I've cancelled Sky and I'm chuffed!

[Parm]

The football season is drawing to a close and I made the call to Sky today to get my account cancelled, it'll all be turning off on May 27th, yay!!

I've been a subscriber for a few years now and always had the top package (currently £43.50) but it became apparent that my main reasoning for having it was the football. The movies and other programming are certainly a nice addition but for £43.50 it just burns too many large holes in my pockets.

I found Football next year is going to be awkward, Sky will be showing some Premiership games and Setanta will be showing some other Premiership games. I'm never going to get them both so I'd never have managed to catch all the football anyway. Back to good ol' Match of the Day for me and if there is a game I really need to see, I'll just head over to the pub.

As for movies, I could sign up for a DVD rental system that'd work out a lot cheaper than Sky and I'd have the added bonus of DVD quality movies.

Then there's TV series, I do watch quite a few of them (24, Lost, Heroes, Sopranos etc) but even those will be more accessible. I'll just download them on the PC (probably even in HD which I'd have had to pay £10 extra per month to get on Sky) and stream them to my big screen via the Xbox 360.

Anyway! Just thought I'd share with you how strangely satisfying it is to break away from SkyTV. Now, how does that freeview gizmo work?

[vicar]

Hurray all drinks are on you, with so much mooolah in your pocket.

[dangel]

Good for you - i'm about a week or so away from doing the same myself - got freeview running and a HTPC to handle it with few glitches to work out before i push the destruct button on my Sky+ service.

Sod Sky - they're overpriced and their software is utter rubbish..

[Koolpc]

Sky £26 is a rip off as you still have to pay £11 for your phone line = £37!

[Odc]

Originally Posted by Parm

Then there's TV series, I do watch quite a few of them (24, Lost, Heroes, Sopranos etc) but even those will be more accessible. I'll just download them on the PC (probably even in HD which I'd have had to pay £10 extra per month to get on Sky) and stream them to my big screen via the Xbox 360.

I do that and it works a treat even if I've only got 4gb left (bring on that upgrade ). Good on ya' for cancelling though. It's always seemed like a scam to me

[Spud1]

Originally Posted by Parm

Then there's TV series, I do watch quite a few of them (24, Lost, Heroes, Sopranos etc) but even those will be more accessible. I'll just download them on the PC (probably even in HD which I'd have had to pay £10 extra per month to get on Sky) and stream them to my big screen via the Xbox 360.

So instead of paying for your TV episodes, your just going to steal them? right....

I think you have just made a mistake, sky provide an excellent service for a very reasonable amount of money - why not simple drop down your service to a cheaper price plan? Or haggle with disconnections to get the price down.

Now is a bad time to leave sky too, especially with the recent introduction of on demand TV (at last!) and the fact freeview will soon lose all the sky channels it currently carries.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

i agree with spud1. take off the movies and sports channel and you will only be spending around £20 a month.

[Gordy]

For channels not much better than the ones you can get for free...

[Spud1]

Originally Posted by Gordy

For channels not much better than the ones you can get for free...

Depends what you like to watch doesn't it? Sure the BBC has some good programs, ITV has corrie..C4 has...well the odd good show and a billion 'top 100' shows, C5? Is that still around?..

Wheras with sky you get the Sky1/2/3, UKGold and the indispensible Discovery/Nat Geo...TV wouldn't be the same without Aircrash Investigation and Seconds from Disaster!

Its all down to what you watch as to whether its worth it or not really, and for me and millions of others out there who want to watch these programs and refuse to lower ourselves to the level of a pirate, Sky is the only way.

[Lee @ SCAN]

Originally Posted by Spud1

Wheras with sky you get the Sky1/2/3,

I hate the fact you go to watch something on sky one/two/three and as soon as the "titles" have just passed on the screen they have a damn break for adverts !

I mean come on - 10 minutes into the show and they have a break. Is this because they think half the viewing audience has ADHD and cannot concentrate on the TV for longer than this, or have they been told that their main watching demographic is geriatric old fogies with incontinence and weak bladders ?

As soon as they started this I cancelled my account as it's a joke to expect you to sit for 10 mins and then be happy with 5 mins of adverts all the time.

[father smurf]

you mean like with american telly?

[Spud1]

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

I hate the fact you go to watch something on sky one/two/three and as soon as the "titles" have just passed on the screen they have a damn break for adverts !

I mean come on - 10 minutes into the show and they have a break. Is this because they think half the viewing audience has ADHD and cannot concentrate on the TV for longer than this, or have they been told that their main watching demographic is geriatric old fogies with incontinence and weak bladders ?

As soon as they started this I cancelled my account as it's a joke to expect you to sit for 10 mins and then be happy with 5 mins of adverts all the time.

/me pats his 300gig Tivo..

[Parm]

I wouldn't go as far as to say Sky's service is bad, I've never had a problem with them myself. The cancellations guy on the phone was nice to talk to as well.

For me personally, I just don't find Sky good value for money. I'm delighted with my decision to cancel it and believe now is as good a time as any to do it. Dangel, good luck with yours! I think I'll be investing in a HTPC myself later in the year.

Lee, I agree with you on the ads, drive you bananas. Fortunately I use (soon to be used) Sky+ so I'd record the show and watch it later on so I could forward the ads. Mind you, the ads on Sky One (there's a Sky Two and Three? ) aren't half as bad as the live football on Sky Sports. Try listening to a few hours of Andy Gray babbling on and it'll soon put you off hehehe.

[Funkstar]

Well i have the complete Sky package for a few weeks while i'm working up in Shetland. The only thing i'll miss when i get home is the Discovery channels, National Geographic and Paramount Comedy.

I really wish there was a way to get just these channels without having to get a Sky subscription.

[Koolpc]

Freeview is great.

[Tarffie]

Originally Posted by Spud1

C5? Is that still around?..

Better than the other 4 channels quite regularly, imo (daytime not included).