Sky and no more Europsport

Frank Wilson

Garry H wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Last year S4c (free to air in Wales & borders, 134 on Sky Box) showed live coverage of the three Grand Tours of Europe and also a few of the classics. Obviously they are a "general" not "sport" tv channel so won't be anything like the coverage on Eurosport but not a bad effort. Still awaiting their schedule for this year.

I am pretty sure (though have not used it) there is a red button change language or subtitles for those who don't understand Welsh.

Yep, I concurr. I watch s4c in scotland. Wouldn't dare miss an episode of Cefn Gwlad

Must be a Celtic cultural thing as I often find myself watching BBC Alba from down here in Wales.

Garry H

Frank Wilson wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Last year S4c (free to air in Wales & borders, 134 on Sky Box) showed live coverage of the three Grand Tours of Europe and also a few of the classics. Obviously they are a "general" not "sport" tv channel so won't be anything like the coverage on Eurosport but not a bad effort. Still awaiting their schedule for this year.

I am pretty sure (though have not used it) there is a red button change language or subtitles for those who don't understand Welsh.

Yep, I concurr. I watch s4c in scotland. Wouldn't dare miss an episode of Cefn Gwlad

Must be a Celtic cultural thing as I often find myself watching BBC Alba from down here in Wales.

Cymro ydw I Frank.

TheBigBean

LakesLuddite wrote:

Bobbinogs wrote:

I use the Eurosport Player service which is multi-platform and costs about £5 a month. It does have some 'features' like whenever crap like tennis is on it is likely to overrun any cycling event...but it often works great and, for the money, I find it hard to complain although I do moan often. It does work well with the Android/iPhone app allowing me to Chromecast it too.

Don't forget that daily or weekly Sky passes can be bought via Now TV which worked really well when I watched the darts over Xmas :-)

This.

You can have the Eurosport player on two devices I seem to remember (I have the App on the iphone and the ipad), and plugging a Chromecast into the TV means I can have it there as well. The picture isn't HD though, but it's still pretty good. This method also means I can watch the TdF at work with earphones in and the phone propped up on my keyboard!
I agree that the scheduling isn't great - but I think they have improved it somewhat in the last 12 months.

Just in case anyone else reads this and thinks it is like Sky Go, the device limit is only on the app. You can use more than one laptop.

Frank Wilson

Garry H wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Last year S4c (free to air in Wales & borders, 134 on Sky Box) showed live coverage of the three Grand Tours of Europe and also a few of the classics. Obviously they are a "general" not "sport" tv channel so won't be anything like the coverage on Eurosport but not a bad effort. Still awaiting their schedule for this year.

I am pretty sure (though have not used it) there is a red button change language or subtitles for those who don't understand Welsh.

Yep, I concurr. I watch s4c in scotland. Wouldn't dare miss an episode of Cefn Gwlad

Must be a Celtic cultural thing as I often find myself watching BBC Alba from down here in Wales.

Cymro ydw I Frank.

Ah, mae'n ddrwg gen i Garry, ti wedi symud i'r Alban efo waith?

Garry H

Frank Wilson wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Last year S4c (free to air in Wales & borders, 134 on Sky Box) showed live coverage of the three Grand Tours of Europe and also a few of the classics. Obviously they are a "general" not "sport" tv channel so won't be anything like the coverage on Eurosport but not a bad effort. Still awaiting their schedule for this year.

I am pretty sure (though have not used it) there is a red button change language or subtitles for those who don't understand Welsh.

Yep, I concurr. I watch s4c in scotland. Wouldn't dare miss an episode of Cefn Gwlad

Must be a Celtic cultural thing as I often find myself watching BBC Alba from down here in Wales.

Cymro ydw I Frank.

Ah, mae'n ddrwg gen i Garry, ti wedi symud i'r Alban efo waith?

Symud I fynd I goleg yng Nghaeredin dros ugain mlynedd yn ol, a penderfynnu aros ar ol gorffen. O Ddyffryn Nantlle yn wreiddiol.

priory

I have bt broadband and was paying for btsport which is pretty much all football cricket and rugby so phoned to cancel and was told I can have btvision for the same 60gbp per year, so got that for the eurosport tennis cycling triathlon . The thing I want next is biketv which looks fun when I can see it on someone else's satellite, but it would not replace eurosport.

banditvic

On phone for 45 mins so far trying to cancel Sky, they make it so you cant do it online great.

okgo

Worth nothing that ES player is shocking

Garry H

okgo wrote:

Worth nothing that ES player is shocking

Worth noting that it worked without issue for me last year. Barring the odd interrupted coverage for the tennis overrunning.

vimfuego

Binned Sky over the weekend. Found the online "chat" service way easier to deal with than the phone line they try to force you down to cancel. Got offered all kinds of deals to stay, but told them I'm not interested & that was that - no hard sell or disbelief that for some reason I don't want to watch football like you get on the phone (if you can ever get through). So come 28th Feb (31 day notice period needed) they're gone. Got a Roku 3 box from Amazon & planning on getting the Now TV app & entertainment package at £6.99 a month (gets me Sky1 & Sky Atlantic which is all we were watching anyway) then the relevant sports pass for Lions tests etc & ES player (mate has it and hasn't had any issues). The only thing missing is Discovery but as we're about to switch the Broadband to BT, no doubt they'll try and chuck BT TV at us so may be worth seeing what they offer.

itboffin

i've signed up to eurosports player and plan to ditch sky tomorrow but will use the £2.99 a month nowtv kids sub and the odd £9.99 entertainment package but a hell of a lot less than the £56 a month i've been paying sky for years. What to do with my 3 x sky hd boxes, hold onto them i guess for when they come to their senses and drop their pricing.

