Price:
Content:
Features:
Flexibility:
TalkTalk TV can be bundled with TalkTalk broadband and offers an Ultra HD set-top box with Freeview and access to a range of on-demand apps.
Customers can download any app on the Google Play Store and watch premium content like Sky TV through apps like NOW and Netflix.
For customers happy with a streaming-only set-top box, TalkTalk TV rivals the bigger players for value for money.
At a glance
| Monthly price | From £5 |
|---|---|
| Setup cost | Free |
| Minimum term | 30 days |
| TV channels | 70+ |
| On-demand apps | NOW, Netflix, Prime Video, Discovery+, Paramount+, Disney+, Apple TV+, and many more on the Google Play Store |
| TV box | TV Hub |
| Requirements | TalkTalk broadband |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| TV box supports 4K Ultra HD | Live channels are Freeview only |
| Access to over 10,000 apps brings access to huge amount of content | No discounts or offers available on premium content or apps |
| TV box supports Ultra HD | Only available in Openreach enabled areas |
| Package | TV | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Full Fibre 150 + TalkTalk TV | 70 | 152Mb average | £33 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | ||||||
Who is TalkTalk TV best suited for?
TalkTalk TV is best suited to households happy to sign up with TalkTalk broadband and who want a simple, commitment-free, set-top box for online streaming.
While the set-top box offers access to 70+ live Freeview channels, all other content relies on taking additional subscriptions with various streaming services.
The new Android powered hub provides access to the Google Play Store, so, the most popular apps are all supported, including Netflix, NOW, Prime Video, Discovery+, Paramount+, Disney+, Apple TV+, as well as BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My5, and YouTube, among others.
Those wanting to watch Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and Sky Entertainment will find these through the NOW app, while TNT Sports is available on Discovery+.
One downside to TalkTalk TV is that it is only available in Openreach enabled areas, be that for customers on fibre-to-the-cabinet or fibre-to-the-home connections. Those living in CityFibre enabled areas who can sign up to TalkTalk full fibre broadband won't be able to access TalkTalk TV, and will need to opt for a service like Sky Stream instead, as it can be taken with any broadband package.
Overall, TalkTalk TV is a good addition to TalkTalk broadband, but it's possible customers may be better off simply buying a smart TV box outright, depending on the content they want to access.
What does TalkTalk TV offer?
TalkTalk TV is available as an added extra to TalkTalk broadband, and costs just £5 per month with no setup fee. It's a highly flexible service with a 30-day minimum term and cancellation with just 48 hours' notice thereafter.
Customers are provided with the new Android-powered TV Hub, which supports Freeview over an Internet connection, as well as access to a wide range of apps through the Google Play Store.
Pretty much all streaming apps as well as many games will be available to download, but customers will be able to access the most popular apps like Netflix, NOW, Prime Video, Disney+, Discovery+, Paramount+, and Apple TV+.
TalkTalk TV can be added to any broadband deal within the Openreach network area, so this includes the part fibre plans like Fibre 35 and Fibre 65, as well as the full fibre plans like Full Fibre 150, Full Fibre 500 and Full Fibre 900.
This is how much each of these plans cost with TalkTalk TV included:
| Package | TV | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fibre 65 + TalkTalk TV | 70 | 67Mb average | £33 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | ||||||
|
Full Fibre 150 + TalkTalk TV | 70 | 152Mb average | £33 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | ||||||
|
Full Fibre 500 + TalkTalk TV | 70 | 525Mb average | £40 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | ||||||
|
Full Fibre 900 + TalkTalk TV | 70 | 944Mb average | £50 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | ||||||
While these plans are offered as a bundle deal, the contracts for TalkTalk broadband and TalkTalk TV remain separate.
Customers sign an 18-month contract for TalkTalk broadband, yet, the TV element is made available on a 30-day rolling term, so it can be cancelled at any time after the first month.
Availability for TalkTalk broadband varies, although around 94% of UK homes can access the Fibre 35 and Fibre 65 superfast plans. . While over 16 million premises can now get TalkTalk's full fibre via the Openreach network. Coverage for these faster deals is rapidly expanding, so it's worth checking availability in your area on our TalkTalk deals page.
Read more in our main review of TalkTalk broadband.
TalkTalk TV Hub
The TalkTalk TV Hub is the newer set-top box which is now offered to all customers taking TalkTalk full fibre broadband plans.
The TV Hub is powered by Android and has Chromecast built-in. The main difference of this box is that it offers access to the Google Play Store, and with it the ability to download over 10,000 apps.
That means it offers support for the widest range of on-demand apps, including everything from Paramount+, Discovery+, Disney+, Apple TV+, and many others, as well as games.
The main downside to the new TV Hub is the lack of live channels, with the box only coming with the ability to watch 70+ live Freeview channels, compared to over 200 with the previous Netgem 4K TV Box.
