Broadband & TV: not sure where to start

littlesthobo_2

Just moved from tiny one bed flat with basic Virgin Media landline/broadband TV package (price kept shooting up) to 3 storey house where I need to set up telly and internet asap.

I'm v out of touch and not sure where to start. Weirdly there is currently no TV aerial on the roof. The previous owners had TV & internet supplied by Now via an Openreach socket. In another downstairs room there's an old ntl socket, and upstairs has some kind of Virgin Media cable and another ntl panel. Not sure if any of these old bits and pieces would function. 

Openreach have recently been in the street saying they are offering Full Fibre to the (not sure what) - I find all of this v confusing. Can ISPs check whether I have access to FTT (whatever it is)? 

I work from home so a priority is reliable internet for Zoom meetings. House has thick walls so need to make sure signal is good throughout house.
Not bothered about a fancy tv package. Don't need a landline. On a budget. Wouldn't mind a means of recording programmes but can live without.

Current thoughts:
- Get a TV aerial installed for Freeview, and internet only from somewhere like Zen 

- Get internet only (eg. Zen) then watch telly via Chromecast from my phone (wouldn't be able to watch C4 and possibly other channels live)

- Get internet & basic telly package 

Grateful for any suggestions of setups/providers. 

Bigphil1474

Openreach will probably have been offering Fibre To The Property (FTTP) which is pretty much as it sounds. Some places have fibre to the (nearest) cabinet, then it trundles down the old copper lines to your house. If you can get it, it should be a good alternative to VM cable if you have that option.

Personally, I'd get an aerial installed so you've always got the option of watching TV when the internet is down. VM tend to have the best available BB speed, but depends what you need. We have thick walls and I work from home in the first floor back bedroom - I use a TP Link connection to get the BB up to the bedroom and it works fine for wi-fi and ethernet connection.