Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Agreed. It's what TopUp TV should have envolved to.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I wish there was a way to select ala-carte, the channels you wanted. But if HD channels start appearing, this could become a threat to Sky/VM/BT.

I've always wanted "cable" alternatives to VM's tv offering. Perhaps this may eventually be a option.

I expect Amazon to start offering channels on its service here at some point like they do on their American service.

---------- Post added at 22:01 ---------- Previous post was at 22:01 ----------

Agree.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

This is cheaper than Now TV isn't it, how do their channels compare though?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

TV Player Plus:

Lifetime
History
H2
CI
Gold
Alibi
Watch
Good Food
Eden
Home
Discovery Channel
TLC
ID
Animal Planet
Discovery Turbo
Eurosport 1
Eurosport 2
National Geographic
Nat Geo Wild
Sony Television
Sony Movie Channel
MTV
Comedy Central
Comedy Central Extra
Nickelodeon
Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. Too
Boomerang
Cartoon Network
Baby TV
Cartoonito

Now TV:

SKY 1
SKY Atlantic
SKY Living
SKY Arts
ITV Encore
FOX
Gold (Available on TV Player Plus)
Comedy Central (Available on TV Player Plus)
MTV (Available on TV Player Plus)
Discovery Channel (Available on TV Player Plus)
Nat Geo Wild (Available on TV Player Plus)

The main difference between the services are the SKY branded channels. TV Player Plus offers a more rounded service which includes sport, kids TV, documentaries, UK entertainment and lifestyle.

Shop around, for your NOW TV passes, and you can get both Now TV and TV Player Plus for roughly £8.20 per month. Take out the overlapping channels that both services provide and your getting 37 of the top pay TV channels not available on Freeview or Freesat. If your not hung up on HD it's a real cheap alternative to subscription TV. Both TV Player Plus and NOW TV offer comprehensive catch up services for their channels so no real need for a PVR unless your recording content from freeview.

Both SKY's Original Bundle and Virgin's More TV weigh in at £20.00 per month. Both packages cost over double Now TV and TV Player Plus combined. In my opinion the Original Bundle and More TV don't offer the same quality of "premium channels" that are available from the combination of NOW TV and TV Player Plus. For around £21 per month you can get Now TV, TV Player Plus, Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. There's definitely more value to be had from streaming.

It all comes down to what you like and how you are prepared to consume your TV. I'm lucky that my LG Smart TV supports Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and NOW TV. I have an Amazon Fire TV Stick which I can use to access TV Player Plus, iPlayer, ITV Hub, 4OD, My5, UKTV Play and my favourite Boxnation. I also have a recordable YouView box in the bedroom, which could easily be promoted to the livingroom if need be. I'm in a position where a subscription to SKY or Virgin Media are no longer essential for mine or my families viewing needs. If SKY keep on offering me 50% off my TV deal every 12 months when I call to cancel I'll keep on taking it. If however they stop making the offer I have no issue at all switching to Freeview and streaming.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Interesting tvplayer also have premium addons it appears http://globo.tvplayer.com/

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Thanks for such a comprehensive response Chad.

The streaming services really are going to be a challenge to both Sky & VM and it can only get worse for them.

Good for us consumers though.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

I mentioned ala-carte in relation to tvplus earlier, but what the US cablecos are starting to do in response to the streaming threat is either offer ala-carte, self select packages, or smaller bundles of channels giving greater flexibility. It can only be a matter of time before VM does the same, albeit kicking and screaming.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Totally agree. It's what a lot of customers have been asking for for a long time now. Why pay for 200+ channels when you maybe only watch 30 of them on a regular basis?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

A better solution than we have now.

Ideally one would like to have PAYGTV so you get billed for the channels and the time you actually watch. No packages and no blocked channels. Then if a movie you really like comes up you can choose to watch it without having to have a movie pack and the commitment that involves. ( I can dream. Right? :angel:)

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Err... isn't that Virgin Movies?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Sounds like a pay per view model to me. A more expensive way of watching tv.

You can already watch films this way, incidentally!

---------- Post added at 11:14 ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 ----------

Are you talking about the 30 odd channels you personally watch? What about the rest of your family?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

30 is about right for our household. Most of our viewing is from Freeview. 10 of the 30 pay channels are kids channels for my wee boy. The wife and I watch the SKY branded channels on a regular basis. I watch Discovery, Nat Geo, H2 and Fox. She watches E!, TLC and Lifetime. We also watch the odd thing here and there on Watch and TCM. Other than that I rarely view any other pay TV channels.

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

A Now TV Live Chat advisor has said that Sky Sports Mix "will be available on Now TV as a teaser channel for all Now TV subscribers".

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Did they say from what date and for how long?

Re: Netflix/Streaming Services
 

Does anyone use Now TV for Sky Sports?
I've decided to utilise my 200 meg VM connection and try some cord cutting as getting BT Sports and Sky Sports in HD was adding nearly £60 a month to my VM bill when I hardly use the TV side of the service apart from sports and can get most channels I watch via Freeview.
I probably shouldn't admit this but I slip my dad a fiver a month to add BT Sports to his BT account and as he doesn't use the sports online I use it and it works perfectly, in fact the Windows app gives one of the best online sports picture I've ever seen without any buffering or drop in quality.
I also have a very good American friend who has no interest in football so allows me to use their NBC login, this again works perfectly via a VPN.
I try to do the right thing by buying Now TV passes for the events they show that I want to watch but every time there is an issue, on Monday night it got ridiculous, I was trying to watch the Chelsea-West Ham game and the quality dropped every couple of minutes before briefly going up again until it failed to work at all.
Out of frustration I gave up and fired up my VPN, connected to NBC and got uninterrupted 1080P streaming so my question is do others that use Now TV for sports suffer similar issues or am I just being unlucky every time I use them?
It beggars belief to me that I can connect to a server across the Atlantic, then connect to a different server and get a perfect service but can't get something from a few miles up the road to work. I add I don't get these issues when using the entertainment part of Now TV.