TalkTalk TV review 2024: Is it any good?
Dan Howdle • August 7th, 2024
TalkTalk’s big selling point for TV is simplicity and flexibility. You can pick and mix streaming services to bolt on each month without committing to lengthy contracts, as well as downloading your favourite TV streaming apps to the TalkTalk TV Hub, which runs on Google Chromecast. But before you read any further, it’s important to note that TalkTalk TV is not a standalone product. It’s only available to households with TalkTalk fibre broadband. That said, let's take a look.
Key features
Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to find in a TalkTalk TV package.
| Channels | 70+ | Delivery | Internet (aerial required for live TV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband | TalkTalk Broadband required | Set-top box | TalkTalk TV Hub |
| Prices from | £23 per month | Contract length | 18 months |
Pros and cons
Reasons to buy
- Outrageously cheap
- Useful, optional add-ons
- Flexible access to a wealth of content
Reasons to avoid
- No multiroom option
- No option to record
- Fewer channels than Sky
Channels
TalkTalk’s latest TV offering is in the form of the TalkTalk TV Hub, with over 70 Freeview channels, including at least 15 in HD. Freeview channels are subject to location and you will need a roof aerial in order to be able to receive them – however, many channels such as BBC, ITV and so on now have their own apps which you can download onto the TalkTalk TV Hub.
When it comes to Freeview, the precise availability of channels will depend on where you live, how fast your broadband is where you live, and the quality of your TV aerial reception.
Thanks to the TalkTalk TV Hub being a Google Chromecast in a branded box, you'll have full access to the Google Play store, with over 10,000 apps. That means a dizzying array of streaming apps, including those requiring an additional subscription, such as NOW TV Cinema, NOW TV Sports, NOW TV Cinema, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+ and all the others, as well as free apps including BBC iPlayer and the ITV Hub. TalkTalk is also the first UK TV service to provide access to TikTok via its TV box.
Set-top box
The TalkTalk TV Hub
Until recently, TalkTalk supplied customers with a fairly standard YouView box for its TV services, but now offers its TalkTalk TV Hub. As the name suggests, this box automatically plays any 4K-ready content in 4K, subject to your TV also being 4K-ready.
Although there is no option to record your favourite shows, it doesn’t really matter as you can watch anything you’ve missed on catch up (available for the past seven days). You can also pause and rewind live TV so there is no need to miss a moment.
The TalkTalk TV Hub is voice-activated and works with both Alexa and Amazon Echo to make it easy to find the shows you want quickly without typing into the search bar using a fiddly remote control.
To watch both Freeview channels and on demand TV, you will need to connect your Hub both to an external aerial and your internet connection. On demand services such as NOW TV and Netflix are provided via an internet connection, whereas Freeview channels require an aerial, though most Freeview channels now have dedicated apps, so you can get round that in many cases if access to an aerial is difficult.
You can take advantage of a number of free apps on the TalkTalk TV Hub including BBC iPlayer, All4, YouTube, and even TikTok, all of which come pre-installed, although you will need to sign up before you can watch.
Add-ons
TalkTalk offers customers the option to bundle up NOW TV and Netflix with a TalkTalk TV subscription. Doing this rather subscribing separately won’t save you any money, but it does mean you will just get one bill each month for all your home entertainment.
TV add-ons
NOW TV Entertainment – NOW Entertainment comes with 17 premium channels, including the ever-desirable Sky Atlantic, along with Comedy Central, Sky Arts, Peacock, GOLD, and Sky Sci-Fi, offering a fantastic selection of viewing, from HBO masterpieces, such as Succession to the entertaining The Afterparty. NOWTV Entertainment also includes what was Sky Kids, and provides access to six channels including Cartoon Network, Nick Jr and Boomerang.
NOW TV Cinema – From classic golden oldies to the latest Hollywood releases, NOW TV Cinema has over 1000 films available to watch on demand across 11 categorized channels, with seasonally inspired channels such as Christmas and Halloween providing additional entertainment. From horror and sci-fi to the latest thrillers and rom-coms, along with a scattering of Sky Cinema originals, you will never be short of something to watch.
NOW TV Sports – A must for any sports fan, a NOW TV Sports Membership gives you access to the 11 Sky Sports channels where you can catch the latest Premier League matches, enjoy the thrills of F1 or get absorbed in the cricket. Plus, with American NFL games, rugby, golf, boxing and more, there is something for every sports fan.
Netflix – Still the leader in the streaming app race, Netflix offers a vast amount of TV, from international drama series to Hollywood blockbusters. There are also kids shows, family films and classic British comedies such as Paddington and Dolittle to enjoy, along with a large number of Netflix originals, such as The Crown, Better Call Saul and Stranger Things.
Packages and bundles
Bundles with broadband
TalkTalk TV is only available to customers with TalkTalk fibre broadband, so depending on what is available where you live, you can choose between the widely available 38Mbps or 67Mbps download speeds, or Full Fibre up to 900Mbps. You can use the availability checker on the TalkTalk website to see which broadband speeds are on offer where you live.
Adding TalkTalk TV to TalkTalk broadband
As TalkTalk TV requires a fibre connection, existing TalkTalk broadband customers can choose to upgrade their broadband service to fibre and then add TalkTalk TV to their package. Existing TalkTalk fibre customers can add TalkTalk TV without needing to make any changes to their broadband service.
Our final verdict
Having scaled back its TV service for some time, TalkTalk has come back with a bounce with its TV Hub, which with an entry-level price of just £5 per month is pretty much a no-brainer. As customers increasingly look for entertainment via streaming services, TalkTalk has provided the ideal compromise of a high quality box that offers the regular Freeview channels as well as the option to access the major streaming services, either in a bundle with a TalkTalk TV package or simply by subscribing to them separately yourself.
On the downside, the TalkTalk TV Hub does not, as yet, offer Apple TV+ on its platform, nor is it available as a multiroom option. In addition, TalkTalk only offers its TV service to customers who subscribe to its broadband service. However, if none of these things are an issue for you, then the new and improved TalkTalk TV service offers a great value way to access some top-notch telly. Get stuck in!
