BT-TV and Freeview Channels through WI-FI instead of via aerial

[sea2dog]

When will BT go down the Virgin route and do away with aerials and have everything viewed via their router? 

[DarrenDev]

It's technically pretty easy - we've done many "proof of concepts" over the years. It requires permission from all the broadcasters to allow all their channels to be broadcast over IP though - that's a tough nut to crack!
When you then add on the ability to record the programmes broadcast via that route, it becomes even more complicated - why would broadcasters allow it, when they already have their own catch-up players that they can insert ads into and make money?

[sea2dog]

But isn't it possible to attach a DVD recorder to record programmes on freeview already? or is their a restriction on this via the box apart from recording onto the youview box?
I'd heard that BTs intention was to have the majority of freeview through fibre cable sometime in the future.

[DarrenDev]

I can't comment on speculation of future BT services - announcements will be made as and when appropriate.
Being already possible on Freeview unfortunately means nothing when it comes to negotiating new rights.

[sea2dog]

Yes, but they can't use that as an excuse for not allowing it as I've already mentioned it could still be possible to record BBC1 etc via a stand alone recorder unless it has a restriction on the bt-tv youview box.

[DarrenDev]

As I said: "Being already possible on Freeview unfortunately means nothing when it comes to negotiating new rights."

[gomezz]

There are already restrictions on recording output over an HDMI connection hard-wired into the HDMI protocol. This means that an external recorder is limited to using a SCART or Composite Video connection and so is limited to recording in SD only.

[SRB]

For a brief period the main Public Service channels were available by IP on the BT Vision platform, but the plug was pulled quite quickly and the whole system moved to using YouView boxes. As mentioned elsewhere, the whole platform was way ahead of everyone else at one stage and was one of the reasons I moved to BT Vision when TiVo bundled their UK service in with Virgin. (No Virgin coverage in my area.) That however was many years ago and honetly who knows what journey the latest BT Pro TV box will take us all on!