[TV] Television these days

Simster · Apr 7, 2022

It really is so easy to spend an absolute fortune on telly these days isn't it?

Up until this month, we've been paying the following every month (not to mention Spotify as another media service, or the TV license):
Disney+ £6.99
Netflix £13.99
Prime £6.66 (paid annually to save money, but includes 1 day delivery)
Virgin £74 (was less, but went up - includes broadband, phone, TV bells and whistles)

Now obviously I've just done what everyone does with Virgin and negotiated downwards to £40 (but am now stuck in another 18 month contract with an early get-out charge), and I've cancelled Disney - but really it feels like a huge expense.

When people whinge about the TV license and the BBC, they really need to look at how TV costs have rocketed in the modern era. Even if we're able to stream almost anything and pay for live sport that wasn't previously available, I'm still not sure we're really getting value as consumers.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Apr 7, 2022

On the plus side, the licence fee will soon be gone.

Along with the BBC

:facepalm:

Springal · Apr 7, 2022

Agreed - so simple to see why Channel 4 and BBC are being targeted by the Government when you look at how we are moving in terms of viewing habits. Throw in new players like DAZN for Sports/Boxing etc and all starts to add up. Sad thing is none of those business are UK based and most of them are losing huge amounts of money.

The Clamp · Apr 7, 2022

I find Netflix (which I get free use of through a mate’s account) and the batch of traditional streaming channels like BBC iPlayer do me fine. Walter Presents on 4 alone would probably keep me going til death claims me. I also alternate between Prime and Now TV subscriptions. Three months on each seems to be enough of a gap for them to get some new stuff on there.

Combined with an Odeon limitless memberships, my entertainment needs are more than covered.

There is a HUGE raft of crap that gets made and is hailed as “the next blah blah such’n’such” but the VAST majority of it is dross. If it had been made in the 80’s and 90’s it would have been aired on ITV at 1am on a Sunday morning like Renegade or The Highwayman. Good budgets for their time but utter, 2nd rate shite.

As for the Netflix original movies, has there been a good one yet? They are all appalling. “Don’t Look Up”, “Da 5 Bloods”, etc. all dogshit.

And as you say, it can all add up to a hefty monthly bill.

Just as the Tory’s like it ;-)

zefarelly · Apr 7, 2022

we have virgin, suits us as a family, TBH we don't really watch TV much so if belts need to be tightened it'd be one of the first things I'd ditch. It would Probably be cheaper for me to go to the pub to watch the odd match!

m@goo · Apr 7, 2022

It staggers me when I hear people spending £70 or £80 a month on TV and broadband packages. It's an absolute racket. Add on top of that about the same amount if you need to have the latest phone...

I pay about £34 for TalkTalk tv and broadband after threatening to leave and I begrudge paying that. I have Netflix too which is good value and I do think the Amazon Prime deal is good value for money. Not only for the quick deliveries but also the (somewhat mediocre) Fire TV and (somewhat limited) music streaming.

If I want to watch anything else that appears on Disney etc I use Cinema HD on the Fire stick

MJsGhost · Apr 7, 2022

For us:

Netflix £9.99
Amazon Prime £6.66 (not used much for TV, but useful for the Amazon deliveries)
All4+ £3.99 (IMO amazing value for money as I LOATHE adverts and am short on time - it's amazing the difference stripping out the time wasted on adverts can make)
TV license £13.25 (I'd happily pay double)
NowTV sports £33.99

It does add up, doesn't it?

This thread was a useful reminder to do some subscription housekeeping.

I've just cancelled NowTV as I very rarely get to watch any sport (11 month old daughter has RUINED my life :lolol:

)

I have also cancelled Wine52 (was going to anyway as I'd only signed up for the free case) AND I have also cancelled Beer52 - as much as I like a variety of beers, too many misses rather than hits and I'm just going to buy more of the beer I like rather than holding my nose to finish a can of 'Gender Fluid' milkshake IPA (true story).

What's next? I reckon I can trim some excess from my £54 pm BT broadband by either threatening to leave, or signing up elsewhere...

NooBHA · Apr 7, 2022

Bring back the '' Test Card ''

https://www.google.com/search?q=Tes...I76QKHZQfAdkQ_B16BAhYEAE#imgrc=V0mbVz0uEqrimM

Gwylan · Apr 7, 2022

I'm ditching Now Sports as I watch Sky so rarely. I know they have test cricket but watching England is not a big plus right now.

If Albion are on at an away match, I'll get a day pass,

We're also looking at ditching Netflix as it's pretty rubbish - the kids like it but I wonder how long before they've watched everything. Amazon Prime is worth it - just about. And I'll keep Now Entertainment as that's pretty good.

Oh, for the days when terrestrial TV offered everything, without looking elsewher

LamieRobertson · Apr 7, 2022

The Clamp said:
I find Netflix (which I get free use of through a mate’s account) and the batch of traditional streaming channels like BBC iPlayer do me fine. Walter Presents on 4 alone would probably keep me going til death claims me. I also alternate between Prime and Now TV subscriptions. Three months on each seems to be enough of a gap for them to get some new stuff on there.

Combined with an Odeon limitless memberships, my entertainment needs are more than covered.

