robin1234

I find the landline useful. Since my payg mobile is silent, and often has a flat battery, I would miss calls if they were directed to my mobile. I give the landline number to neighbours and the community organization where I volunteer - in the rare event they might need me, there’ll be an audible ring and I can answer.

There is really no cost involved in the landline, I don’t pay a monthly charge for outgoing calls (that is, if I did make a call, I’d have to pay a charge by the minute.)

First, I bought a cordless phone. It didn’t work reliably, I think because the signal was affected by being close to tv and homehub. So then I bought a £9 corded phone, it works much better.

durham_lad

We have not had a landline for over 20 years. Cellphones only.

We have a broadband router from Virgin, although there are plenty of options from other broadband providers. This is optical fiber to the end of the street and copper wire from there to the house. The smart TV we have comes with a number of apps that connect to the internet via Wi-Fi to the accounts I have created already created from my tablet and phone. Some are free accounts such as YouTube, ITV Hub, All 4, iPlayer, UK TV Play, My5 etc. Others we have that we pay for are Amazon Prime and Netflix. We have no need for a cable provider.

PS

Before the smart TV we had a Firestick plugged into an HDMI socket on our dumb TV and that also provided all the apps listed above.

We also have an HDMI connector from my iPad so I can plug it into my TV to watch stuff also.

robin1234

I assume you have Freeview also, to watch TV in real time?

durham_lad

No, all the apps allow you watch the channels live. With iPayer and ITV hub when you select a channel to watch live it prompts you to watch the program live or from the start, which is great for example if I select BBC 1 at 10:15 to watch the news it will ask if I want to start from the beginning.

Jolly Good

I have to say...when did it all get so complicated. I feel old and confused reading all this!

robin1234

Agreed, there are several elements of “choice” now that add layers of complication, but may not actually add to quality of life.

For instance, why in gods name do I have to choose an electricity supplier and an internet service provider? It does nothing for me - but adds significantly to the possibility of the service disappearing due to bureaucratic incompetence. For instance, my BT service was withdrawn in November 2020 because BT claimed that “my line had been claimed by another user.”

On the other hand, catch-up TV does add quality of service.

robin1234

Interesting, the only one I’ve used is iPlayer. I didn’t know Channel 4 and ITV were free too. But, just for watching real time TV, I think Freeview is easier (and has radio too.)

durham_lad

All the radio stations have free apps to use as well, although I use BBC Sounds and Classic FM mostly. Like the TV apps you can listen to the stations live or previously recorded programs. Where we live our house has always had poor radio reception because of hills close by so at home we also listen to the radio stations over the internet rather than over the air.

Johnboyuk

Energy supplies were deregulated in the 1980s by Thatcher to create competition and lower prices for the consumer. In later years, BT had their monopoly removed. There is scope for a whole new argument here, depending on your political allegiance, so I will leave it at that.

robin1234

Yeah I know that, it was a rhetorical question. As for political allegiance, I’m kind of Clement Attlee Labour.

Lion in Winter

For added complications, it seems that you can actually buy an indoor aerial with a range of either 15 or 30 miles to transmitter, including one that you can put up in the loft although I don't know if that's better than the living room.

Second, at least some tvs seem to have access to Freeview through an online app. LG says you still need an aerial, which makes no sense to me, online chat seems to suggest that Samsung does not.

robin1234

Have you seen this page from Freeview? You enter your post code and house number, and it returns detailed information about the Freeview transmitters you will receive your signal from.

https://www.freeview.co.uk/corporate...er-information

Lion in Winter

Thank you. Sudbury seems to be the site. 19 miles by road, not sure about crows, so I guess the 30 mile range aerial is the way to go.

robin1234

No mountain ranges in between ..

https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Sudbury

Lion in Winter

Well that's a pleasant surprise. Although I'm not sure how to make my aerial "point at the transmitter" as they recommend, especially if I stick it in the loft. Also, they seem to be square and flat, not pointy at all.