I Hate Sky TV - but no other option

[willyboy]

Grrrrrr - A letting off steam posting.
Can't complain too much 'cos here in France you can't legally get all the sky channels (channel five in particular) unless you are registered with a uk address, but l've got around that one as l assume many others have.
And what a rip off sky is! I was originally paying something like £12pm for their basic package and then thought hey, l can only watch one channel at a time, cannot watch one channel and tape another (old style sky box), so let's go freesat. That cost me l think £20 ish for the card.
Then a month ago, messages kept coming up on all channels saying l needed to upgrade the card.
So a further £20 ish was paid to upgrade this!
So freesat isn't really that free is it. Sky has the monopoly over everything and we seem to have to bow to their every whim! Their customer services are also somewhat to be believed.
Whilst l have an hdtv, as is the norm nowadays, a fat use this is with sky, as you can only get the hd channels if you pay for their basic package and then add on certain channels at an additional cost!
Godammit l just hate sky, but then that's just me!
Anyone else have any other comments?

[regulo]

Freesat in Britain is free, once you've bought your dish and freesat box. I suppose Sky is providing it via their own system, that's why you're being charged. Don't need any sort of card, as far as I'm aware. Haven't actually got it myself, but this is what I was told when I made enquiries. Didn't go for it, as I heard service could be affected by storms and heavy cloud cover.

[ayabrea38]

Got to admit,I do not like the way Sky have the monopoly over HD in the UK.I know there are other HD providers,but their channels are somewaht limited compaired to Sky.
The shops dont seem to help,when buying a HD tv recently I was offered Sky HD for 6 mths(Subject to T&C!!)but no other choices.

[paintpowder1]

You don't have to use Sky - just buy a sat receiver and dish and tune it to Astra 2 - you will get all the english speaking TV and Radio stations you need on FTA (free-to-air)!!
Quite cheap too. I wouldn't worry too much about HD at the moment. There's hardly a discernible difference. They'll want you to buy Ultra HD next!