So are you cancelling Sky?

Forums › Sky, Neon, Lightbox › So are you cancelling Sky?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ... | 11

4583 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1418126 1-Nov-2015 13:03

Just helping my parents go through the motions if getting to the point where they can cancel sky.
They've had fibre installed just last week and I've organised an ATV4 for them.
Then it will be Getflix and Netflix plus Freeview for them.
The only reason they have sky is for the Rialto channel, they don't watch sport. Still been costing them around $70 a month.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1418259 1-Nov-2015 19:10

I flicked Sky after the Cricket World Cup. I realized that all the stuff I was recording was on the free to air channels, and I was essentially paying $73 per month to have the Living Channel on in the background - rising to over $100 when I added sport to watch the cricket. I have Netflix and Hulu Plus, supplemented with on demand services from NZ, UK and Aussie. I only really watch cricket so when the Black Caps are playing I intend to use Willow TV, which streams in HD. Still cheaper than what I was paying for Sky. I can't see myself going back.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

tdgeek

29746 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1418262 1-Nov-2015 19:17

Rikkitic:
tdgeek:
dafman:
tdgeek: I am intending to. Holding off for RWC, may as well hold off for MotoGP and F1 to end which is weeks away now.

I don't see a hoard cancelling. They could have cancelled last week, last month, last year. Those that got Sky for RWC will cancel in months. So I don't really see much churn going on, no more than usual, and that is low. Sky is quite sticky for many. Ive read some here cancel as the content is $%%^& Why did you still have it??

Should streaming get more advertising air time, and should Sky lower prices that is what I will watch for over coming weeks. I pay $100, Basic, Sport, MySkyHDi, HD. If that went to $49 as the deal we see, great, I'd keep it. If it went to $75, yeah, keep it

At $75, you'd stream Netflix and Lightbox and still be $50 better off to boot, so it's beyond me why you would stay with Sky.

I couldn't believe when Sky launched Neon that they didn't bundle it free for their $120+ per month existing subscribers. Outdated corporate greed.

Bit of a wild criticism.

Let me know where BBC Knowledge and CI and NatGeo and History and MotoGP and Formula 1 are on Netflix and Lightbox.

Its about content. For some, Sky content is meh, for others thats where their content lives.

I find it interesting that Sky is a lot like Microsoft. Some people think it is okay, some loathe it, no-one loves it.

Great point. Its about the product, not about the manufacturer. Its called the Tall Poppy Syndrome

Sideface

9355 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1418266 1-Nov-2015 19:31

I cancelled several months ago, after almost 10 years with Sky.

Why did I cancel?

ridiculously expensive
too many totally unnecessary advertising breaks
intrusive on-screen Sky logo
poor image quality
a deteriorating selection of programs
I am not a sports fan
I had HD Netflix at a fraction of the price

I cancelled on the day that my Sky contract expired.
Sky made no attempt to persuade me to stay.

All better now

Sideface

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1418385 1-Nov-2015 21:45

tdgeek: ...
Let me know where BBC Knowledge and CI and NatGeo and History and MotoGP and Formula 1 are on Netflix and Lightbox.
...

It looks like factual content is important to you, as it is to me. Check this out:

https://app.curiositystream.com/

Founded by John Hendricks, formerly of the Discovery Channel:

John Hendricks, Founder and Chairman, is uniquely qualified to launch CuriosityStream, the new SVOD service focused on premium factual content. With more than three decades in the television business, Hendricks understands the power of quality content, the importance of lifelong learning and the new direction of television.

Hendricks is founder and until May 2014 was Chairman of Discovery Communications, the global media parent company of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC and Science, among many other television networks and ancillary businesses and brands. He was the driving force behind the company’s dramatic growth, including the expansion from its core property, Discovery Channel, launched in 1985, to global operations in over 220 countries and territories, with more than 2.5 billion cumulative subscribers, 206 worldwide networks and 49 network entertainment brands when Hendricks retired to focus fully on CuriosityStream.

There are no adverts at all, and the SD plan is only US$3 per month, or US$4 for the HD plan.

Since subscribing to this service, we have been watching less BBC iPlayer as Curiosity Stream has factual content from all over the world, not just the BBC. In particular some of the German content from ZDF is really good. The series we watched has had an English commentary added by SBS Australia, with sub-titles for a few portions where German speakers are being interviewed. Other content is produced in English by NHK Japan, as well as a lot of BBC content.

N.B. You need to use a VPN terminating with a US IP address in order to get the best range of titles, and also to access the US pricing. They charge international subscribers US$1 per month more, and the selection of titles is very poor by comparison.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79270 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1418419 2-Nov-2015 00:01

So you are saying CuriosityStream can be accessed from New Zealand without a VPN (with the title program limitations)?

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1418421 2-Nov-2015 00:08

freitasm: So you are saying CuriosityStream can be accessed from New Zealand without a VPN (with the title program limitations)?

Yes, we used it like that for a few weeks but kept on finding programmes advertised on their Facebook page which weren't available to us. Apparently they have different content for different countries, but I suspect it's a bit like Netflix where the US have the best selection.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

Ramjet007

319 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1418455 2-Nov-2015 05:30

no. keeping it.

kiwitrc

4123 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1418461 2-Nov-2015 06:54

Whats special about cancelling Sky this week? Is there a deal coming up?

Batman

Mad Scientist
29762 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1418465 2-Nov-2015 07:27

end of Rugby World Cup.
to be accurate, since it has a 30 day cancellation policy, thread should be who cancelled Sky 30 days ago?

kiwitrc

4123 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1418471 2-Nov-2015 07:45

joker97: end of Rugby World Cup.
to be accurate, since it has a 30 day cancellation policy, thread should be who cancelled Sky 30 days ago?

Ok, then no. I would have thought the people who watched RWC will want to watch the Super rugby next year though?

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1418507 2-Nov-2015 08:25

I cancelled Sky back in June after being on the Basic package for over 20 years. With the plethora of streaming services available (in particular CuriosityStream) there will be no looking back.

Discovery Channel was a large part of the reason we got Sky in the first place, but after a while they ruined the viewing experience with incessant advertising -- mostly promos for their other channels. With the Sky Guide, or their website this intrusion is totally unnecessary and it's a great shame because in the early days, there used to be minimal adverts on Sky. Now the frequency of their adverts is as bad as anyone else, but they are even more repetitive which sucks.

Handsomedan

7291 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1418642 2-Nov-2015 10:48

I have been tempted for a while, but the fact that I can afford to pay for it, enjoy some content that's not on Freeview and have a Mysky+ box, I am keeping it for the medium term.

If the Wellington Phoenix are thrown out of the A-League, I'll lose all interest in that particular competition, so then I may just quit Sky altogether.

I'm not seeing any real benefit in the new UI/on-demand, so I'm not sure that's going to swing me...it's clunky too, which is actually more off-putting than enticing.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

WyleECoyoteNZ

1049 posts

Uber Geek

#1418649 2-Nov-2015 11:00

Keeping it.

Yes, the RWC is now over, but I've got Sky for sports really, mainly the V8 Supercars series.

Also, on top of that, the cricket season is fast approaching, with the Aussie Big Bash comp (Oz T20 series) usually being a good watch, usually high scoring too.

Local T20 starting soon.

Chappell\Hadlee series too.

And, if the weather is a bit crappy around Christmas, the Darts champs from the Ally Pally in London are always entertaining

leo0787sx

407 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1418660 2-Nov-2015 11:32

I've had Sky for a long time and never had any issues. I didn't get Sky for the World Cup or cancel it because of the World Cup.

The main reason for cancelling is I watch more and more OnDemand - TV2, TV3 and Netflix as I can just set it up on my iPad, while I work on my computer or game on my PS4. Essentially having two screens. Then with Neon and Fan Pass this eliminated the need for Sky and ultimately the price was the final nail in the coffin.

Was paying $120+ for: Basic, Movies, Sport and Soho.

I can get Netflix and Neon for $32 then rent any movies not on these and use Fan Pass for any Sport and still be saving money. Besides the saving money factor I don't need to worry about remembering to record things, storage space and I can watch it anywhere.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ... | 11