The television and entertainment world is changing swiftly. It is no longer the old linear system that defined it for decades. The new world is much more dynamic and provides a lot more flexibility for viewers and listeners. People are watching what they want to watch, and when they want to watch it, in a world where half the population is rumored to have at least one screen in the bathroom. The big game changer in this new world has been something called Internet Protocol Television. IPTV, to use the fresh acronym, has been lauded as the next “big thing” since the internet itself. But what is it? And how does it work? And most importantly, does it work as well for you as some other systems that are available in the UK do? These are the questions we aim to answer in this guide.
The acronym IPTV expands to Internet Protocol Television—an innovative technology that lets you stream TV programming over the internet. Instead of satellite dishes or coaxial cable, you connect to a world of TV possibilities through fast broadband and an IP-enabled device. And even though IPTV isn’t yet a household name, it already operates within many popular viewing platforms across the US. So, whether you’re at home or on the go, IPTV gives you the convenience of television just about anywhere with an internet connection.
An IPTV service nearly always manages to provide a massive selection of channels, often including niche, specialized, and international options. With most IPTV services, however, you can expect to watch content on your television across any number of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. Pricing for IPTV services is often in the ballpark of what you’d pay for cable, but without any long-term commitments; in fact, even the content on the cheapest packages tends to be more watchable, due to far fewer commercials. The navigation of most platforms is far simpler, too, which doesn’t hurt.
In the UK, the name Sky TV is synonymous with broadcasting. The company offers a complete range of IPTV services that bundles together live channels, on-demand content, and even exclusive programming. The selection of channels is impressive, especially the large number of those that are dedicated to airing sports and movies.
A viewing experience enhanced by the interface provided by Sky Q is, however, one that comes at a higher price than that of some competitors, and you must use a box for best and fullest effect.
Virgin Media merges its broadband and television services to deliver a powerful IPTV platform with a huge variety of channels and with a great deal of on-demand content. It serves measured high-speed internet and TV bundles along with a large library of on-demand material. Recording content isn’t a problem; the TiVo box has all the advanced features necessary to pull that off in style. The only issues are its availability in certain spots and the extra money you need to throw down for certain premium package features.
BT TV provides a distinctive blend of channels, comprising sports and entertainment that converge with its broadband service. For sports fans, it’s a near-perfect option. BT Sport is part of the channel lineup and comes in an exciting array of viewing packages. YouView is the platform for BT TV. It offers the same user experience as TalkTalk TV does, but with a better sports package. To add a DVD player to YouView, however, is a conundrum, and to make matters worse, international peacekeeping forces seem to have no interest at all in this problem.
NOW TV is a versatile streaming service that grants users access to Sky channels. It does not demand a long-term commitment, which makes it the perfect service for anyone wanting to test out Sky content. It operates on a pay-as-you-go model, with several passes available for access to curated selections of movies, sports, and entertainment. The app through which one accesses NOW TV is pretty basic but is functional across most devices. However, its live TV options are fairly limited, and the picture quality is differentially comparable to that of full Sky packages.
Sling TV is mostly a service based in the US, but it has found a popular niche in the UK. The reason is simple: Sling TV is customizable and cheap. You can pick a package, you’re given a small which don’t even get close to the full range of channels available on regular cable, but you’re allowed to pick and choose a couple of your own channels. Better pricing is hard to find, and you can put together a package with six channels that probably comes close to what you get on a normal local cable subscription. Still, you have to use a pretty reliable VPN, or else just hope that a couple of your channels are in the list of the 13 for which Sling TV has obtained the necessary broadcasting rights for the UK.
The most suitable UK IPTV service can be chosen by taking into account several things. First, you need to look at what channels they offer and ensure that their lineup is compatible with your viewing tastes. Then, you should check that they offer HD quality (or better) and won’t droop in the middle of a big game or finale. You should also make sure that the IPTV service will work on all the devices you want to use (or that you can use). Next, you should compare them in terms of price to see which ones are the most affordable. If you pay more to a service it shouldn’t also be for them to have subpar customer service.
As IPTV moves into the mainstream, viewers in the UK can choose from an ever-increasing amount of content delivered to a variety of platforms across an array of devices. While this great content may tempt you to subscribe to as many services as possible, its sheer volume also makes it nigh impossible to select a “best service.” In this first installment of a guide to the very best IPTV services in the UK, we detail the top offerings to give you a clearer look at what’s available.