Switching from SKY TV to NOW TV

[Carnero]

My current SKY TV contract (TV + Sports @ £40pm) ends in September. As I only really watch the  sports channels I am thinking about cancelling SKY TV altogether switching to NOW TV with sports instead. I can split the monthly cost with a mate so effectively the Sports would be a more reasonable £15pm.

Have any of you used NOW TV and is it found to be reliable to use for  live sports? Any tips/advice?

[Tamworthram]

2 minutes ago, Carnero said:

My current SKY TV contract (TV + Sports @ £40pm) ends in September. As I only really watch the  sports channels I am thinking about cancelling SKY TV altogether switching to NOW TV with sports instead. I can split the monthly cost with a mate so effectively the Sports would be a more reasonable £15pm.

Have any of you used NOW TV and is it found to be reliable to use for  live sports? Any tips/advice?

I only watch sports on Now TV when I buy a daily pass to watch Derby (when they used to be on). Never ever had a problem.

[Day]

I used to watch through NOW splitting the payments with the father in law, the only cons are you are sometimes around a minute behind watching it through a Sky/Virgin box. Also no ability to pause, rewind and all that jazz.

The money saved though kinda makes up for it. 

Never had any issues with buffering or anything like that. 

As far as tips go, this is a standard one that everyone should really do and that’s splitting your 2.5 and 5Ghz connections, these smart routers that think they know it all and switch you back and forth can drop connection.

Connect to which suits you better per room.

5Ghz is faster speeds but shorter range.

2.5Ghz is slower speeds but greater range.

Just name them something like Carnero and Carnero 5 so you know which to connect to.

[BaaLocks]

My main tip would be to manage your timing. For example, if you watch golf or the F1 then sometimes it makes sense to get your 24 hour pass at the exact minute of the Derby kick off so you can then still watch other events that will happen while your 24 hour pass is still valid.

Same point for a monthly pass - I got one for the Lions tour and then got (iirc) a couple of Derby games in the same package so it worked out doing a month pass than five or so day passes.

Oh, and be careful to makesuer you don't have auto-renew enabled if you book a month package - got caught on that one before. 

Edited August 26, 2022 by BaaLocks

[ketteringram]

2 hours ago, David said:

I used to watch through NOW splitting the payments with the father in law, the only cons are you are sometimes around a minute behind watching it through a Sky/Virgin box. Also no ability to pause, rewind and all that jazz.

The money saved though kinda makes up for it. 

Never had any issues with buffering or anything like that. 

As far as tips go, this is a standard one that everyone should really do and that’s splitting your 2.5 and 5Ghz connections, these smart routers that think they know it all and switch you back and forth can drop connection.

Connect to which suits you better per room.

5Ghz is faster speeds but shorter range.

2.5Ghz is slower speeds but greater range.

Just name them something like Carnero and Carnero 5 so you know which to connect to.

with that, do you mean I should switch the connection from one to the other depending on which room I'm in? Or, do you mean different devices set to different frequency? So maybe my phone on 5, hers on 2.5 ?

Just wondering, as we're supposed to have super duper WiFi etc, but upstairs, it's rubbish to non existent. And I'm talking small house here!

[Day]

1 hour ago, ketteringram said:

with that, do you mean I should switch the connection from one to the other depending on which room I'm in? Or, do you mean different devices set to different frequency? So maybe my phone on 5, hers on 2.5 ?

Just wondering, as we're supposed to have super duper WiFi etc, but upstairs, it's rubbish to non existent. And I'm talking small house here!

So if you're upstairs and your router is downstairs, switch to 2.5ghz.

That will give you lower but more consistent speeds. 

Devices such as TV's, any Amazon Alexa/HomePod style speakers, it's best to leave them on 2.5Ghz.

Save 5Ghz for phones, tablets, computers, game consoles

[Boycie]

2 hours ago, David said:

So if you're upstairs and your router is downstairs, switch to 2.5ghz.

That will give you lower but more consistent speeds. 

Devices such as TV's, any Amazon Alexa/HomePod style speakers, it's best to leave them on 2.5Ghz.

Save 5Ghz for phones, tablets, computers, game consoles

We’ve disabled our 5ghz, our ring doorbell, WiFi cctv and sky go don’t like it.

Edited August 26, 2022 by Boycie

[uttoxram75]

9 minutes ago, Boycie said:

We’ve disabled our 5ghz, our ring doorbell, WiFi cctv and sky go don’t like it.

Were moving to a cave in Ashbourne to save on gas and electricity.

[Day]

7 hours ago, Boycie said:

We’ve disabled our 5ghz, our ring doorbell, WiFi cctv and sky go don’t like it.

Which is why you split it, run those off 2.5, not disable it, deary me.

[ariotofmyown]

13 minutes ago, David said:

Which is why you split it, run those off 2.5, not disable it, deary me.

Can you split a normal EE router or do you need special equipment?

[ariotofmyown]

14 hours ago, Carnero said:

My current SKY TV contract (TV + Sports @ £40pm) ends in September. As I only really watch the  sports channels I am thinking about cancelling SKY TV altogether switching to NOW TV with sports instead. I can split the monthly cost with a mate so effectively the Sports would be a more reasonable £15pm.

Have any of you used NOW TV and is it found to be reliable to use for  live sports? Any tips/advice?

I split Now TV with Dad and rarely ever pay the usual £35. They are always offering £20/£25 quid for a set number of months (which you can still leave at anytime).

I think you may need the £5 boost package to use on more than one device at same time though.

[Day]

5 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

Can you split a normal EE router or do you need special equipment?

Quick Google came up with this:

On the Advanced / Wireless Settings page of the SH there is a button near the top to Separate the Bands. Turn it ON. Then the 5GHz SSID will appear starting with "5GHz-" & the 2.4 GHz SSID not starting with "5GHz-". Then connect your devices to the 2.4 GHz SSID if they can't do 5GHz.

(to access this page there is an IP address on the back of your router, put that in your browser)

[ariotofmyown]

1 minute ago, David said:

Quick Google came up with this:

On the Advanced / Wireless Settings page of the SH there is a button near the top to Separate the Bands. Turn it ON. Then the 5GHz SSID will appear starting with "5GHz-" & the 2.4 GHz SSID not starting with "5GHz-". Then connect your devices to the 2.4 GHz SSID if they can't do 5GHz.

(to access this page there is an IP address on the back of your router, put that in your browser)

Cheers, I've never heard of this before, sounds great!

[Carnero]

1 hour ago, ariotofmyown said:

I split Now TV with Dad and rarely ever pay the usual £35. They are always offering £20/£25 quid for a set number of months (which you can still leave at anytime).

I think you may need the £5 boost package to use on more than one device at same time though.

Yes that sounds like the plan. Have you found it to be reliable too? Seems like a good option versus paying for a load of channels that I don't watch just to have the sports! I still don't have a smart tv so will be using Chromecast via the now tv app, is this something you've done, or should I just take the plunge and get a smart tv at some point?

[Boycie]

1 hour ago, David said:

Which is why you split it, run those off 2.5, not disable it, deary me.

Nah mate, the devices try to pick up the 5ghz still.

Get with it, it was already spilt you numpty ?

[CBX1985]

17 hours ago, Carnero said:

My current SKY TV contract (TV + Sports @ £40pm) ends in September. As I only really watch the  sports channels I am thinking about cancelling SKY TV altogether switching to NOW TV with sports instead. I can split the monthly cost with a mate so effectively the Sports would be a more reasonable £15pm.

Have any of you used NOW TV and is it found to be reliable to use for  live sports? Any tips/advice?

I have BT TV, which has Now TV that you can record and you can get BT Sport as part of the bundle.

I pay £42pm over twenty four month contract for Sky Sports, BT Sport and Sky entertainment.  Remember, the SS part comes from Now TV so you can still share with your mate - but you get BT sport effectively thrown in; £35pm for all the Sport channels so £17.50each.

The downside is you cannot get it unless you subscribe to BT Broadband, but they negotiated that down to the same level as Sky offered me.

[Ram-Alf]

4 hours ago, ariotofmyown said:

Cheers, I've never heard of this before, sounds great!

Cheeses Christ, I've never heard of it, Don't understand it either, I've got a manual can opener tho ?

[Day]

12 hours ago, Boycie said:

Nah mate, the devices try to pick up the 5ghz still.

Get with it, it was already spilt you numpty ?

If they are split, and you connect your devices to the 2.5Ghz, they wouldn't try to connect to anything else.

[Rev]

I saved over £70 a month by calling Sky to quit yesterday. 

I'm still paying a lot mind, but I am a greedy hound, and the missus can't live without BT Sport.

[Boycie]

19 minutes ago, David said:

If they are split, and you connect your devices to the 2.5Ghz, they wouldn't try to connect to anything else.

Not true for the WiFi sky multiroom.

Ive had the engineers round twice scratching their heads.  Ended up switching of the 5ghz channel.

They did give me a plug in booster to boost the 2.4 channel mind.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Boycie