Digital TV Guides

Digital TV and films

By becca.talbot@consumerchoices.co.uk

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If you spend a lot of time watching movies, but don’t want to spend money on buying or renting DVDs, then you’ll want your digital TV package to offer the latest Hollywood hits, cult classics and family films. Updated 16/01/2009.

On the other hand, if you don’t watch much TV, but want the option of watching a good movie once in a while there are still options available, and even Freeview has a movie channel - Film4 - which broadcasts from 1pm to 4am and focuses on niche and highbrow movies.

So, whatever you want to watch, there’s a digital TV package to suit your needs.

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Films from BT Vision

BT Vision’s (www.btvision.bt.com) philosophy is that “if you only watch one film this year you should only pay for one film this year.” BT Total Broadband customers can sign up to BT Vision, which is an essentially free service, with optional extras and add-ons. BT Vision is great for people who only want to watch the occasional movie, without having to pay for a host of films they’ll never watch.

BT Vision customers get, as standard, the Freeview channels that are available in their area, and a BT V-Box. The V-Box lets you rewind and pause “live” TV, and record Freeview channels. You can then watch pay-per-view programming including an extensive range of films, available to rent from £1.99. Their film library covers comedy, drama, action/adventure, romance, family, horror, sci-fi and thrillers.

In addition to the movies and TV rentals available via pay-per-view, you can sign up to subscriptions covering TV on-demand and TV replay, Kids on demand, and Music. These subscriptions have no minimum term so you can sign up for as few or as many months as you like and can save by signing up to all three.

Click here for more information on BT Vision or visit the BT Vision website at www.btvision.bt.com

Films from Virgin Media

Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) offers a range of options for those who want film channels.

Those on the Size:M package get the free-to-air channels as well as a few extras like Virgin Central, so movie-wise customers will only get Film4 - the same as Freeview customers. Size:M is free when taken with a Virgin Media phone line for £11 a month.

Those on Size:L and Size:XL get access to Film4 and Film4+1, Movies 24 and Turner Classic Movies. Size:L costs £19 and includes a Virgin Media phone, while Size:XL costs £30.50 when taken with a Virgin Media phone line. All the Virgin Media digital TV packages must be taken with a phone line.

Customers on any of these packages can add Sky Movies to their package for an additional cost. To add Sky Movies 1 - which includes Sky Comedy, Family, Classics and Modern Greats - or Sky Movies 2 - which includes Sky Action/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Horror, Indie and Drama - Size:M customers must pay an additional £28 a month, Size:L customers £19 a month and Size:XL customers an additional £15 a month.

To add the Sky Movies Collection - which offers the Sky Movies 1 and 2 packages as well as Sky Movies Premier, Size:M customers must pay an additional £30 a month, Size:L customers pay £24 and Size:XL pay an additional £18 a month.

Click here for more information on Virgin Media or visit the Virgin Media website at www.virginmedia.com

Films from Sky

For the digital TV package with the most movies and the best price, check out Sky (www.Sky.com). You don’t have to take any of the other services and can choose between two, four and six “mixes” to make up your basic package. These cover off Variety, Knowledge, Kids, Style and Culture, Music and News and Events. However many of these you sign up to, you also get access to almost 200 free-to-air channels.

Stand-alone, Sky costs £17 a month for one mix, going up by £1 for each additional mix you add. To add Sky Movies (for which you get Sky Movies 1 and 2 as well as Sky Movies Premier and Disney Cinemagic) you simply pay an extra £18 if you have one, two or three mixes, or an extra £17 if you have four, five or all six mixes.

Click here for more information on Sky or visit the Sky website at www.sky.com

Before you sign up to your chosen digital TV provider, why not check out the best packages for Sports or Kids or do a Postcode search to see what’s available in your area.

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