Tv license

[otherclive]

Why not join NowTV a that offers all the Sky packages at a much lower subscription? Generally the contract is for 6 months if you take up their offer. We have the Entertainment, Cinema plus the booster to remove ads. Cost is about £18 a month. Netflix about £10 a month and the Plusnet broadband £28 a month which includes line rental. Works out to under £60 a month. We no longer have a phone.

Currently Sky Essentails with Netflix and 150 mp fibre is £35 pm, with anytime landline another £17 pm. Currently my broadband is 260 mp (measured) but no problem at 150 mp fibre. 300mp adds another £2pm. Reviewing their offering that would meet our needs as even with Virgin we have not used any of their offerings as we go via the various apps, or record tv for later viewing.

 

[Jcloughie]

Why not join NowTV a that offers all the Sky packages at a much lower subscription? Generally the contract is for 6 months if you take up their offer. We have the Entertainment, Cinema plus the booster to remove ads. Cost is about £18 a month. Netflix about £10 a month and the Plusnet broadband £28 a month which includes line rental. Works out to under £60 a month. We no longer have a phone.

Last time I looked at NOW TV. You had to pay a lot extra for Dolby and for HD.

John

 

[Buckman]

Last time I looked at NOW TV. You had to pay a lot extra for Dolby and for HD.

John

The entertainment channel is £5 a month, Cinema £10 a month and the Boost £6 a month. The Boost gives you ad free and also HD. The Ultra Boost at £9 gives you 4k UHD and also Dolby Atmos on 3 devices. When we took out the Sky Cinema about 3 months ago it was £7 for 12 months.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Last time I looked at NOW TV. You had to pay a lot extra for Dolby and for HD.

John

I wonder how many people opt for Dolby, HD,4K etc when their home setup isn't going to be able to produce any noticeable benefit.

Poor acoustics in home; poor hearing; low quality speakers; TV to far away and so on.

 

[Buckman]

I wonder how many people opt for Dolby, HD,4K etc when their home setup isn't going to be able to produce any noticeable benefit.

Poor acoustics in home; poor hearing; low quality speakers; TV to far away and so on.

Yep not bothered with UHD on NowTv or Dolby Atmos. Other channels like Prime ro Netfix give it to you for free. Sadly eyesight and hearing is not longer 100% to tell the difference between HD and UHD or even Dolby Atmos. Our main issue on may channels is clarity of speech as in some programs or films, the actors seem to be mumbling.

 

[RogerL]

I wonder how many people opt for Dolby, HD,4K etc when their home setup isn't going to be able to produce any noticeable benefit.

Poor acoustics in home; poor hearing; low quality speakers; TV to far away and so on.

I gave up on Hi-Fi, and subsequent improvements, back in the '80s when chemotherapy damaged my hearing - a known side-effect and better than the alternative!

 

[otherclive]

Yep not bothered with UHD on NowTv or Dolby Atmos. Other channels like Prime ro Netfix give it to you for free. Sadly eyesight and hearing is not longer 100% to tell the difference between HD and UHD or even Dolby Atmos. Our main issue on may channels is clarity of speech as in some programs or films, the actors seem to be mumbling.

To get any benefit from Dolby Atmos the tv sound has to be output from a better set of aufio kit than the tv speakers. I’ve got it on my new Bose soundbar but that was bought mainly to improve voice clarity and to improve my music listening. To really get any extra benefit I’d have to buy extra speakers for the lounge, or Bose ear buds.

 

[JTQ]

We no longer have a phone.

We opted out of a true "landline" phone, when the rental for it and call charges whether packaged or piecemeal just got to silly money.
We however retained a physical phone so our decades old number survived and we could receive calls along with making outgoing calls, and in particular the lengthy international calling our circumstances needed.
We simply transferred our landline number onto a VoIP phone piggy backed on our internet, at a "rental" cost for that of £1.20 pm, with calls even to our international destinations of a 1.5p/m.
Recent changes have greatly improved our direct mobile phone connectivity, and we could use calling via our PC but my wife in particular is more comfortable using what for all intents and purposes is a normal landline handset.
Our VoIP service is with Andrews & Arnold and its being very good, with a consistent clarity BT's analogue, it replaced, rarely had.

Still on copper as our only viable option out here, but fibre to the box which is in eye sight just down the lane.

