Most people spend a free trial flicking through channels for ten minutes and calling it a test. That tells you almost nothing. Here is what actually predicts whether you will still be happy in six months.
- Test at peak time. A stream at 21:00 on a Saturday is the real test; 11:00 on a Tuesday is not.
- Find the specific channels that made you consider this in the first place, before anything else.
- Open the guide and scroll forward three days. A thin or empty EPG is a strong signal about how the service is maintained.
- Try catch-up on a channel you care about, not just live.
- Switch channels quickly, ten in a row. Slow switching is the thing that will irritate you daily.
- Play something from the on-demand library and skip forward. Seeking is where weak infrastructure shows.
- Message support with a real question and time the reply. You are buying the support as much as the line.
