Watching UK TV in France. Isn't technology magic.

BryanM

BryanM

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Just started our jaunt to France and Italy and our second night here in Metz thought I would try something.
Have an unlimited data SIM card deal with 3 and with it now including Europe tried linking it to the spare Amazon Firestick my wife bought me for Christmas. Now find myself watching the Touring Cars on ITV 4 live in the nice Aire in Metz with the prospect tonight of not missing Top Gear. A year ago it would have taken a massive satalite dish and a contract with Sky, neither of which I have, to get live TV and while we are are not Soap or big television fans, it is great to be able to see the odd programme!
 
Just put my phone onto "Hotspot" and the firestick looks for a wifi signal to link to. Just followed through the instructions on it. Lucky my 3 SIM card I have had on an £18 a month contract for some time and despite them offering me "better" terms I stick with what I had and am glad I did!
 
It's a shame a lot of the VPN's are being made infective. It was quite easy to watch brit TV.

Whatever happened to that TV catchup.com site?
 
We have a three dongle in MH absolutely brilliant deal and unlimited data , not used it abroad yet but they tell me it works fine
I keep threatening to cancel sky broadband in the house and using it at home but never get around to it
Haven’t even watched much tv in MH yet but it’s handy having prime tv via Amazon in with the cost of prime. as you say, technology is amazing these days and I’m sure I don’t use my gadgets to anywhere near their potential

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Unless things have changed I think you will find that you are limited to 19Gb of data per month with 3 in Europe even if your data allowance is in excessive of this, so take care!

That is certainly the case with any 3 deal at the momen hence the reason a lot of people have moved to Vodafone where there are no restrication on the amount of your data allowance you can use in europe.
 
olley said:
It's not unlimited abroad, you get a maximum of 19gig with 3.
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I thought it was less than that, around 12 when we were away three years ago.
Have to admit I've not checked recently.
 
monzer said:
It's a shame a lot of the VPN's are being made infective. It was quite easy to watch brit TV.
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Ohh do tell, I thought it was the way to go so you couldn't be traced?

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No 19gig, got a 40gig contract and cut me off after 19, after phoning I got told "its in the small print"
Do not leave the firestick on if your not using it, it seems to gobble data.
 
olley said:
No 19gig, got a 40gig contract and cut me off after 19, after phoning I got told "its in the small print"
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They must of upped it then.

I get 100 on my contract but only here :(
 
BryanM said:
Just started our jaunt to France and Italy and our second night here in Metz thought I would try something.
Have an unlimited data SIM card deal with 3 and with it now including Europe tried linking it to the spare Amazon Firestick my wife bought me for Christmas. Now find myself watching the Touring Cars on ITV 4 live in the nice Aire in Metz with the prospect tonight of not missing Top Gear. A year ago it would have taken a massive satalite dish and a contract with Sky, neither of which I have, to get live TV and while we are are not Soap or big television fans, it is great to be able to see the odd programme!
Click to expand...

You have about 19hrs of tv on the 3 sim....?

I’ve been getting uk tv on my sat dish all over Europe without sky for free for years...??
 
Usage increased at the start of the year to 19Gb.

With a Firestick and most other devices you can reduce the quality so it uses less data. We find a Firestick on the lowest setting more than ok on our 21” tv.

A VPN isn’t required if you are using a UK SIM card, only if you are buying local sims whilst away, or local WiFi.
 
olley said:
It's not unlimited abroad, you get a maximum of 19gig with 3.
Click to expand...
So it is, just checked that. Wonder if you can get a SIM card local with better deal in each country

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Drifter said:
I keep threatening to cancel sky broadband in the house and using it at home but never get around to it
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This is my plan, I figure home broadband at £30 a month isn't great value when I can probably get Mifi for less and use it everywhere (coverage permitting). We get reasonable 02/tesco coverage here - not sure what's the best Mifi deal to get.

The other issue is losing the home phone number, but either a VOIP contract may do it or maybe going to the cheapest landline tariff. We only need Netflix and the odd internet.
 
GPW with the amount of data you would probably get from 3, watching Netflix would not use your data as it would be included in their “go binge “. You would still have to pay your subscription to Netflix though.
 
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Drifter said:
So it is, just checked that. Wonder if you can get a SIM card local with better deal in each country
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NOS simm in Portugal, think I paid?£20 for 15 days unlimited 4g, and it's fast. I think 3 is only a 3g connection abroad.
Couldn't see anything similar in Spain or France.
 
