Skip the ads offline? Here it is still possible

MontelcoWe all have our reasons for watching our favorite TV show offline, but for many people, the option to skip commercials is probably the most important. VOO customers have not been able to do so since the beginning of last year, and soon it will be the turn of Proximus and Orange customers. Which operator still allows it? And can we still escape it? Montelco.be do the topo for you.

From April, Proximus and Orange customers will first have to watch a minute of when they want to launch a recorded programme. For now, this only concerns the programs of the Flemish channel VTM. VOO was the first in Wallonia to prevent its customers from playing during deferred viewing of the French channels of the TF1 group and the Belgian channels of the RTL group.

Those who have a limited TV subscription and who watch television via the VOO, Proximus or Orange app will be entitled to mandatory breaks. Eventually, other television channels will also follow, says VOO. If you have a paid streaming service in your subscription, you can rest easy: these will remain ad-free.

What can’t we skip anymore?

VOO customers who watch a recorded program from TF1 or RTL will have to suffer breaks in their entirety. All Replay-TV programs are also affected by this new rule.

Since the Flemish company DPG has also concluded an agreement with Proximus and Orange, the customers of these operators will also be obliged to watch a commercial break at the start of a program recorded from April. At Proximus and its low-cost subsidiary Scarlet, this concerns programs from the Flemish channel VTM that you have recorded with a new generation decoder. You’ll still be able to push the rest of your schedule forward, including ad breaks. At Orange, this is not possible. The other channels, such as the Play channels in Flanders, are not affected for the moment.

Pipe : Overview of the 10 cheapest products with a TV subscription via the app.

Possible alternatives

Lots of people used this handy feature that skipped ads. Now that that advantage is gone, it might be time to consider some possible alternatives. We then think directly of streaming. Via free applications such as MYTF1 and RTLplay, you can watch your favorite programs offline for free. In theory, you are then forced to endure the ads (unless you use a good adblocker), but at least you don’t pay to then be “forced” to watch them.

By opting for this solution, you can also make great savings on your monthly bill. By removing television as a fixed service from your subscription, you can save 120 euros per year with VOO. You then take out a Solo Super Relax internet subscription for 55 euros per month, with or without mobile telephony. At Proximus, the difference is even more spectacular: 144 euros per year. At Orange, you can even save 228 euros per year!

The right internet subscription

Streaming consumes more data. Your current internet subscription may no longer be sufficient and you may need to do a small upgrade. In some cases, an internet subscription with speeds of up to 100 Mbps is sufficient, but if you combine internet and streaming on several devices at the same time, you will need a higher speed. In this case, unlimited internet is not a luxury either.

VOO customers are relatively well accommodated with their standard internet subscription, the speed of which can reach 200 Mbps. But if you are surfing the internet or streaming content on multiple devices at the same time, then you will definitely need higher speeds. After comparison, MonTelco.be shows that the best option in this case is the fiber network of Mobile Vikings. For 55 euros per month, you get home internet at speeds of up to 1 Gbps, which is more than enough and at the same price as the standard VOO internet subscription. However, you will need a fiber connection.

An alternative: Home Internet from Orange, which offers unlimited internet at speeds of up to 150 Mbps for 46 euros per month.

Via MonTelco.be, you can check which internet and TV subscription suits you best. You can compare all current prices and offers and save money.

Also read on MonTelco.be:

Change cheaper internet operator without paperwork

Do you win by buying a smartphone with a linked subscription?

Is it advantageous for the consumer to call only via mobile Internet and to do without all the other services of his subscription?

This article is brought to you by our partner Montelco. Montelco.be is an independent telecommunications comparator for internet, mobile telephony, television and fixed telephony.