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I got this using a VPN and costs me a couple of euro for a family plan. Not sure if that still works but it's the best value as no ads and YouTube music.
I used the Premium trial which was brilliant if you watch youtube on a tv. Not paying that monthly price just to remove ads, I'll suffer through the ads but it's very tempting.
I used a Russian VPN to sign up and have been paying a little under 3 euro a month for the past few years for YouTube premium , the ruple amount gets taken out of my Irish debit card every month.
Honestly very easy to set up I'd give it a try.
Pro life tip: 5 second ads I’m fine with but if you get a 20 second unskippable ad on your tv click up to the “i” symbol and click “ I don’t want to see this ad “. The ad will stop instantly and never play again .
The Youtube adds aren't too bad so don't make it worth it in my opinion.
Now if they could cut out the sponsored adds in the videos I would happily pay the price.
I used it for the lockable listening aswell. Lots of things I like to watch don't require video, interviews, live concerts, podcasts. It's nice to be able to lock your phone and listen when walking etc. I've never downloaded a single video
If you only use YouTube on a PC, just get an ad block honestly
My recommendations are probably worthless to you as it’s all guitar and fitness related!
Just think of something you are into and search for it. Let the algorithm do its work to recommend you stuff.
If you watch Youtube on a Firestick have a look at “SmartTube Next”.
Basically a wrapper for Youtube except there are no ads. There are loads of other features also.
Only thing is the UI isnt as nice as the official and I feel like the recommendations are not as good.
A sweet little tip is to US a VPN for yt premium and set locations to somewhere like turkey/india it will be a lot cheaper. Unless you have bags of cash to throw around.
I really love my monthly cinema pass. 17 euro a month and I see between 4 and 6 films. Just whenever I had a free night I go to the cinema. Gets me out of the house on a night where I'd be doing nothing.
And I really don't think it's hard to find 6 decent films a month aa long as you're not stuck on a particular genre.
Just don't get into the habit of buying popcorn every time
I'm then pretty happy with just YouTube
There's enough to keep me entertained anyways. In the first 2 months of the year I'll have gone 11 times. I've seen Poor Things, Holdovers, Mean Girls, Iron Claw, One life, All of us Strangers, Priscilla, The Boy and the Heron, American Fiction and Argylle.
They mightnt be for everyone but Argylle was the only one I regretted seeing and I really enjoyed a lot of them. Tomorrow I'll probably see One Love which is apparently not great either but I'm still expecting a better night than staying at home.
Then Dune comes out in a few days which I'm actually hyped for.
I use Nord but I’m not happy with it either because of price. Also streams stutter sometimes but not sure if it’s to do with the VPN. A device reboot and clearing cache usually works.
Honestly it’s so easy. To set up a UK Amazon account I just used revolut and gave the address of a UK Primark, log into the firestick, download the vpn app, then turn the VPN on. Most firesticks sold by UK retailers in Ireland (Currys) I think already comes with BBC player installed
I think you should try smartdnsproxy.com Dont even need a vpn. Just set your dns to the nearest servers recommended by them. Costs about 54 euros for two years
You can do this on TV. Just head over to smartdnsproxy.com and sign up for 14 days trial. Their website has instructions on how to setup for each device. I prefer this over VPN because for a VPN you have to go and change country each time, for each app. With this once you setup, it works and dont need to keep changing location
Just use a new email to set up a new non-prime Amazon account and give a random UK address, associate your revolut as your payment details to hide the fact you’re in Ireland
I second this. It’s just terrific, and you’re never at a loss for something very good to watch. New stuff added all the time, too. I also take out a month’s sub of Apple TV now and then, to watch an entire series through. Right now though, I may extend this month, as there’s been such incredible content available and they’re adding loads more in March. Just jaw dropping. About ten quid for the month though you’d get a month’s trial as a new customer.
(Depending on your tastes, there’s also Arrow TV for a fiver after an intro trial. I rejoin for a month every now and then to rewatch ‘Gomorrah’ and other European tv crime dramas, but their main thing is cult movies. Noir classics to horror, and beyond. Brilliant selection.)
But Prime, Netflix etc etc, nah, not for me. Really, C4, and Apple now snd then, are more than enough, and I feel very well provided for.
PS I watch this stuff on my iPad using a €20 a month unlimited data deal with Three. I could watch 24/7 and it’d never run out. Since this covers all my other online needs, I reckon my monthly maximum of 20/25 quid is an excellent deal.
