£100 M&S + £95 Quidco = £50 Freesat HD Box

We currently pay £249 a year for telephone through the GPO and for internet with O2, as we have an O2 mobile 'phone.

As we had to upgrade our television to a colour flat-screen now the transmitter has been switched off, we wanted to try the HD Freesat - but a Freesat HD box is about £100. The last owner of this house had Sky television and so on seeing the £100 M&S voucher plus Quidco deal, we have signed up for Sky.

The mathematics:

O2 internet + GPO telephone = £249 a year.
Sky television, internet and telephone = £307 a year (after cashback deals)

The difference is £58.

After 12 months (the Sky contract) we can cancel Sky and keep our Sky+HD box. That can then, in turn, be used to watch the Freesat and get the "free to watch" HD channels!

Thank-you, Sky. You've very kindly subsidised our upgrade to HD colour television!

I hope I'm correct. I'm rather pleased with myself and have undoubtedly miscalculated.

James.


The box will, essentially, cost us £58 over the year.
«13

Comments

  • daggy
    daggy Posts: 1,167 Forumite
    I could very well be wrong here, but I believe you have to pay sky a one off fee to have the HD part of the box activated for freeview

    although, it's not mentioned on their website
  • daggy wrote: »
    I could very well be wrong here, but I believe you have to pay sky a one off fee to have the HD part of the box activated for freeview

    although, it's not mentioned on their website/QUOTE]

    I think you're right. Is it £20? Even so, £78 is, I think, a good price for a FreeSat HD box!
  • daggy
    daggy Posts: 1,167 Forumite
    daggy wrote: »
    I could very well be wrong here, but I believe you have to pay sky a one off fee to have the HD part of the box activated for freeview

    although, it's not mentioned on their website/QUOTE]

    I think you're right. Is it £20? Even so, £78 is, I think, a good price for a FreeSat HD box!

    I'm not sure of how much they charge, mate.

    I agree with you, £78 for the box is spot on really
  • jem16
    jem16 Posts: 19,397
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Photogenic
    Forumite
    daggy wrote: »
    I could very well be wrong here, but I believe you have to pay sky a one off fee to have the HD part of the box activated for freeview

    Once you cancel Sky, you will still receive the HD channels.

    BBC HD.
    BBC1 HD.
    ITV1 HD.
    C4 HD.
    Five HD.
    Luxe HD.


    You don't have to pay any one-off fee. However you will lose the ability to record anuything.
  • jem16 wrote: »
    Once you cancel Sky, you will still receive the HD channels.

    BBC HD.
    BBC1 HD.
    ITV1 HD.
    C4 HD.
    Five HD.
    Luxe HD.


    You don't have to pay any one-off fee. However you will lose the ability to record anuything.

    We've not recorded anything for goodness-knows-how-long! Videos are the very devil to get, and I'm blowed if I'm buying a DVD recorder, just for it to be obsolete in 18 months. The novelty of Sky+ won't last long...

    This is all sage advice. At least I'm barking up the right tree...
  • jem16
    jem16 Posts: 19,397
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Photogenic
    Forumite
    and I'm blowed if I'm buying a DVD recorder, just for it to be obsolete in 18 months.

    I wouldn't buy a DVD recorder either unless you specifically want to archive stuff.

    I would buy a Freeview or Freesat recorder though - much better than watching ads!
    The novelty of Sky+ won't last long...


    Don't bet on it.....;)
  • antrobus
    antrobus Posts: 17,386 Forumite
    I think you're right. Is it £20? Even so, £78 is, I think, a good price for a FreeSat HD box!

    Well I pumped 'Freesat HD box' into Google shopping and found a Sagemcom box for £90 with free delivery. I'm not sure I'd want to got though all the hassle of switching to Sky and then unswitching just to save £12.

    But then so long as you're happy, who cares.


  • jamesaberry
    jamesaberry Posts: 30 Forumite
    edited 25 April 2011 at 4:23PM
    jem16 wrote: »
    I wouldn't buy a DVD recorder either unless you specifically want to archive stuff.

    I would buy a Freeview or Freesat recorder though - much better than watching ads!




    Don't bet on it.....;)

    I think it'll last only a week or two as most of Sky is repeats anyway. It's a money-saving exercise for us, only. They'll also install the cables , saving us another £100 or so!
  • jamesaberry
    jamesaberry Posts: 30 Forumite
    edited 25 April 2011 at 4:11PM
    antrobus wrote: »
    Well I pumped 'Freesat HD box' into Google shopping and found a Sagemcom box for £90 with free delivery. I'm not sure I'd want to got though all the hassle of switching to Sky and then unswitching just to save £12.

    But then so long as you're happy, who cares.

    Well you should stump for that then! I think that my £12 saved also gives me a year of television too. As I said, it's a money-saving exercise, and this is a money-saving community.

    £19 is a month's interest on £7000 in my (4% gross interest) current account. Picking up pennies in the street netted me £50 last year, so I don't think of it as "just" £12; It takes a time to earn that. You wouldn't sniff at £12 off a shopping trip, so why turn any amount of money down?

    I agree - less hassle, but far less rewarding!
  • antrobus wrote: »
    Well I pumped 'Freesat HD box' into Google shopping and found a Sagemcom box for £90 with free delivery. I'm not sure I'd want to got though all the hassle of switching to Sky and then unswitching just to save £12.

    But then so long as you're happy, who cares.

    Sorry, but I've given your post a little more consideration; I think it's unfair to quote a £12 saving.

    Surely you would also need to buy a satellite dish to go with that box and have it installed. I bet that would set you back £100 or so. Sky are going to do it for free!

    As you mention, I am happy.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards