Is Top Up TV Worth It?

We had the following in from Kelly C:

“I’m really confused about Top-Up TV… I want to get some extra TV channels as well as extra movies, but I don’t want to sign up to Sky. I want to top up my Freeview, but can’t work out exactly what I get with a Top-Up box.

I don’t want Sky Sports, or a big bill”

 

Confused by Top Up TV?

Top Up TV LogoWhen Top Up TV started, it offered 11 channels of extra TV as well as the free channels via a TV aerial.

These days, there are no extra channels, just extra TV shows and movies that are downloaded to a special set-top box overnight. At the time of writing, the price for the basic TV service (with very limited content) is £13.99. The only extra channels available are Sky Sports and ESPN (for a premium – £42 a month).

To get the extra TV shows and movies, you need to get a Top Up TV Anytime box (with a built-in hard drive), but Top Up TV no longer sell these, so getting the box is not easy.

Top Up TV boxes do not have Internet connectivity, don’t handle catch-up TV and don’t support Freeview HD.

If all you want is extra TV, without the expense of Sky, then Top Up TV is not the answer.

 

Alternative to Top Up TV?

You might want to take a look at YouView – the service offers live TV from Freeview, extra TV and films over the Internet, plus access to services like BBC iPlayer, itvPlayer and 4oD from Channel 4. You can also get extra content from BT Vision and Sky’s Now TV service.

You have two options, buy the box outright with no subscription, or get a free box from your broadband provider:

YouView Humax Box

The Humax DTR-T1000 YouView box

This entry was posted in Digital TV.

3 Responses to Is Top Up TV Worth It?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *