ARRANGING A NEW TV DEAL - WHAT TO DO!?

[Reno]

I currently have a Panasonic Plasma TV and and overly expensive broadband/TV package from VIrgin which is long out of contract. Also still using the old VM TiVo STB which no longer receives iPlayer. It's time to change and I am keen to go for a top of the range 4K TV and a new TV/broadband package from whoever. Virgin fibre is available and full fibre via Openreach is available (overhead via a pole at the rear of my house).

Culturally I have been used to recording TV. Sometimes mainstream stuff but also less popular one off documentaries or offbeat series (e.g. relating to WWs I & II). Even as a relative layman it's not difficult to see that the trend is towards streaming TV services via the internet.

From what I read my concerns going forward include :-

i) not being able to record something unusual that I cannot watch at the time it is first broadcast

ii) not being able to later watch a sporting event that clashes with one I watch live

iii) not being able to scroll through adverts

I appreciate things move on but is the age of the STB / PVR completely dead(or will it be in the next few years)?

Given SMART TVs have so much capability within themselves(particularly at the top end) do I need a STB from an ISP at all these days?

What to do?

 

[nopiano]

The only widely available product I’m aware of that might offer recording is something from Sky. However, they are moving towards Internet delivery, as YouTube, Netflix etc rely on.

Personally, I find Now TV suits us, where you select various channels or bundles from Sky and stream it. The majority are available to replay, just as the BBC is with iPlayer and ITV is with ITV X.

If you’re unused to any streaming or iThing usage then it’s bit of a learning curve, but easy enough to get familiar with. The main snag I see is you cannot flick through channels, whereas you can with a Sky box and the accompanying Dish.

With a bit of homework, Sky would probably do a great deal if you chose their internet and TV services. But you may prefer to keep things distinct, which I tend to.

Lots of content from our hosts, such as this…https://www.whathifi.com/sky/q/review

 

[jjbomber]

I appreciate things move on but is the age of the STB / PVR completely dead(or will it be in the next few years)?

What to do?

Sky's satellite deal with SES runs until 2029, so there's still a few years left in Sky Q. It's about £10 a month extra to have Sky Q rather than Sky Stream. Is it worth it? Only you can really answer that one.
You could look at a new customer offer from Virgin if you put it in your wife's name. The other main option is BT EE.

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

Providing it offers the services/channels you require and, that you have a wideband LNB on your dish, you can watch one channel whilst recording 3 others with a Freesat box.

 

[Dave_]

Providing it offers the services/channels you require and, that you have a wideband LNB on your dish, you can watch one channel whilst recording 3 others with a Freesat box.

The problem with the Freesat box though is it's persistent HDR bug that Freesat/Arris refuse to acknowledge or fix.

 

[Dave_]

I currently have a Panasonic Plasma TV and and overly expensive broadband/TV package from VIrgin which is long out of contract. Also still using the old VM TiVo STB which no longer receives iPlayer. It's time to change and I am keen to go for a top of the range 4K TV and a new TV/broadband package from whoever. Virgin fibre is available and full fibre via Openreach is available (overhead via a pole at the rear of my house).

Culturally I have been used to recording TV. Sometimes mainstream stuff but also less popular one off documentaries or offbeat series (e.g. relating to WWs I & II).

Being "one off" or "off beat" isn't really the issue, it's wether the particular broadcaster has a decent VOD service.

Even as a relative layman it's not difficult to see that the trend is towards streaming TV services via the internet.

From what I read my concerns going forward include :-

[Quote[i) not being able to record something unusual that I cannot watch at the time it is first broadcast

I've been completely VOD/ Streaming for over a decade now and now view a PVR as pointless box to clutter my living room

ii) not being able to later watch a sporting event that clashes with one I watch live

Not been an issue, with the sports I watch, at least.

iii) not being able to scroll through adverts

Adverts what are they?

Seriously, they're only an issue for those that are trying to replicate linear/broadcast over IP as far is I'm concerned.

I appreciate things move on but is the age of the STB / PVR completely dead(or will it be in the next few years)?

Realistically you've got until the end of the decade.

But bear in mind your going to be doing it on hardware that is already over a decade old and won't see a replacement.

Sky's deal ends with SES in 2029 but they could extend it further, UKTV the third biggest client of SES runs until 2030

The BBC has literally just proposed their all IP future from the 2030s based an a 3rd party report they commissioned on TV usage.

Given SMART TVs have so much capability within themselves(particularly at the top end) do I need a STB from an ISP at all these days?

I'd say no, but it really depends on whether you're trying to replicate the past over the internet or embrace the future.

What to do?

Only you can answer that

 

[Shrek]

I currently have a Panasonic Plasma TV and and overly expensive broadband/TV package from VIrgin which is long out of contract. Also still using the old VM TiVo STB which no longer receives iPlayer. It's time to change and I am keen to go for a top of the range 4K TV and a new TV/broadband package from whoever. Virgin fibre is available and full fibre via Openreach is available (overhead via a pole at the rear of my house).

Culturally I have been used to recording TV. Sometimes mainstream stuff but also less popular one off documentaries or offbeat series (e.g. relating to WWs I & II). Even as a relative layman it's not difficult to see that the trend is towards streaming TV services via the internet.

From what I read my concerns going forward include :-

i) not being able to record something unusual that I cannot watch at the time it is first broadcast

ii) not being able to later watch a sporting event that clashes with one I watch live

iii) not being able to scroll through adverts

I appreciate things move on but is the age of the STB / PVR completely dead(or will it be in the next few years)?

Given SMART TVs have so much capability within themselves(particularly at the top end) do I need a STB from an ISP at all these days?

What to do?

I would start with the TV to start with then ISP, Virgin is one of the fastest wouldn't touch BT if you can help it where i am i have no fibre had to get 5G EE in the end i know its part of BT .

the internet speed will efect your picrure quality poor speed poor picture ive been there !
i use Apple TV you do have a option to dowload content and watch off line .

Good luck .

 

[jjbomber]

the internet speed will affect your picture quality; poor speed poor picture I've been there !
I use Apple TV you do have a option to download content and watch off line .

Good luck .

I have been told that streaming companies send a test signal to the device to test it's speed and then adjust the picture accordingly. The slower the speed, the worse the picture. However, it is adjusted before the viewer starts watching, so that they don't notice.

 

[Dave_]

I have been told that streaming companies send a test signal to the device to test it's speed and then adjust the picture accordingly. The slower the speed, the worse the picture. However, it is adjusted before the viewer starts watching, so that they don't notice.

Nope.

Trying to keep it as concise/simple as possible....

With adaptive bitrate streaming, the video is essentially segmented into clips multiple seconds long and then each segment is encoded at various resolutions/bitrates*

When the client (player) requests a video it is sent a playlist file telling it the various resolutions/bitrates and the location of segments.

It is the client that determines the quality based on the network conditions at the time, ramping up and down in quality as and when required.



*Using iPlayer as an example, the segments are encoded at , 540p, 720p and 1080p with the 540p requiring around 1.5Mbps and 1080p maxing out at 5Mbps. They did even used to encode at 288p and 396p requiring even less bandwidth in the early days of 3G Smartphones but not sure if that's still the case.