Cheapest and easiest TV for elderly

stphnstevey

My pensioner mum has had Sky TV for about the last 10 years.

We looked at what TV channels she watched and they were all the freesat ones, so we were hoping to use the box without a subscription

The installer installed it so the satellite dish is over one side of the house, the cable goes up over the ridge of the roof and down the wall the other side an through the wall into the house. Over time the cable has stopped working to the point there is no signal

We looked to see if Sky would come to fix, but online help says that the equipment is out of 12 month warranty and they would charge £65 just for an engineer to look at it

We have recently cancelled the Sky TV (as well as broadband and phone line) as it was getting expensive with Sky at around £50/m, despite phoning for deals regularly

She is having Virgin internet and phone installed at £30/m (going from about 1mb to 100mb)

She lives quite far from me and I am not able really able to go to the house to help her

The aerial at her house is not working and Freeview is not possible

I hope to enquire with Virgin to see if they would do the basic TV for her, online this come out as £40/m

We looked at NowTV, but I am unclear if she didnt pay a subscription, what channels you can get? Is it like a Freeview box in anyway?

Any other alternatives would be gratefully received!

System

The player bundle is £32 -

https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/bundles/player-bundle.html?buspart=uk_ps_a_cable_purchase_GOOGLE_Brand_Bundles_Player_Exact_Brand_Player_Bundle_Exact_player+bundle+virgin&CMP=DFA&medium=PPC&ds_rl=1068142&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzc-4mbbr3wIV4bztCh3nvwODEAAYASAAEgLHlPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

But you would need to renegoiate after the offer ends.

Bigphil1474

The Now TV box has access to the other players, but not aware of it having tv channels. To get TV channels, you'll either need the aerial repairing for freeview, the dish fixing for freesat, or the TV through Virgin cable network (although you might still need an aerial - not sure). Depends what she watches - if she's happy with watching catch up or box sets through a player, the VM broadband would be fine for using a Now TV box for the main providers. You don't need a Now TV subscription except to watch the Now TV content.

stphnstevey

Bigphil1474 wrote: »

The Now TV box has access to the other players, but not aware of it having tv channels. To get TV channels, you'll either need the aerial repairing for freeview, the dish fixing for freesat, or the TV through Virgin cable network (although you might still need an aerial - not sure). Depends what she watches - if she's happy with watching catch up or box sets through a player, the VM broadband would be fine for using a Now TV box for the main providers. You don't need a Now TV subscription except to watch the Now TV content.

Thanks, yes it seems you can get a Now TV box that has Freeview built in, but it needs the aerial

martinthebandit

Am I missing something here?

Surely the simplest (and cheapest) option would be to get a TV aerial installed?

stphnstevey

martinthebandit wrote: »

Am I missing something here?

Surely the simplest (and cheapest) option would be to get a TV aerial installed?

How much would that cost?
I am pretty sure it does have one, but it was before the signals all changed and maybe is not pointed in the right direction. I am too far away to do it myself

Cornucopia

There are various Now TV "boxes" which provide different facilities.

- There is a Now TV box that adds Freeview, and this requires an aerial to support this.

- Other boxes and Now TV sticks provide the Sky channel bundle as live channels when there is a relevant subscription in place. These channels are delivered via the Internet.

- Without a subscription, they provide the free-to-view channels' catch-up players: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5, UKTV Player. Also Youtube. They also support Netflix (with subscription). Of these options, there are live channels on ITV Hub and Youtube (news channels) that are delivered via Internet.

As a general rule, VM is consistently at the upper end of cost options for Phone, BB and TV packages, when compared like-for-like with other options. There can also be a built-in disincentive to move because of dedicated infrastructure. However, reading between the lines of the OP's post, it seems like there may be a need for a supported, maintained service from the provider, in which case VM can provide this.

elsien

https://www.freeview.co.uk/support/before-you-buy/reception-aerials-and-coverage/how-much-should-a-new-roof-aerial-cost.html#APX7cTieUBR5OvjO.97

Cheaper local options are probably available. But if the aerial is fine and just needs pointing elsewhere and retuning, then less than that. But they'd need to go up to have a look to find out, and to see whether a signal booster is required.

stphnstevey

elsien wrote: »

https://www.freeview.co.uk/support/before-you-buy/reception-aerials-and-coverage/how-much-should-a-new-roof-aerial-cost.html#APX7cTieUBR5OvjO.97

Cheaper local options are probably available. But if the aerial is fine and just needs pointing elsewhere and retuning, then less than that. But they'd need to go up to have a look to find out, and to see whether a signal booster is required.

Think it might be in the loft, so maybe could be done by another family member

stphnstevey

Cornucopia wrote: »

There are various Now TV "boxes" which provide different facilities.

- There is a Now TV box that adds Freeview, and this requires an aerial to support this.

- Other boxes and Now TV sticks provide the Sky channel bundle as live channels when there is a relevant subscription in place. These channels are delivered via the Internet.

- Without a subscription, they provide the free-to-view channels' catch-up players: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5, UKTV Player. Also Youtube. They also support Netflix (with subscription). Of these options, there are live channels on ITV Hub and Youtube (news channels) that are delivered via Internet.

As a general rule, VM is consistently at the upper end of cost options for Phone, BB and TV packages, when compared like-for-like with other options. There can also be a built-in disincentive to move because of dedicated infrastructure. However, reading between the lines of the OP's post, it seems like there may be a need for a supported, maintained service from the provider, in which case VM can provide this.

Thats a great summary of Now TV, thanks, couldn't find similar on website or at least couldn't understand exactly

Cornucopia

stphnstevey wrote: »

Thats a great summary of Now TV, thanks, couldn't find similar on website or at least couldn't understand exactly

No problem.

Now TV's website isn't great (technically, it's over-designed with too little thought given to what customers and potential customers are actually looking for).

The only other thing is that Now TV is in the cheap basket of Internet-based TV services, along with Netflix & Amazon. The Entertainment bundle is £7.99 per month, with offers regularly available taking it down to £4pm, or less; Cinema is £9.99pm, and also has £4pm offers available from time-to-time.