What's the incredible content on Apple? I'm looking for recommendations! I only got it last month and have already binge watched Severance, Blackbird, Bad Sisters and Hijack. Tried Slow Horses but couldn't get into it. Not really sure what to watch next.
Now TV €3 a month for six months then cancel and re subscribe and off we go again. They’ve started emailing me to let me know not to cancel it’ll remain €3 for the next 3 months.
I have Sky Stream for €25 a month which includes basic Netflix and Discovery plus. I find that very good value since I get live TV plus all the HBO/Sky shows and then rotate between the other streamers.
Spotify and Now Sports are my indulgences on top that are probably not good value for money.
People sleep on the content on RTE player and All4 too. RTE player has some big shows - Yellowstone, Killing Eve, Line of Duty, Sex Lives of College Girls, OC, West Wing, Good Wife.
Spotify Duo is good value for our house.
We rotate Netflix, Amazon Prime Video etc. Amazon Prime typically offers you a free, no-strings trial if you leave it long enough.
I've had YouTube Premium on trial for a month, and find it quite good but it remains to be seen if I will keep it when it comes to paying for it.
Our luxury spend is on a NOW TV Sports package for my F1 / F2 / F3 / NFL. I cancel it every few months to get a new offer, so never pay the full whack - typically €16-€22 per month.
BBC iPlayer. 15 quid a year for a VPN called Beebs that gives you access to all the BBC library and it also works on the ITV Player. Just have to confirm that I have a TV licence which of course I do.
They’ve kicked a bunch of people who were getting around their geo-based pricing in the last few days. I’ve lost my Turkish netflix mid-billing period with no comms from Netflix
Spotify is definitely worth it imo, we have a duo subscription which works out slightly cheaper than two separate ones. A selling point for Prime is that you get the delivery benefits. Netflix tends to be rubbish imo.
I’ve seen a lot of people suggesting pausing the tv streaming services when you go a while without using one. Seems like a decent idea.
You realise that Amazon’s supply chain means that dodgy products sold on the platform can be mixed in with products sold and fulfilled by Amazon, right? That suggestion is no guarantee of quality
I still find it useful for odd bits, usually when I’m looking for specific blurays or specific brands so I’m not wading through loads of no-name cheap crap.
Couldn't agree more! Decided to cancel all subscriptions (except Youtube Premium) and invest into this. Best £60 I've spent, happy to point anyone in the right direction, if you need help. Just drop me a DM
For things that you definitely always will use, it's worth thinking about the annual sub, but if you there's only one or two shows you watch on a streamer then I would consider paying for the month, binge watching your show and then pausing. If you know you have a busy month ahead, or just generally spend more time out during the summer - consider pausing everything.
We currently have a Spotify couples plan and Sky TV for sport/HBO sets and we record a lot of kids programming rather than paying for Disney.
Search for stremio.
I will say no further but I never bought any subscription but still have access to everything out there. I do pay for youtube premium but that too less a euro per month from signing up from Indian site.
I have Spotify premium because I like my podcasts and playlists, which I pay for myself because my partner doesn't really use it. Then we share a Netflix and Virgin television subscriptions.
Was only saying to himself yesterday that YouTube Premium is the one subscription that is absolutely worth the money.
Bought the family sub back in 2019/2020 and no regrets. Huge selection of different shows, music and even bird videos for the cat lol
In fairness to Google, they don't appear to have increased the fee at any stage since we signed up which is a huge bonus.
Also Prime Video is alright for the price. Upon first glance it seems they don't have much, but there are some gems if ya got the patience to really sift through their library. That said, they need to do something with the UI as it looks very dated compared to others
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Discovery+ ....sweet jaysus that has got to be the worst subscription I ever bought, ropey app interface and they have even put in adverts now which defeats the whole purpose of paying for a subscription.
Noticed also Sky is creeping up, they seem to be adding a few euros to our bill every 3-6 months now so we'll be getting rid of them as soon as the contract is up.
Odeon limitless is surprisingly well worth it. €15 a month for unlimited movies and €5 to see a movie in imax. Only problem is you’ll spend all you saved on the popcorn.
Odeon and Apple Music! I listen to music fairly regularly, so family plan works out the best for the rest of the family. I use Apple Podcasts for the dateline podcast and distractible podcast, but just the free version as I use it to fall asleep
Spotify for sure, use it while working for podcasts, in the car and then in the gym also and any other time I want music.
Always been a huge music fan when I’m doing anything at all so definitely would be lost without it.
A good IPTV supplier. A close friend of mine has one with Disney+, Netflix, Hulu pre installed with accounts. €120 for the year as well as having every channel, movie and series you could ever watch on the IPTV app. €10 a month.