I originally had 30GB data per month but phoned up not long after I had started the contract and said I'd under estimated how much I use and the plan wouldn't be any use. The guy on the phone managed to find a few add-ons that their system throws up now and again and I am now on 96 or so GB per month.

I've been in Europe pretty much full time since December apart from a few trips back for ops and football and I've never been charged extra once. Just this month I used up my whole allowance and had no extra charges.

Not complaining like.
 
GPW said:
Which network was that on? TIA
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EE

I almost didn't want to say in case they have a presence on here and realise they have made a mistake with my account or something :giggler:

I should point out these 'add-ons' aren't something that is always available. It seemed at the time that there was a slight glitch in the system and the guy on the phone kept adding them on to my plan to keep me happy.
 
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Ah ok, I can't use EE as the reception is terrible in my area. O2 seems to work fine but I don't think they do Mifi type data accounts..
 
monzer said:
EE

I almost didn't want to say in case they have a presence on here and realise they have made a mistake with my account or something :giggler:

I should point out these 'add-ons' aren't something that is always available. It seemed at the time that there was a slight glitch in the system and the guy on the phone kept adding them on to my plan to keep me happy.
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I’m with EE and have just returned from Germany where I was unable to use hardly any of my data as I either go message “no service” or a very slow 3G. Was unable to even listen in to radio player.
I phoned to complain one evening when I had a limited service and so could call them. Only to be told 3G in Europe as good as it can get. How are you able to watch TV ?
I asked if I would have to change provider to get 4g and the lady said “I couldn’t possibly comment”
Very frustrating to come home and see all their adverts for 5G!
 
Riverbankannie said:
I’m with EE and have just returned from Germany where I was unable to use hardly any of my data as I either go message “no service” or a very slow 3G. Was unable to even listen in to radio player.
I phoned to complain one evening when I had a limited service and so could call them. Only to be told 3G in Europe as good as it can get. How are you able to watch TV ?
I asked if I would have to change provider to get 4g and the lady said “I couldn’t possibly comment”
Very frustrating to come home and see all their adverts for 5G!
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Now to be fair I have spent a total of around 4 days in Germany so I can't really comment on tv and such. Can't say I ever had a problem finding 4g on my phone though.

In Latvia now and have cracking 4g coverage.

What phone/device are you using?
 
monzer said:
Now to be fair I have spent a total of around 4 days in Germany so I can't really comment on tv and such. Can't say I ever had a problem finding 4g on my phone though.

In Latvia now and have cracking 4g coverage.

What phone/device are you using?
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I have an iPhone 5s

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Riverbankannie said:
I have an iPhone 5s
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Dunno what to say really. All through Europe I've rarely had problem getting descent signal either through my galaxy S8 or EE's own 4GEE device.

Perhaps think about changing device. I can't comment because never had an iphone.
 
monzer said:
Dunno what to say really. All through Europe I've rarely had problem getting descent signal either through my galaxy S8 or EE's own 4GEE device.

Perhaps think about changing device. I can't comment because never had an iphone.
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I took it to be EE (or I suppose the contract that EE has with providers like O2.de,) when the lady said 3G would be the best I could get in Europe. I tried searching for other networks but no joy.
I have a mifi unit but didn’t bother to get a data sim as I had 30 gig available (theoretically) when away.
 
Riverbankannie said:
I took it to be EE (or I suppose the contract that EE has with providers like O2.de,) when the lady said 3G would be the best I could get in Europe. I tried searching for other networks but no joy.
I have a mifi unit but didn’t bother to get a data sim as I had 30 gig available (theoretically) when away.
Click to expand...

I totally get you, I know some folk frown on it but data was a big concern for me while away. I can honestly and unbiasedly (is that a word?) say that EE has not let me down once. Been amazed with some of the places I have had 4G coverage. I can think of maybe 2 places that I have had poor coverage since December.
 
GPW said:
Ah ok, I can't use EE as the reception is terrible in my area. O2 seems to work fine but I don't think they do Mifi type data accounts..
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You don’t need a “mifi type account”. Any SIM card with data will do. The Vodafone deal that many of us signed up for (100Gb, £15 a month) is a phone SIM card, so phone calls, text messages, an DATA. But we just use the data bit.

Also with EE both me and my wife both get 4G in France and Germany, that is who are phones are with.
 
4g.!!!!!!!! Down here in Cornwall I’m lucky to get a signal let alone 3G... with my phone being on Three I rely on WiFi call at home.... in the mifi I have Vodafone and got a faster speed in a field in the middle of Croatia then I do at home broadband with fibre optic.... ?

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