Any good alternatives to Virgin TV?

EvilRoySlade · 25-09-2008, 18:31

Hey folks. I'm currently on a VIP package but practically never use the TV and NEVER use the phone. I have 2 Virgin sims for that. So I'm thinking of cancelling my TV and phone services and keeping the broadband. I'm getting a roof aerial installed for Freeview but I wouldn't mind a few extra channels for the kids. Any suggestions?

PS - Am I allowed to ask this on a cable site? Lol

Sirius · 25-09-2008, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvilRoySlade

Hey folks. I'm currently on a VIP package but practically never use the TV and NEVER use the phone. I have 2 Virgin sims for that. So I'm thinking of cancelling my TV and phone services and keeping the broadband. I'm getting a roof aerial installed for Freeview but I wouldn't mind a few extra channels for the kids. Any suggestions?

PS - Am I allowed to ask this on a cable site? Lol

I suppose it depends on the legality of the question you are asking

Are we talking legal means or other

joglynne · 25-09-2008, 18:45

Of course you can bring this subject up. We even have an area on the forums for other legal digital TV providers

Have a look at the following sites for Freeveiw and FreeSat to see what is available for only the set up costs.

http://www.freeview.co.uk/home

http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=whatson.Main

**Chris** · 25-09-2008, 18:51

Freesat's a good long-term choice. They're still adding channels to the line-up at the moment, but by the end of this year they aim for 200+ channels (assuming quantity is how you prefer to judge it!) and by mid 2009 there should be even more.

Plus of course you can go and get HD kit for Freesat right now; you can't yet get HD over Freeview and won't be able to for a while yet.

---------- Post added at 18:51 ---------- Previous post was at 18:50 ----------

Thread moved to 'Other Digital TV Services Discussion', as by its nature this thread is not discussing Virgin TV.

EvilRoySlade · 25-09-2008, 18:57

Hey guys. Yeah, all strictly above board of course. Cheeky monkeys!

I'd never heard of Freesat. I see they have a couple of HD channels. Not too shabby. Shame they don't have a DTR yet but it seems a good option. I know I said I don't watch much TV but it's always nice to have the record option should you need it. I don't have any other means of recording you see. Unless I buy PlayTV for my PS3! Lovely interface and I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. Talking of which, what IS going on with the speed of the V+ box? I won't miss that let me tell you!

Thanks man.

**Chris** · 25-09-2008, 19:05

There will be a PVR for Freesat out in time for Christmas - manufactured by Humax under their Foxsat brand, I believe.

---------- Post added at 19:05 ---------- Previous post was at 19:04 ----------

Incidentally you can get plasma and LCD TVs from Panasonic with Freesat and Freeview tuners both built in - no set-top box required. Just plug in an aerial and a dish direct to the back of the TV to get the best of both worlds.

eamonn1 · 27-09-2008, 18:12

hi i've just run a cable from my v+ box up to my bedroom tv but it only picks it up on the analogue side and not the digi tv . is this right . also i seem to have lost a bit of the quality where should i put a booster in the system if at all

**Stuart** · 27-09-2008, 18:22

Please do not hijack other people's threads. Go to the relevant forum ( http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/104/ ) and click "New Thread" to create your own thread.

eamonn1 · 27-09-2008, 18:33

sorry new at this

NO ONE · 27-09-2008, 19:52

Sky and Bt thats the way to go also Sky BB

---------- Post added at 19:52 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by NO ONE;

Sky and Bt thats the way to go also Sky BB

i Forgot one Thing I keep my old Cable Number

Matth · 29-09-2008, 21:26

Yes, looking at Sky's announcement of "no limits", then if you want a little extra TV, then choose the mixes you want, and if it's Kids, then Sky have a mix for that, a much better idea than VMs M, L, XL assortments, but you would need a BT phone line to take advantage of Sky Broadband, but at Ã‚Â£10 for "up to 16Mb" with no STM malarky, it may be worth making the break.

Also worth noting, Sky freesat (not the same as the other freesat) has a very much bigger set of channels than Virginmedia's throwaway "TV:M" bundle that only has a few scraps more than freeview, other than the ability to order extras and pay for them.

There is an extras package for freeview, topup TV, though pay-TV on the platform which replaces FTA analog seems rather incongruous - the more people support pay-channels on this platform, the more the FTA channel space is under threat, after the restrictions were removed from muxes which previously were not available for subscrition channels.

Dave2010 · 29-09-2008, 21:32

Skys Freesat is great and well worth getting

**Chris** · 29-09-2008, 22:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2010

Skys Freesat is great and well worth getting

FreeSatFromSky is passable - you can't possibly say it's great when they stuff the EPG with channels you don't subscribe to (and are unlikely to subscribe to, seeing as you're using it as a FREE sat service). In fact I'd go so far as to say that FSFS is damned inconvenient.

If you want free satellite you are far better off with Freesat, i.e. the new service developed by the BBC and ITV. When you pull up the Freesat EPG, you know that you can tune in to any one of the channels listed.

Callumpy · 29-09-2008, 23:59

Ive only ever seen FreeSat in use once, in currys. Looks pretty cool and rather like sky, just sky has more HD channels.

Watching You · 30-09-2008, 09:13

Quote:

So I'm thinking of cancelling my TV and phone services and keeping the broadband. I'm getting a roof aerial installed for Freeview but I wouldn't mind a few extra channels for the kids. Any suggestions?

Do you have deep pockets, you could always try this system Kaleidescape Movie Server