 

[Buckman]

We opted out of a true "landline" phone, when the rental for it and call charges whether packaged or piecemeal just got to silly money.
We however retained a physical phone so our decades old number survived and we could receive calls along with making outgoing calls, and in particular the lengthy international calling our circumstances needed.
We simply transferred our landline number onto a VoIP phone piggy backed on our internet, at a "rental" cost for that of £1.20 pm, with calls even to our international destinations of a 1.5p/m.
Recent changes have greatly improved our direct mobile phone connectivity, and we could use calling via our PC but my wife in particular is more comfortable using what for all intents and purposes is a normal landline handset.
Our VoIP service is with Andrews & Arnold and its being very good, with a consistent clarity BT's analogue, it replaced, rarely had.

We did the same with our phone, but at the time the cost was about £6 per month. We now use Whatsapp for our International calls which are mainly to South Africa.

 

[JTQ]

We did the same with our phone, but at the time the cost was about £6 per month. We now use Whatsapp for our International calls which are mainly to South Africa.

Yes, Whatsapp is an option, but does not retain the historical landline number that within an elderly sphere does seem to have its appeal, plus in my case my wife's ease with using a "normal" landline handset. Particularly for what can be extended duration chats!

 

[RogerL]

We opted out of a true "landline" phone, when the rental for it and call charges whether packaged or piecemeal just got to silly money.
We however retained a physical phone so our decades old number survived and we could receive calls along with making outgoing calls, and in particular the lengthy international calling our circumstances needed.
We simply transferred our landline number onto a VoIP phone piggy backed on our internet, at a "rental" cost for that of £1.20 pm, with calls even to our international destinations of a 1.5p/m.
Recent changes have greatly improved our direct mobile phone connectivity, and we could use calling via our PC but my wife in particular is more comfortable using what for all intents and purposes is a normal landline handset.
Our VoIP service is with Andrews & Arnold and its being very good, with a consistent clarity BT's analogue, it replaced, rarely had.

Still on copper as our only viable option out here, but fibre to the box which is in eye sight just down the lane.

Vodafone offer a "free" VOIP landline, it's included in their broadband deal without extra charge - call packages are extra.

Check out Vodafone's fast fibre offers - they're using Openreach to provide underground full fibre to the property (FTTP) in many areas which only had fibre to the cabinet (FTTC)

 

[Buckman]

To get any benefit from Dolby Atmos the tv sound has to be output from a better set of aufio kit than the tv speakers. I’ve got it on my new Bose soundbar but that was bought mainly to improve voice clarity and to improve my music listening. To really get any extra benefit I’d have to buy extra speakers for the lounge, or Bose ear buds.

Hopefully you will be able to give some in depth feedback on your acquisition after 2- 3 months? Surprisingly OH agreed that we need something to improve the sound, but I think that may have to wait until after Christmas.

 

[Buckman]

Yes, Whatsapp is an option, but does not retain the historical landline number that within an elderly sphere does seem to have its appeal, plus in my case my wife's ease with using a "normal" landline handset. Particularly for what can be extended duration chats!

I am very familiar with the extended duration chats.

 

[Jcloughie]

Hopefully you will be able to give some in depth feedback on your acquisition after 2- 3 months? Surprisingly OH agreed that we need something to improve the sound, but I think that may have to wait until after Christmas.

I have been using Dolby Atmos through a Samsung soundbar with woofer and mid speakers. For some years. With their symphony system it allows for the use of the TV speakers simultaneously. I think that adds up to about 20 speakers. A decent system though far from top of the range. Together with a 4k picture when possible it provides a good experience. I feel using the technology available is more relaxing on the eyes and ears. Some seem to think that a soundbar etc. has to equal high volume, which is very much not the case.

Even in the caravan, a squeaky TV is massively enhanced with a Bluetooth speaker.

John

 

[otherclive]

We opted out of a true "landline" phone, when the rental for it and call charges whether packaged or piecemeal just got to silly money.
We however retained a physical phone so our decades old number survived and we could receive calls along with making outgoing calls, and in particular the lengthy international calling our circumstances needed.
We simply transferred our landline number onto a VoIP phone piggy backed on our internet, at a "rental" cost for that of £1.20 pm, with calls even to our international destinations of a 1.5p/m.
Recent changes have greatly improved our direct mobile phone connectivity, and we could use calling via our PC but my wife in particular is more comfortable using what for all intents and purposes is a normal landline handset.
Our VoIP service is with Andrews & Arnold and its being very good, with a consistent clarity BT's analogue, it replaced, rarely had.

Still on copper as our only viable option out here, but fibre to the box which is in eye sight just down the lane.

My wife , like yours, prefers to make and receive calls by our VIOP landline. Me I use FaceTime or WhatsApp, or just plain old WiFi calling. But the dedicated VoIP provider looks Intersting as it usefully detaches the phone from broadband supply, giving more flexibility of choice.

Do your incoming calls attract a charge?

 

[JTQ]

Do your incoming calls attract a charge?

No, thank goodness, nor does the included voice mail that is automatically sent to my email, where I can download the recording, even when miles away.
The A&A package really has been very good and quite a revelation after being provoked by BT's silly costings to find something better.
Also calls between A&A clients attract no calling charges, something within the family I have, well one of us here has, fully exploited.

 

[JTQ]

Clive, I use a Yealink like this LINK, but I got one that BT had provided that somebody dumped unused on eBay, for a good bit less. I purchased a second handset, again unused offered on the same site.
However, its likely any other VoIP phone would do, just A&A had an idiots guide to setting this brand up.

A&A can either transfer any number you "own" or give you one.
I also run a VoIP from the provider Sipgate, but via a serving no longer offered to new clients.

Both A&A and Sipgate VoIP services I can access via our Android mobiles using the free ZoiPer App, which can be handy away from home.

 

[otherclive]

Clive, I use a Yealink like this LINK, but I got one that BT had provided that somebody dumped unused on eBay, for a good bit less. I purchased a second handset, again unused offered on the same site.
However, its likely any other VoIP phone would do, just A&A had an idiots guide to setting this brand up.

Thank you , I’ve added it and A&A to my bring up list for when it’s time to review things when the Virgin Media contract come towards its end. We have a Panasonic base set with two portable house phones. They were used on the old copper BT line but the conversion to VoIP caused no problems, and I can access voice messages by ringing home remotely and inputting a PIN code just as voice message cuts in.

 

[JTQ]

Unless your Modem, or any new providers modem already features it you need an adapter to interface between the modem and VoIP handsets, in my case the Yealink base station, the "kit" linked to includes.

 

[otherclive]

Unless your Modem, or any new providers modem already features it you need an adapter to interface between the modem and VoIP handsets, in my case the Yealink base station, the "kit" linked to includes.

Yes Virgin supplied a very neat small interface adaptor unit where the line from/to the Panasonic base set is inserted. The interface box has a short cable with the standard BT plug that inserts into the Virgin router. Worked seamlessly from day 1.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLoK80SKSk&t=248s&pp=2AH4AZACAQ%3D%3D

 

[Sam Vimes]

In respect of audio quality via the TV, I think there are two different issues - for me at least.

Many actors do not have clear diction - they mumble to use the term. This is often excacerbated by the poor choice and mixing of accompanying music. Putting this all through a good sounds system, in my experience doesn't improve things but just makes it more noticeable how bad it is. I used to use a hifi system with Kef bookshelf speakers connected to my TV and it just emphasised how bad some actors are. Now I have different but good quality powered bookshelf speakers and its just the same.

I have a theory that when editing the video, this is done in a studio with top quality equipment by people with good hearing wearing top end headphones. They don't hear a problem - plus they may also come from the same part of the world as the actors.

The problem I have is that over the years my high frequency hearing has dropped off the higher you go. Fortunately I have tuneable hearing aids which I mostly use for the TV and I've tuned them to boost the high end frequencies. This does nothing for the mumbling but makes the clear dailogue even clearer.

The other use I sometimes put the hearing aids to is to reduce background noise in coffee shops for example.

There is a mute function but don't tell Mrs V.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Unless your Modem, or any new providers modem already features it you need an adapter to interface between the modem and VoIP handsets, in my case the Yealink base station, the "kit" linked to includes.

That depends on who you go with. BT Digital Voice handsets connected wirelessly with the router. No adapter needed. The ATA adapters allow for a traditional analogue - corded or cordless - to connect to the router.