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

vyle

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

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.

I think you must be confused...

Television either comes from an aerial (this is freeview, which is the brand name if you like for a digital terrestrial television service), a satellite (freesat or sky, depending on equipment and subscription) or a fibre optic cable (that would be virgin media, but OP made no reference to that).

You don't tend to receive all of your TV channels directly through an interenet connection into your tv, particuarly when OP made special mention of having a freesat TV... one would assume that's somehow significant.

So yes, as I mentioned in my other post, op COULD spend £250 on a youview box, to use the horrible interface -- have you ever used one? Their remote and UI is evil -- and have no recording facility, and just use it as a glorified internet box, which again as I pointed out, OP could do with a PS3 for far cheaper.

OR OP could gre a freetime box, which will connect to their LNB and provide all of the above features as well as the ability to record, and access catch up through the EPG.

As to why OP isn't using a VGA, if it's through a desktop it may just be impractical.

penrhyn

vyle wrote: »

I think you must be confused...

Television either comes from an aerial (this is freeview, which is the brand name if you like for a digital terrestrial television service), a satellite (freesat or sky, depending on equipment and subscription) or a fibre optic cable (that would be virgin media, but OP made no reference to that).

You don't tend to receive all of your TV channels directly through an interenet connection into your tv, particuarly when OP made special mention of having a freesat TV... one would assume that's somehow significant.

So yes, as I mentioned in my other post, op COULD spend £250 on a youview box, to use the horrible interface -- have you ever used one? Their remote and UI is evil -- and have no recording facility, and just use it as a glorified internet box, which again as I pointed out, OP could do with a PS3 for far cheaper.

OR OP could gre a freetime box, which will connect to their LNB and provide all of the above features as well as the ability to record, and access catch up through the EPG.

As to why OP isn't using a VGA, if it's through a desktop it may just be impractical.

Your reference to the YouView box is not one I recognise, I speak as a Youview trialist.

Anyhoo the OP has a Wii, so they could, as I pointed out previously, to access all the online internet palyers at no additional cost to themselves.

[Deleted User]

Well you could upgrade your Freesat box to this..
http://www.johnlewis.com/231732135/Product.aspx

£279.95 - but will also support BBC iplayer, ITV on-demand (and soon 4OD and Channel 5 on demand)

or.. you could take a look at the Sony BDP-S390 Bluray player; this is Wifi and has a bunch of 'on demand' stations (you'd need to test it out to check what channels)

or.. all those channels can be watched on android devices. What about a cheap tablet + HDMI cable. As a plus point you get a tablet out of it

You could do the same with an old iPod Touch also

almillar

I thought all FreeSat boxes had a LAN port but was corrected recently on this. koolkatsaffi - what make and model is your FreeSat box. The Freesat platform already has iPlayer, and ITV player, not sure about 4OD yet. You DON'T need Freesat Freetime (just launched, which sortof integrates the on demand stuff into the TV guide) for these services.

closed

vyle wrote: »

OP hasn't mentioned owning a TV aerial, .

They haven't mentioned not owning one either, if they don't, a set top one costing £1 or so may work if they are in a decent signal area. They asked for options, which they are being given, until they come back with more details, it's pointless arguing what's best for them.

vyle

penrhyn wrote: »

Your reference to the YouView box is not one I recognise, I speak as a Youview trialist.

Anyhoo the OP has a Wii, so they could, as I pointed out previously, to access all the online internet palyers at no additional cost to themselves.

I admit it's not HORRIBLE as such, it's just that the Fox T2 is such a nice box, with a great remote, fast and intuitive software, that changing the software and remote for the freetime one is jarring at best.

Not to mention I had to switch off the eco mode so that it would boot in under five minutes, because goodness knows customers love waiting that long for a demo... any box that needs to have a "Still starting up, be ready soon, honest" type message needs to speed up its boot times.

And yes, they could use a wii... I don't know why they aren't, although I did find that the wii's buffer, last time I was using it (on a 20mbps virgin line 3 years ago) was tiny compared to the ps3's. They may have improved it.

closed wrote: »

They haven't mentioned not owning one either, if they don't, a set top one costing £1 or so may work if they are in a decent signal area. They asked for options, which they are being given, until they come back with more details, it's pointless arguing what's best for them.

True. I just took their specific mention of freesat to mean they only had freesat, and if so, the freesat "version" of youview may have been preferable.

penrhyn

I'd agree about the remote, there was a lot of feedback about it, especially the clicky navigation ring.

I recently tried out my DD's Tivo remote and disliked that intensely, I guess once you get used to one way of working , like the Sky remote, which has remained essentially the same through the generations, you get spoilt for anything else.

buglawton

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

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

Serious, or an out of season April Fool's?
The other channels link will show you a listing of what's on say, C4. 2nd link will take you to C4's website....

buglawton

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

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

Has anyone actually, really succeeded in streaming ITV & C4 catch up via a gadget like this?