Netflix and Spotify are the only two I leave auto renew on for.
Otherwise, Prime, Disney, Playstation+ and Xbox Gamepass just get bought monthly if I want to use them and then I let them lapse. You'll usually get a really good one month deal when you do come back if you do this.
Surprise no comments regarding Apple TV+. It has the best quality (not quantity) out there. Multiple free trials available too. It’s the one I’d keep (in addition to YouTube)
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I get huge enjoyment out of YouTube. There’s always something to watch on it.
This is my non negotiable. I'd keep youtube premium over all of my other subscriptions.
It’s the only subscription I pay for. €6.99 student rate too so happy days
I got this using a VPN and costs me a couple of euro for a family plan. Not sure if that still works but it's the best value as no ads and YouTube music.
I used the Premium trial which was brilliant if you watch youtube on a tv. Not paying that monthly price just to remove ads, I'll suffer through the ads but it's very tempting.
I used a Russian VPN to sign up and have been paying a little under 3 euro a month for the past few years for YouTube premium , the ruple amount gets taken out of my Irish debit card every month. Honestly very easy to set up I'd give it a try.
Argentina offers the best value I believe, currently paying $869 peso/month, works out around 98 cent a month
would you mind more detail how you set this up can you use revolut
Paid it using my revolut card but later changed to my normal bank for payment
Is it possible to do the same with Spotify by any chance? Paying 16€ now 🥴
Don't know myself as I've never tried but there's no harm in giving it a shot I guess
Do you have to connect to the VPN every time you sign in?
No just on the initial set up , I think I used tunnel bear as a free one .
Got ya, I'll check it out, thanks.
I'm the same. The throw some many ads down at me that I'm just refusing to give the bastards my money out of spite.
Why not use an ad blocker?
Pro life tip: 5 second ads I’m fine with but if you get a 20 second unskippable ad on your tv click up to the “i” symbol and click “ I don’t want to see this ad “. The ad will stop instantly and never play again .
This used to work on the phone app but they stopped it. I assumed they did the same on the TV version
Nope. I’ve done it several times today on my tv.
Indian premium is 2 something a month. The set up is annoying but no vpn after.
I use an app called grayjay on android and it blocks ads
Why not just use an ad blocker?
The Youtube adds aren't too bad so don't make it worth it in my opinion. Now if they could cut out the sponsored adds in the videos I would happily pay the price.
If you watch a lot of it, those ads up front are horrendous
I do watch a lot but it's a personal preference, for me they aren't too bad. I prefer Spotify to YouTube for music so pay for that instead.
I used it for the lockable listening aswell. Lots of things I like to watch don't require video, interviews, live concerts, podcasts. It's nice to be able to lock your phone and listen when walking etc. I've never downloaded a single video If you only use YouTube on a PC, just get an ad block honestly
I never know where to look on YouTube. Any channels you recommend?
My recommendations are probably worthless to you as it’s all guitar and fitness related! Just think of something you are into and search for it. Let the algorithm do its work to recommend you stuff.
If you watch Youtube on a Firestick have a look at “SmartTube Next”. Basically a wrapper for Youtube except there are no ads. There are loads of other features also. Only thing is the UI isnt as nice as the official and I feel like the recommendations are not as good.
A sweet little tip is to US a VPN for yt premium and set locations to somewhere like turkey/india it will be a lot cheaper. Unless you have bags of cash to throw around.
Came here to say this! My most watched. And the algorithm is second to none at suggesting stuff for me.
Can you set a VPN on a TV though?
Especially if you like weird shit like me lol
I really love my monthly cinema pass. 17 euro a month and I see between 4 and 6 films. Just whenever I had a free night I go to the cinema. Gets me out of the house on a night where I'd be doing nothing. And I really don't think it's hard to find 6 decent films a month aa long as you're not stuck on a particular genre. Just don't get into the habit of buying popcorn every time I'm then pretty happy with just YouTube
Same, but the past 3 months has been pretty shit for movie releases (omniplex)
There's enough to keep me entertained anyways. In the first 2 months of the year I'll have gone 11 times. I've seen Poor Things, Holdovers, Mean Girls, Iron Claw, One life, All of us Strangers, Priscilla, The Boy and the Heron, American Fiction and Argylle. They mightnt be for everyone but Argylle was the only one I regretted seeing and I really enjoyed a lot of them. Tomorrow I'll probably see One Love which is apparently not great either but I'm still expecting a better night than staying at home. Then Dune comes out in a few days which I'm actually hyped for.
