Sky TV : is it worth it?

[puntingking]

I been seeing a lot of advertisement on sky TV and its many different channels. I have never personally had sky but I always wanted to get it but purely for the unmissable sports that is broadcast on there.

Without taking sports into the equation because I think its really expensive just for sports, is sky worth the price and the 18 month contract that you have to have to watch sky television?
I have a Netflixs subscription and a Spotify subscription which provides me with entertainment already and for no contact with a much cheaper price.
Although I still would like to know what is so special about sky. Two of my mates have recently got sky TV and sky broadband for like £50 or £60 a month with the 18 month contract and the £20 set up fee.

There are so many options to be entertained these days that the old way of being entertained on telly is taking a back seat. Yet sky TV still have millions of customers.

At the end of the day would it be better to just join the many subscriptions services that people may like such as Netflixs, amazon prime video, britbox, hayu, etc. 

Then again I end up still considering purchasing sky but there is no one or two months trial period and I may not end up watching it as I may think subscription online streaming services are better. 

[Mr Sinister]

Nope it's a complete waste of money, just like the TV licence.

Netflix plus streaming box/stick is all you need. Can catch the latest movies and watch all the sports. Saving a ton of cash.

[Cambridgy]

Add NowTV day/month pass if there is sport on that you want to see...

[delta69]

Dodgy box is the way forward 

[winkywanky]

I have various Virgin services and I scrupulously check prices elsewhere every year before my contract is up. I would never have even considered Sky until that POS Murdoch had completely left the building, but now he has, for a large TV package and very good Broadband, I find Virgin are cheaper anyway, and with a bit of negotiating (this year they actually just offered it to me!) I can get £10 a month off.

I don't have any Sky Sports or Cinema, so I don't know whether the price for those via Virgin would make it more expensive than directly via a Sky package?

One thing I would say, is that because Virgin own and operate the optical fibre along my road, download and upload speeds are always at least what they're stated to be. Regardless of how far from the cabinet you are (I'm not that close).

Something I should now investigate, is whether I can get my Amazon TV and Netflix with a discount via Virgin, rather than paying direct. I suspect that may be the case (and possibly also with Sky).

One more thing: I don't, and never have, taken up special offers where you start cheap and then revert to the 'normal' price. Changeover is a pain in the arse and always fraught with pitfalls of some kind. I just want to know what it costs or negotiate a price, and then stick with that.

[smiths]

I had Sky for years but binned them a long time ago, a total bunch of cunts was my experiences, I even had to use Saynoto0870 to get round their 0844/0845 numbers they had.

Nowadays on principle I wont pay any form of tv channel subscription or one-off PPV, apart from the tv licence.

[kippydon]

i was with sky years ago, and they are really a rip off , i think most companies are, they  give you discount if you new customer , but when you are loyal customer , they really shaft you and do not want to know.

I am now with VM, again they are the same,  but with them because they are cheaper than SLY

[winkywanky]

i was with sky years ago, and they are really a rip off , i think most companies are, they  give you discount if you new customer , but when you are loyal customer , they really shaft you and do not want to know.

I am now with VM, again they are the same,  but with them because they are cheaper than SLY

With a little effort you could probably negotiate a discount before renewal?

[puntingking]

Thanks 

I can always trust in ukp members 
The general vibe I'm getting from you all is that sky is a rip off and there are better alternatives. 

[kippydon]

With a little effort you could probably negotiate a discount before renewal?

yes i think i will next time it due for renewal

[advent2016]

I used to have sky and virgin but travelled so much I found it didn't move with me so since about 2012 I've used freeview and IPTV. There are places where you can buy an IPTV sub with about 1200 channels with everything on SKY and USA and the world for about £40 a year. I use an app on my phone and cast it to whatever TV I'm currently using in a hotel or rent. A VPN is also usually essential.

If you like free world IPTV then there is some on github
External Link/Members Only

or free US TV
External Link/Members Only

[Jimmyredcab]

I have various Virgin services and I scrupulously check prices elsewhere every year before my contract is up.

Last time my contract expired I phoned Virgin to say I was thinking of changing to another provider, within a few minutes they had knocked £17 a month off my premiums so I stayed with them.

[mh]

My comment on TV services and Sky specifically from another thread:

I last illegally downloaded a movie or TV show more than 4 years ago. Sky is still as expensive as fuck but they have the best box [Sky Q] and whole home/multi-screen solution in my opinion. You can add multi user, multi screen UHD Netflix to a Sky sub for a fiver a month and Prime is about the same, with other benefits offsetting it further. So I have no need any more to spend hours of time vetting torrents only to get to 99% complete on download and find it is a fake. Or to succeed and find the quality is dreadful or one episode in a series is corrupt. (Many of these issues were actively introduced under the pay of the rights owners themselves).

Is it worth it? It depends on whether you are "time rich" or "time poor", really. I've downloaded stuff in the past but one of my good mates had a more recent hooky streaming box and swore it was amazing, yet every time he tried to demonstrate this to me he couldn't find a working copy of the TV show, movie or sports feed he was trying to show me. I asked him a month or two ago if he was still using it and he wasn't, he had got fed up with it and now has Sky again!

But I fully appreciate the cost is high. If you are dedicated enough and find the right information sources I am sure it is possible to keep up with the stream hunting on the hooky Linux streaming boxes.

[winkywanky]

Last time my contract expired I phoned Virgin to say I was thinking of changing to another provider, within a few minutes they had knocked £17 a month off my premiums so I stayed with them.

I only got a tenner off   

[Coriniumstud]

Phoned sky last month to cancel
Was paying £99.50/month
Now paying £60.00/month

Need to phone bt next

[Jimmyredcab]

Phoned sky last month to cancel
Was paying £99.50/month
Now paying £60.00/month

Need to phone bt next

The AA breakdown service are also open to negotiation, they gave me free home start for life, if you don’t ask you don’t get.

[Gordon Bennett]

NowTV appears better value than Sky. The NowTV app is now supported by more platforms and devices. It's on my Android TV so I no longer have to piss about with a separate box/stick and remote control- I can access it directly on my TV via the TV remote. There are also links/thumbs on my TVs home screen menu to quickly access next episode of series I'm watching.
Aside from convenience there's no contract and they always have deals on. I currently pay £3.50 per month (for 6 months) for an entertainment pass and £5.50 per month (for 3 months) for a movie pass. I sometimes get a Sports Pass if my team is gonna be on. Everytime I cancel I go to cancel it online it offers me another discount.
When I hear figures of £50-£90 for a Sky package I just scratch my head??? Oh, I also have a Humax PVR that has the same functionality as a Sky Box. It cost me £180 4 years ago and still works fine. I find I only really use it to record programmes with adverts though - I prefer to record say, I'm a Celeb and start watching it 30mins after it started so I can f/fwd through the ads. I mention this cos I suspect a big chunk of the Sky subscription is renting/paying for the sky+ box.

[sir wanksalot]

I can only think of two reasons to get Sky. Watch sports and watch Sky Atlantic.

If you're a footie fan it is getting increasingly expensive as Sky no longer have exclusive rights to PL matches-BT also have some so if you really want to watch your favourite team then you're looking at a Sky subscription + Sky Sports + HD add on + BT sports. It gets very expensive very quickly and even then your favourite team may only feature once or twice a month.

After 30 yrs of being a loyal customer I binned them off last summer. I bought a Humax Freesat recorder and watch 99% of the channels I could watch with Sky FREE OF CHARGE.

I've also got Netflix and Kodi.

What I am most chuffed about though is some friends of mine sorted me out with a subscription to Polish TV, Canal+. The package has all the sports channels on it and better than Sky is that they will televise 3-4 live PL matches on match day as well as all Champions League footie. I can't understand a word the commentators are saying but I'm not fussed. I have watched every single match my team has played this season in ultra HD and 4K.

[acer123]

Stopped Sky subscription 12 years ago. There is enough free streaming stuff online, plus Netflix or NowTV, which is from Sky.

[BobAJobMan]

I wouldn't touch Virgin with a bargepole and don't want Netflix etc. I've heard good things about NowTV, but Sky works for me, and I saved money also going with them for my landline and broadband. I watch a lot on Sky Atlantic.

