TalkTalk TV Review

About TalkTalk TV

By improving its TV service and adding new features like Netflix and TalkTalk TV store, TalkTalk has carved a niche for itself as a major pay TV provider in the UK.

The fourth biggest TV operator, TalkTalk was only recently overtaken by BT as a big chunk of TV customers quit the provider after the cyber attack incident in November 2015. Otherwise, the TV service which has been currently subscribed by 38% of TalkTalk broadband customers according to Q1 2016 report, had a dream run since its launch in 2013, gaining more customers than its competitors, beating BT TV base in 2014 and successfully maintaining it till Q4 2015.

Other than poor security and sub-standard customer service, TalkTalk TV has very little to complain about.

It offers some of the low cost TV deals with options to add Star TV, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports channels. BT Sports will soon be available with TalkTalk TV packages, making them perfect for everyone in the home.

The catch up service is available so you can watch TV shows that were broadcasted in the last 7 days. Other than TV shows, there are thousands of on demand movies and videos that you can rent or purchase from its Store.

You cannot get TalkTalk TV without subscribing to its triple play service which offers broadband, calls and TV as a combined product.

To help you cut the cost and choose the channels you need, the packages include Freeview channels only while a number of boosts such as Kids, Sky Sports, Star TV and Entertainment Extra are available to add with an extra, contract free subscription.

Here, in this review, you would find all the information you need to know about TalkTalk TV, its good features and limitations, packages, TV boosts, TV channels list, prices and the latest offers.

Features

Technically speaking, TalkTalk TV uses YouView set top boxes which come with built-in aerial socket to access freeview channels via terrestrial broadcasting. It allows you to watch up to 80 Freeview channels including 12 HD channels like BBC News, ITV, Channel 4 and CBBC.

With HD enabled YouView box, you can watch freeview, pay, premium and OTT channels and also access to popular online video players such as ITV and BBC iPlayer. The variant, YouView+ box comes with a video recorder and storage to back up 200 hours of live TV content. Both the boxes which are worth around £200, are included for free with TV packages.

By connecting YouView box to TV set, you can watch the shows on big screen or with the help of TalkTalk Go app, you can watch the live TV and videos on your smartphones, Apple iPhones or tablets via WiFi.

TalkTalk TV is also internet based, IPTV service means it allows users to watch online videos via broadband connection which can be wired or through wireless router..

With the help of electronic TV guide, customers can watch on demand videos via BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, ITV player & All 4, and catch up TV from popular channels.

TalkTalk TV Packages

There are two packages for the new and existing TalkTalk broadband customers – Essentials TV and Plus TV.

TalkTalk TV

• This cheap triple-play package includes YouView box worth £149 which can pause and rewind for up to 30 minutes and offers you 30 days catch up of TV shows.
• Along side the 80 Freeview channels including 12 HD channels, there are six TV boosts from just £2.50 a month or hundreds of on demand videos from just £3.45.
• You can download the latest movies, stream them or watch them on the go using TalkTalk Go app.
• Now you can watch Netflix movies and TV shows on TalkTalk TV from just £5.99 a month.
• Totally unlimited broadband and free calls to Talktalk landline numbers are included.
• Free essentials mobile SIM with 200 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB data included.

TalkTalk TV Plus

• TV Plus customers get the second generation YouView+ box worth £299 which can record up to 185 hours of live TV shows along with pause & rewind functionality.
• The TV pack includes 80+  freeview channels plus some premium conent like six Sky channels including Sky 1, Sky 2, Living, Sky Arts and Sky Sports News HQ. You can add as many TV boosts you like or rent on demand videos from just £3.45.
• TV Plus  also offers Netflix via its on demand player for just £5.99 a month. You can now stream hundreds of movies and TV shows on TV or on the go.
• The bundle includes unlimited broadband (up to 17Mbps) and calls to other TalkTalk numbers
• The package also includes free Essential mobile SIM with 200 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB data.

TalkTalk TV with Fibre

• You can choose Faster Fibre  (up to 38Mbps) broadband or Fibre Large Plus (up to 76Mbps), with TV pack.
• You get all the other features of Essentials TV with enhanced online protection – F-Secure Supersafe internet security.

TalkTalk TV Plus with Fibre

If you want faster broadband , you can choose Faster Fibre (up to 38Mbps) or Fibre Large Plus (up to 76Mbps) broadband with Plus TV.

TalkTalk TV Boosts

TalkTalk TV boosts are packs of channels under different categories such as Kids, Movies, Sports, Music and Entertainment. Available to Essentials and Plus TV for extra cost, they range from £5 to £40 a month.

You can add or cancel them at any time, however, minimum one month subscription is required.

Boosts will be automatically rolled over to next month till the end of contract, unless you cancel them.

Once you have bought a specific boost, you can access the channels in that boost via on demand player and TV guide.

Here, is the full list of TV boosts and channels

• Entertainment Boost
• Entertainment Extra Boost
• Kids Boost
• Sky Sports
• Box Nation Boost
• Sky Cinema
• Picture Box Boost
• Eros Now Boost
• STAR TV Boost
• Music Boost
• Netflix

Limitations

• Good value for money only when you want to bundle other services like broadband and calls
  If you need just TV, you are better off with Sky or Virgin Media, because they offer more channels and better features. TalkTalk offers good value for money as a triple-play service not as a standalone pay TV provider.
• Limited features of YouView box
  YouView set top box which is offered with Essentials package can not rewind live TV shows for more than 30 minutes. Neither it has storage to record TV shows.
• TV boosts can make packages expensive
  Although Essentials and Plus TV sound very cheap at the first glance, you will soon find out that they do not come with popular channels for which you will need to take up boosts, making the packages expensive.
• Poor customer service
  The incompetent customer support team is often criticised by many customers for not resolving the problems promptly, whether it is technical, or billing or other issues. As a result, UK broadband watchdog Ofcom received so many complaints from the dissatisfied TalkTalk customers, making it one of the most complained about ISP in the recent quarters.

Latest Prices and Offers