Are there any decent Sky alternatives with international channels?
Posted by tardyarty@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 36 comments
I pay for my mum’s bills and I’m wondering what cheaper alternatives there are to Sky because the £80-£90 a month seems a bit much for the very little she uses it for, and they’ve been raising the costs exponentially.
I’ve heard Freesat is a good one off buy option but she primarily watches a couple of international channels.
RgCrunchyCo@reddit
How long has she been a customer for? About a year ago, I phoned them to close my account at the end of the contract and they then offered me a new one £30 or £40 cheaper. They’d rather not lose you altogether and give you a good deal.
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
I’ve heard of this happening, I’ve been a customer for years and hadn’t thought to do this but I need a backup in case they do close it lol
RgCrunchyCo@reddit
They’ll do something. Call their bluff. Worse case scenario is you change your mind on the phone. Give them a sob story about your mum being old and on limited resources and I can almost guarantee they will help you.
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
So yes, I bit the bullet and decided to call in and they were like how about this discount.
Thanks 😂 Nowhere near as cheap as the £40ish I was paying a few years ago (but inflation and all that) but £57 is definitely more affordable than near £90 a month
RgCrunchyCo@reddit
Well done! Glad you’ve sorted it!
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
!answer
ukbot-nicolabot@reddit
OP marked this as the best answer, given by /u/RgCrunchyCo.
^(What is this?)
gentlebeam@reddit
Is she on SkyHD? If so, she can cancel Sky, but can keep the dish and box, giving her access to "Freesat from Sky" which has loads of international channels (mainly south Asian) for free. This doesn't work with SkyQ/Glass/Stream though.
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
One of the channels she watches looks like it needed a viewing card but this is good to know for future reference! I think it’s actually a SkyQ off the top of my head though.
I’ve literally just come off the phone with them and they’re reducing my bill to £57 so I’ll take it
trek123@reddit
Many of the international channels are free but some are paid... If you take the viewing card out your box, you can see if the channels she watches are free in which case Freesat would suffice...
£80 is a crazy price for Sky regardless unless it also includes sports, the basic bundle should be no where near that.
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
Eh there’s landline and broadband which will be contributing, but I’ve definitely seen individual cheaper deals for these through other companies like virgin, it’s just the international channels stopping me from jumping ship atm
Exact_Setting9562@reddit
Please god. Not Virgin.
You'll rue the day I tell you.
Rue!!!!!
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
I mean I’m guessing the whole price-increase once-you’re-a-year-in thing is a normal thing for every company lmao, maybe I just threaten with switching and hope they whittle down the price anyways 😅
Exact_Setting9562@reddit
Oh you sweet summer child you.
Have you really got a full day set aside every time you want to talk to Virgin? Because that's how long it takes. Constant delays. Always going and checking with their manager.
Their lack of customer service is legendary and I'm sure it's intentional to put people off ever getting through to them.
Just go with a better provider.
section20sniper84@reddit
Most new tellys have a ton of free content. Plex is good for flicking through when there's nothing on mainstream TV. Takes forever to browse but find something good, true crime, old movies, world news
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
The TV is actually like that but still looking for a specific set of channels lol
GuybrushFunkwood@reddit
Some morally questionable people use a flawless IPeeTV service through an Nvidia Shield Pro. Apparently (and it’s only conjecture from me) they offer full U.K. packages as well as European and U.S as well as an on demand service carrying the very latest TV shows etc. Again I’m an ardent supporter of SKY’s reasonable rates this is only what I overheard at the pub
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
I love the way this is worded aha, I’ve also heard in passing of questionable means, but I’d rather be a pirate of the seas than the satellites (love your name, huge Monkey Island fan myself!)
GuybrushFunkwood@reddit
Do you want a new best friend 🤔🤣
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
Hell yeah! Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just glad to see me? 😂
ScumBucket33@reddit
I also heard some unscrupulous people sell subscriptions to those services for £1-2 a month through Chinese selling sites.
small_horse@reddit
what international channels?
I recall my uncle having freesat very early on, and many of the unusual international channels were available quite easily
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
I’m still waiting for my mum to send me a list of what she watches but it’s whatever channel Crime Watch is on (might be Sony?) and I’m pretty sure ATNBangla is on that list somewhere
small_horse@reddit
you'll want this then
https://www.tvchannellists.com/w/Master_list_of_satellite_television_channels_(United_Kingdom_and_Ireland)
If Encrypted then you'll need a viewing card
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
Wow this is great, thanks! It looks suspiciously like it’s all going to be encrypted channels but I’ll double check when I finally get the list
EstatePinguino@reddit
Ask around at work amongst the lads who like football, one of them will likely be able to suggest you an alternative supplier that is much more affordable and may also replace services such as Netflix.
I have a friend who has access to pretty much all media content (live & on demand) and pays £75 a year…
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
Ooooh do you know what company your friend uses?
EstatePinguino@reddit
The rumour is that it’s a friend of a friend who sorts it, though he only takes on trusted people to avoid the risk of authorities catching him.
Would love to help more, but the best way to do it is to be recommended by someone you know and who can vouch for you. I have another friend who found one from the internet but they stole his money and blocked him, so be very careful if anyone does offer it you on here.
If there’s a lad between 20-40 at your place who watches football, there’s a good chance he’ll be able to help or know someone who can
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
Feel like this is opening my eyes to a world I wasn’t aware existed haha, thanks!
Jenkes_of_Wolverton@reddit
They have various options. Check that she isn't erroneously paying for the premium package that includes all the latest movies and live sports coverage.
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
I think I took the most basic package that had Internet channels, didn’t have all the extras but there is also wifi and landline contributing to the costs and I know for a fact there are cheaper wifi options
Exact_Setting9562@reddit
Now TV seems to have most of the Sky stuff and it's like a tenner a month ?
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
I’ve had a peek and I think they only do the UK channels?
matomo23@reddit
EE TV is generally better value as you don’t need to pay for huge packs of channels you’ll never watch. It does have a South Asian channel pack, but I’ve no idea if that’s any use to your mum, or if the channels in the pack are any good! But have a look anyway.
tardyarty@reddit (OP)
South Asian is exactly what I’m looking for lol thanks, I’ll have a look!
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