How much do you pay to watch TV?

pdurrant · 08-11-2012, 12:43 PM

In the UK, anyone wanting to watch broadcast TV programs in real time must pay a licensing fee to the BBC. This is currently £145.50 ($228), or just over £12 ($19) per month.

This is a compulsory fee if you watch any live TV, not just BBC programmes.

For watching broadcast Digital Terrestrial TV, this is the only fee you must pay to get dozens of channels, both BBC output (without commercial advertising) and the advertising-supported channels.

Floodlit World · 08-11-2012, 12:48 PM

I live in the UK, but I don't pay anything for the licence. I pay £5.99 a month for Netflix, then I just watch anything else after it's broadcast on the catch-up services (which you're legally allowed to do at present).

yvanleterrible · 08-11-2012, 01:12 PM

Here in Canada I pay 79$ a month for about a hundred channels over satellite of which only thirty are worth listening to. BBC alone costs 4.99$ a month and Setanta 14.99$. But I do love Britih foot enough to pay for that. Can't wait for the season's kickoff next week...

afv011 · 08-11-2012, 01:16 PM

$0. I use an antenna and get free over the air TV. For what I watch, the 6 channels I get are enough - just watch some news and that's about it.

Quexos · 08-11-2012, 02:29 PM

I don't pay anything. I have DVB. The downside is that in my country there are way too few channels on DVB but it's better than nothing. Plus all those mindless reality TV shows and trash TV of all kinds, I don't really miss cable.

dreams · 08-11-2012, 04:45 PM

I (USA) have a very basic TV package and it is $65 (about £42) a month (going up in price again, soon). That doesn't include movie channels or anything else. If I wanted to use an antenna, I would be lucky to get 3 or 4 local channels, during nice weather (and have to have a permit to set it up). Most people I know have satellite or extra package cable and pay over $100 a month to include the sport and movie channels.

I have a feeling my low rate will not last much longer as I still use an analog connection and have resisted getting switched to the higher digital fee (and the $5 per box fee for each TV). I am slowly loosing channels that are carried on analog.

I live in a town right in the middle between my parents (10 miles south) and one brother (15 miles east) and we each have to have different services as not all services (including internet) are available in each area. My other brother is less than a mile away and neither of us can get the services the other one has. Very frustrating when you are trying to get the best deal or even trying to bundle services.

pdurrant · 08-11-2012, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreams

I (USA) have a very basic TV package and it is $65 (about £42) a month

Wow. That's expensive. I can't check my cable prices just now (the web site's down for maintenance), but the US satellite provider (Sky) would provide 90 entertainment channels and 12 movie channels for £42.50 per month!

Vala · 08-11-2012, 06:59 PM

For years I had Dish and it cost $65 a month for the basic package plus local TV. There was no movies and nothing worth watching.

Within the past 5 months, we went to streaming. We live 60 miles (at least) from any major city in all directions. We purchased a very affordable HD TV antenna and pick up 150 miles and get 26 free channels.

Then we bought a Roku and pay $7.99 a month for Netflix and $7.99 a month for Hulu Plus.

We are totally enjoying our set up at $15.98 a month now.

cromag · 08-11-2012, 07:10 PM

Just the electricity to run the TV, etc. I have an antenna (and a signal amp), and mostly I just watch the news. I get the major networks (out of Philadelphia), three PBS stations, and some "bonus" digital channels that play "classic" reruns. We have Hulu and Netflix for delayed cable shows, nearly current movies, etc.

Our youngest just left for college, and I really didn't want them to have the distraction of cable TV.

Kumabjorn · 08-11-2012, 07:29 PM

When we switched from analog to digital I realized that I hadn't was attached any TV for a while so I cancelled my license (similar t to the UK setup for BBC), so now I pay zero but also watch zero.

ficbot · 08-11-2012, 07:55 PM

$7.99 a month for Netflix, and we watch everything else on-line. Cable is super-expensive here. I used to get 4 channels with an antenna for free, but in my new apartment, we only get one and they have everything on-line so it's not worth it. My parents have cable and they are a 5-minute drive away, so during the winter while they are in Florida, we have an open invitation to go use theirs if we want to.

The only thing my boyfriend really misses is the live baseball. He has hinted that he wants an MLB.com subscription for his birthday next year.

GA Russell · 08-11-2012, 09:17 PM

I'm not a television watcher. I just have an antenna which gets me 19 over the air channels, but it is rare that I want to watch anything.

If I could buy cable channels a la carte for a few dollars a month I probably would, but that's not available in the US. There's a bit of a controversy about that, and from time to time politicians talk about requiring cable companies to offer channels a la carte.

My internet service just went up from $29.99 to $38.99. That's enough for me.

kennyc · 08-11-2012, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afv011

$0. I use an antenna and get free over the air TV. For what I watch, the 6 channels I get are enough - just watch some news and that's about it.

This. I only watch what I get over the air, but that's actually a dozen+ channels here in the denver metro area, but only 4-5 that I watch. I have a laptop DVR to record what it can -- news, science, history, documentary (we actually have 2 PBS stations here!) and along with Amazon Video, and internet video (Top Documentary films!) that's more than enough for me!

pholy · 08-11-2012, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

When we switched from analog to digital I realized that I hadn't was attached any TV for a while so I cancelled my license (similar t to the UK setup for BBC), so now I pay zero but also watch zero.

Ah, so infinite value!

Or is that indeterminite value? It's been a while since I did any fancy math.

Kumabjorn · 08-12-2012, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pholy

Ah, so infinite value!

Or is that indeterminite value? It's been a while since I did any fancy math.

Right now, yes. But there was a very real negative value before. Unscripted shows, or reality TV or whatever it is called today, you know Project Runway, Big Brother, Robinson (called Survivor in North America I believe), always left me with a sense that I had just wasted valuable time that could have been used more productively. I wasn't even entertained. These inane programs were prolific like rabbits in spring, so I just decided I could do without it.

I don't even have any idea what is happening at the Olympcis right now, and honestly, it doesn't bother me one bit.

08-11-2012, 12:43 PM	#1
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,506 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	How much do you pay to watch TV? In the UK, anyone wanting to watch broadcast TV programs in real time must pay a licensing fee to the BBC. This is currently £145.50 ($228), or just over £12 ($19) per month. This is a compulsory fee if you watch any live TV, not just BBC programmes. For watching broadcast Digital Terrestrial TV, this is the only fee you must pay to get dozens of channels, both BBC output (without commercial advertising) and the advertising-supported channels.

08-11-2012, 12:48 PM	#2
Floodlit World Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 485670 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: South-West England Device: Kindle	I live in the UK, but I don't pay anything for the licence. I pay £5.99 a month for Netflix, then I just watch anything else after it's broadcast on the catch-up services (which you're legally allowed to do at present).

08-11-2012, 01:12 PM	#3
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	Here in Canada I pay 79$ a month for about a hundred channels over satellite of which only thirty are worth listening to. BBC alone costs 4.99$ a month and Setanta 14.99$. But I do love Britih foot enough to pay for that. Can't wait for the season's kickoff next week...

08-11-2012, 01:16 PM	#4
afv011 Captain Penguin Posts: 2,947 Karma: 2077653593 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: Kobo Libra 2, Nook Glowlight	$0. I use an antenna and get free over the air TV. For what I watch, the 6 channels I get are enough - just watch some news and that's about it.

08-11-2012, 02:29 PM	#5
Quexos Member Retired Posts: 1,999 Karma: 11348924 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Limbo Device: none	I don't pay anything. I have DVB. The downside is that in my country there are way too few channels on DVB but it's better than nothing. Plus all those mindless reality TV shows and trash TV of all kinds, I don't really miss cable.

08-11-2012, 04:45 PM	#6
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,112 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	I (USA) have a very basic TV package and it is $65 (about £42) a month (going up in price again, soon). That doesn't include movie channels or anything else. If I wanted to use an antenna, I would be lucky to get 3 or 4 local channels, during nice weather (and have to have a permit to set it up). Most people I know have satellite or extra package cable and pay over $100 a month to include the sport and movie channels. I have a feeling my low rate will not last much longer as I still use an analog connection and have resisted getting switched to the higher digital fee (and the $5 per box fee for each TV). I am slowly loosing channels that are carried on analog. I live in a town right in the middle between my parents (10 miles south) and one brother (15 miles east) and we each have to have different services as not all services (including internet) are available in each area. My other brother is less than a mile away and neither of us can get the services the other one has. Very frustrating when you are trying to get the best deal or even trying to bundle services.

08-11-2012, 06:59 PM	#8
Vala Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 24186 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois Device: Sony PRS-300, PRS-T1	For years I had Dish and it cost $65 a month for the basic package plus local TV. There was no movies and nothing worth watching. Within the past 5 months, we went to streaming. We live 60 miles (at least) from any major city in all directions. We purchased a very affordable HD TV antenna and pick up 150 miles and get 26 free channels. Then we bought a Roku and pay $7.99 a month for Netflix and $7.99 a month for Hulu Plus. We are totally enjoying our set up at $15.98 a month now.

08-11-2012, 07:10 PM	#9
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,299 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Just the electricity to run the TV, etc. I have an antenna (and a signal amp), and mostly I just watch the news. I get the major networks (out of Philadelphia), three PBS stations, and some "bonus" digital channels that play "classic" reruns. We have Hulu and Netflix for delayed cable shows, nearly current movies, etc. Our youngest just left for college, and I really didn't want them to have the distraction of cable TV.

08-11-2012, 07:29 PM	#10
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	When we switched from analog to digital I realized that I hadn't was attached any TV for a while so I cancelled my license (similar t to the UK setup for BBC), so now I pay zero but also watch zero.

08-11-2012, 07:55 PM	#11
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	$7.99 a month for Netflix, and we watch everything else on-line. Cable is super-expensive here. I used to get 4 channels with an antenna for free, but in my new apartment, we only get one and they have everything on-line so it's not worth it. My parents have cable and they are a 5-minute drive away, so during the winter while they are in Florida, we have an open invitation to go use theirs if we want to. The only thing my boyfriend really misses is the live baseball. He has hinted that he wants an MLB.com subscription for his birthday next year.

08-11-2012, 09:17 PM	#12
GA Russell Montreal wins Grey Cup! Posts: 7,583 Karma: 31484197 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	I'm not a television watcher. I just have an antenna which gets me 19 over the air channels, but it is rare that I want to watch anything. If I could buy cable channels a la carte for a few dollars a month I probably would, but that's not available in the US. There's a bit of a controversy about that, and from time to time politicians talk about requiring cable companies to offer channels a la carte. My internet service just went up from $29.99 to $38.99. That's enough for me.