Watching on-line TV without Sky or smart TV help please.

koolkatsaffi

Hello there...

I have done a few thread trawls to find out some relevant info but up to now I am still none the wiser! :huh:

I have free-sat to watch TV and I have wireless broadband from Talk Talk to use the internet. I have a wii that I can access bbc iplayer - sporadically when it allows me.

My question is...Is there anyway I can watch other channels such as 4OD, ITV player and the rest of the on-line catch up services please? I have seen on other threads a Sky TV wireless adapter but I am assuming that you have to have a Sky box to take advantage of this. Is there a similar gadget or a way that I could access on-line content without needing to have Sky or buy a smart TV please?

Any help is much appreciated and many thanks in advance.

closed

youview box, available as part of a talk talk package for £50 installation, or can be bought for £250 - it isn't wireless, so needs to be hardwired into a routers ethernet port, or using ethernet across the mains adapters. To get non on demand freeview channels, you'd also need an aerial.

https://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/tv

Or any pc/laptop can play on demand or live tv

jaydeeuk1

Youview looks ok, but its 4 years too late and £150 too expensive.

You can get most of the functionality from one of those USB android sticks for about £40, can install player, 4od, tvcatchup, itv player, and it does a hell of a lot more than youview too. Just need to get a wireless bluetooth mouse combo thing from ebay (not the bluetooth ones) for about £15 and away you go.

edit - something like this also looks ok

http://www.futeko.com/products/MP00034.php

vyle

closed wrote: »

youview box, available as part of a talk talk package for £50 installation, or can be bought for £250 - it isn't wireless, so needs to be hardwired into a routers ethernet port, or using ethernet across the mains adapters. To get non on demand freeview channels, you'd also need an aerial.

https://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/tv

Or any pc/laptop can play on demand or live tv

Problem: OP has freeSAT and youview is for freeVIEW (i.e. an aerial).

OP would need a FreeTime box instead... dunno if it supports wifi though.

penrhyn

OP uses a Wii for the iplayer, no reason why they cant use it for ITV Player 4 OD and Demand 5, via the opera browser.

closed

Don't see the problem, the suggested solution involves either having an extra piece of kit (a freeview pvr with on demand built-in) allowing both freesat or freeview to be used, or switching from the freesat platform to freeview.

As they are already on talk talk, it might be the cheapest/simplest way of getting a solution and box at minimal cost, which also adds pvr functionality

vyle

closed wrote: »

Don't see the problem, the suggested solution involves either having an extra piece of kit (a freeview pvr with on demand built-in) allowing both freesat or freeview to be used, or switching from the freesat platform to freeview.

As they are already on talk talk, it might be the cheapest/simplest way of getting a solution and box at minimal cost, which also adds pvr functionality

OP hasn't mentioned owning a TV aerial, so they may not have access to freeview -- this happens in a lot of places where it was cheaper to get a freesat dish than upgrade their aerial for freeview -- which means that the youview box won't pick up the EPG, making it a very expensive purchase to get a box that doesn't do anything that a PS3 wouldn't do, with an awful UI if you want to use the catchup features without going through the EPG (ps3 is cheaper and DOES support wifi).

The free time box does essentially the same thing, costs the same amount, and would allow OP to use the EPG to access features and also record.

debitcardmayhem

vyle wrote: »

Problem: OP has freeSAT and youview is for freeVIEW (i.e. an aerial).

OP would need a FreeTime box instead... dunno if it supports wifi though.

No it doesn't use an aerial ,if it's from TT (spits but that's another problem ) and the if the OP has TT unbundled then closed's answer is the place to go. However koolkat you can watch it via your PC anyway with the correct cables, if you can't get the TT free offer. However since you say you can only get it via your wii sporadically it would suggest that your broadband is not unbundled and is not fast enough. Tell everyone what your set up is and then we won't be quite so much in the dark.

Notmyrealname

As the OP is posting from a computer, why not the most obvious solution of all - buy a VGA cable and stereo 3.5mm to stereo 3.5mm and connect the computer to the TV?

debitcardmayhem

Notmyrealname wrote: »

As the OP is posting from a computer, why not the most obvious solution of all - buy a VGA cable and stereo 3.5mm to stereo 3.5mm and connect the computer to the TV?

I suggested that , but of course could be posting from a Dog and Bone

Kernel_Sanders

koolkatsaffi wrote: »

My question is...Is there anyway I can watch other channels such as 4OD, ITV player and the rest of the on-line catch up services please?

Does nobody realize these are accessible through the BBC iPlayer? Strange that they should promote their rivals in this way, but it is the BBC! Click on 'Other TV channels' at the bottom of the LH column here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_one/20121015