sky tv - is it worth getting?

[johnny37]

I dont want sport, music or kids tv. cost to me is �49 for sky+ HD box, M&S vouchers, free set up then �28 pm. I need a new recorder and HD box anyway. Apart from the recordong faciltiesand getting shows like Heroes eailer than mainstream channels what are the pros and cons?

[tigersam258]

simply having the option of far more channels available is the benefit in itself. You could get similar with a freeview box instead and connect that to a PVR/DVD Recorder without the regular monthly payment but you would be limited to the free-to-air channels. What, apart from Heroes, do you like to watch on tv as this would give us a better idea of whether it would be worthwhile.

[johnny37]

Difficult to say without knowing whats on offer. Ive looked at the schedules yesterday and it looked like films and endless repeats of The Simpsons..World cycling and World figure skating were both on BBC or BBC red button.

[ELVIS68]

It`s a rip off, you don`t need sky+, everythings repeated and there are more ads than programmes

[1955]

Personally I think you're getting a bargain!

[johnny37]

1955 (and Chanel), can you explain to me why you think it is a bargain?

Elvis, yes I watch Sky3 occasionally which is on freeview. There do appear to be an awful lot of ads. When Heroes is on BBC it is scheduled for an hour but it only runs for 45 minutes then there are 15 minutes of outtakes. I hardly ever watch freeview with its repeats repeats repeats of Friends. I dont want to be paying for films and repeats all the time.

[cazzz1975]

I didnt bother with the movies as they are repeated ad nauseum, but its horses for courses, most cable and sky channels host repeats, if you cannot bear repeats and barely watch freeview I cannot see what you would gain from having sky, you get more channels, more choice of viewing, but if you barely watch free view then I cant see it being useful to you

like elvis says everything is repeated so you dont really need the recorder, you could always buy heroes on dvd as well

[Tizzi247]

I had sky for a long time and then realised I was paying lots of dosh for something i wasn't watching. I changed to Freeview and it suits me fine. I suppose it depends whether you watch a lot of TV or not (I don't). There is a lot more to Freeview than repeat episodes of Friends. I would never have Sky again.

[doomey!]

if your getting the HD channels for the 28 quid a month deal, i would bite there hand off.

usually HD costs an extra 10 quid a month more on top of whatever package you have.

[Postdog]

No way. Most of the channels are banal, you pay for what you will never watch.

Get yourself a Freeview twin tuner PVR (Humax). One off payment and that's it, works like a sky plus box.

[johnny37]

HD is �9.99. The only packs I want are Variety, Knowledge, Style and Culture, which costs �18, making a total of �28. I am guessing those packs contain what I want.. The others are Sport, Movies, News, Music and Children. The last three are �1 each..

[Eve]

I use it quite a bit for shows like Prison BreakaqMN, Heroes, Terminator... and love Sky plus, it makes recording, especially just set it up once for a whole series, so much easier and love being able to record two things at the same time, pause live TV and watch something recording or while something is recording.

I also loved the recent House repeats on Hallmark and things like Roadwars.

I get a TV guide at the beginning of the week then Skyplus anything else I want to watch.

[Miss-taken]

If you don't subscribe to certain packages ie. movies, sports etc then you won't get them in HD either even though you pay a tenner for the HD channels. I subscribe to every package apart from kiddies channels which means I can't view the Disney HD channel (no great loss to be honest). If you're just getting the base �18 package then all the sports and movie HD channels will be unwatchable leaving you with BBC HD (shockingly rubbish) C4HD, Sky 1, discovery channels and a few other random channels.
I love my Sky HD - never have to watch any adverts - its amazing and no PVR is anywhere near as good - its worth it for the series linking alone!

[johnny37]

Thanks for the replies which have been very helpful. I dont think there is a convincing case for having Sky unless you take sport and films, which I dont want. You can buy a Freesat box that does everything the Sky+HD box does(minus the sky channels) for about �250 + �80 to have the dish installed. I think that is what I will go for.