+1. Porn the Musical was on SBS the other night. I get to see a good variety of international films including some excellent Korean and Japanese movies.

Do they have anything like that in the UK?

Yep. FT is also great as the four of us have completely different viewing habits and programs we like. Being able to watch our own programs at any time of day or night is fab.

I loved Sky for the same reason, plus HD is the best.

Same in all three countries I have lived in. National TV leaves a lot to be desired.

We pay about $100 a month for our Foxtel and it's the best money we've spent! You will not be able to bear the aussie drivel and the 9 million ads! We put on Better Homes and Gardens last night - was due to start at 7.30 (was a bit late starting) and by 7.43 or something like that there had been 3 ad breaks WTF!
Switch off - back to Foxtel!!

SBS is a truly great channel and no the UK doesn't have a dedicated "wog" channel.

It's awright if, as others have said, you can avoid the ads.

I do a lot of catching up from UKNova and the like so we have plenty of stuff to watch if the networks fail us.

We don't have pay TV, don't plan to (although the sport would be good...). The state of our aerial means we get about 40% of the digital channels and no SBS at all (bummer).

As others have said the iView catch-up service is good.

Hey, it's only TV

SBS ...would that be sex before soccer or Friday night nudes and nazis?


ready to replace that antenna now?

That was my point. I'd also agree about the documentary type stuff but find that the vast majority of it arrives on Aus TV pretty quickly most of the time.

Last time I was in the UK I found that ads were appearing with the same regularity as they do here and half of them are the same as get shown here, it's not like there are quality UK ads that we're missing

Thanks guys (even those disparaging my taste in TV )

Sounds like good news - will get the recorder thingy so adverts are gone plus despite what I said not that huge on telly - just wanna watch what I wanna watch and not all the cr*p programming in between so that will be perfect.

Don't want to watch soaps or quizzes or reality TV - not having corrie, eastenders etc would be a huge bonus - I'll have to avoid the UK channel

You're right about British telly it's gone to the dogs all the reality rubbish etc - people are soooo embarrassing. Mind you come dine with me is pretty good when the voice over guy is on form (the guy on the aussie version doesn't cut the laconic and cynical edge) and we do sometimes watch Aussie masterchef too - specially the kids one (it's clear there is also a childhood obesity problem in Oz )

Buy at home and bring it with you - so much cheaper and get your VAT back. The obesity thing very odd, I didn't understand why they say Oz has the problem but then one day went to Newcastle (NSW) and now fully understand.

Most folks on here are watching the relatively new and mainstream SBS. In the early 90s it was a truly ethnic channel with some absolute gems of programs, counter balanced by a dirth of Italian and Greek programming dross.

UK doesn't have an SBS type channel, but do have lots of good Asian films, but you have to use your EPG to find them. Watched 'Red Cliff' again last night. They had a Johnny To season a while back.

I only have Freeview at home (I subscribe to Eurosport online for cycle racing). My Dad has Sky and gets World Movies.

It's not only the truly lamentable garbage that's the mainstay of most of the free and Austar programming, but the way the programme times in the papers and the Austar monthly guide are so often completely wrong.

And far too often the actual programmes are not the ones that are advertised. I get the distinct impression that - especially Austar - they have a roomfull of tapes and just put on the first that comes to hand: it's all moving wallpaper anyway so why bother!

The number and length of ads make me want to throw up. I record some things on my computer and use a video editor to reject the ads: before the remuxing runs you can see the green bits (that you keep) and the red bits (the ads which will be cut) and the proportion is truly shocking. Sometimes a 1.45 hr film will run for 3 hrs..........

When you've seen the same episode of Top Gear so many times you can mouth the words it's time to get out more

I've been a little harsh. Everyone deserves their guilty pleasures. Enjoy

Is there not a Foxtel thing that records - like Sky + or TiVO?

Yes, you can sky+ with foxtel, all same features. Some of my more technically minded mates in Asia had sling box to watch UK Sky/free view. I *think* you install in the UK address - your house or a parents/friends and it streams via internet to wherever you are in the world. I'm quite happy to download stuff but the slingbox just too complicated for my technical know how.
It seems you would pay sky fees at home c.£50? and be able to access wherever you are in the world via internet. Worth checking out if you can suss it out

sounds way to complicated for my skills! TBH think I can live without UK Sky - most of it's dross and sounds like most of what I want is on in Oz and there's always internet and splashing out on a boxset if there's anything special that isn't available

Thanks x