feelbritish

Just running some ideas around in my head. My OH will probably be horrified but we have cable here and honestly we watch so few channels, just our favourite 5 or 6 so I was thinking what do you get for your basic tv that you pay an annual subscription for and how much is it?

dunroving

Freesat is free and you get about 200 channels. Freeview is also free but you get fewer channels and the number varies depending on where you live.

I have more than enough TV to watch with Freesat. The only time I regret not having pay TV is when there is certain sport that is only available on Sky.

feelbritish

Thanks Dunroving, so you just have to buy a box to view it. What is the catch though because nothing is free

How much is the annual UK licence?

Bud the Wiser

MY OH's biggest fear is that I take out a subscription to Sky sports upon my return.

rebs

The TV Licence is £145.50 a year, but you can pay it monthly (for a small additional cost) - details here.

Freeview needs a TV aerial and freeview tuner. Most new tvs come with a freeview tuner built in, but if you have a set with no tuner, you simply get a 'box' for the tuner. You can get a box that is just a tuner, or one that is a tuner plus recorder, or something like a 'youview' box which has a tuner, recorder and also uses the internet to access the various catch up services.

The channels you can get vary depending on where you live - so have a look on the checker and see if that would be enough for you.

Once you have sorted out the 'kit' you need, there are no additional ongoing costs with freeview.

I'm not too sure of the specifics of freesat - I should imagine it's pretty similar, but with a satellite dish instead of an aerial....

http://www.freesat.co.uk/

feelbritish

Thanks for that, one hell of a lot cheaper than what we are being charged here

not2old

Besides TV, likely you will need a landline phone, internet & cell phone, therefore if you've not already done so, you may want to look at the bundle deal comparisons being offered in the UK

http://www.money.co.uk/broadband/bro...e-packages.htm

scot47

I get Freeview (or is it Freesat) with no antenna. It is piped in to the block where I live. 20 odd channels. All of them rubbish for the feeble-minded.

The locals call it "Coonsil Telly"

mikelincs

You will need a TV licence £145.50, no matter what you want to watch in the UK, Freeview is simplest, but doesn't get SKY channels, but it is free, and most current TV's have the decoder built in, and it doesn't need a satellite dish, will get BBC1, 2, 3, 4, ITV1, 2, 3, 4, Ch4, Ch5, + many others, in total about 40+ channels. The licence allows you to receive TV programmes, and is necessary even if you never watch BBC. Freesat needs a satellite dish, Freeview uses the normal ariel.

dunroving

Not sure if it still applies but if you don't have a dish, the government subsidizes the installation and set up, in order to use Freesat.

With Freesat being satellite-based, you get more channels and less regional variability than Freeview. I think I only get something like 8 or 10 Freeview channels but about 200 on Freesat.

lf1

For my viewing needs, I find the basic Freeview channels provide me with much better TV than I got in Canada with a gazilion channels. My whole phone, Internet and BT Vision box plan is much cheaper than I paid in Canada. OH hasn't even whined about not having Sky as he get Match of the Day and that meets his needs. He did have the premium sports channels in Canada, but only so that he could see the footy. I can't believe he hasn't tried to overrule me on my "NO SKY" policy.

lf1

Is Freesat worth getting? Is it mainly sports or are there some good dramas which are not available on Freeview? I am in a conservation area so if I want to attach a dish to my house I will need planning permission.

dunroving

Considering it is free once you have a dish, I think it is fantastic. If you get a dish with a quad LNB, it means you can run 4 lines - so, 4 different rooms from the one dish, or you could run two lines to your main viewing area and have a PVR recorder that will allow you to watch one channel while recording two others. I have a digital recorder and love it. No more commercials!

As most of the good stuff is on in the evening, it's surprising how many times there will be three programs on at the same time that I want to watch. So I watch one and record the other two for some other day when there's nothing on.

If you Google Freesat you can see all the channels. A lot of it is dross (a million shopping channels, a dozen religion channels, etc.).

I tend to watch programs mainly on the BBC and ITV channels, Channel 4, Ch 5, E4 and More4. You can also get CBS and other channels with US programs.

The other thing you can do is watch regional BBC and ITV. Often I find something is showing on ITV or BBC but not in Scotland, so I tune into BBC London or whatever.

Also, there are several "+1" channels (showing the same programs but at a one hour delay).

Definitely worth it.

lf1

I just had a look at the Freesat site and this is probably the route I should have taken when I moved back. Instead, I got the BT Vision Box and because of my location I don't get as many channels as others e.g. ITV 3
I can get other channels on catch up via my iPad, so have used that in the past. I am considering getting the Apple TV Box so that I can wirelessly play my iPad through the TV, so that may be an easier solution for me.

I dread getting planning permission from the council as I have just gone through that process in order to replace my windows. What an ordeal to replace like with like and when they finally gave me approval the cost to manufacture the windows had gone up GRRRRRR!! Sorry for going off topic.