For some reason I'm failing to make sense of this at all

• There is internet access
• There is tv, for which you need a license and that gives you access to some things
• A smart tv which gets access to certain channels on it, some subscription some not, and some of which are some of the channels you can buy from other companies,such as Sky or BT etc
• Freeview - some other selection of channels
• Basic BBC and one ITV channel courtesy of your tv licence
• Broadband bundles which include the actual access and varying other packages - offered by a large number of providers such as Sky, BT, but not all addresses can get all the packages or all the levels of service
• You can also get your internet access and actual programmes packages separately
• Internet and broadband don't seem to be the same thing
• Some providers also offer SIMs for the phone
• And Amazon Firestick, which gets you some other combination of channels.

The whole thing is making my head hurt. I need an Idiot's Guide to this please.

My TV choice in the UK was/is to buy a good smart tv, and then rely on Freeview. Basically, BBC broadcast + catch-up is far more quality TV than there are hours in the day.

Yes, I bought a TV license from the get-go, and soon put it on standing-order. They have a simple and effective username & password system that allows you to update the SO if you change banks, check on whether you are up to date on your licence, etc. Very satisfactory. (I like to think I’m helping to pay for radio and other BBC services with my licence.)

As for internet, I got BT broadband + landline phone. It’s very cheap, compared to US prices. Once set up, it’s generally trouble free. Certainly better than the crappy reliability and speed we get from either Verizon or spectrum here.

(NYS, spectrum, we pay $79 for internet only. Norfolk, BT, we pay £33 for internet + Landline.)

So you have BT for internet access, and your smart t plugs into that, as it were, for its access to tv? No dish or aerial requi r ed?


And you get BBC ITV1 simply by having a smart tv connected to the internet through BT? Is that Freeview or is Freeview something in addition?

And then Open Reach seems to just provide the hardware?

Use a comparison site. They spell out exactly what you are getting. You can generally get everything in one package with a single debit payment. Because I am a tight Yorkshireman, I use a Freesat box so I don't have to pay for TV channels, I just have phone, Internet and mobile. The Freesat box gives me well over 100 channels.

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As I understand it, OpenReach maintains the distribution system, that your internet provider relies upon. Kind of like Network Rail, vis a vis the train operating company.

Yes, the tv is just another device that needs to be recognized by your wireless router (home hub in British terminology.) When you set up the tv, you type the network password into it - just like if you buy a new iPad or whatever.

Freeview provides many channels - not just BBC & ITV. And, you don’t need a smart TV for it. Just plug your TV into the home TV antenna outlet.

Edit to add; just to confirm that the two systems are separate, I’ve had internet outages. So no catch up TV, but all Freeview TV channels were still available, as they come in via the antenna or dish or whatever (I’m in a block of flats, I assume we have a communal antenna.)

I’ve also had an antenna or transmitter outage, so no Freeview channels, but catch-up tv was available.

Thank you. I have looked at these and they are good for comparison but they don't solve my basic ignorance/confusion around what I need and where it comes from.

Open reach seems to provide the physical wiring, router etc. If you have that, plus a smart tv, do you then have internet, wifi etc for computing purposes, then also the BBC, ITV1 and Freeview, plus whatever you subscribe to via your tv such as Amazon Prime?

And then anything else I need Sky or whatever?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeview_(UK)#Freeview

Freeview is the United Kingdom's sole digital terrestrial television platform. It is operated by DTV Services Ltd, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and transmitter operator Arqiva. It was launched on 30 October 2002,[1] taking over the licence from ITV Digital which collapsed that year. The service provides consumer access via an aerial to the seven DTT multiplexes covering the United Kingdom. As of July 2020, it has 85 TV channels, 26 digital radio channels, 10 HD channels, six text services, 11 streamed channels, and one interactive channel.

So, basically, it’s run by BBC, ITV, channel 4 and a couple of other TV companies. At no cost to the viewer. Seems a pretty good model, why there’s nothing similar in the US, go knows.

In all the decades we’ve lived in the US, we’ve never had TV. So I can’t really compare the systems, except I believe in the US, each town or county has to negotiate a separate deal with a TV service provider? Something crazy like that.

No! You have to select an internet service provider, of which there are many, and get them to set up your internet service. They need to schedule an engineer to visit, check your wiring, and turn you on. This is a pain, as you may have to wait a week or two. We chose BT.

OpenReach doesn’t provide the router (home hub.) BT or other internet provider does.

There's def no dish on the building. Checking if one is allowed by landlord, plus it's in a conservation area. No visible antenna - but there must be something

Is there an antenna in loft or roof space? Is there a plug in the living room for tv plug-in?

That helps, thanks.

Depending on what you require, you have the option of purchasing phone (landline), Internet/Wi-fi (for your PC), TV channel package, and mobile plan. You can subscribe to any or all of these, depending on your needs. You then need to choose a provider such as Sky or Talk-Talk for example so it is a case of shopping around for the best deal in your area. I use a comparison site. I use Sky for phone and Internet but I get my mobile plan from a different provider (Smarty) so I have an extra debit order. As mentioned, I use a Freesat box for TV. Most TVs now have Freeview built in which is more or less the same as Freesat. It is all down to how much of a television addict you are. Unless you use Virgin, you have to purchase the Internet connection with a landline which you should be able to use on multiple devices/computers.

BT will provide the lines to you property even if you use another provider such as Sky. Wiring inside the property is your responsibility. It is probably only a matter of time before we all have satellite Internet.

When you get connected, the engineer will step you through it all and make sure everything is working so you can ask any questions then.

You will have the same aggravation when you purchase gas and electricity but it is all down to deregulation.

Don't know on the antenna, current tenant doesnt seem to either. Her tv was plugged in in the living room - but I don't know to what, other than power. I can't get in there until July 7, but want to get ahead on setting up.

This also helps, thanks.

If she has TV, there must be a TV aerial socket. That’s all you need to get TV. Plug your TV in, you get Freeview channels (obviously TV licence is required by law, but whether you get it the day you move in or days or weeks later is, in practice, up to you.)

Our flat, newly built, has a wall plate in the living room and both bedrooms with two electrical outlets, the TV aerial outlet, and the internet outlet (for plugging homehub into.) Older properties, those three wall plates might be separate.