What you need to know about Sky - from the inside.

almillar

You'll be up around that price for a similar package on Sky, and when there's bad weather you'll lose TV. Don't think of packages, think of programmes that you watch, what channel they're on, and how to cheaply get them.
People will argue, but Virgin's internet is far better than ADSL, and maybe a bit better than FTTC (eg Infinity).

[Deleted User]

almillar wrote: »

when there's bad weather you'll lose TV.

That old chestnut?
If a Sky dish is fitted and aligned properly it will only lose picture in the most extreme weather (like a blizzard!).
Since this country very rarely experiences such extremes, I don't think this is valid advice to the OP.
I've had a satellite installation for over a decade (both Sky and Freesat) and have never lost picture for more than a few minutes (and that was because snow had accumulated on the LNB arm). I'm sure other satellite users will say the same.

Heinz

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

That old chestnut?
If a Sky dish is fitted and aligned properly it will only lose picture in the most extreme weather (like a blizzard!).
Since this country very rarely experiences such extremes, I don't think this is valid advice to the OP.
I've had a satellite installation for over a decade (both Sky and Freesat) and have never lost picture for more than a few minutes (and that was because snow had accumulated on the LNB arm). I'm sure other satellite users will say the same.

Torrentail rain causes that for me (but only when the thickest part of the associated cloud cover is in the way of the line of sight to the satellites). 5 minutes at most per year I'd say.

[Deleted User]

Heinz wrote: »

5 minutes at most per year I'd say.

Yeah and not all those minutes are in one go, of course.

madas_2

I've given notice on our Sky TV package, will be cancelled mid October. Can i sign up as a new customer in my husbands name does anyone know? I send them a snotty email regarding previous customers returning to Sky ie 75% or 50% tv for 12 months. The repsonse from Sky was to offer me 20% for 6 months and advise me offers are sent to existing customers by post/fax and email all of which we've never had any! The only offers i've ever heard of are via this site!

[Deleted User]

madas wrote: »

Can i sign up as a new customer in my husbands name does anyone know?

Not at your current address of course.
You'll have to have cancelled for a year or more to be treated as a "new customer".

madas_2

Thanks 'moneyineptitude' that's what i thought but worth asking just incase i was wrong....

Mindless_Clone

almillar wrote: »

You'll be up around that price for a similar package on Sky, and when there's bad weather you'll lose TV. Don't think of packages, think of programmes that you watch, what channel they're on, and how to cheaply get them.
People will argue, but Virgin's internet is far better than ADSL, and maybe a bit better than FTTC (eg Infinity).

I'm currently with Sky and doing a like for like comparison with Virgon and this was exactly how I looked at it. I looked at what I watch and not what I was given. I don't watch most of the tat on Sky as it is so not going to miss it if it's not on Virgin if I switch.
So far the only things I can see that's different is that the Sky broadband I have is unlimited (I haven't looked in detail about what or how Virgin limit downloads yet but I stream a lot on a smart TV so as long as that's not included I don't think it won't be an issue for me) and there would only be 24 HD channels and not 34 as per Sky if I went for a similar TV package.
Even without the 6 month half price deal, I still work it out that I will be better of like for like on Virgin.

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

That old chestnut?
If a Sky dish is fitted and aligned properly it will only lose picture in the most extreme weather (like a blizzard!).
Since this country very rarely experiences such extremes, I don't think this is valid advice to the OP.
I've had a satellite installation for over a decade (both Sky and Freesat) and have never lost picture for more than a few minutes (and that was because snow had accumulated on the LNB arm). I'm sure other satellite users will say the same.

Heinz wrote: »

Torrentail rain causes that for me (but only when the thickest part of the associated cloud cover is in the way of the line of sight to the satellites). 5 minutes at most per year I'd say.

I lose my signal quite often, albeit only for a few minutes at a time and only in extreme weather. Torrential rain, snow, very high winds, electrical storms all knock it out for a few minutes at a time. Longest it was out for was during heavy snowfall a couple of years ago and I lost signal for about 30 minutes. I would say averages about 30 to 40 minutes over the year, which is still a small amount of time but it is quite irritating if you're watching something and it goes off.

[Deleted User]

Mindless_Clone wrote: »

I lose my signal quite often, albeit only for a few minutes at a time and only in extreme weather.

If it's a "regular" occurrence then your dish may have become misaligned.
Not, by itself, a reason to change to Virgin of course!;)

Each provider has it's own merits.

Do remember that cable can suffer from outages as well. I remember losing all services for some days when a workman cut through the main link from the headend.

Mindless_Clone

I think the guys who did my fascia boards might have knocked the dish it slightly actually; it's in a stupid place.
The thing that put me off Virgin is that everyone I know who has it, has issues several times a year with BB going down or the box playing up etc. The Sky might lose the signal in a storm but otherwise it works.

I was with Virgin cable long before it was even called Virgin! Started out Windsor Cable TV back in... umm 1990something! Now I feel old. :rotfl: Changed to Cable Corporation, then Telewest then Virgin. We ended up being forced to cancel when they went to digital channels because our cables were old and could not carry the digital signal. They took their sweet time getting round to replacing them here. We turned to Sky reluctantly because it was that or nothing at the time. I have been mostly happy with it but I don't think I get a good deal, the box is old and I'm not making the best of my HD TV with it. Cost per month to have a Sky system up to spec for that would make it more expensive than Virgin so looks like I will probably go back to them.
Pretty much the only reason I haven't sorted it out before now is that the Sky is in DH's name and, umm, well he died a couple of years ago so I've not been looking forward to the usual "we can only deal with the person who took out the contract" rigamarole I will no doubt get. On the other hand, it's a pretty solid reason to cancel without all the hard sell.