However, customers will get the following benefits with the new TV Hub:
- 70+ live Freeview channels
- 7-day guide and catch-up
- 4K Ultra HD resolution support, and Dolby Atmos sound support
- Access to thousands of apps via the Google Play Store
The full list of apps available is almost endless, with over 10,000 available via the Google Play Store, including:
- Netflix
- NOW (with Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and Sky Atlantic)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Discovery+ (with TNT sports)
- Disney+
- Paramount+
- Apple TV+
- YouTube
- Hayu
- Pluto TV
- Rakuten
- Redbull TV
Ultimately, any user will be hard pressed to find an app that isn't supported on the new TV Hub.
One we have come across is the new Ultra HD add-on for NOW, NOW Ultra Boost, which oddly isn't supported on the TalkTalk TV Hub, despite the box itself supporting UHD content.
How to watch TalkTalk TV
The TalkTalk TV Hub comes with a HDMI port so it can be connected to any modern TV set. It also connects to the Internet wirelessly or via Ethernet LAN, and has an aerial socket to watch live Freeview channels.
Customers can pause and rewind live TV up to around 30 to 45 minutes, although there is no ability to record programmes other than watching them via catch-up apps.
Both 4K Ultra HD and 1080p full HD content are supported, as is Dolby Atmos sound if programmes or apps provide this.
Other unique benefits of the TV Hub for viewers include Google Assistant voice control, as well as options to integrate with Alexa.
Here are more specifications of the box:
| TalkTalk TV Hub | |
|---|---|
| Guide and catch-up | 7 days |
| Pause and rewind | 30 - 45 minutes |
| Record TV | No |
| Voice control | Google Assistant |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD |
| Sound | Dolby Atmos |
Android TV Hub vs Netgem 4K box vs YouView
Existing TalkTalk broadband customers who already have TalkTalk TV with one of the previous YouView boxes may be able to upgrade to the Android TV Hub (postage may apply). However, they may be wondering whether it's worth it.
TalkTalk's new Android-powered TV service has some benefits over the previous YouView box, including:
- Ultra HD viewing where 4K content is available (a 4K TV is required)
- Wide app support via the Google Play Store
- Voice control with Alexa is more limited than with the Google Assistant, and older YouView Plus boxes (DN370T) don't offer this feature at all
There are some drawbacks though, where the more advance YouView Plus box especially offered more features than the new TV Hub does.
- No multiroom option with the TV Hub
- YouView Plus had built-in storage for recording up to 185 hours of SD TV
- The Android TV Hub can only pause and rewind 30-45 minutes, while the YouView Plus box can pause and rewind up to 120 minutes.
Side-by-side, the Android TV Hub and YouView TV boxes look like this:
| TV Hub | Netgem 4K Box | YouView | YouView Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra HD 4K | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Pause & rewind | 30 - 45 minutes | 60 - 120 minutes | 30 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Record TV | No | No | No | Yes |
| Prime Video app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes DN372T model only |
| NOW app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes DN372T model only |
| Netflix app | Yes (inc. Standard with Ads) | Yes (inc. Standard with Ads) | Yes (Standard and up only) | Yes (Standard and up only) |
| BBC iPlayer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ITVX | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Voice control | Google Assistant | Alexa (limited control) | Alexa (limited control) | Alexa (limited control) DN372T model only |
| Cast feature | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Google Play Store | Yes | No | No | No |
TalkTalk YouView TV is still supported by the provider, including existing multiroom subscriptions. However, customers with the YouView box may be inclined to upgrade to the new TV Hub for the wider on-demand app support.
Those with a newer YouView Plus box may see little reason to upgrade however, as the box offers built-in recording as well as a more advanced pause and rewind facility. Earlier versions of the YouView Plus box (DN370T) don't support Prime Video though, so that may be one reason to upgrade.
How does TalkTalk TV compare?
TalkTalk TV is a simple set-top box offering accessing to various streaming platforms. However, with the launch of Sky Stream and Virgin Flex last year, the service is facing increasing competition.
The service is also in direct competition with BT, who also offer a TV service for their broadband customers based on NOW Memberships.
Here's how TalkTalk TV compares on price:
| Package | TV | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Full Fibre 150 + TalkTalk TV | 70 | 152Mb average | £33 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | ||||||
|
M125 Fibre Broadband + Flex | 150 | 132Mb average | £28.50 | £10 | 18 months |
| Offer: Reduced price for 18 months | ||||||
|
Sky Essential TV + Full Fibre 150 | 100 | 150Mb average | £35 | Free | 24 months |
| Offer: Reduced price broadband + Free setup (worth £39.95) (Ends 03/02/2025) | ||||||
|
Entertainment + Full Fibre 100 | 96 | 150Mb average | £49.99 | Free | 24 months |
| Offer: £50 BT Reward Card + Free setup on BT Broadband and EE TV (Ends 13/02/2025) | ||||||
It's worth noting that the Virgin Media Flex price above doesn't include any streaming content, whereas the plans from Sky and BT include Sky Entertainment channels and Netflix.
Virgin Flex also offers Entertainment, Sky Sports and Sky Cinema packs more directly, and doesn't support the NOW app like TalkTalk TV does. BT TV however, does use NOW just like TalkTalk with similar pricing on NOW Memberships.
Overall, TalkTalk TV offers good value for money against rival options, although services like Sky Stream offer more live channels with greater discounts for bundling Sky broadband.
