Freeview TV options

Amazon firestick is a doddle to use. You might have just missed out on the recent deals though!

Do you not have a TV aerial you can plug in? I'm a bit confused as you mention a broadband supplier.
If you have a TV aerial, just plug it into any new TV and voila, Freeview.

I feel like I am missing something?

We have an LG TV which is around 7 years old now & only have Freeview (well, along with Netflix, Amazon, Disney etc.) rather than Sky/Virgin or something else.
It's really easy to use & set-up.
We also have an old Humax DVR for recording. We could just plug a HDD into the back of the TV, but until the Humax dies we'll keep using it.

The only thing that bugs me about the LG TV is how long it takes for the guide to come up. On the Humax it is instant, but it has to load on the TV & just takes a bit too long. Maybe this would not be an issue with a more expensive TV, or a different brand.

EDIT - meant to say that if you don't have an aerial then I think any of the plug-in solutions like Amazon Firestick or Google thingy (Chromecast?) will do Freeview for you.

A friend has a Roku stick, which works the same as a Firestick. We've had two Firesticks over the years and both have died. Currently use an old Humax too, but that's creaking and no longer works for stuff that was aired previously. We mostly watch on-demand stuff via a PS console now, since daughter returned from Uni.

but looking to move Broadband supplier (+ energy + mobile to Utilities Warehouse).

Firstly - is that a good idea? I've always understood UW were great at selling but not always the best on price. I'm not an 'eggs-in-one-basket' kind of person though! 🙂

Secondly - if you already have a BT Freeview box I'd be amazed if they fight for it back. Keep that and see if it still works with your new BB supplier.

If it's one of the BT freeview/youview boxes then they go on working and recording just fine without a subscription, I used one for many years. You can't get to the BT channels but the rest all works just fine.

I doubt they'll want it back and even if they did you can get another off ebay for very little.

If you watch TV shows when they are shown then get freeview, if you do them all on demand just get a Chromecast etc.

Though tbh most of the streaming apps for BBC, C4, ITV etc all now do live TV so it's possibly easier just to get a Chromecast. 

What are you watching? I get about 200 channels down the traditional aerial (198 of which are shite).

I’ve always understood UW were great at selling but not always the best on price.

From the outside looking in, they seem to be a utility supplier second and a borderline pyramid scheme first. I have a couple of friends with UW and they're both self-proclaimed "company directors" or some other nonsense.

 BT freeview/youview boxes then they go on working and recording just fine without a subscription

Aha! I was led to believe it wouldn't work without a BT subscription, so this might well put an end to the search. Otherwise, Amazon firestick sounds good.

 BT freeview/youview boxes then they go on working and recording just fine without a subscription

My sister is a UW "Partner", so I'm doing this out of loyalty - and she'll get a tidy bonus. 

borderline pyramid scheme

Kind of, but the Partners are incentivised by taking a share of the earnings, rather than faceless shareholders. Its all pretty good, no catch, genuinely aimed at enabling "financial freedom".

We currently have BT for BB and TV but looking to move Broadband supplier (+ energy + mobile to Utilities Warehouse). The catch is TV and I think we probably just need a freeview box of some kind which gives us Netflix etc.

Look at sky stream - particularly if you have FFTP. As it includes netflix. You may find (like I did) that actually although on the face of it sky always seems expensive, once you add up all the seperate things your paying for, it comes out quite well.

genuinely aimed at

I’m doing this out of loyalty

Uh-huh.

Where's your bonus? Are they genuinely lower bills?

Aha! I was led to believe it wouldn’t work without a BT subscription

I've got one. Bought second hand, I've never had a BT subscription, it works fine. Freeview channels via the aerial and a few apps for online content.

Where’s your bonus? Are they genuinely lower bills?

Well, they're not more expensive or I wouldn't do it. There's no magic here - they offer a service and their partners are rewarded for selling.

Oh, ok. Cool, then.

The business model makes my teeth itch. I've known too many friends be burned by Amway-a-like companies where the product isn't really the product, it's itself. If it is genuinely cheaper without having to shill the service to your mates / family then fill your boots of course.