Free tv?

greatuncle

The powers that be (mostly very wealthy) are trying to get us all to use the internet to watch television. Using names like "Freely" to kid us that there`s no cost at all. "Freeview " was always a bit of a misnomer. Telling us how great it will be not to need aerials or satellite dishes. Not mentioning that once you`ve bought a tv and paid your licence fee there`s no further cost using the old methods whereas using the internet means you have to pay a monthly fee for broadband. And hope that your connection is fast enough and reliable enough to meet your needs. Only a few weeks ago came news of a widespread failure of Vodafone internet and mobile services.

If you already have broadband of course it won`t bother you because you`re already a connected person.

Assuming you can still use your computer safely. Using Windows 11. Because if you still are on Windows 10 or earlier your machine is no longer going to receive operating system updates.

In a remarkable bit of ecological vandalism Microsoft have engineered a wasteful bit of corporate greed themselves. How many old computers will end up in landfill because of this? How many people are going to have to spend yet more money on new kit to be safe online? More money for Microsoft. more money for PC manufacturers. More money out of our pockets.

singhini

simple solution: buy shares in these companies
And TESCO (who you had a pop at in another thread just a few minutes ago).

QrizB

Would be better in a different section:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/praise-vent-warnings

born_again

greatuncle said:

The powers that be (mostly very wealthy) are trying to get us all to use the internet to watch television. Using names like "Freely" to kid us that there`s no cost at all. "Freeview " was always a bit of a misnomer. Telling us how great it will be not to need aerials or satellite dishes. Not mentioning that once you`ve bought a tv and paid your licence fee there`s no further cost using the old methods whereas using the internet means you have to pay a monthly fee for broadband. And hope that your connection is fast enough and reliable enough to meet your needs. Only a few weeks ago came news of a widespread failure of Vodafone internet and mobile services.

If you already have broadband of course it won`t bother you because you`re already a connected person.

Assuming you can still use your computer safely. Using Windows 11. Because if you still are on Windows 10 or earlier your machine is no longer going to receive operating system updates.

In a remarkable bit of ecological vandalism Microsoft have engineered a wasteful bit of corporate greed themselves. How many old computers will end up in landfill because of this? How many people are going to have to spend yet more money on new kit to be safe online? More money for Microsoft. more money for PC manufacturers. More money out of our pockets.

Windows 10  July 29, 2015
Windows 11 October 5, 2021

You can still use Win 10 without issues. It's not as if it self destructs. Same you were able with many PC to upgrade to 11 for free.
Sone are still running older O/S without problems. All depends on what you want to do.

There is a finite limit to how long these O/S are going to last. 
So even some win 11 systems depending on your usage, some are getting to end of life. 5 years is pretty good for a computer, given how everything keeps changing.

Slinky

I've got a PC using Windows 7........

Grumpy_chap

greatuncle said:

"Freeview " was always a bit of a misnomer. 

In what way?

ButterCheese

The rant isn't really directed in the right place IMHO.  As said above, you can still use Win10 on an older machine, you can choose from a variety of free or paid anti-virus, malware, VPNs etc for added security.  Or you can still try to upgrade to Win11; many machines will still work fine, but you'll be told otherwsie my many manufaturers of PC and software that it won't.

Other option is to buy a used PC for £80-ish pounds like I did, with Win11 installed, not too much of a hardship.

Freeview I agree is false advertising, because we are still forced to buy a TV license if you use iPlayer or watch live TV.  Personally I think it should be subscription based and scrap the TV license, but they stand to lose too much money to offer the customer value for money.

What's really sickening is the greed from all the streaming services.  Netflix cane out and was reasonably priced and pretty much stamped out piracy.  Now all the others have withdrawn their own content and invented their own platforms (Apple, paramount, Prime, Disney+ etc) so everyone now has to pay extortionate prices 4 times over if you want to watch all of the latest shows.  But you still have a choice not to, unlike the TV license

lincroft1710

Back in April 1964 BBC2 was launched. HOWEVER, it operated on the 625 line system, whereas most TVs in use operated on the 405 line system. So if you wanted to watch BBC2 you had to buy a new  625 line set.


Some 4/5 years later COLOUR TV broadcasting began, so again if you wanted to watch in colour, you had to buy a new (very expensive) TV. 


Do you still have a telephone with a dial??


Nothing changes!!!! Advances in technology has made, does make and will make devices obsolete 

Albermarle

 "Freeview " was always a bit of a misnomer. Telling us how great it will be not to need aerials or satellite dishes. Not mentioning that once you`ve bought a tv and paid your licence fee there`s no further cost using the old methods whereas using the internet means you have to pay a monthly fee for broadband.

You do not need an internet connection to watch Freeview, it works with a traditional aerial.
You do need a TV license, but this is excellent value for money, compared to paying for expensive streaming services owned by foreign billionaires.

elsien

I still watch Freeview via an aerial. No one’s trying to boot me off it just yet. 

I do have broadband, which I do sometimes watch TV with - It’s not an either/or

dnpark38

lincroft1710 said:

Back in April 1964 BBC2 was launched. HOWEVER, it operated on the 625 line system, whereas most TVs in use operated on the 405 line system. So if you wanted to watch BBC2 you had to buy a new  625 line set.

Did you  know those at switch off of the 405 line transmitters who has refused to buy a new 605 line TV were given one secretly.