Femme enveloppée dans un plaid sur un canapé, télécommande et bol de pop-corn en main

Autumn evenings: planning the perfect TV night with live TV, replay and films

Conseils & AstucesPar Mondial TV·3 November 20266 min read

As the days grow shorter and the rain drums on the windows, a night in front of the TV becomes a real event again. But it has to be a good one: nothing is more frustrating than spending twenty minutes flicking through channels without finding anything, or realising you have missed the start of the film. With a Mondial TV subscription, you have three ways to watch: live channels, replay when the channel offers it, and a catalogue of on-demand films. Combining them well is the whole art of building your ideal evening. Here is our simple, practical approach to making the most of those long autumn nights.

Start with a mood, not with the remote

The first mistake is switching on the screen without knowing what you want. Before you settle in, ask yourself two questions: how much time do you have, and who are you watching with? A quiet night alone after a long day calls for something different from a Sunday evening with the family or a dinner with friends that runs late.

If you have an hour, a live magazine show or documentary will do nicely. If you have the whole evening, it is the perfect time for a long film or two episodes of a series on its channel. And if there are several of you, it is better to decide together over dinner than to negotiate once everyone is on the sofa. Our guide to live or replay explains the advantages of each depending on your schedule.

Mother and young daughter snuggled under a blanket watching television

Live TV: the buzz of a shared moment

Live television has a charm nothing else can match: news as it breaks, a match followed alongside thousands of other viewers, a Saturday night show everyone talks about the next day. With more than 200 French and international channels, the package has something for every mood: major general channels such as TF1, TMC and TFX, culture with ARTE, documentaries with RMC Découverte, sport with L’Équipe 21, and dozens of channels from North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and the UK. For a full tour of the channels from France, see our page on French channels.

A good habit is to check the programme guide before you start. Available on some of the channels, it shows at a glance what is on tonight and what comes next, so you do not have to zap at random. And if the phone rings or dinner is ready, pausing live TV lets you pick up exactly where you left off.

Replay: catching up on what the week made you miss

Autumn is also the season of busy weeks. Between work, school and the children’s activities, it is easy to miss the show you were looking forward to. That is where replay really comes into its own. On the channels that offer it, such as TF1, ARTE, TMC, TFX or CSTAR, you can watch a programme that has already aired whenever it suits you.

For a great evening, replay works perfectly as a starter: an episode you missed earlier in the week, a documentary everyone is talking about, before moving on to the main course. Keep in mind that replay depends on each channel and is not available everywhere, so check what is on offer before planning your evening. For more ideas, our article on films, series and replay at your own pace has plenty of tips.

Bowl of popcorn and remote controls on a grey sofa

On-demand films: the main course

When it is cold outside, nothing beats a good film. The Our films catalogue brings together feature films you can watch whenever you like, without depending on a schedule. It is the perfect solution when nothing on live TV appeals to you, or when you want full control over when your evening starts and ends.

A few tips for choosing well:

Match the length to your evening: a two-and-a-half-hour film started at 10pm is often a recipe for falling asleep before the end.
Mix up the genres: a comedy on Friday to unwind, a drama or thriller on Saturday, an adventure film on Sunday with the kids.
Use My List: as soon as a title catches your eye, add it to your favourites. On the day you run out of ideas, your selection is ready and waiting.
Set the language: depending on the film, you can choose the audio track and subtitles that suit you.

Film lovers can also turn to the package’s dedicated movie channels, such as TF1 Séries Films, Rai Movie or Rotana Cinema, which show films around the clock.

Three ready-made evening menus

The cosy solo night

Start with the evening news live to catch up on the day, follow with an episode of a series on replay, then finish with a film from your list. A blanket, a herbal tea, your phone on silent: the perfect plan for a rainy Tuesday.

The family evening

On Saturday, go for a film suitable for all ages from the catalogue, preceded by a cartoon or a children’s programme for the little ones. Our tips on watching TV as a family will help you strike the right balance between fun and peace of mind. Homemade popcorn is strongly recommended.

The night in with friends

A big match or a live entertainment show to get things going, followed by an action film or a comedy. Live TV sets the mood, and the film keeps the evening rolling without a lull.

Family with two children on a sofa sharing popcorn during a TV night

The features that make all the difference

A great TV night is also one without technical hassle. The Mondial TV app was designed with that in mind:

Resume across screens: start a film on the living-room TV and finish it on your tablet in bed.
Skip the credits: handy for moving straight on to the next thing.
Favourites: group your preferred channels so you can reach them in a second.
Multiple devices: one account can be used on up to 5 devices, whether smartphone, tablet, Android TV or Google TV, Apple TV or a web browser.

Finally, think about your connection: around 5 Mb/s is enough for standard definition, and 10 Mb/s is recommended for HD. If several people in the household are online at once, a wired connection for the TV can make a real difference.

Ready to plan your evening?

Live TV for the excitement, replay to catch up, films to get lost in: by combining all three, every autumn evening can be a moment you choose rather than one you settle for. If you are not a subscriber yet, the 2-week trial for €0.99 lets you try everything, after which the subscription continues at €9.90/month with no commitment. And for those who love long nights in, the annual plan at €79/year saves €39.80 compared with twelve months paid separately. See all the details of our plans and get comfortable: the season of TV nights has only just begun.

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