Do I need a licence?

ukscanking

I love my internet and my tv programmes, HGTV for Barnwood Builders, ITV, C4 & 5 and a few others on Sky. I have a smart TV in the living room, one in the bedroom where I spend most of my time after my cancer diagnosis. The reason I got Sky is I have a box in the bedroom so I watch that independently of the downstairs box. A SkyQ small box. My contract ends March 23. What is the best way to keep my BB (I get 75mbps) and watch and record my tv programmes. I don't like missing any so need a system that can record a few programmes at once, thanks

Cornucopia

HGTV is Channel 44 on Freeview, so that would be the way to access it without a Sky TV subscription.   Do your TVs have Freeview?  Do you have a TV aerial?   If you want to record from Freeview, you would get your own recording box, which would be a one-off cost.

All of the main BB companies provide a standard-ish service based on wholesale products from BT Openreach.   Picking one at random, Vodafone currently provide a similar product to what you currently have from Sky for £22/month on a 24 month contract.   These offers vary all the time, although they are always competitive for transferring customers.

molerat

ukscanking said:

I was sold it as the BB, Line Rental was £49 and the TV £1. He kept saying the tv is only £1 s essentially free. I'm not the best on the phone, I have autism and I think he baffled me with numbers. Where can I get good BB and line rental for the phone I never use for £25? I never use the landline but suppose I need it for the BB

£25 is around the going rate from the majority of providers, you are paying £49 for that same service. The landline phone is thrown in for that price, you don't have to use it. Sky are selling you cheap TV with expensive broadband, your TV is really costing you £25 per month. Nobody in their right mind will pay £49 for broadband so they confuse the issue by giving you ridiculously cheap TV.  Typical hard sales smoke and mirrors talk. Your service is coming down the same wires that all the providers use.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/compare-broadband-deals/

400ixl

Have a look at the comparison sites, lots of options out there.

https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/broadband

ukscanking

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate the advice. Really, thank you.

CKhalvashi

ukscanking said:

I was sold it as the BB, Line Rental was £49 and the TV £1. He kept saying the tv is only £1 s essentially free. I'm not the best on the phone, I have autism and I think he baffled me with numbers. Where can I get good BB and line rental for the phone I never use for £25? I never use the landline but suppose I need it for the BB

I pay £17 for reasonably fast (but not fibre) broadband. I'm lucky as my house is able to get decent speeds without it. I was offered the fibre for around £21. I've started working from home a lot more since early 2020 and likely will never return to the office full time as the extra time at home has enabled me to get closer to the community I live in (a personal priority).

£49 is not a going rate unless you're effectively running a data centre from your home, which I'm willing to bet you're not.

Acer321

macman said:

If you really want to save some money, get an aerial, use Freeview,  and cancel Sky.

A licence is still needed to watch Freeview live broadcasts.

jbuchanangb

If you can survive without paid services such as Netflix, Amazon, Britbox etc. then use Freeview, pay for the TV Licence and install a Freeview HD Digital TV Recorder. This needs an aerial, and a cable connection to your BB router, for I-player, ITV Hub, and other non-chargeable streaming services.

ukscanking

jbuchanangb said:

If you can survive without paid services such as Netflix, Amazon, Britbox etc. then use Freeview, pay for the TV Licence and install a Freeview HD Digital TV Recorder. This needs an aerial, and a cable connection to your BB router, for I-player, ITV Hub, and other non-chargeable streaming services.

It seems like the way to go. I don't ever watch or subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime or the rest.
I watch,  ITV, C 4&5, DMAX, HGTV, ITV2, and ITVBe, QUEST,  I will need an aerial and will buy a Freeview recorder. I am sure the TVs have Freeview inbuilt. Pity I can't get a Freeview box without the need for an antenna and just have it via the BB Hub. Anyway aerial aside in the long run it'll be cheaper. Then, I don't need Sky and get out of that yearly battle, and just need to get cheap BB yearly. I appreciate everyone#s help. Thank you

prowla

Acer321 said:

macman said:

If you really want to save some money, get an aerial, use Freeview,  and cancel Sky.

A licence is still needed to watch Freeview live broadcasts.

I think they meant you don't have to pay a Sky subscription.