Is anyone watching streaming services more?

I watch very little at the moment. I can't find much to be excited about on the main channels or streaming. I'd rather read a good book.

Normally I watch BBC Newschannel and Sky News a lot but I can't bear them at the moment, just so depressing.

I am definitely watching streaming services much more than scheduled TV.

I base a lot of my viewing on the recommendations on Must Watch on R5: it throws up programmes that I’ve never heard of. And it’s good fun, too.

I watch a lot on Prime and iplayer.
Also use ch4 catchup for MAFS UK.
Only progs on main tv at the moment are Bake Off for the fun element and Celebrity SAS both on ch4.

Is anyone having problems with the U channel? I am finding that I can see the programmes but if I try to watch one there’s an error message. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the app, but it’s still happening.

I had problems with the U channel a while ago. I was trying to watch Last Tango In Halifax, but the picture kept disappearing momentarily on and off. I thought it was my tv, but no.

Started watching it on iPlayer instead, and haven’t tried U since.

We watch Channel 4 News, News night, QT and Gardeners' World but little else on broadcast channels - too much dumbed down rubbish. We find Netflix and Prime fairly good and occasionally have used NOW (for Babylon Berlin) but we won't subscribe to others.

Cumbrianmale56 -
I really like I Player for finding old television series I haven't watched for years and binge watch them. Anything has to be better than the same clapped out shows every day on BBC One ot ITV.

...surely if you are deliberately watching old television series they are by nature old?
How are you differentiating "old" from "clapped out"?

Some of the shows people are listing above are definitely "clapped out" in my opinion?


I'm not challenging you here. Some old things are worth a second look.
I appreciate having lots of choice.

I've found I love the access to foreign language dramas that streaming allows. It is a real treat. Many of our "old shows" are decidedly "old"!

I disappeared into the Time Machine that is utube last night and watched lots of old footage of Pentangle. I hadn’t realised that they’d reformed @ 2008 and played Glastonbury. Or that, at the height of their fame they drank so heavily that they’d leave Jackie on stage singing solo and take themselves off to the bar leaving her wondering if they’d ever come back.

Doodledog

Is anyone having problems with the U channel? I am finding that I can see the programmes but if I try to watch one there’s an error message. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the app, but it’s still happening.

Apparently the problem is with Roku. I can watch U downstairs using Fire, but I usually watch U in bed, as the programmes tend to b easy watching, and that TV uses Roku. I hope it's a glitch rather than that they've stopped collaborating.

For those on the edge of of their seats waiting to see whether I can watch U in bed, I contacted them, and they are aware of the issue with Roku, and are 'working on it', whatever that means.

I've never understood how different brands of TV seem to have access to different channels/apps. You'd think that it would be like the Internet on computers - if you have access you can see everything on it - but that's not the case. A friend of mine lost access to 4OD all of a sudden, and said it was because her TV (Sony, I think) no longer had a licence to access it.

Our Channel 4 streaming is abysmal. Long , long gaps when adverts buffer. We ignore the channel if we can .

Doodledog
My mother-in-law's TV has also lost 4OD and has had a warning that BBC iplayer is ceasing anytime now.
She can't get BBC Sounds on it now either.
Hers is a Samsung.

Sorry if this is stating the obvious, but has she considered a Fire Stick or a Roku one? There may well be others, too. You pay a one-off fee for the stick, but there is no subscription fee other than for things like Netflix if you have them. The free apps (like BBC and C4) stay free.

Thank you Doodledog - yes she has but she is afraid of being confused with having to have two controls.
We had a roku very happily for years bur she won't have one!

She's 100 now and personally I think having a new TV will be at least as confusing!