Alternative To Sky

[TWR]

We have been with sky quite a few years now but as a few may notice, prices going up, has anyone cancelled Sky and found an alternative?

[Kathyan]

If you ring them and say you want to leave they may offer you an incentive to stay. I did this once and they reduce our bill by 50% for 12 months. They want your business so they will try to keep it!

[Zacs-Master]

Get an Amazon fire stick and download Kodi onto it. Bit fiddly but all free.

[EDDIE51]

We are getting this
http://www.freesat.co.uk/
Over 200 channels all completely free!
There is also 'Freesat from Sky' which despite the similar name is a different service. Freesat from Sky is run by Sky but no subscription.

[EDDIE51]

http://www.freesat.co.uk/help/get-freesat/compare/freesat-sky
Freesat from sky needs a sky box and a freesat from sky card, I think it is £25 as a one off payment.
Freesat is totally free but you need a 'freesat' box NOT a sky box.
I got a 'Freesat' box off eBay for £5 !

[jakep]

We cancelled Sky and bought a Humax box - it does us very well.
As previously said, our friend rang to say he was leaving. I'm sorry I can't remember the figures but he got a ridiculously cheap deal for another year.

[TWR]

Thank you all for your responce I think ske is getting a bit greedy, & I think its about time BT Dropped the Line rental also, bu that's another issue. TWR.

[TWR]

Sky even.

[theshedman]

We were with sky for many years but have now gone with Bt for half the price and fibre broadband instead of the slow one we had with sky. Not quite as many channels as sky but then we only watch a few. Even after sky offering us a 60% discount after a lot of hassle Bt is still cheaper. One other good thing with Bt is if you leave them after the 12 month contract you get to keep the box and it will still record and playback normal freeeview tv and not be locked like the sky one.

[ichkeria]

Definitely worth ringing Sky and telling them you are leaving, first, and see what happens.
I signed up to Premier Sports for £5 on a special offer for one month and when I rang up to cancel at the end of that month they offered me a special rate of £4.99 instread of the £12.99 I had been originally quoted. I still cancelled of course, but nonetheless....

[mikey4444]

About 3 years ago, I stopped my Sky subscription, when they wanted to increase it to over £30 a month. They did try to keep me but times were hard and I just didn't want to pay anything !

The morning after my subscription ended, I found I had Sky's version of Freeview. I still had all the Channels I used to watch 95% of the time, like all the BBCs, CH4, and ITV, in addition to programs that I now find useful, like Forces TV, and PBS.

I didn't have Dave, but I figured that I had seen enough Jeremy Clarkson for a lifetime.

So, everything that I wanted, and the good signal that I had come to expect from SKY, but no rubbish.

Whats not to like !

[mikey4444]

TWR...forgot to add....you have nothing to lose really. Sky will take you back on as a "new customer" at any time in the future, if you so wish, with all the benefits therein.

[EDDIE51]

Now got the Freesat installed and tuned in, 196 channels plus 80 radio stations and NO COST AT ALL EVER !!! ( apart from the £5 the box cost off eBay) It just uses the old sky dish we have had for years!

[Gromit]

Now TV is owned by SKY and has all the same programmes and some SKY channels. Depending on what you watch, it can work out cheaper.

Kodi boxes are about £35 and streams tv series, movies and Sports at no additional cost. You can install Kodi on an Amazon Fire stick (£35).

[Gromit]

If you haven't got a smart TV the FireStick lets you download all the on-demand apps, iPlayer, ITV Hub, 4onDemand, my5 and UKTV (Dave etc). And you can have the Mobdro app (Like Kodi but easier to install).

If you get Kodi, the freeview app gets you all the UK digital channels.

[Buenchico]

If you simply stop paying your Sky subscription, but retain the box, you'll still be able to receive all of these channels:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28%C2%B0E

Anything else you might want to go for will depend upon what it is that you like watching. A Now TV box with an Entertainment Pass (£6.99 per month, no contract) will get you Sky1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Gold, ITV Encore, Fox, Comedy Central, MTV, ABC Studios, Discovery and National Geographic. However that won't help much if you're really seeking sport or movies (although there are other passes for those available with Now TV).

[mikey4444]

Chris....thanks for that link !

Can I suggest that people investigate PBS America....well worth a look.

[TWR]

Again, thank you all for your replies.TWR

[EDDIE51]

Chris I had sky and kept the box when I stopped paying. But sky came and collected it after a while.

[Giggsie]

Never heard of sky collecting box back. I cancelled sky years ago but still use the box. I get loads of channels plus lots of different film channels all free plenty to watch. Check out frees at form sky.

[theshedman]

Never known sky to take back the old boxes but they do with the new Q boxes. You only rent them as you do with Virgin.