so far I assume it will settle down after a while, or I'll get on to them.

7 day catchup is great.