Thomas J.
/
- Belgium
Hi everyone,
I’ve been looking into cord cutting, but most of the information I find is very US-focused, so I wanted to share my situation and see if any Europeans (or Belgians 🇧🇪) have experience with this.
We’ve had Proximus TV for years and we’re kind of old-school in the sense that we like to:
Just turn on the TV
Zap through channels
Sometimes record a program to watch later
Recently, Proximus gave us an Android TV box with their TV app.
Because of that, we started using apps like:
VRT MAX
VTM GO
GoPlay
And honestly, they work really well — often more convenient than classic TV.
That said, a few things are holding us back from fully cutting the cord:
We still like live TV and channel surfing
We sometimes watch channels like TLC, which don’t seem to have a free (Belgian) app
Recording shows isn’t as straightforward anymore
We currently don’t have any streaming subscriptions at all
So my questions:
Are there people here who have completely cancelled Proximus TV?
How do you handle the “just zapping around” experience without cable?
Are there any legal alternatives in Belgium for channels like TLC?
Do you rely purely on apps, or still some form of live TV?
We’re mainly looking for something simple, not more expensive than classic TV, and easy to use — even for people who aren’t very tech-savvy.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
QUESTION
Hi,
We were in a very similar situation and decided to cancel our traditional TV subscription last year, so I’d be happy to share our experience.
Yes, it is absolutely possible to move away from Proximus TV in Belgium — but the right solution depends on how important live TV and channel surfing are in your daily routine.
For Flemish content, we now mainly rely on:
VRT MAX
VTM GO
GoPlay
These platforms cover the majority of local programming and are easy to use on a Smart TV.
However, if you value the traditional “zapping” experience — turning on the TV and browsing live channels — using only on-demand apps can feel limiting. In our case, we added an internet-based TV service (we use TV Vlaanderen), which provides:
A live channel grid
Channel surfing
Replay TV
Cloud recording
This maintains a familiar television experience without needing a classic decoder.
Regarding TLC: there is currently no free standalone Belgian app offering the full live TLC channel. Some content is available via Discovery+, but this requires a paid subscription. If TLC is essential, you would likely need a paid streaming option or an internet-TV package that includes it.
Our current setup is straightforward:
Internet-only subscription
Smart TV with streaming apps
One internet TV app for live channels
Financially, we ended up slightly cheaper than the full Proximus bundle. The savings are moderate, but the flexibility and simplicity make it worthwhile.
If ease of use and traditional channel surfing are priorities, a light internet-TV package is probably the best compromise.
If you mainly watch Flemish content and only occasionally live TV, cancelling Proximus TV entirely is very realistic.
I hope this helps you make an informed decision.