This topic

New tv box

DerekBetts — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 13:08:33 GMT

Are there any plans to upgrade the tv box pro? It’s been around since June 2021 and is significantly slower and clunkier to operate than sky stream or virgin alternative.

it lacks functionality like individual profiles for family members and still no YouTube, Disney+, voice search, etc.

surely with the switch to EE a new more powerful and modern hardware based box would sell the service.

the box pro is way better than previous boxes but in my opinion still miles behind sky/virgin in terms of user experience.

Re: New tv box

zulu17 — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 13:59:12 GMT

Doubt that the missing functionality and features is down to the Sagemcom box pro hardware.

Re: New tv box

DerekBetts — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 15:31:43 GMT

That’s a fair point, maybe the hardware is up to the job but held back by the Youview software.

Simple things like having to press ok before entering a PIN is pointless and the layout/order of items on the main screen is annoying, dynamically moving the most recently used app to the start would help.

and why are E4 and film4 only available in sd, I wouldn’t watch anything in SD as my OCD couldn’t handle it 🤣

Sorry I turned this post into a moan about things I dislike but i guess I have high expectations after using the really slick Sky glass/stream interface.

Re: New tv box

Midnight_Voice — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 22:36:01 GMT

@DerekBetts

Moan indeed; you can certainly moan about Film4 not being available in HD, but you need to moan to Channel Four; you can hardly blame BT for not offering a channel that doesn’t exist on FreeView.

And it’s not even on Freesat, either 😢

Re: New tv box

zulu17 — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 23:23:31 GMT

whilst FilmFour HD is not provided on Freeview the channels that EE TV provide over IP are as agreed with the broadcasters in their content agreements. Other pay TV platforms do take a FilmFour HD feed so it is available. So presumably no agreement has yet been reached by EE TV with Channel 4. It is disappointing that since it’s initial agreements on IP channels there seems to have been little movement or activity in adding more linear channels initially by BT TV and subsequently EE TV.
The EE TV packages do allow for some HD channel content to be regarded as premium and viewable only with the relevant HD addon so passing on any additional costs should be straightforward.

Re: New tv box

DarrenDev — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 08:34:13 GMT

The hardware is capable of everything needed - there's no need for a new box.
The lack of E4 in HD is a personal bugbear of mine too, but we're not allowed it.
Apps are being added to the platform all the time - we're aware of the commonly requested apps, and there are good reasons why they're not available yet. Sorry, I can't say any more than that.
I don't use any PIN enabled services, so I wasn't aware of that behaviour - I'll ask if there's a reason why it works like that, and whether it can be changed.

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Midnight_Voice — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 09:51:02 GMT

@zulu17

Thanks for that.

I’ve been trying to find out what the HD add-on to an EE TV package actually buys you, and I have failed utterly, even using my best Google-fu. Some places I have found seem to promise to tell you, but don’t actually do that 😢

The recommendation on some of the answers is to ask in the Community if you are no wiser, so here I am 😛

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 10:41:30 GMT

The Channel 4 suite of live channels are available in HD through the app on an Apple TV, I assume because it is a "pure" streaming device and doesn't have a tuner.

Other streamers may do the same, I think Fire TV sticks and Roku do, but could be wrong as I no longer have them to test.

No need to pay for premium either, unless you want on demand ad free, as that is also in HD.

@DerekBettswrote:
Are there any plans to upgrade the tv box pro? It’s been around since June 2021 and is significantly slower and clunkier to operate than sky stream or virgin alternative.
it lacks functionality like individual profiles for family members and still no YouTube, Disney+, voice search, etc.
surely with the switch to EE a new more powerful and modern hardware based box would sell the service.

As others have said, the box has the power, but it is held back by the OS and far too many compromises in terms of functionality. The 'service' is easily replicable with a Freeview/Freesat box and/or streaming device for less with no contracts.

When you have been here as long as some of us you will realise you basically signed up for 2 years during which, whilst you may provide feedback and try to be positive, you find very little changes in your favour.

There will be some people the service suits, but if you care about UX, content availability, the use of voice for accessibility and having access to the best quality sound and vision, BT/EE TV is miles away from competitors.

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

zulu17 — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 11:37:07 GMT

@Midnight_Voice At the moment the HD add on to the TV package gives you the linear live HD channel for those subscription channels where both SD and HD versions of the multicast channel are provided. Subject to your broadband speed and having TNT sport in you TV package here is a HD/4K addon which in addition would allow viewing of the multicast TNT Sport Ultimate 433 and HDR 465.

Taking the HD or HD/4K add on also gives you free NOW Boost addon IF your base TV packs is one that includes NOW Membership (eg Entertainment/Big Entertainment/Big Sport/ Full Works).

So HD addons are not required for the FreetoAir channels in IP mode nor for the Asia Mix channels as those channels are either provided in one of SD or HD not both.

Viewing content in discovery + in Hd/4K does not require the HD addon.

The HD addons also are needed to watch sport on demand in HD (and 4K limited choice) on the big screen EE TV app.

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Midnight_Voice — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 12:35:00 GMT

@zulu17

Thanks for that.

So there is absolutely no sense whatever in buying Now Boost for £6 when you could buy the HD add-on for the same price, and get Boost plus more?

I wonder how many people know that?

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 13:11:38 GMT

@Midnight_Voicewrote:
I wonder how many people know that?

I wonder how many people know that on the Discovery+ app, wherever you get it from and however much you pay, HD is standard and if you have Premium (sports), you get up to 4K UHD HDR included when available?

Or that by going direct a NOW Boost is on average £2 - £3 per month max when you buy it then cancel to get a retention offer?

I don't think most people put enough effort in to understanding what they can get from where and just assume if they move from one provider to another, things are generally the same. Caveat Emptor.

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Midnight_Voice — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 14:20:17 GMT

@Anonymous

Not just Boost, but all the Now Memberships can be had heavily discounted if bought direct from Now. And the Now apps on any other devices I can think of, except the Now app on YouView boxes, support subtitles.

But BT’s USP is that nowhere else can you record the Now channels but via BT/EE TV on a YouView box; and while Sky/Now do reruns of Sports programmes On Demand, these are patchy, temporary and often very late. So for any Sports mavens who work irregular hours - or even regular ones - BT/EE TV is the only solution for controllable time shifting of Sky/Now Sports, beyond an actual Sky Q subscription.

Which is why I don’t think EE TV on Apple TV boxes is going to fly for such users.

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 14:44:53 GMT

That's a super niche cohort of users to sell too and as you say, no subtitles, regularly incorrect EPG listings and always someone else's fault, doesn't make it stress free.

With TV Launcher on Apple TV you don't need to sign up for 2 years to the EE TV Guide either as it does the same job and is customisable and now it has full VPN support on TVOS 17, well... 🤐

Re: New tv box (HD add-on?)

Hooba — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 16:37:50 GMT

I don't think the ability to record / time shift sport is super niche. It's probably a minimum base requirement for a lot of households.

Also, if a household's minimum base requirement is all the Sky and TNT sports channels in HD there's not a lot of discount to be had buying direct from Now / BT.