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Best Black Friday UK TV and broadband deals 2018

Getty Images/iStockphoto
Getty Images/iStockphoto

The biggest shopping season of the year is in full swing. But before you invest in a new TV package or broadband deal during the Black Friday period, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Luckily, The Independent's technology critic David Phelan has given us the heads up on what to look out for, and what type of deal will suit you best. We've found the most impressive deals so far, from cinema packages to superfast broadband.

If you have the latest, high-resolution 4K model then bear in mind that to watch native 4K content from Netflix, Amazon Prime or Apple TV, then you need a fast broadband connection – Netflix recommends a minimum of 25Mbps.

When you're watching 4K content on Sky, it is often downloaded to the Sky Q 2TB box before you watch, so it's not quite so important, though it'll take a long time to download with a slower connection, obviously. And if it's live sport on BT, Virgin or Sky, then a faster connection is highly desirable for 4K.

TV package deals

Note also that 4K movies can be several gigabytes in size, so unlimited data is recommended. If your line does slow down while you're watching, the picture quality will drop from 4K to HD – still good but noticeably not as pristine.

Some networks can throttle the speed of connections at peak times, or slow down upload speeds (which will affect you if you're sending a home movie to the cloud, but not if you're watching a streamed movie). Check the fine print.

Sky

A staple in most households, Sky is a wise investment for large families but investing in one of its extensive packages can prove costly. Last year, the household name offered a range of discounts including a monthly charge of £10 for Sky Cinema – a contract which usually costs £30 a month. To make this deal even more appealing Sky also announced the launch of three new movie channels: Sky Cinema Christmas, Sky Cinema Classics and Sky Cinema Musicals.

Best deals:

  • Sky Cinema, £10 extra a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Broadband and TV package: 36MB average internet speed and over 300 TV channels, £40 a month for 18 months – buy now

Now TV

Last year, NOW TV offered heavy discounts all its TV passes with two months for the price of one on its Sky Cinema Pass, Entertainment Pass, Kids Pass and Sky Sports Pass. The company is yet to confirm if it will be taking part in any deals this time round but we expect there will be some great discounts on offer.

Best deals:

  • Nine months of Sky Sports: £186, worth £320 - buy now

  • Two months for the price of one of Now Entertainment: was £15.98, now £7.99 – buy now

  • Year of Now Entertainment: was over £95, now £45 – buy now

  • Two months for the price of one of Now Cinema: £9.99 – buy now

  • Twelve months of Sky Cinema: £55, worth £115 - buy now

  • Two months Entertainment and Sky Cinema: £17.98, worth 35.96 – buy now

  • Twelve months Entertainment and Sky Cinema – was over £215, now £99 – buy now

  • Twelve months of Kids TV - worth £47, now £15 - buy now

​Virgin Media

  • The Full House Bundle: Over 230 TV channels, line rental and unlimited broadband with 108MBPS average download speed – was £57, now £45 a month for 12 months – buy now

  • The VIP Bundle: Full House TV + Sky Cinema HD + Sky Sports HD + Extra box VIVID 350 fibre broadband – was £89, now £75 a month – buy now

Amazon Prime Video

With everything from TV series to movies and documentaries, Amazon Prime Video has it all. If you want to test it out without parting with your hard earned cash you can now get a 30 day trial of Amazon Prime for free.

Internet package deals

BT

One of the most well-known companies in the UK, BT offers discounts across a range of products from broadband to TV, mobile and laptops. Last year, it offered month discounts on fibre broadband, cut setup costs and gave away £125 BT Reward Cards across every broadband package.

Best deals:

  • BT Broadband: 10MB with BT line rental, £24.99 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Superfast Fibre: 50MB with BT line rental, £29.99 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Superfast Fibre 2: 67MB with BT line rental, £39.99 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Superfast Fibre Plus: 67MB with BT line rental, a 'keep connected promise', a price freeze for 18 months, and double data for mobiles on Plus accounts, £54.99 a month for 18 months buy now

Virgin Media

A company that offers flexible and high-quality service at super-speeds, it’s no wonder that more and more of us are converting to Virgin Media. The good news is that it took part in Black Friday last year with impressive bundles that cost £18, down from £27, and we expect more of the same this tie round.

The brand treats its TV service as separate to broadband in terms of bandwidth, so you can't impede picture quality on the living room TV because someone's downloading a big file in the bedroom. But that doesn't apply to every network, so maybe warn the rest of the family before the big game, or the big movie, is on!

Best deals:

  • Vivid 50 Fibre Broadband: 54 MBPS average speed, £35 a month for 12 months – buy now

  • Vivid 100 Fibre Broadband: 108MBPS average speed, £40 month for 12 months – buy now

  • Vivid 200 Fibre Broadband: 213MBPS average speed, £45 a month for 12 months – buy now

  • Vivid 350 Fibre Broadband: 362MBPS average speed, £50 a month for 12 months – buy now

Sky

A trusty household name in the UK, Sky is best known for its all-encompassing collection of TV channels but it also offers some great deals on broadbrand too. For Black Friday 2017, new customers could sign up with Sky Fibre Unlimited and Box Sets TV for £50 per month, each priced at £25. Additionally, it also cut costs on its Variety bundle to just £25 per month.

Best deals:

  • Sky Broadband Unlimited 11MB, £18 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Sky Fibre Unlimited 36MB, £25 a month for 18 months - buy now

  • Sky Fibre Max 63MB, £30 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Broadband and TV package: 36MB average internet speed and over 300 TV channels, £40 a month for 18 months – buy now

EE

EE offers a good variety of deals all year round but especially so during Black Friday. Last year, the company offered EE Reward prepaid cards on its broadband deals, ranging from £50 up to £125, depending on the package.

Best deals:

  • Unlimited Fibre Broadband 36MB, £25 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Unlimited Fibre Broadband Plus 67MB, £30 a month for 18 months – buy now

  • Unlimited Fibre Max 1 Broadband 145MB, £40 a month for 18 months – buy now

Talk Talk

  • Unlimited Broadband 11MB, £17 a month for 12 months including line rental – buy now

  • Fast Broadband + TV Box + Sky Cinema Boost, was £43, now £25 a month for 18 months including line rental – buy now

Now TV

  • Super Saver: Unlimited downloads 11MB, £18 a month for 12 months including line rental – buy now

  • The Everyday Surfer: Unlimited downloads 36MB, £25 a month for 12 months including line rental – buy now

  • The Speed Demon: Unlimited downloads 63MB, £35 a month for 12 months including line rental – buy now

Plusnet

  • Unlimited: 10MB average speed, £18.99 a month for 18 months including line rental – buy now

  • Unlimited Fibre: 36MB average speed, £23.99 a month for 18 months including line rental – buy now

  • Unlimited Fibre Extra: 66MB average speed, £27.99 a month for 18 months including line rental and £75 Plusnet reward card – buy now