Alternatives to Sky? (1 Viewer)

zaskar

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
1,159
371
UK
Funster No
399
MH
5th Wheel
Exp
30+
Pretty gutted about reading this...............
https://uk.yahoo.com/finance/news/sky-signals-end-satellite-dish-mean-115500742.html

We've been fullltime for nearly 17 years now and rely on a dish on the roof.
We rarely watch the "big 5" and rely (if that's the right word to use) heavily on Discovery and the cooking channels for our interests.
Ours is the minimum paid Sky package via a relatives address (yes I know!) so we don't get Sky Sports or Movies but that doesn't really bother us as we're not into endless football/tennis/snooker.

What's the alternatives for some decent channels via satellite? I don't want to go down the wifi route as for most of the year, my signal is PANTS!
 
OP
OP
zaskar

zaskar

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
1,159
371
UK
Funster No
399
MH
5th Wheel
Exp
30+
Possibly a difficult question.........as in, how long is a piece of string......but could you expand please.
Equipment? (Box / Dish size)
Channels?
Costs involved?
Coverage?

Many thanks.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Apr 14, 2008
858
3,702
Cromer norfolk
Funster No
2,154
MH
Bailey approach 745
Exp
since 2002
Freesat useing a sky box. Would never pay to receive television signal. Now my good lady has reached 75 even get free tv licence.
 
Sep 10, 2017
627
704
North Brum
Funster No
50,425
MH
A Class
Poor article IMHO. Sky has some 12m + subscribers in the UK and Ireland (however some of that figure may be via Cable TV) https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2017/04/20/sky-reports-increases-subscribers-and-profits/
They are not going to turn off the satellite signal anytime soon... or even not so soon. If you live in an area of good broadband streaming live TV is fine but if you are in the sticks not a chance to get a reliable stream to watch Tv, let alone HDTV and lets not even expand on 4k ;-)
A dish (on a van or a house) gives you pretty much guaranteed reception of HD TV without issue, start filling up the broadband with steaming TV (12 million of us) and that would slow the broadband down sharpish!
I think the idea of a BSKYB streaming service is to "mop up" the people who can't have a dish (planning regs, flats etc) and to compete with Nextflix and the others. If we need more data, 8k Tv & 3 zillion channels of cooking and dancing shows then SES launch another satellite and Sky rent more space, simples.
In other words "relax".. it aint gonna happen for a long long time if ever.
Cheers
 

soreeyes

Free Member
Feb 21, 2012
351
136
Dorset
Funster No
19,903
MH
Sunlight T69L 2017
Exp
im a newbie
The same old story for rural areas with no BB like post offices and banks and buses the Sky Sat system will be turned off unless they are willing to pay the high costs of paying for keeping the sat system running . Sky can only compete with a streaming system by reducing it costs .

The question will be what will happen to Freesat and will that disappear . I only keep Sky sat for the motorhome or I would change to the cheaper streaming alternatives .

Sky told me last year they had ceased production of new sat boxes and only recon boxes are available .

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Sep 10, 2017
627
704
North Brum
Funster No
50,425
MH
A Class
Sky tell fibs... new boxes are always available however I think they are now saying Sky Q is going to be the "standard box"..
BBC & ITV etc will have a long contract with SES to keep going on 28 east, they also pay to be on the "sky guide".
 
Jan 28, 2008
10,104
18,260
Dovercourt, Harwich, UK
Funster No
1,353
MH
Renalt burstner
Exp
7 years campers before that
Sky also own now TV which is far cheaper than sky via a dish I think the days of dishes on vans are numbered as broadband has become so available virtually everywhere we've been in Spain France Portugal the last three months and etween two phones and a midi we've only once been with internet
 

Satandpcguy

Funster
Jun 18, 2008
683
395
Gandia, Valencia, Spain
Funster No
2,936
MH
Don't own one yet
Exp
None
We rarely watch the "big 5" and rely (if that's the right word to use) heavily on Discovery and the cooking channels for our interests.
What's the alternatives for some decent channels via satellite? I don't want to go down the wifi route as for most of the year, my signal is PANTS!

Your sky box, even without a viewing card will still get "the main 5" channels, and the Discovery Quest channels...

The satellite signals are not going to be switched off soon. The new service is designed for people who are unable to have a dish installed, eg flats, listed buildings, renters, bad line of sight etc
Sat signals will be around for a while yet, especially since HD and UHD are now being pushed, and as not every one in the Uk has access to high speed internet that can handle these, then satellite is still the most economical way to send the signals to the masses.

Sky told me last year they had ceased production of new sat boxes and only recon boxes are available .

They have stopped production of the SD and HD boxes, SD about 15 years ago, HD boxes about 2 years ago.
So you can only get recon HD boxes, or the new SKyQ box

Sky also own now TV which is far cheaper than sky via a dish I think the days of dishes on vans are numbered as broadband has become so available virtually everywhere we've been in Spain France Portugal the last three months and etween two phones and a midi we've only once been with internet
But to use it outside the UK, you will need to also run a VPN / Smart DNS service to hide your foreign IP address...which can slow speeds down a tad...
 

soreeyes

Free Member
Feb 21, 2012
351
136
Dorset
Funster No
19,903
MH
Sunlight T69L 2017
Exp
im a newbie
I think last time I checked the production of boxes by major companies like Panasonic they still sold Freeveiw boxes but not Freesat boxes any more .

I thought UHD was only transmitted on a BB connection ?
 
Last edited:
Sep 10, 2017
627
704
North Brum
Funster No
50,425
MH
A Class
Just a quick update... had to call up one of my trade suppliers (Eurosat) and they confirmed new Sky HD boxes are still currently available. So at least anyone needing a replacement can still get hold of one through a local Sat dealer. Eurosat don't supply direct so you need a third party in the industry. I might just get a spare as Sky Q really doesn't interest me.. UHD football = Ultra boring ;-)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top