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Cutting the cord...

TheTomahawk

I currently have Sky, and I'm not happy with it. TV is mostly reruns, stuff I don't watch, stuff that's pure crap, and ads. Honestly, 95% of the time I randomly choose a channel, I get ads. There are some programmes I like to watch, but not many. The vast majority of channels I never watch. I'm paying €56/month for the basic HD service and a the standard HD Sky+ pvr.

Streaming give a lot of content, but it seems there's no one-stream-fits-all solution. Netflix has some stuff (although I hate the Netflix interface), Amazon some stuff, X, Y, and Z other stuff -- there are many streaming options. So what have people chosen? Which combinations, and why? How much are you paying a month?

It's also nice to have the normal UK and Irish channels for the occasional time I want to watch something there. (And in HD). I don't necessarily want to lose them.

So what are the option people have chosen to replace an expensive satellite or cable service and still get everything they want? For the UK (BBC, Channel 4, E4 mainly) and Irish RTÉ 1 and 2 mainly) channels, are there adequate streaming services for these, or do I have to get a Freeview/Saorview box? PVR on these would be a must.

I'm aware this topic comes up regularly, but options change regularly too.

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S.M.B.

I'm in the UK but I've been doing Freeview + NOW TV + Netflix + Amazon Prime for the past while.

Can't see myself going back to a standard cable or satellite package.

The Crowman

Sky is a massive waste of money.

[Deleted User]

TheTomahawk wrote: »

I currently have Sky, and I'm not happy with it. TV is mostly reruns, stuff I don't watch, stuff that's pure crap, and ads. Honestly, 95% of the time I randomly choose a channel, I get ads. There are some programmes I like to watch, but not many. The vast majority of channels I never watch. I'm paying €56/month for the basic HD service and a the standard HD Sky+ pvr.

Streaming give a lot of content, but it seems there's no one-stream-fits-all solution. Netflix has some stuff (although I hate the Netflix interface), Amazon some stuff, X, Y, and Z other stuff -- there are many streaming options. So what have people chosen? Which combinations, and why? How much are you paying a month?

It's also nice to have the normal UK and Irish channels for the occasional time I want to watch something there. (And in HD). I don't necessarily want to lose them.

So what are the option people have chosen to replace an expensive satellite or cable service and still get everything they want? For the UK (BBC, Channel 4, E4 mainly) and Irish RTÉ 1 and 2 mainly) channels, are there adequate streaming services for these, or do I have to get a Freeview/Saorview box? PVR on these would be a must.

I'm aware this topic comes up regularly, but options change regularly too.

A satellite dish will get you all the freesat channels, an antenna will get you the Irish channels. Run both into a combo box (or even an old PC running some PVR software) and you'll be able to watch live or record a tonne of content for free. Supplement with Netflix or whichever streaming service has the shows you want.

MadYaker

I think I pay 12 or 15 a month for netflix and apart from that I just torrent stuff and that does me fine. I find the netflix interface to be grand, you'll probably get used to it. I also pay monthly for a VPN partly to avoid hassle from my ISP over the torrenting and also because I think browsing the web without one is a bad idea.

Anyone paying 40 quid a month or whatever for sky or virgin is being taken for a fool imo.

Not sure it's worth the effort and money of installing a satellite dish and an antenna just to get all the freesat stuff. Most of those channels are nonsense anyway. If you get a good VPN you can watch the American version of netflix whenever you want and all the BBC iplayer stuff too.

TheTomahawk

MadYaker wrote: »

... I just torrent stuff and that does me fine.

I don't want to be torrenting stuff, VPN or no, if I can help it. I'd prefer to have a legitimate source for the vast majority of my watching.

This does lead to multiple streaming sources, though. And still not everything would be covered. But I'd like to at least try.

corks finest

TheTomahawk wrote: »

I currently have Sky, and I'm not happy with it. TV is mostly reruns, stuff I don't watch, stuff that's pure crap, and ads. Honestly, 95% of the time I randomly choose a channel, I get ads. There are some programmes I like to watch, but not many. The vast majority of channels I never watch. I'm paying €56/month for the basic HD service and a the standard HD Sky+ pvr.

Streaming give a lot of content, but it seems there's no one-stream-fits-all solution. Netflix has some stuff (although I hate the Netflix interface), Amazon some stuff, X, Y, and Z other stuff -- there are many streaming options. So what have people chosen? Which combinations, and why? How much are you paying a month?

It's also nice to have the normal UK and Irish channels for the occasional time I want to watch something there. (And in HD). I don't necessarily want to lose them.

So what are the option people have chosen to replace an expensive satellite or cable service and still get everything they want? For the UK (BBC, Channel 4, E4 mainly) and Irish RTÉ 1 and 2 mainly) channels, are there adequate streaming services for these, or do I have to get a Freeview/Saorview box? PVR on these would be a must.

I'm aware this topic comes up regularly, but options change regularly too.

IPTV

TheTomahawk

What about suggestions/recommendations for a Freeview/Saorview combo box with PVR? HD is a must, for those channels that are available.

lawred2

Freesat, Saorview, now tv and Netflix for us. Don't miss anything we want to watch.

TheTomahawk

lawred2 wrote: »

Freesat, Saorview, now tv and Netflix for us. Don't miss anything we want to watch.

It's a bit disappointing that the Entertainment pack on Now TV is €15/month, whereas it's £8 (=€9) in the UK.

Thanks, Sky. (Yes, Sky own Now TV!).

[Deleted User]

Was on sky for 2 years but cancelled contract a week ago. Moving to a combination of Saorview connect (Saorview and freesat channels) and Netflix.

TheTomahawk

Dónal wrote: »

Was on sky for 2 years but cancelled contract a week ago. Moving to a combination of Saorview connect (Saorview and freesat channels) and Netflix.

What box are you using for this? Does it have PVR?

lawred2

TheTomahawk wrote: »

It's a bit disappointing that the Entertainment pack on Now TV is €15/month, whereas it's £8 (=€9) in the UK.

Thanks, Sky. (Yes, Sky own Now TV!).

Well as it goes I have the UK package

TheTomahawk

lawred2 wrote: »

Well as it goes I have the UK package

How did you manage that trick?

lawred2

TheTomahawk wrote: »

How did you manage that trick?

Smart DNS and revolut.. It was set up long before the Irish launch and there was no reason to discontinue it.

TheTomahawk

lawred2 wrote: »

Smart DNS and revolut.. It was set up long before the Irish launch and there was no reason to discontinue it.

Ah, yes, Revolut. Not sure I want to open an account with them. KBC suits me. Although KBC don't have that UK account advantage.

TheRiverman

Cancelled my Sky subscription five years ago.I got fed up of being ripped off.I have Freesat and Saorview since,perfectly adequate for my viewing needs.

TheTomahawk

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I've decided to give this box a try, with an 1TB external HDD.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M8JA64H/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

I figured I couldn't go far wrong for the price, it does satellite and terrestrial, HE channels, and PVR with an external hard drive. It'll be a week before it arrives, so I'll update here after I've used it a bit.

But keep the suggestions and your own setups coming so I can get ideas on what to supplement this with. It's looking like Netflix anyway. Maybe NowTv Entertainment pack? Maybe Amazon Prime Video? I'm not sure. Maybe I should look at something else?

padjocollins

<SNIP>

Mod: Posted edited. No illegal streaming talk.

iirishsham40

Great thread, I really want to do this as well, am playing €80 per month for Sky TV and Broadband and I want to change both.

Here is what I have:
Sky dish
Sky HD box
Sky Broadband
Netflix Ireland

Here is what I'd like

Saorview / Freeview box that can record
Netflix Ireland

and broadband from another supplier, one that lest you change the DNS setting in your router. I want to do this so I can use the Open DNS FamilyShield at a router level.

I can use Open DNS FamilyShield on my pc, but Sky don't let you change router settings. Changing these settings on the router prevents a lot of "nasty"stuff being easily accessible by my family. I only found out about Open DNS in the last few months, and have been using the internet for over twenty years.

Please keep the details of what setup you use coming.

Skerries

would thi be a good choice for a freesat/saourview combi box?

PowerPoint™ DXD7025VC

sligojoek

He Tiviar Alpha + is a great combi box. It'll take up to 2TB internal HDD for recording.

There's a thread about it here with a lot of info and input from users. I've had one for 6 months.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057827739

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/tiviar-alpha-plus

[Deleted User]

TheTomahawk wrote: »

Ah, yes, Revolut. Not sure I want to open an account with them. KBC suits me. Although KBC don't have that UK account advantage.

revolut isn't really an account. you just top it up from your normal irish account. download the app and try it. it's great. will save you money if you buy stuff from amazon, or ever go outside the eurozone.

colm_c

iirishsham40 wrote: »

Great thread, I really want to do this as well, am playing €80 per month for Sky TV and Broadband and I want to change both.

Here is what I have:
Sky dish
Sky HD box
Sky Broadband
Netflix Ireland

Here is what I'd like

Saorview / Freeview box that can record
Netflix Ireland

and broadband from another supplier, one that lest you change the DNS setting in your router. I want to do this so I can use the Open DNS FamilyShield at a router level.

I can use Open DNS FamilyShield on my pc, but Sky don't let you change router settings. Changing these settings on the router prevents a lot of "nasty"stuff being easily accessible by my family. I only found out about Open DNS in the last few months, and have been using the internet for over twenty years.

Please keep the details of what setup you use coming.

Better to use your own router, that way you can simply change broadband provider to who ever gives the best price/speed.

I use a MikroTik router:
https://mikrotik.com/products/group/wireless-for-home-and-office

Simply plug it into the LAN connection on my broadband router.