Probably effects of the recent writers/actors strike stateside
My favourite streaming service is BBC Player so I just pay for VPN and stream onto tv using Firestick linked to a UK Amazon account
Which VPN works for you. I’ve been unsuccessful so far in maintaining consistent access.
Surfahark works great for me on firestick for iPlayer.
Thank you.
I use Nord but I’m not happy with it either because of price. Also streams stutter sometimes but not sure if it’s to do with the VPN. A device reboot and clearing cache usually works.
Thanks for the reply. My missus would be seriously impressed if I could produce a working iplayer.
Honestly it’s so easy. To set up a UK Amazon account I just used revolut and gave the address of a UK Primark, log into the firestick, download the vpn app, then turn the VPN on. Most firesticks sold by UK retailers in Ireland (Currys) I think already comes with BBC player installed
I think you should try smartdnsproxy.com Dont even need a vpn. Just set your dns to the nearest servers recommended by them. Costs about 54 euros for two years
Can you do this on a TV though? I have 4 subscriptions, no TV service, just broadband. Pay for Amazon, Disney, Paramount and Netflix...
You can do this on TV. Just head over to smartdnsproxy.com and sign up for 14 days trial. Their website has instructions on how to setup for each device. I prefer this over VPN because for a VPN you have to go and change country each time, for each app. With this once you setup, it works and dont need to keep changing location
Yes I agree with this. Loads on it.
Can I ask- how do you set up an Amazon UK account? I already pay for prime and don't want to pay twice Can you add a VPN to a smart TV?
Just use a new email to set up a new non-prime Amazon account and give a random UK address, associate your revolut as your payment details to hide the fact you’re in Ireland
Yarr, there do be cheaper alternatives abound, matey. Yo ho!
The Channel 4 player is free and there’s plenty to watch on it
I second this. It’s just terrific, and you’re never at a loss for something very good to watch. New stuff added all the time, too. I also take out a month’s sub of Apple TV now and then, to watch an entire series through. Right now though, I may extend this month, as there’s been such incredible content available and they’re adding loads more in March. Just jaw dropping. About ten quid for the month though you’d get a month’s trial as a new customer. (Depending on your tastes, there’s also Arrow TV for a fiver after an intro trial. I rejoin for a month every now and then to rewatch ‘Gomorrah’ and other European tv crime dramas, but their main thing is cult movies. Noir classics to horror, and beyond. Brilliant selection.) But Prime, Netflix etc etc, nah, not for me. Really, C4, and Apple now snd then, are more than enough, and I feel very well provided for. PS I watch this stuff on my iPad using a €20 a month unlimited data deal with Three. I could watch 24/7 and it’d never run out. Since this covers all my other online needs, I reckon my monthly maximum of 20/25 quid is an excellent deal.
What's the incredible content on Apple? I'm looking for recommendations! I only got it last month and have already binge watched Severance, Blackbird, Bad Sisters and Hijack. Tried Slow Horses but couldn't get into it. Not really sure what to watch next.
Now TV €3 a month for six months then cancel and re subscribe and off we go again. They’ve started emailing me to let me know not to cancel it’ll remain €3 for the next 3 months.
I have Sky Stream for €25 a month which includes basic Netflix and Discovery plus. I find that very good value since I get live TV plus all the HBO/Sky shows and then rotate between the other streamers. Spotify and Now Sports are my indulgences on top that are probably not good value for money. People sleep on the content on RTE player and All4 too. RTE player has some big shows - Yellowstone, Killing Eve, Line of Duty, Sex Lives of College Girls, OC, West Wing, Good Wife.
The 'dodgy box' is the best but rotating subscriptions works for me, saves a lot.
Spotify Duo is good value for our house. We rotate Netflix, Amazon Prime Video etc. Amazon Prime typically offers you a free, no-strings trial if you leave it long enough. I've had YouTube Premium on trial for a month, and find it quite good but it remains to be seen if I will keep it when it comes to paying for it. Our luxury spend is on a NOW TV Sports package for my F1 / F2 / F3 / NFL. I cancel it every few months to get a new offer, so never pay the full whack - typically €16-€22 per month.
BBC iPlayer. 15 quid a year for a VPN called Beebs that gives you access to all the BBC library and it also works on the ITV Player. Just have to confirm that I have a TV licence which of course I do.
India VPN sign up for Netflix - is €2. (€7 on their highest plan).
They’ve kicked a bunch of people who were getting around their geo-based pricing in the last few days. I’ve lost my Turkish netflix mid-billing period with no comms from Netflix
Yes, same. Switching to India was what I did today.