A good thing about Sky is that rather than lose you as a customer, they will tweak your package/reduce your monthly fee if you ring up and plead poverty. Customer service has also always been pretty good, reception fine etc.

[sir wanksalot]

A good thing about Sky is that rather than lose you as a customer, they will tweak your package/reduce your monthly fee if you ring up and plead poverty. Customer service has also always been pretty good, reception fine etc.

Yeah, I call it the Sky cancellation dance. It actually is one of the things that pisses me off. They play hardball with you right up until you tell them you're cancelling and then as your 30 day notice period ticks down they start contacting you with better offers. Just give me your best offer in the first place and then I may stay! 

[winkywanky]

I wouldn't touch Virgin with a bargepole and don't want Netflix etc. I've heard good things about NowTV, but Sky works for me, and I saved money also going with them for my landline and broadband. I watch a lot on Sky Atlantic.

A good thing about Sky is that rather than lose you as a customer, they will tweak your package/reduce your monthly fee if you ring up and plead poverty. Customer service has also always been pretty good, reception fine etc.

One thing that always put me off with Sky: as part of your contract you actually get to own your TV box and therefore if it goes wrong, you either pay to fix it or effectively have to buy a new one. Is it still the same?

The boxes, however good they are, inevitably start playing up or just downrright fail after a year or two. I currently have a Virgin TiVo box which has proved very reliable, but a previous couple of Virgin boxes went wrong and there was no call-out fee for the engineer, and any replacements/repairs were FOC.

[Marmalade]

Sky has a shop for non-subscribers where you simply pay per picture. But most available elsewhere. Some Sky channels have semi-exclusive material so worth it only if you are desperate for them.

The beauty of Netflix is that there's no charge after your monthly subscription: the downside is that the available films are very limited compared to Prime.

Unfortunately Prime only includes certain films with the subscription although it's at least as many as Netflix I think. The crunch comes when you want a movie that is not in the vast free library and not easily available elsewhere (they shift movies between free and paid though, so it can be worth waiting if you're not in a hurry).

Movies that incur an extra fee for Prime members come in various categories.
a) They feel like charging because they can. Often for a top new film (same price as Sky, iTunes usually, and Googleplay if it's there).
b) Ones that they think you should have a credit card to show you are over 18. Doesn't mean they don't trim graphic scenes just as much as Netflix though.
c) On top of that, Prime have myriads of fucking 'channels'.These include (from memory) Mubi, Canal, BFI and fuck knows what else specialist ones. Some films are in more than one channel. The annoying thing is the multiplicity of channels. The good thing is that most offer a free trial period in which you can cancel then watch as many as you like until the end of the trial period. It's a good business model, doesn't cost the earth especially if you are a serious film fan, but is so infuriating that there are times you'll just want to switch to Netflix and watch whatever is there for the peace of not having to think about money.

Hope that helps!

[advent2016]

The good thing about Netflix is one login works worldwide. The US catalogue is far larger than the UK one. You just need a VPN.  Previously I used some Russian site where I paid a low yearly fee and that got me everything, Netflix, Prime from all countries and all the TV from every country and hundred of porn channels. The £1000 PA I could have paid to Sky or Virgin I can put to much better use.

[mh]

NowTV appears better value than Sky.

I am going to sound like a Sky salesman. I don't mean to, honestly! They charge too much, I know that!

If you don't want sports and movies then NowTV gives you the basic stuff cheaper and with no commitment, but you do have to add your own recorder and that is per TV. I have 4 TVs around the house all with immediate access to the recorded TV and on-demand content. If you have just one, then absolutely a single separate recorder will always be cheaper in the long run.

I can only think of two reasons to get Sky. Watch sports and watch Sky Atlantic.
...
What I am most chuffed about though is some friends of mine sorted me out with a subscription to Polish TV, Canal+. The package has all the sports channels on it and better than Sky is that they will televise 3-4 live PL matches on match day as well as all Champions League footie. I can't understand a word the commentators are saying but I'm not fussed. I have watched every single match my team has played this season in ultra HD and 4K.