I also have bt vision which has ES 1&2 but i found the content on 1&2 wasnt the same as on eurosports HD on sky or the player.

Whilst i was at it i check my bt broadband and i can upgrade from 38mbps to 52 for the same money, win win

Pross

I find it odd that Sky even undercut themselves with Now TV. Seems an odd business model!

itboffin

They might have some of the same channels but the quality is no where near, which for my purposes of providing a background noise feed for the littleun is fine, besides she would pretty much watch one episode over and over if need be so it really doesn't matter, the few non sports programmes i watch are all on catch up or recorded so it makes no difference to me.

Even things like fortitude series 2 is available as a whole season before its been aired, i guess sky know the game is changing

itboffin

The other real bonus of ditching the sky box will be getting good clear sound quality back again, whatever they did to those boxes was just shocking, when i switch from sky+ to btvision the difference is night and day

awavey

Pross wrote:

I find it odd that Sky even undercut themselves with Now TV. Seems an odd business model!

tv over broadband is a damn sight cheaper to multicast, than the costs of hiring and transmitting to bunch of satellite channels, I mean you totally exclude all the hassle of a receiver box, with all its inherent software upgrades & faults, and the fact everyone demands one for free so you never make any money on them, just leave the how people download it to watch it to them, how Amazon and Netflix, even Eurosport player do it and theyve become quite popular, and the whole Sky Go thing is about breaking the reliance on the set top box

Sky announced theyd be providing their whole service via broadband later this year, so Now may well rebrand, or change into something different. but maybe 10 or so years from now , by which time their current satellite will be end of life, I dont think Sky will be making satellite boxes anymore at all.

itboffin

after 17 years its bye bye, they started with 10% discount and eventually offered 40% but no dice

riggsy81

I have been speaking to Sky and between Feb 1st and 21st you can cancel with no early termination fee and no notice

Mikey23

and surprise surprise after i've paid my £20...

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/off-the-pit ... 90677.html

pblakeney

Mikey23 wrote:

and surprise surprise after i've paid my £20...

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/off-the-pit ... 90677.html

Pay £20 per annum for Eurosport, save £70 per month on Sky. Not bad, I'd say.

itboffin

broke the news to the family tonight to much gasping until we switched on the channels they watch and would you believe it FREE as in beer!

i'm a little bit miffed having had sky for 17 years and spent about £12k on subs in that time

RussAlf

A deal has been reached, there staying.

ryan_w-2

Woooooooooooooo

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... ent-309386

itboffin

FYI the eurosports app doesnt work on Samsung TVs nor LG from what I hear

Bobbinogs

itboffin wrote:

FYI the eurosports app doesnt work on Samsung TVs nor LG from what I hear

I suspect a standalone Chromecast connected to a decent broadband would sort that out. The TV just needs a HDMI i/p and a USB which most TVs have. Then one controls from a mobile app, works really well and only costs a one off £30 (ish). Works for a number of mobile apps too, like NowTV, Youtube, BBC, ITV, etc.

I use that solution all the time and don't have too many issues that outweigh the small outlay.

benws1

JGSI wrote:

I've had BT tv for a year now. .. the package that delivers phone, fibre and Eurosport amongst other wondrous channels .
I'm ok with it.. it 's just about sensible. but keeping a careful eye on a price hike.

BT prices are increasing:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/b ... r-bt-sport

Guess they have to raise revenues to pay for their 'amazing' football deal (which I'm not interested in at all).

Mikey23

Interesting, thanks for sharing that. It would be interesting to see how much us poor punters are having to fork out to either sky or BT for football that we dont want and never watch.

Is there a contrary argument that football is an enabler?

Mikey23

And just negotiated a deal for £20 less per month...

Frank Wilson

One good thing about cycling staying on Sky is the publicity that one of the main Pro teams can bring from many hours of live cycling. Can't remember their name, predominately black jersey with a blue stripe down it.

Mikey23

Probably cant afford them now ive cut my subs...

itboffin

Bobbinogs wrote:

itboffin wrote:

FYI the eurosports app doesnt work on Samsung TVs nor LG from what I hear

I suspect a standalone Chromecast connected to a decent broadband would sort that out. The TV just needs a HDMI i/p and a USB which most TVs have. Then one controls from a mobile app, works really well and only costs a one off £30 (ish). Works for a number of mobile apps too, like NowTV, Youtube, BBC, ITV, etc.

I use that solution all the time and don't have too many issues that outweigh the small outlay.

Yeah its what I'm doing, as it happens most smart tv are far from anything like smart and the apps in them now are more likely to stop working over time, anyone who's ever tried to use the built in web browser on a samsung will know this.