Home entertainment in the UK has never been so good! Now you don’t even need to leave the house if you want to watch a movie, or as we say in the UK, a film! You can watch films, TV and listen to your favourite music - all via your remote control.
And if you haven’t already got what you want, you can download or order it online! With many products you can watch almost any programme you like, at any time you like – at the touch of a button.
To get the benefit of all these things you need to know where to look. There are various companies which offer services that provide you with access to mass multimedia in one package. So you can get your digital TV service, broadband connection and phone line from the same place. And we can show you how.
Note- hidden cost: Many suppliers require you to have an existing UK phone line. To have a one installed would cost approximately £120. Some companies don’t require a phone line, but you have to check if their service is available in your area.
Listed here are some example costs and packages (valid autum 2010). See our internet page for an explanation of download speeds.
Example 1:
£28 a month for:
- Up to 10Mb broadband
- Unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines
- Digital TV package (over 65 digital channels)
- Mobil: 100 minutes and 500 text messages free
Example 2:
£15.99 a month for:
- up to 20Mb broadband
- 10 Gb download allowance per month
- free set up
- contract length 12months
- free wireless router
You can order TV on demand (add from £ 7,50 a month)– which means you can watch programmes when you choose to from a huge list. However, this package does not include international calls.
Example 3:
£35.00 a month for:
- up to 7,2 Mb broadband – unlimited downloads
- FreeUSB Stick and Laptop
- 3 Gb download allowance per month
- contract length 24 month
This is a more expensive option, but in return you get a Laptop.
Don’t be fooled: Some companies offer ‘free’ broadband. However, once you have paid the subscription for the satellite TV and the line rental, the overall cost is more than the above packages.
Once you have TV, broadband and a phone in your home, you can start to get all the benefits! But whichever one you choose, you do not have to just watch or listen to what comes with the channels you receive. With your connection to the internet you can also rent, or download, specific titles that you want to watch or hear.
Check out our "Find a..." section for a list of providers
Itunes
Itunes is used by millions to download multimedia worldwide. You must first download the software then register your bank details with the website and you can start downloading.
The great thing about this service is that you can listen to songs or watch previews of films before you buy them. So you are never disappointed!
The latest music and TV shows are all available here: TV shows cost around £1.89 and songs cost £0.79 each. It’s not very cheap, but it means you can get the entertainment you want without leaving your chair.
Renting DVDs
There are online shops that are great resources for multimedia products. You can buy all kinds of books, films, CDs and more and often you can rent rather than buy.
This type of service is getting more popular. Instead of going to the local DVD shop you can join a scheme which has several different choices. You can hire three DVDs in a month for e.g. £5.99 (although you can only have one at a time).
Short of money?
If you don’t want to spend money on more entertainment, there is plenty online for free. A huge amount of excellent content can be found on the BBC homepage at http://www.bbc.co.uk. This provides some of the best news, information, media and entertainment in the world, all readily available online.
Check out our "Find a..." section for a list of providers
By Matt Taylor
Communications 
