Sky TV cancelled in January. Low or no cost alternatives?

Am in same position as you OP..trying to contact Sky is a job itself...

we have netflix, freesat and have recently got a Roku thingy, there's too much on Roku and jus when you think you've found something to watch it turns out to be on another channel we're not signed up to like amazon prime, now or something else that needs to be paid for, so I find it annoying as I've really not got the patience,but OH likes sitting & browsing through it (which drives me mad,just put something on! ) Luckily for me I've got a kindle fire and have a few tv apps on it. So I can watch BBCiplayer, STV player, All4 ,My5, UKTV Play and Netflix when I'm in the kitchen, which suits me fine. I can always find plenty to watch between all of these.

You can still access the normal channels via your sky box - it’s possible to set those as favourites so that the sky paid for channels don’t list. You won’t be able to pause live tv or record but the box is perfectly usable. No need to buy a free sat box.
If your tv is a smart tv you can add Netflix which in my opinion has the widest choice of decent programs or you can buy the fire stick. For Amazon prime take advantage of their free Amazon prime monthly trials when something is on you want to watch particularly. I did this to watch clarksons farm. With a smart tv you can also access bbc iplayer etc. there is no need to break the terms and conditions (law) by piggybacking off someone else’s Netflix, sorry but as the firm is clamping down on that sort of thing you run the risk of them being heavily fined.

I have never had sky.

I use Freeview - and you can get Sky Arts on that.

I piggyback on DD's Netflix; and also have amazon prime. I find all that quite enough choice!

Amazon prime is a bit annoying as I often find that something I want to watch incurs a fee.

I think if I had Sky I would be drunk with all the choices!

Smurf52 before finally cutting your ties with Sky it might be worth phoning and telling them you can no longer stay with them due to the high cost but would consider staying if they made a sizeable reduction to your monthly payments. They might offer you a more basic tv package that would meet your needs and still provide a good broadband connection.

I have never used any paid tv services. However, for many years have had a Humax PVR. Just received their latest Aura one as my christmas pressie from my children. With this, I record programmes that I think I may enjoy and watch them when I want to. Except for the occasional news programme rarely watch anything live. Particularly on any station which has adverts. Recording means I just very fast forward these - this turn one hour programmes in 50 minute ones.

Piggy bag on one of my daughter's Netflix account, I do have Amazon Prime, mainly for their delivery service, but gives me this extra on TV.

TBH, despite spending far too much time watching tv, I never seem to have enough time to watch all the programmes I would like. Such a vast choice with Freeview.

lemsip

I have no subscriptions for my tv. can't afford them.... I have a sat. dish and box and watch freesat.

If you cancel sky subscription you keep the box and continue to watch all other channels.

Ooh, really interested in this, as planning to ditch Sky tv when our contract ends in May. So they let you keep the dish and box? I have a very basic TV, but should still be able to watch terrestrial channels? I’m quite dim about these things!

I've got Freesat which is brilliant. And I subscribe £5.99 a month to Netflix, so I feel I have a good selection.

The trouble with Amazon fire stick is that there are no lists so you can’t plan the tv watching.

There's lots of good stuff on late that can be recorded. Youtube is useful too.

I have no subscriptions for my tv. can't afford them.... I have a sat. dish and box and watch freesat.

If you cancel sky subscription you keep the box and continue to watch all other channels.

When we cancelled our Sky TV account I bought a freesat box. It came with Netflix and catch up channels installed. Since getting it we had a new smart television with Netflix Amazon video etc already installed.
It's all we need.

I use a youview box [ BT ], they are the same as the Humax boxes, but usually cheaper. I like it because I can record on it. I know you can use apps for catchup like ITV, channel 4 etc, but they usually come with adverts which I dislike.
My box was about £120 as a one off, and that is it, no subscription.

I also piggy back off my son's Netflix, though I can't often find anything to watch on there that I enjoy.

If you do use Amazon, buying an Amazon Prime contract about £80?a year gives you free post and Amazon TV.
Agree Fire stick excellent value and their Black Friday deals are up soon. You can pick one up about £20.

We use BT for broadband and landline, somehow each year we negotiate it cheaper than the year before. Our living room tv is relatively elderly, an Amazon Firestick bought for half price one Black Friday and an annual Prime subscription gives us access to a wider range of television including catchup, films and videos if we want them. It’s worth costing the various options and see which best suit your budget and viewing needs.

We use BT for internet and have found them good. We don’t have Netflix, Britbox, Sky etc and never have. We just use free view as there’s always something to watch, catch up TV also very useful and we record too. Maybe, we don’t watch so much TV as others as we find this is enough for our needs. In our road, on the local groups people are constantly moaning about their Virgin broadband dropping out. We are glad we don’t use them.

A few months back my son bought me a google chromecast which plugs into the back of the tv. Once set up you can cast from your tablet or computer to the tv. I watch a lot of youtube films, documentries, tv programs that are on late at night when Im in bed, also catch up on tv programs Ive missed. Amazon sell them for £30, a lot cheaper than paying monthly to netflix, britbox etc!

We too piggyback of our daughters Netflix subscription.We also have Amazon Prime which as well as giving us Amazon Prime tv gives us free delivery on purchases from Amazon and a wide choice of books and magazines included.

We piggyback off my son’s Netflix subscription and he is 10,000 miles away. As we say, it’s the gift that keeps giving.?

Do you have family who would be happy to share? It costs them nothing.

Smurf52 Many years ago we had Sky but unfortunately my dear husband died. I had to cut back on some things so I got rid of Sky. Also our children had flown the nest and have their own families. I have Freesat instead. I don't watch much TV and Freesat is perfect with the smart TV. I can watch again if I want to catchup on a programme I missed.
I can't get Freeview here because of the mountains. Best of luck with what you choose.