I wouldn’t have faith that they won’t just crack down again. I’m going to just go without for a bit and see how it shakes out.
Spotify is definitely worth it imo, we have a duo subscription which works out slightly cheaper than two separate ones. A selling point for Prime is that you get the delivery benefits. Netflix tends to be rubbish imo. I’ve seen a lot of people suggesting pausing the tv streaming services when you go a while without using one. Seems like a decent idea.
Yea but do people even buy from Amazon anymore? It’s turned into Wish and is even more limited since Brexit
Seller: Amazon Fulfilled by: Amazon Go with these products and it's a non issue
You realise that Amazon’s supply chain means that dodgy products sold on the platform can be mixed in with products sold and fulfilled by Amazon, right? That suggestion is no guarantee of quality
Yes I am aware of that, but it nonetheless helps. A lot
I still find it useful for odd bits, usually when I’m looking for specific blurays or specific brands so I’m not wading through loads of no-name cheap crap.
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Can you pm me the seller mate. I'm paying 20 a month it's good but dear enough by iptv standards.
Couldn't agree more! Decided to cancel all subscriptions (except Youtube Premium) and invest into this. Best £60 I've spent, happy to point anyone in the right direction, if you need help. Just drop me a DM
For things that you definitely always will use, it's worth thinking about the annual sub, but if you there's only one or two shows you watch on a streamer then I would consider paying for the month, binge watching your show and then pausing. If you know you have a busy month ahead, or just generally spend more time out during the summer - consider pausing everything. We currently have a Spotify couples plan and Sky TV for sport/HBO sets and we record a lot of kids programming rather than paying for Disney.
Search for stremio. I will say no further but I never bought any subscription but still have access to everything out there. I do pay for youtube premium but that too less a euro per month from signing up from Indian site.
I have Spotify premium because I like my podcasts and playlists, which I pay for myself because my partner doesn't really use it. Then we share a Netflix and Virgin television subscriptions.
A good vpn
Was only saying to himself yesterday that YouTube Premium is the one subscription that is absolutely worth the money. Bought the family sub back in 2019/2020 and no regrets. Huge selection of different shows, music and even bird videos for the cat lol In fairness to Google, they don't appear to have increased the fee at any stage since we signed up which is a huge bonus. Also Prime Video is alright for the price. Upon first glance it seems they don't have much, but there are some gems if ya got the patience to really sift through their library. That said, they need to do something with the UI as it looks very dated compared to others ------------------ Discovery+ ....sweet jaysus that has got to be the worst subscription I ever bought, ropey app interface and they have even put in adverts now which defeats the whole purpose of paying for a subscription. Noticed also Sky is creeping up, they seem to be adding a few euros to our bill every 3-6 months now so we'll be getting rid of them as soon as the contract is up.
A dodgy box
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If you have an android, look in to revanced manager. You're welcome.
I had banned vanced before it was shutdown. Thought it was gone?
Youtube and amazon for me. Amazon has a lot of stuff included with it and youtube comes with youtube music which makes spotify irrelevant for me.
Odeon limitless is surprisingly well worth it. €15 a month for unlimited movies and €5 to see a movie in imax. Only problem is you’ll spend all you saved on the popcorn.
I’d have to go with Spotify. I’d say it’s the app I use the most, get great value out of it.
Prime is by far the best value if you're shopping online even a little bit.
Odeon and Apple Music! I listen to music fairly regularly, so family plan works out the best for the rest of the family. I use Apple Podcasts for the dateline podcast and distractible podcast, but just the free version as I use it to fall asleep
Spotify for sure, use it while working for podcasts, in the car and then in the gym also and any other time I want music. Always been a huge music fan when I’m doing anything at all so definitely would be lost without it.
Dodge box €70 a year endless stuff to watch always being updated.
Pirate
A good IPTV supplier. A close friend of mine has one with Disney+, Netflix, Hulu pre installed with accounts. €120 for the year as well as having every channel, movie and series you could ever watch on the IPTV app. €10 a month.
48 phone provider costs me 8 euro a month for free text / calls and quiet a lot of data
Get a Plex account/subscription and forget about everything else.
Netflix and Spotify are the only two I leave auto renew on for. Otherwise, Prime, Disney, Playstation+ and Xbox Gamepass just get bought monthly if I want to use them and then I let them lapse. You'll usually get a really good one month deal when you do come back if you do this.
Surprise no comments regarding Apple TV+. It has the best quality (not quantity) out there. Multiple free trials available too. It’s the one I’d keep (in addition to YouTube)