Which TV box to get?

[ColchesterFC]

We have moved house and have ditched Sky so I am looking at getting a TV box. The two possibles at the minute are the Amazon Fire box or the Now TV box. I quite like the Fire box as we will have a Prime subscription so will get all the extras from that but I also like the fact I can get the Now TV kids pass for a couple of quid a month.

So I'm looking for forum recommendations. Which would you go for and are there any others that I should look at? Also will I need to get fibre broadband for these to work properly or will it work ok with normal broadband?

 

[bobmac]

Have you considered the BT VIEW box?

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I have an Amazon Fire box with BT Infinity broadband and have no issues, allegedly if you know someone or go on Youtube you can have KODI installed on it and get every TV programme, latest films and live sport to watch,

 

[ColchesterFC]

Have you considered the BT VIEW box?

Do I need BT internet to get this or can I just get the tv bit on its own?

 

[bobmac]

Do I need BT internet to get this or can I just get the tv bit on its own?

Dont quote me but I think you can either buy the box outright or pay BT so much per month or get a package with calls, line rental, internet etc

 

[guest100718]

I went with a Humax freesat box. Great bit of kit

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I went with a Humax freesat box. Great bit of kit

TBH that would be my thinking too.

 

[Lambchops]

I have an Amazon Fire box with BT Infinity broadband and have no issues, allegedly if you know someone or go on Youtube you can have KODI installed on it and get every TV programme, latest films and live sport to watch,

As I live outside the Uk I don't get uk TV so I paid 40quid for a beelink GT1 box, installed SPMC (android specific version of kodi) and got a 'paid' sub - all sports in HD, English TV for 50quid a year plus the free movie/TV Boxset addons

 

[Rooter]

Not sure whether the amazon box is different to the stick, but if its the same i couldnt like with just that.. we have prime, netflix and sky and i still struggle to find stuff to watch!

 

[CliveW]

Are these alternatives to Sky dependent on fibre optic or high speed broadband? Our broadband speed (On a good day) is around 1.2 mbps and even trying to watch YouTube is a nightmare with buffering!

 

[Rooter]

Are these alternatives to Sky dependent on fibre optic or high speed broadband? Our broadband speed (On a good day) is around 1.2 mbps and even trying to watch YouTube is a nightmare with buffering!

Then Freesat or Freeview are your only realistic options. IMHO

 

[CliveW]

Then Freesat or Freeview are your only realistic options. IMHO

Thanks, that's what I thought. Technology seems to have left me behind, but at the beginning of the month when Sky looked like losing Discovery I popped into PC World to ask what the alternatives were and they suggested Virgin or BT, but on contacting them they said I needed faster broadband.

 

[Rooter]

Thanks, that's what I thought. Technology seems to have left me behind, but at the beginning of the month when Sky looked like losing Discovery I popped into PC World to ask what the alternatives were and they suggested Virgin or BT, but on contacting them they said I needed faster broadband.

Yeh so much stuff is being forced down the internet route, which is great if you have it, but as you know well, not everyone has superfast home broadband! If i were you and you have the dish and the wiring, go freesat. If you go freeview, you will need an aerial.

 

[jusme]

Op- you never mentioned your broadband speed. Certainly no need for fibre for any of these services. Sure you will struggle if it's below 3/4 but generally the average is above and often way above that. I am a big fan of Firestick or box with kodi or the likes. In absence of such then freesat is the obvious route given you have the dish in situ.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Download speed 11.3mb/s, upload speed 1.4mb/s according to Broadband Speed Checker.

 

[chrisd]

Talk to Love Digital and if your Sky was in your name put in your other half's. I got a new Sky Q box and, for the full package, pay £30 per month for a year

 

[jusme]

Download speed 11.3mb/s, upload speed 1.4mb/s according to Broadband Speed Checker.

With that speed you will have no problem at all with any streaming service mentioned here. All options open to you

 

[sawtooth]

Also don't underestimate your buying power with Sky. Sure they will try to charge as much as they can but at the end of the day would not want to lose your custom altogether.

They seem to rely on the majority to keep paying premium prices for the sky package but the odd few that really haggle and really threaten to leave do get some fabulous deals to stay. I pay approx half retail price for my sky package than the average person does.

It's that way or I leave and you don't get a penny, simple as that!

 

[srixon 1]

I went with a Humax freesat box. Great bit of kit

I have two of these, one in each downstairs room. Both are fed with 2 satellite inputs so can watch one channel whilst recording another. Excellent bits of kit.

 

[Fish]

Not sure whether the amazon box is different to the stick, but if its the same i couldnt like with just that.. we have prime, netflix and sky and i still struggle to find stuff to watch!

My renewal for Prime is up on the 22nd and I don't watch it very much, if at all, but, I do watch Netflix and have quite a few programmes on the go, so, can I cancel my Prime and still access Netflix through my Firestick?

Edit: Just looked up the Humax HB-1000S which is only £79 which is the cost of Prime for 12 months, would I be better off buying that instead as I can see Netflix on the that?