There is a HUGE raft of crap that gets made and is hailed as “the next blah blah such’n’such” but the VAST majority of it is dross. If it had been made in the 80’s and 90’s it would have been aired on ITV at 1am on a Sunday morning like Renegade or The Highwayman. Good budgets for their time but utter, 2nd rate shite.

As for the Netflix original movies, has there been a good one yet? They are all appalling. “Don’t Look Up”, “Da 5 Bloods”, etc. all dogshit.

And as you say, it can all add up to a hefty monthly bill.

Just as the Tory’s like it ;-)

You forgot to mention the benefit of this membership where you can spend the whole day in the cinema, saving a fortune on your heating bill during Winter…great alternative to the library

The Clamp · Apr 7, 2022

I’d happily get by on my BBC licence for entertainment and have done in the past. And would happily do so again. Films, documentary, comedy, news, radio. It is almost endless.

It would be my desert island disc luxury; a laptop and a BBC license.

The Clamp · Apr 7, 2022

LamieRobertson said:
You forgot to mention the benefit of this membership where you can spend the whole day in the cinema, saving a fortune on your heating bill during Winter…great alternative to the library

Ha! If only there were actually some decent films out!

zefarelly · Apr 7, 2022

The Clamp said:
I’d happily get by on my BBC licence for entertainment and have done in the past. And would happily do so again. Films, documentary, comedy, news, radio. It is almost endless.

It would be my desert island disc luxury; a laptop and a BBC license.

If it was just me I'd be more than happy with the same. especially as my i pad seems to have come with a free BHA streaming service pre installed

Chicken Run · Apr 7, 2022

Simster said:
It really is so easy to spend an absolute fortune on telly these days isn't it?

Up until this month, we've been paying the following every month (not to mention Spotify as another media service, or the TV license):
Disney+ £6.99
Netflix £13.99
Prime £6.66 (paid annually to save money, but includes 1 day delivery)
Virgin £74 (was less, but went up - includes broadband, phone, TV bells and whistles)

Now obviously I've just done what everyone does with Virgin and negotiated downwards to £40 (but am now stuck in another 18 month contract with an early get-out charge), and I've cancelled Disney - but really it feels like a huge expense.

When people whinge about the TV license and the BBC, they really need to look at how TV costs have rocketed in the modern era. Even if we're able to stream almost anything and pay for live sport that wasn't previously available, I'm still not sure we're really getting value as consumers.

If you don’t think you’re getting value for money then do the sensible thing and bin it all off?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

AmexRuislip · Apr 7, 2022

It's all about life balance IMO.
Do you pay top dollar for all of Sky, BT services etc...
and never see daylight or talk to a soul ever again.
Or do what we do, minimal amount of tv, listen to music and enjoy conversation :shrug:

zefarelly · Apr 7, 2022

AmexRuislip said:
It's all about life balance IMO.
Do you pay top dollar for all of Sky, BT services etc...
and never see daylight or talk to a soul ever again.
Or do what we do, minimal amount of tv, listen to music and enjoy conversation

Conver what ?

not at the volumes I listen to music :lolol:

Simster · Apr 7, 2022

Chicken Run said:
If you don’t think you’re getting value for money then do the sensible thing and bin it all off?

I don't think it amounts to great value for money, no, but removing ALL of what I have is a tough sell to the kids who have got used to some of it.

I guess what I'm really saying is that it's nice to have some of these services that weren't available decades ago, but because it's all so fragmented it doesn't really offer that much value for money.

Consider this: back in the 90s, if I wanted to watch a test match and a first division football match on the same day, I could tune into the BBC to watch the cricket for free but the football match wasn't available anywhere. So I got half of what I wanted to see for the cost of, say, 15p in real terms. Nowadays I need a BT Sport subscription for the cricket and while the football is available, I'll probably need another subscription to watch it - that's a total of around £7-8 at a guess for my viewing pleasure on that day.

Honestly, can you not understand where I'm coming from?

Solid at the back · Apr 7, 2022

Chicken Run said:
If you don’t think you’re getting value for money then do the sensible thing and bin it all off?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

This.

Stop crying about it and get IPTV.

The Clamp · Apr 7, 2022

zefarelly said:
If it was just me I'd be more than happy with the same. especially as my i pad seems to have come with a free BHA streaming service pre installed

This is the thing isn’t it. If you’ve got a family or a house of different people they all want everything on tap.
It’s easier being just me. In fact thinking about it, I’d probably get by just on Redtube ;-)

Chicken Run · Apr 7, 2022

Simster said:
I don't think it amounts to great value for money, no, but removing ALL of what I have is a tough sell to the kids who have got used to some of it.

I guess what I'm really saying is that it's nice to have some of these services that weren't available decades ago, but because it's all so fragmented it doesn't really offer that much value for money.

Consider this: back in the 90s, if I wanted to watch a test match and a first division football match on the same day, I could tune into the BBC to watch the cricket for free but the football match wasn't available anywhere. So I got half of what I wanted to see for the cost of, say, 15p in real terms. Nowadays I need a BT Sport subscription for the cricket and while the football is available, I'll probably need another subscription to watch it - that's a total of around £7-8 at a guess for my viewing pleasure on that day.

Honestly, can you not understand where I'm coming from?

When I look at why I have Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple + and Discovery + it’s always because of one show , very costly as you say and my children have all moved out to their own places so no excuse for me

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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