I want to watch TV, but don't know how!

[MockneyReject]

I really would like to have a TV.
I currently watch catch up, on my phone, but my eyes aren't great and it just doesn't feel like 'watching telly'.

My flat is crap (not just in this respect) and I'm not very interested in tech, but there must be a way to have and to watch TV.

No WiFi (landlord won't allow a phone line), no satellite dish ('historic' location/building), no cable (town centre) and one really short ariel point in a downstairs room, not the one I want to put a TV into.

Is there some sort of device, a box or a stick or something, that will allow me to watch more than just the few channels I can see downstairs on the old Freeview TV thing I've tried out, in the room with the ariel point? It's brown wire and covered in old paint and I can't work out where it comes from or goes to, as there are lots of wires going up and down the outside and I'm not sure what any of them are for. There must, presumably, be an ariel, but I can't see one. I can't see the roof, in fact. There's a mesh thing all over it.

What am I missing, here?

You need one of these OP, with unlimited data. You'll have WiFi throughout the house and be able to get a now tv smart stick or similar to stream TV as you please.

www.three.co.uk/Discover/Devices/Huawei/E5573bs-322_4G_Mobile_Wi-Fi?memory=0&colour=White

PS, your landlord sounds like a bit of a weirdo

You could get an older Xbox or PlayStation and get Netflix, amazon and other streaming apps on that if you can use your phone for that hot spot thingy. That would plug into your tv easily. You would need to subscribe to the games console online membership though.

I don’t know if freeview boxes off the option to run those kinds of apps through them. Worth checking out though.

I have a roku, which plugs in to the TV's hdmi port and lets you watch Netflix, Iplayer and whatever on your TV, there are also free services (apps) which make you sit through ads to watch movies.

Oh OP if you're on Three anyway, you can stream Netflix without using any data if you hot-spot from your phone. A now tv smart stick is a good choice, has Netflix on it and they're almost always on offer somewhere. Cheaper than a second hand games console for sure

Ooh, my son has a PS3. Am I understanding correctly, that I could use that and my phone's hotspot, to watch Netflix etc?
I'm willing to buy a more modern RV, but there just seems to be an overwhelming array of options - many of them unavailable to me because of my freak of a landlord! The last time I regularly used.a TV, there was just satellite, cable and Freeview.

I had what Mitebiteatnite had - just went for the cheapest option as it had “all you can binge” then got an amazon fire stick for £20 for all the apps - goes into the hdmi socket of tv. I think google also does one of these. Easy to use and basically turns your tv into a smart tv good luck

A now tv smart stick is a good choice, has Netflix on it and they're almost always on offer somewhere

This is probably the best idea, you can normally get a couple of months free entertainment, or movie package with now tv as well, they are about £20 in B&m currently.

to watch Netflix etc

Yes, but you do realise You have to pay a monthly fee for Netflix.

I'm on VOXI/Vodaphone (I lied about my age to get the deal, but I think they were challenged and now offer it to over 30s, anyway).

I doubt I could get a contract with 3 ( or anyone else) as I'm not on the open electoral register.

GiffGaff cancelled me, as I fell foul of the 'fair use' clause on their unlimited data deal! I read a lot on my phone. Though,probably wouldn't need to read all the while if I had a bloody telly 😕

I live rurally, as in middle nowhere rurally. We can get WiFi but it's rubbish and doesn't work most of the time. I got a dongle from o2 but other providers do them. Runs my amazon prime stick, phones, ring doorbell etc with no issues. You just need a decent data package. It's not ideal but it works.

So, where would a dongle go? Straight in to a TV?

Ok, so stick + dongle, each 'plugged in' to any normal TV?
Alternatively, no dongle, just use my phone as a hot spot? (I don't actually know how to do this).

It can be plugged into any TV made in the last 10 or so years, the tv needs a HDMI port.

Could you download shows when you're out and about using public WiFi then cast it to TV?

Our TV was £200 from Tesco and allows me to send things from my mobile, not sure how it works without internet though!

My dongle is just the same as WiFi really, small box-plugged into a phone charger socket. Not connected to the tv if that makes sense.

If you go into yout phone settings there should be a search box. Search "tethering" and it should explain how to make a wifi hotspot.

I find it makes my phone hot so be careful doing it for too long. It's not meant to be a long term/permanent solution, you are supposed to do it occasionally for short periods.

Most of the dongles you can get just work as a wifi hotspot doing the same thing as tethering a phone, you can get plug in ones, but a wifi one is probably what you want. Go somewhere like carphone warehouse and ask them what deals they have.

If you have a PS3 you won't need a stick for the TV.

You can run an extension lead up stairs if you do it carefully. Use cable pins or tape to secure it to the skirting board so that it's not a trip hazard. Or go in a straight line up and onto the landing if you have railings rather than a solid bannister. Around doorways if you need to run it into a different room.

I used the huawei mobile wifi device that mitebite linked, with an amazon firestick plugged into my telly. If you have more than one telly, you can plug the firestick into whichever one you're watching, so you can have telly in your bedroom and sitting room.

Lots of advice.
Thank you, all.