Best free (or very cheap) TV system ? 9 February 2020 at 11:23AM in TV MoneySaving 9 replies 191 views

_Chris__2

I've just cancelled my Sky subscription for £70pm and need to get a cheaper way of watching TV!  The current system has a Sky dish and we don't need any childrens channels, we do want all the usual BBC's, ITV's, C4, C5 etc and do like to watch a film on the weekend. Very important though, is that we do want to be able to use a similar planner that you use on the Sky box. and to record a channel when you're watching another or when you're out.  Any ideas on a great free (or very cheap) system to suit that please?

mwarby

An ext by youview box can be had for under £50 this gets you a Freeview recorder, catchup, and the ability to add Netflix and or now tv

_Chris__2

Thank you mwarby, Is the type you mention on the link below?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BT-Youview-Freeview-Catch-Subscription/dp/B00ISS61KE/ref=asc_df_B00ISS61KE/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311040359723&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8315156701912022567&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045815&hvtargid=pla-592275657964&th=1
I notice this is freeview - how does that compare with freesat?

almillar

mwarby said:

An ext by youview box can be had for under £50 this gets you a Freeview recorder, catchup, and the ability to add Netflix and or now tv

If you have an aerial to connect it to.

If you want to directly replace the Sky box, literally connecting the 2 satellite connections into another box, you want a Freesat box. To include nice catchup/on demand facilities, upgrade that to a FreeTime box.

comeandgo

We changed from Sky to Freesat, bought two humax boxes for the TVs and can record programs and it costs nothing.

_Chris__2

almillar said:

mwarby said:

An ext by youview box can be had for under £50 this gets you a Freeview recorder, catchup, and the ability to add Netflix and or now tv

If you have an aerial to connect it to.

If you want to directly replace the Sky box, literally connecting the 2 satellite connections into another box, you want a Freesat box. To include nice catchup/on demand facilities, upgrade that to a FreeTime box.

Thank you, we don't have an aerial, just a Sky dish.

_Chris__2

comeandgo said:

We changed from Sky to Freesat, bought two humax boxes for the TVs and can record programs and it costs nothing.

Thank you.  Can't you do that on just one box?

Boohoo

_Chris__2 said:

I've just cancelled my Sky subscription for £70pm and need to get a cheaper way of watching TV!  The current system has a Sky dish and we don't need any childrens channels, we do want all the usual BBC's, ITV's, C4, C5 etc and do like to watch a film on the weekend. Very important though, is that we do want to be able to use a similar planner that you use on the Sky box. and to record a channel when you're watching another or when you're out.  Any ideas on a great free (or very cheap) system to suit that please?

What type of Sky box did you have connected to the dish?
If you the Sky +HD box with shotgun cable then you will have 2 sat-dish inputs.
If you had the Sky Q box then you will have to check that Sky installer fitted a Hybrid LNB because Sky Q LNB's will not work with anything else apart from Sky Q box. Hybrid LNB will work with any satellite receiver box.
But then somebody on MSE forum may come and say I am talking rubbish but in the early days of Sky Q the LNB's would only work with Q boxes.
If you want to record or watch 2 programmes at the same time you will need 2 inputs for the sat box unless they are on the same transponder.

_Chris__2

Boohoo said:

_Chris__2 said:

I've just cancelled my Sky subscription for £70pm and need to get a cheaper way of watching TV!  The current system has a Sky dish and we don't need any childrens channels, we do want all the usual BBC's, ITV's, C4, C5 etc and do like to watch a film on the weekend. Very important though, is that we do want to be able to use a similar planner that you use on the Sky box. and to record a channel when you're watching another or when you're out.  Any ideas on a great free (or very cheap) system to suit that please?

What type of Sky box did you have connected to the dish?
If you the Sky +HD box with shotgun cable then you will have 2 sat-dish inputs.
If you had the Sky Q box then you will have to check that Sky installer fitted a Hybrid LNB because Sky Q LNB's will not work with anything else apart from Sky Q box. Hybrid LNB will work with any satellite receiver box.
But then somebody on MSE forum may come and say I am talking rubbish but in the early days of Sky Q the LNB's would only work with Q boxes.
If you want to record or watch 2 programmes at the same time you will need 2 inputs for the sat box unless they are on the same transponder.

Thanks, the sky box currently connected to the dish, is a Sky+HD.

almillar

_Chris__2 said:

comeandgo said:

We changed from Sky to Freesat, bought two humax boxes for the TVs and can record programs and it costs nothing.

Thank you.  Can't you do that on just one box?

comeandgo bought the boxes for TVs, plural. You only need one box under one TV. Since you've no aerial, your clear choice is Freesat/Freetime.