Please Help me with Virgin conundrum?

zuliano

Cornucopia wrote: »

Yes, it can.

There are basic boxes from around £25, recording boxes from around £100 and recording boxes with catch-up from about £125.

OK. I will look into this

You will also get a Freeview-based box included if you subscribe to a TV & Broadband bundle from BT, Talktalk, Plusnet or EE.

but wouldn't this be keeping on the pay TV wagon?

Cornucopia

zuliano wrote: »

but wouldn't this be keeping on the pay TV wagon?

ISTR some of these deals being only £5 or £7.50 per month so it could make sense. OTOH, Now TV Entertainment only costs £7pm, and that is probably better value.

Personally, I only watch Catch-up (excluding the BBC) and Youtube, and I don't need a TV Licence for that, so I save a further £145.50 per year. I have an old Youview (Freeview+catch-up) box which provides ITV Hub, All4, Demand 5, UKTV Player, and Quest OD. That's enough for me. I pay Talktalk £27.70 for Fibre Broadband, free calls and line rental because the ADSL service in my area is too slow for TV streaming.

zuliano

Cornucopia wrote: »

ISTR some of these deals being only £5 or £7.50 per month so it could make sense. OTOH, Now TV Entertainment only costs £7pm, and that is probably better value.

Personally, I only watch Catch-up (excluding the BBC) and Youtube, and I don't need a TV Licence for that, so I save a further £145.50 per year. I have an old Youview (Freeview+catch-up) box which provides ITV Hub, All4, Demand 5, UKTV Player, and Quest OD. That's enough for me. I pay Talktalk £27.70 for Fibre Broadband, free calls and line rental because the ADSL service in my area is too slow for TV streaming.

[I have really needed to do so much research etc etc on computer, but my security kaspersky updated, and this clocked me from being able to access other sites, and I didn't have an alternative browser to go to. A technician is helping me today DAYS later]

OK, I am confused at the moment.

You mentioned Youview? I only heard of this the other day, and there is a guy from there going to telephone me later to answer inquiries I have about the box.

Is it good?

Be honest, what do you think about Virgin's latest deal? (see my last post where I copied the details):

Bundle charges total £34.00 Promotional offer(s) Loyalty Discount £7 per month for 18 months

Promotional offer(s) total £7.00CR Phone line rental Telephone Line Rental
Phone line rental total £17.99

New monthly package total* £44.99 Chargeable from 30 September 2016

IF I was to say I wanted to stop the subscription for the TV and go onto Youview do you think they would give me a better deal?
What would be an ideal offer/and what do you think I could haggle for?

If not, you agree mum would save money stopping for pay TV and getting a Youview or Freeview box?

I worked out their deal of £44.99 for 12 months = £540
The Youview box I saw was about £239...? so that already is an annual saving of hundreds. But them comes the question of how good is the box, warranty etc isn't it?

Mum doesn't have to pay a TV license because she is an OAP.

Once channel we'd miss with Youview/Freeview is Eurosport because we love tennis and only Eurosport show the American tennis open, and other tennis touranaments that the mainstream don't cover

Cornucopia

I appreciate you are in a quandary, because what you want will depend on how little money you have to spend to get it.

My Youview box is now 3 years old, originally being supplied by Talktalk as part of the TV package. That's now gone, and I got to keep the box. Having said that, I don't use the recording or Freeview parts of the box, because I don't have a TV Licence.

I think it's a good box, but I got it for the cost of less than 18 months subscription.

Have a look at Plusnet TV. They use Youview boxes and their TV package includes Eurosport in the channel lineup, if that is essential to you.

Costs £50 for the recording box, and then £5 per month TV. 38 Mbps Fibre BB is £14.99. Line Rental is £17.99, unlimited calls is £8. There is an introductory BB price of £5pm for the first 6 months, and £50 cashback (which would make the box free).

I don't know whether this box can record channels received via Internet, although the Talktalk one can.

Virgin are not known for negotiating much, but the £38pm above is not that far from £45pm...


As far as I can see, £38pm is going to be about the least you'll pay for Eurosport, given all the other requirements that go with it.

Without it, you could get away with Talktalk TV essentials, which is £29pm including line rental and broadband, with a Youview recording box. Unlimited calls costs £5, I think.

Or just buy a Youview box and get broadband & calls from anyone.

I don't think anyone here is likely to have any great insight on this decision - it's down to you.

zuliano

that is the problem. I am very indecisive about this. I remember the days all you had to do was buy a TV and that was that! Then all you had to worry about was paying the BBC license every year!! :sad: ...and NOW...? O M G

I just don't know what to do. My cooling off period with the Virgin deal ends on the 13th, so I better get a move on :eek:

Cornucopia

I tend to take the view that one of the things you get with an all-in-one deal like Sky or VM is that they are simplifying things for you. You undoubtedly pay for that, but it may be money well spent, or it may be your only real choice.

In your case, I think there is really only one key question: do you want to maintain access to Eurosport?

If you do, I think your minimum sub is £38pm with Plusnet. Not that far short of VM, although there are some new customer incentives. You may not consider that small saving to be worth the effort of moving.

If you are prepared to forego Eurosport, then there are more options.

I suggest you make that decision, and then come back if the answer is no, and FMs can help you go through the other issues that will help decide how to ditch VM and what to go for.

zuliano

well I now only have to the 13th to cancel. BUT I am betting if I tried they would claim that I agreed to annual contract by getting the Tivo box (eg since getting that the so-called contract has run out BUT I got two new deals since then)

There is also the hassle that if they DID cancel my account, then I would have to buy the box, Freeview or Youview, and struggle to fix it--I am a technophobe---. The local electrician is always hard to get hold of, and comes when he is not busy which can take ages. I dont want to screw up my mum's TV ciewing in the most relaxing room!