This topic

Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Joe15 — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 21:01:46 GMT

Hello there!

I have recently ordered the Fibre67 broadband through EE. Along with it, I also got the EE TV Box Pro with a Big Sports package and an HD + 4K addon. I predominantly want to watch HD football on TV and use my broadband for everyday work.

My question is simple and possibly a bit stupid: Will my tv box use broadband internet to broadcast live channels or will it use aerial cable?

Basically, assuming if TNT Sports is on channel number 100 and there is live game ongoing, will the internet be activated when I flick my box to that channel?

I ask this question because of two main reasons:

1. Some research of mine shows that streaming apps essentially broadcast their content for smaller screens. Regardless of the quality that you chose on your app (4K, 1080p, etc.), the output is designed for viewing on a tablet or phone and not on a 65 inch QLED screen.

I have personally experienced this lower quality of a football game being streamed on a LaLiga app compared to the same match streamed on the Movistar Plus+ channel through cable, back in Spain.

2. A lot of houses/flats in London have satellite dishes installed out of their windows. Related to my observation in the earlier point, can I "opt" to install a satellite dish for my tv box and not be compelled to depend on the internet for my tv? If yes, what are the factors that I need to consider before I make this decission?

Apologies for the long question and hope you could answer.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Hunter2660 — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 23:30:17 GMT

All the IP channels are streamed at the highest quality, some sport in UHD and or HDR. EETV uses multicast streaming for their services rather than the usual Unicast, ie all app based streams. You have the option to stream a selection of Freeview channels, (many in HD), or connect an aerial to receive the full selection of Freeview channels. You cannot use a satellite dish at all.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

NigelB72 — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 07:06:47 GMT

Your research is very outdated as this hasn't been the case with streaming platforms for years. Even Sky are winding down their satellite services in favour of IP distribution now.

Also, as the broadband connections within people's homes get faster and digital compression gets better, service providers can start offering higher quality as demonstrated by the streaming platforms now pushing out full UHD with HDR and Dolby Atmos, combine this with a big TV and the results are outstanding. Football and F1 looks particularly good in UHD HDR.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Joe15 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:07:37 GMT

Thank you, a few clarifying questions:

1. Will the Freeview channels (assuming channels like the BBC) be included in my Sports package (£16)?
2. If my new house does not have an aerial, is it possible to install one? How much would that cost?

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Joe15 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:15:36 GMT

Thank you for your reply.

Quite frankly, I do not understand how advanced tv technology is actually compelling users to depend on a broadband service to watch live tv.

This is an honest question but would the Fibre67 be enough for someone to have a video call from one room and me to watch F1 in UHD with HDR and Dolby Atmos in another room?

Call me nomadic but if EE expects users to use broadband for its TV, pay for each service separately, and then designs its technology in a way that it is totally interdependent, then why charge separately?

A TV source should be independent of the internet. In essence, you should not be compelled to use "apps" to watch live tv.

Consider this a rant because I have already chosen EE and begin my subscription in a few days.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Hunter2660 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:40:11 GMT

Whether you consider you need an aerial is dependent on the channels you feel are important to you. These are the channels that EETV stream to your box, (all are recordable). Just check them against your subscription.

List of channels on EE TV (Internet mode) – TVCL – TV Channel Lists

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Joe15 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:17:41 GMT

Thank you.

So when I get my tv box installed, I should ideally receive every channel from this list that says "Free-to-air" and the remaining that says "Sport HD4K" as part of my package?

And if I understand correctly, I can "free-up" some of my broadband by opting to watch the free-to-air channels on aerial and not depend on the Fibre67 for everything(?)

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Hunter2660 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 17:18:46 GMT

That's correct, but only when viewing an internet delivered channel is your speed affected. With an aerial you will receive the full list of channels, depending on your location, (but minus some HD channels). You can check by putting in your postcode here.

Freeview | All your favourite TV shows, all in one place and all for free

I believe BT has a deal for aerial installation, but as I'm no longer a subscriber perhaps someone else can point you in the right direction.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 17:07:56 GMT

Is there any particular reason why you are asking the same questions here @Joe15 that you have already asked and had answered in detail on the EE community?

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/TV/Does-the-EE-TV-Box-Pro-use-the-internet-to-stream-live-channels/m-p/1419418#M3139

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Joe15 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:12:53 GMT

Yes, sorry about that.

I asked the question in both threads because I wasnt sure who would answer.

But both threads had reverts and then more questions arose.

Should I delete both of these threads?

Sorry again.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Midnight_Voice — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:38:29 GMT

@Joe15

I went to look up Fibre67, and it’s not even a BT service, it’s an EE service, and it’s just good old Fibre to the Cabinet in a pretty frock 😛 And EE are contrasting it with copper/copper, aka ADSL, which nobody who could choose FTTC would go for…

In principle, 67Mbps will support 4K HDR with Atmos, and a video conference call at the same time (as long as you are just joining it, and not trying to host it!), as each can be done within about 20 Mbps. It’s 4K that uses the bandwidth, by the way, HDR and Atmos being very small add-ins to that.

But I’d arrange for both to be over Ethernet, as WiFi speeds can fall off quite steeply in the home with distance, whereas Ethernet hardly drops any speed at all.

I don’t know, though, why you think advanced TV technology is compelling users to depend on broadband. It’s actually quite the reverse; the advanced TV technology is, for the first time, making it possible to watch live TV without an aerial, which a small but growing number of people want to do, and haven’t been able to do until recently.

Except, that is, by using apps, siloed by broadcaster, and very cumbersome and inconvenient. The whole point of IP delivery of TV is that it doesn’t look like an app; it emulates OTA. You might as well rail against Freesat, which has been another way to do it for a good while now.

I could call you nomadic, but I don’t know where, or when, or how far, you are travelling 😢 (I’m sure you meant another word, but what it might have been escapes me).

But as for interdependence, you are thinking like somebody buying a car, and expecting to pay one price for it, and get the fuel thrown in. But of course, that’s unfair on low mileage drivers.

So you are paying one price for the ‘car’ (the broadband, where you can go Rolls-Royce or Skoda) and another, or others, for the ‘fuel’, what you want to consume over your broadband. Even EE has a range of prices, depending how much or how little content you want, and what sort.

Anyway, as you say, you have already chosen EE. But I can at least try to make you feel better about your very wise choice 😛

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 19:05:51 GMT

@Joe15wrote:
Yes, sorry about that.
I asked the question in both threads because I wasnt sure who would answer.
But both threads had reverts and then more questions arose.
Should I delete both of these threads?
Sorry again.

I don’t think you need to delete stuff but you are an EE TV and EE Broadband customer and @DarrenDev , @Midnight_Voice and myself have answered all of these questions already on the EE community.

Re: Does the EE TV Box Pro use the internet to stream live channels?

zulu17 — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 21:55:48 GMT

@Joe15 You are welcome to post in this BT retail forum and the EE community. As you had already ordered the product(s) from EE rather than Bt retail issues with that order and as there are some differences in the products offered from the two companies (both owned by BT group) then possibly directing the enquiries to EE community would have been best.

On this community there are many customers using legacy EETV boxes and on legacy EETV packages, there are also customers who have moved or migrated their broadband from BT to EE and taken new EETV packages who may have questions/issues around how BT and EE handle the transfer. Ie stuff you don’t need to worry about with your new EE contracts.

anyway welcome to the communities .