Clareman

There was a good article in the Irish Times yesterday on this

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/are-you-paying-over-the-odds-for-your-tv-package-1.3619268

iirishsham40

colm_c wrote: »

Better to use your own router, that way you can simply change broadband provider to who ever gives the best price/speed.

I use a MikroTik router:
https://mikrotik.com/products/group/wireless-for-home-and-office

Simply plug it into the LAN connection on my broadband router.

Thanks for that, but Sky will not let you use your own router.

I want to be sure which provider will let me change DNS settings and/or use my own router before I switch.

I'll search around a bit more and revert with what I find.

I did look at the Powerpoint Saorview Connect Combi Box, on the Power City website. Looks interesting.

https://powercity.ie/product/DXD7025

colm_c

iirishsham40 wrote: »

colm_c wrote: »

Better to use your own router, that way you can simply change broadband provider to who ever gives the best price/speed.

I use a MikroTik router:
https://mikrotik.com/products/group/wireless-for-home-and-office

Simply plug it into the LAN connection on my broadband router.

Thanks for that, but Sky will not let you use your own router.

I want to be sure which provider will let me change DNS settings and/or use my own router before I switch.

I'll search around a bit more and revert with what I find.

I did look at the Powerpoint Saorview Connect Combi Box, on the Power City website. Looks interesting.

https://powercity.ie/product/DXD7025

Most providers won't let you replace their router, but nothing to stop you plugging your router into theirs.

Assuming it has at least 1 Ethernet port.

Just disable their wireless and make sure your router is acting as dhcp and you're all set.

[Deleted User]

TheTomahawk wrote: »

What box are you using for this? Does it have PVR?

No recording (yet) - rollout is late. Using the power point Saorview connect box and a antenna for the Saorview channels. Vodafone then are charging e40 a month for 12 months for broadband.

The wife preferred SKY but this is grand - though there are some minor issues with the Saorview connect box.

iirishsham40

I bought a Saorview PowerPoint box today in DID electrical. Unfortunately, I won't be using it, I'll be staying with Sky for TV.
Here's why.

I took the package home, unboxed it, plugged it in and let it do the setup and software update.
No problem so far.

My Sky HD box has two inputs from the dish that provides all the Irish and UK channels together.
I thought that these would provide the same service with a Saorview box, but it doesn't, inputs from
a satellite dish only provide the free to view UK channels, not the Irish ones.

There are two satellite inputs on the Saorview box, and one aerial input.
In the Saorview manual it says that you need a UHF aerial on the roof of your house to get Saorview, i.e.
Irish channels. Most houses don't have these anymore, and if you live in an apartment, you probably
won't have one either. I knew that Saorview when it launched needed this, but to need an aerial for
Irish channels is ridiculous. I don't have one and my home is less than twenty years old.

it's not in the small print, but they don't state the obvious - you need an aerial to get Irish channels.

The Saorview user interface is terrible. The channel names are all squashed up to the side. There are loads of repeated
channels like ten versions of ITV in a row, which is stupid. It's like the box is reading the information coming from the
satellite dish without filtering it for the user.

You have to "go out and back in" through loads of menus to do anything. I can see why they don't do Saorview demos
in shopping centers like Sky do, people would laugh at them trying to charge money for this terrible TV layout.

You have to setup a "Saorview ID" on their website to use the box using your e-mail address, this was a bit of a liberty.

The remote is terrible, my thumb was getting sore after only a few minutes of using the remote. It feels cheap overall.

No recording. I knew before I bought the Saorview box that the service does not have recording yet.
But it was only when I was looking through the channels how big a deal this would actually be. It was like being back in the 90s.
The manual says that recording is on the way, in "mid 2018" but I wouldn't hold my breath.

There's only one USB port on the box as well, which is not good enough on any TV connected device in this day and age.

I'd still like to change broadband provide from Sky, to use my own router and Open DNS settings, but I'll be keeping Sky for TV.

It was really disappointing to see that Saorview was this bad, I was really looking forward to trying it out. Not to worry, I gave it a go.

sligojoek

It's common knowledge that you need an aerial for saorview.

icdg

I’m confused about that one. Saorview is digital terrestrial television. How else did you think you were going to pick up the channels?

In some areas, and depending on what type of building you live in, you might be able to use a rabbits ears. Doesn’t work for everyone - seemingly new houses are so well insulated that it won’t work for them.

The problems with Saorview Connect’s satellite implementation are well known. Unfortunately they are also deliberate and they have no intention of fixing them. There may be legal reasons for that; I am not convinced they are insurmountable, but they are the professionals and they say they are. Incidentally you will encounter the same problems with any generic free to air satellite reciever. The work in tuning such devices and sorting and deleting channels is up to you.

If you do want an easy to use EPG for satellite you are best off importing a Freesat reciever, you’ll get it built in on many modern TVs (may have to switch region to U.K.), or you might be able to pick one up in Maplin, or else a trip to Newry may be needed.