This topic

Second hand BT Pro box

Endwinad — Sat, 20 May 2023 14:05:54 GMT

I have decided to go with BT full fibre for my broadband but for TV I have decided to buy the BT pro box off eBay. I am sure I have seen this somewhere but wanted to clarify if I do not have tv package on my account, can I still watch live tv with an Ariel?

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

NigelB72 — Sat, 20 May 2023 14:36:44 GMT

Yes...

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Hunter2660 — Sat, 20 May 2023 20:36:04 GMT

..... but not in IP mode.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Les-Gibson — Sat, 20 May 2023 21:01:36 GMT

@Hunter2660 @NigelB72

Just out of curiosity, will the OP get software updates under the circumstances described?

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Crimliar — Sat, 20 May 2023 21:31:19 GMT

I don't know about the updates, but reading the user guide for the BT TV Pro box, it would seem to suggest that you would only need your BT TV ID to use the BT TV app on the box and access paid-for content. The manual would seem to suggest that you don't need the BT TV ID for Freeview Play content over IP!

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

NigelB72 — Sun, 21 May 2023 05:28:53 GMT

@Les-Gibson hmmm good point... Older Youview boxes do because they're generic retail boxes but the Pro Box isn't a retail unit so probably not...

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

ozsat — Sun, 21 May 2023 06:09:44 GMT

I thought Box Pro's remained the porperty of BT - so one on Ebay would be stolen?

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Weerab1983 — Sun, 21 May 2023 06:43:04 GMT

Someone probably never sent it back in time after cancelling their contract and that's why it has ended up on eBay

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Crimliar — Sun, 21 May 2023 09:28:45 GMT

See: https://www.bt.com/terms/post1stsep2020tv

The terms are pretty clear and explicit. So if you buy a "stolen" box, BT is within its rights to prevent it from accessing any of its servers - that could include Freeview Play equipment stationed on BT properties or under its control at other properties. And the recourse would be with whoever sold you the equipment (which they never owned) and not BT!

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

ozsat — Sun, 21 May 2023 09:36:48 GMT

But would still belong to BT - so techincally stolen.

@Weerab1983wrote:
Someone probably never sent it back in time after cancelling their contract and that's why it has ended up on eBay

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Les-Gibson — Sun, 21 May 2023 10:11:04 GMT

The fee for not returning a TV Box Pro is £115 (How to return and recycle your BT equipment for free | BT Help) after which I presume it becomes your property (?) so I guess it could be a profitable exercise to cancel within the cooling off period and retain the box. (No I haven't tried it and don't intend to 😀)

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Crimliar — Sun, 21 May 2023 10:11:36 GMT

It's BT's property until a legal decision to the contrary. Its use is dependent on a non-transferable agreement between BT and the person the box was supplied to. BT specifically have rights that could be used to prevent the box from accessing BT-controlled servers/services. So even if you bought the box "in good faith", there is no compulsion for BT to enable you to use it - your recourse would be from whoever sold you the box.

*Be aware that even being involved in a conversation about this prior to purchasing a box, pretty much "removes" the "in good faith" argument and creates the possibility that the purchaser would be considered to have received stolen property, also removing any recourse against the seller.

**On other platforms, moderators are much more strict on conversations about what amounts to illegal activity regarding their equipment!

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Les-Gibson — Sun, 21 May 2023 10:46:32 GMT

@Crimliar

I already have a 100% legit box which just sits on a shelf all day long gathering dust, I even power it up occasionally so that it can get updates but other than that it is redundant so I've no interest in getting another, I'm just curious.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

TimCurtis — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:13:47 GMT

@Endwinad

IPTV is only available with a BT TV subscription even for the Freeview channels (not all are available btw) as these are provided by BT.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Anonymous — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:56:59 GMT

Unless anything has changed I’m not aware of, a YouView box of any flavour picks up its overall look and feel from its platform configuration (the broadband line it is connected to).

Software updates are provided based on box type regardless of how the box was procured.

What you can access (apps, channels etc.), depends on the broadband line it is connected to and the answer the box gets when you try to access something.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Endwinad — Sun, 21 May 2023 19:30:13 GMT

Thank you all for your responses. I will let you know how I get on once it arrives.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

VeteranISPUser — Sun, 21 May 2023 19:45:52 GMT

@Les-Gibsonwrote:
The fee for not returning a TV Box Pro is £115 (How to return and recycle your BT equipment for free | BT Help) after which I presume it becomes your property (?) so I guess it could be a profitable exercise to cancel within the cooling off period and retain the box. (No I haven't tried it and don't intend to 😀)

Hi @Les-Gibson If all else fails then read the terms and conditions 😁

36(c) Payment of the non-return equipment charge does not transfer ownership, you must still return the loaned equipment.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

SRB — Mon, 22 May 2023 06:37:45 GMT

Yup, @Anonymous is correct, when I sent my BT Pro box back and plugged in my old YouView branded box, which had sat on a shelf since I returned to BT, it updated overnight and downloaded the BT branded YouView interface. It is receiving updates.

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

Crimliar — Mon, 22 May 2023 17:09:31 GMT

Previously on Vodafone broadband, it's been the situation with YouView boxes, that if someone who'd previously been on BT switched on one of the old data-capped services switched to VF they'd have to reset the box (which could be annoying as they'd lose their recordings). Once reset it'd stop using the VLAN tagging that had previously been used to get around the main data cap on the subscriber!

Re: Second hand BT Pro box

mhoam — Thu, 25 May 2023 10:11:30 GMT

Hi @VeteranISPUser

Thanks for the useful link. Do you know if there is an option whereby I can legally purchase my BT Pro PVR if I leave BT Broadband when my contract ends?

It is a good box and my wife would appreciate not losing her many recordings 🙂

I can't see anything in that link regarding an option to keep the box and, as you say, the charge is for not returning the box, clearly NOT a purchase option!

Thanks