The Sky Q system is so much better than Sky+/SkyHD so I'd put that as "a reason to get Sky", but there are other options to replicate it. As for foreign content, yep, illegal - and I am not pointing that out because I think it is wrong, rather just that it could be blocked at any time and doesn't give you the English commentary which I accept you don't care about.

As I said above if you are willing to chase the content down, put up with interruptions to services, poor quality streams (not image quality these days, rather buffering, pausing etc) then a cheap or free alternative to Sky and VM exists.

One thing that always put me off with Sky: as part of your contract you actually get to own your TV box and therefore if it goes wrong, you either pay to fix it or effectively have to buy a new one. Is it still the same?

I think they've gone back to them retaining ownership of the boxes now.

[winkywanky]

I think they've gone back to them retaining ownership of the boxes now.

I should jolly well hope so, otherwise as a customer you'd need to be factoring in another £300 or so every two to three years, and Sky must have realised people were starting to figure this out for themselves. The latest boxes ain't cheap!

[NervousEnergy]

Haven't read all the way through, so sorry if already mentioned.

Virgin, if available in your area, have an offer for all channels (including bt sport and sky sports), plus cinema - two boxes and also an unlimited sim, for £78pm for 18 months.

Sky, if you want it, also offering black Friday deals, and seem to be cheaper this time of year than any other...

However, as others have mentioned, it is expensive... There are ways to stream for free... But obviously you lose the convenience factor of just being able to turn on the box and watch. Also the legal aspects.

As Winky mentioned, having special offer, then full price is a PITA, especially if wanting to move elsewhere, but even then you can negotiate.

If you do go for one of them, it's also worth checking cashback sites, as you can often get up to £150 via them.

Whatever you decide, hope it works out for you 

[sir wanksalot]

I am going to sound like a Sky salesman. I don't mean to, honestly! They charge too much, I know that!

If you don't want sports and movies then NowTV gives you the basic stuff cheaper and with no commitment, but you do have to add your own recorder and that is per TV. I have 4 TVs around the house all with immediate access to the recorded TV and on-demand content. If you have just one, then absolutely a single separate recorder will always be cheaper in the long run.

The Sky Q system is so much better than Sky+/SkyHD so I'd put that as "a reason to get Sky", but there are other options to replicate it. As for foreign content, yep, illegal - and I am not pointing that out because I think it is wrong, rather just that it could be blocked at any time and doesn't give you the English commentary which I accept you don't care about.

As I said above if you are willing to chase the content down, put up with interruptions to services, poor quality streams (not image quality these days, rather buffering, pausing etc) then a cheap or free alternative to Sky and VM exists.

I think they've gone back to them retaining ownership of the boxes now.

Now TV pretty much gives you every channel that you can get gor free on Freesat and Freeview so the allure of paying for something I can get for free doesn't excite me. Yes, there will be some obscure channels that NowTV has but the primary channels are shared across all of the platforms.

I have no reason to doubt you about SkyQ but after having been with Sky for years they would only upgrade my Sky HD box to Sky Q if I paid them but I suspect new customers get them included? I know that is how most business models work but it leaves a bitter taste when you have been a loyal customer for decades yet you have worse equipment that a newbie.

The foreign content I was talking about is not illegal. I have a valid subscription for it and am paying monthly. I have the sat dish, decoder, hard drive etc. There is no disruption to service as it's satellite not internet based-it's exactly like Sky except Polish TV. I pay around £ 27 a month for this which includes all sports channels (who happen to show pretty much every PL match live) as well as movies most of which are American so I can choose to listen to them in their original language.

[Marmalade]

The good thing about Netflix is one login works worldwide. The US catalogue is far larger than the UK one. You just need a VPN.  Previously I used some Russian site where I paid a low yearly fee and that got me everything, Netflix, Prime from all countries and all the TV from every country and hundred of porn channels. The £1000 PA I could have paid to Sky or Virgin I can put to much better use.

This is a good point. The same thing works on Prime. Never come across the Russian thing! I think a thousand quid would have to be pretty excessive though.

[Hurley]

IPTV from a trusted reliable supplier which I have had for about 4 years now 30 pounds a year

[mh]

Now TV pretty much gives you every channel that you can get gor free on Freesat and Freeview so the allure of paying for something I can get for free doesn't excite me. Yes, there will be some obscure channels that NowTV has but the primary channels are shared across all of the platforms.

I have no reason to doubt you about SkyQ but after having been with Sky for years they would only upgrade my Sky HD box to Sky Q if I paid them but I suspect new customers get them included? I know that is how most business models work but it leaves a bitter taste when you have been a loyal customer for decades yet you have worse equipment that a newbie.

The foreign content I was talking about is not illegal. I have a valid subscription for it and am paying monthly. I have the sat dish, decoder, hard drive etc. There is no disruption to service as it's satellite not internet based-it's exactly like Sky except Polish TV. I pay around £ 27 a month for this which includes all sports channels (who happen to show pretty much every PL match live) as well as movies most of which are American so I can choose to listen to them in their original language.

OK, thought you meant streamed over the net. You have to admit this (specific dish/decoder/foreign subscription) isn't an option for most people!

Actually I got my Sky Q 2TB box and installation for free (plus 2 extra miniboxes for £50 total) because I was a long standing customer - at the time they were charging new customers a lot for it. It was part of the Sky VIP offers. That might have been changed since.

[mr.bluesky]

One thing that always put me off with Sky: as part of your contract you actually get to own your TV box and therefore if it goes wrong, you either pay to fix it or effectively have to buy a new one. Is it still the same?

The boxes, however good they are, inevitably start playing up or just downrright fail after a year or two. I currently have a Virgin TiVo box which has proved very reliable, but a previous couple of Virgin boxes went wrong and there was no call-out fee for the engineer, and any replacements/repairs were FOC.

I have my sky box insured for just under £12 a month . Also added my laptop to the policy for free. This covers breakdown. Last year the hard drive packed up on my sky box. The next day I had a replacement box delivered and fitted   

[sir wanksalot]

OK, thought you meant streamed over the net. You have to admit this (specific dish/decoder/foreign subscription) isn't an option for most people!

Actually I got my Sky Q 2TB box and installation for free (plus 2 extra miniboxes for £50 total) because I was a long standing customer - at the time they were charging new customers a lot for it. It was part of the Sky VIP offers. That might have been changed since.

I was also a Sky VIP customer but they didn't offer me anything. That's what annoys me about them. If you ask your neighbours I would bet they are all being charged differently by Sky for comparable services.

[tidytuz]

It's never worth it, TV is garbage promoting globalist propaganda 24/7, especially Netflix (who produce movies for nonces now).
No interest in following the pro football circus anymore so terminated my Now TV payments for the last this year. Players 'taking the knee' was the final straw for me.
Don't pay the TVL either.
In fact hardly watch any TV these days. If I didn't currently use my TV as a monitor, I'd probably sell it for a basement price on ebay.

[mh]

I have my sky box insured for just under £12 a month . Also added my laptop to the policy for free. This covers breakdown. Last year the hard drive packed up on my sky box. The next day I had a replacement box delivered and fitted   

Sheesh, £12 a month is criminal, though for a laptop too softens it a bit. The trouble is you either insure everything you have or nothing (and "self-insure"). I take the latter view, always cheaper in the long run. If you are going to insure "everything" make it on one policy as you have started, not separate for each item or class of items.

Has anyone had those stupid calls "I am calling about the warranty expiring on your washing machine"? When you ask them which make/model they blurt out something you've never owned... Yesterday it was "a Beko". I said if you think I'd buy a Beko you can fuck right off. I've said too much, no doubt I'll now get calls about a Bosch or Siemens one!

[mh]

It's never worth it, TV is garbage promoting globalist propaganda 24/7, especially Netflix (who produce movies for nonces now).
No interest in following the pro football circus anymore so terminated my Now TV payments for the last this year. Players 'taking the knee' was the final straw for me.
Don't pay the TVL either.
In fact hardly watch any TV these days. If I didn't currently use my TV as a monitor, I'd probably sell it for a basement price on ebay.

Well I bet you're a right bundle of fun at parties. 

You're the second snowflake I've seen on here now who claims they will never watch another football match because players made a gesture before kick off. I'm sure they will miss you.

[HailWood]

I’ve had Sky for maybe 15 years or more. I cut back the channels but I do use SkyQ multi room. Basically I’m thinking of cancelling as its poor VFM. But while it’s simple to upgrade, to cancel or
Downgrade you have to call Sky. Takes fucking ages and they are blaming Covid for that 

[winkywanky]

I have my sky box insured for just under £12 a month . Also added my laptop to the policy for free. This covers breakdown. Last year the hard drive packed up on my sky box. The next day I had a replacement box delivered and fitted   

So on top of your Sky fee, you're paying another £144/yr to insure your Sky Box?

[Kinkylondongent]

The Sky Q box is fabulous in my opinion .2TB storage , UHD , and can record loads at same time .

[GingerNuts]

The Sky Q box is fabulous in my opinion .2TB storage , UHD , and can record loads at same time .

All that TV to watch perhaps explains why you haven't posted a review for three and a half years.

[chrishornx]

All that TV to watch perhaps explains why you haven't posted a review for three and a half years.

could well be the reason.....

[Kinkylondongent]

All that TV to watch perhaps explains why you haven't posted a review for three and a half years.

You obviously don't have enough TV to watch .

[Kinkylondongent]

You obviously don't have enough TV to watch .

Well the last review I tried to make was January but she wanted a deposit so I declined . Since I have been working front line NHS with covid patients and as a vulnerable .

[GingerNuts]

Well the last review I tried to make was January but she wanted a deposit so I declined . Since I have been working front line NHS with covid patients and as a vulnerable .

And I thank you for your service to the NHS but not UKP.

[BobAJobMan]

One thing that always put me off with Sky: as part of your contract you actually get to own your TV box and therefore if it goes wrong, you either pay to fix it or effectively have to buy a new one. Is it still the same?

The boxes, however good they are, inevitably start playing up or just downrright fail after a year or two. I currently have a Virgin TiVo box which has proved very reliable, but a previous couple of Virgin boxes went wrong and there was no call-out fee for the engineer, and any replacements/repairs were FOC.

My box is actually 10+ years old, but it has now developed a flaw, so going to see what happens with Sky Protect next week!

[catweazle]

I've had Sky Q for a while now, and quite content with it. I used to have Netflix as a stand alone but now it's bundled in with the Sky subscription. I recently added a Sky minibox to the package.

I don't subscribe to sports or movie channels.

I upgraded to a smart TV so can add Prime.

£35/month for Sky+Netflix and £70 or so a year for Prime ( which I use for online orders anyway). Not even a happy ending massage a month   

[mh]

My box is actually 10+ years old, but it has now developed a flaw, so going to see what happens with Sky Protect next week!

Time to cash in on that £1440 investment. 

[chrishornx]

Well the last review I tried to make was January but she wanted a deposit so I declined . Since I have been working front line NHS with covid patients and as a vulnerable .

if you are a 'vulnerable' were you allowed to work front line ?

[Kingy28]

Phoned sky last month to cancel
Was paying £99.50/month
Now paying £60.00/month

Need to phone bt next

I've been on a half price deal for the full tv package for many years. I ring them 30 days before my current deal expires. They ask why I am leaving & i tell them I'm not prepared to pay £80+ or whatever it is for the full package. They usually offer 25% off at this point & i decline.
Sometimes I will get a phone call before my deal expires with a better offer, sometimes the contract runs out & I get switched off but they then ring me again within a week to offer another 50% off deal.
I like the record facility & my kids can watch it on skygo too at no extra cost. i use skygo when I'm at work or even abroad. i don't mind paying £10 a week, especially for the cricket, golf & football.
Hotukdeals is a good place to look for sky tv offers

[petermisc]

When I hear figures of £50-£90 for a Sky package I just scratch my head??? Oh, I also have a Humax PVR that has the same functionality as a Sky Box. It cost me £180 4 years ago and still works fine.

Agreed, I am amazed at how much some people seem to be willing to pay each month.  There are so much better things to spend that money on......

I have used a Humax Freeview HDR box for donkey's years. At the time, I said if I ever get short of anything to watch, then I might consider a subscription service.  That time has yet to arrive - even during lockdown.