Customer service
As a budget provider, TalkTalk aren't renowned for their customer service, and have previously had a fairly poor record of high complaints for their broadband service.
However, of the four pay TV providers included in Ofcom's complaint records, TalkTalk still had less complaints than the industry average in the first and second quarters of 2024.
| Pay TV complaints per 100,000 customers Q2 2024 | Pay TV complaints per 100,000 customers Q1 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sky | 1 | 2 |
| TalkTalk | 2 | 3 |
| EE (was BT) | 9 | 2 |
| Virgin Media | 9 | 11 |
| Industry average | 4 | 4 |
TalkTalk have been performing well on complaints for their pay TV service since the latter half of 2020. Prior to this they did receive more complaints, although either BT or Virgin Media have received the most complaints over the past several years.
Pay TV generally receives much less consumer complaints overall than broadband, and TalkTalk often receive higher complaint figures for broadband, however they're rarely the worst provider and have been performing well recently, receiving 10 complaints per 100,000 customers in Q2 2024, in line with the industry average for the quarter.
In terms of customer satisfaction, Ofcom's latest Comparing Service Quality report, last updated in May 2023, found TalkTalk customers were generally less satisfied with their service than the industry average, yet they had less customers with a reason to complain than Virgin Media.
TalkTalk also performed well for call waiting time, with customers waiting on average just 1 minute 22 seconds to speak to an advisor, compared to the industry average wait time of 2 minutes and 37 seconds.
Overall, as a budget provider TalkTalk focus on low-prices, and their customer service record shows improvement is needed, however customers seem happy with TalkTalk TV as it has received few complaints in the last two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the £5 monthly charge include?
The monthly subscription fee of £5 for TalkTalk TV provides access to the TalkTalk TV platform and features like the Google Play Store. The Android-powered TV Hub offers access to over 10,000 apps.
Content other than Freeview and free-to-air catch up apps will need to be subscribed to directly with the app itself.
Do I need TalkTalk TV if I have a smart TV?
The TalkTalk TV box has a built-in WiFi receiver and connects to a TV via the HDMI port. This means, the TalkTalk TV box effectively makes any standard TV a smart TV.
For smart TVs that already support an Internet connection and apps, TalkTalk TV can still offer additional benefits, including access to more on-demand apps, including Netflix, NOW, Prime Video, Discovery+, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Disney+, and others.
Does TalkTalk TV need an aerial?
The TalkTalk TV box offers access to over 70 live Freeview channels. These live channels are broadcast over terrestrial TV, and so the box does need an aerial plugged in for it to fully work.
The on-demand apps use an Internet connection to stream the content to the box, which has a built-in WiFi receiver to connect a home's wireless network. It's possible without a TV aerial, a customer could still use the on-demand apps over WiFi.
Should I upgrade from YouView to a TV Hub box?
TalkTalk TV customers who already have a YouView box don't have to upgrade, but TalkTalk do provide free upgrades to the Android TV Hub if a customer requests it.
While newer YouView boxes support some on-demand apps, including Netflix, NOW and Prime Video, some earlier versions of the YouView Plus box don't have Prime Video, and so that may be a reason to upgrade.
YouView also supports multiroom which existing customers can continue to use, yet, this isn't available with the newer Android TV Hub.
Will my TalkTalk TV box work if I leave TalkTalk?
If a customer cancels their TalkTalk TV or TalkTalk broadband subscription, some of the features of the TV box may stop working and functionality will be limited. If a customer resubscribes to TalkTalk TV these restrictions will be lifted.
While the TalkTalk TV box is provided free for customers and it doesn't need to be returned, it's worth bearing in mind, its functionality is tied to a TalkTalk subscription.
Verdict: Is TalkTalk TV any good?
TalkTalk TV offers a useful way for those who want to access a smart TV box to watch premium Sky content on a big screen, alongside other streaming content.
The TalkTalk TV Hub offers some unique features, including Ultra HD viewing and wide app support, and the low-cost makes it an easy addition to TalkTalk broadband packages.
While it doesn't offer the same level of live channels seen on Sky and Virgin Media's premium platforms, it does rival them on price and sports fans are well catered for.
What we like most about TalkTalk TV:
- Wide app support with the Google Play Store of over 10,000 apps
- Access to Sky via NOW and TNT Sports via Discovery+
- Ultimate flexibility with just a 30-day minimum term, and 48-hour cancellation thereafter
Where TalkTalk TV falls down:
- Lack of live channels as seen on Sky and Virgin Media
- The mobile app is missing entirely on the new TalkTalk TV Hub
- No Ultra HD support for the new NOW Ultra Boost add-on
- No discounts or offers on premium content
Ultimately, TalkTalk TV gives TalkTalk broadband an edge over budget rival Plusnet who withdrew their TV service in January 2021.
TalkTalk TV also creates some serious food for thought as a low-cost TV platform that stands up to contenders Sky, Virgin Media, and particularly BT, on cost. However, whether or not customers would simply be better off buying a smart TV box outright is a question that will come down to the apps a customer wants to watch, as cheaper boxes may not support as many options.
Check out TalkTalk's latest prices, or read more on TalkTalk vs BT and TalkTalk vs Sky.
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