BT 4K UHD TV Box replaced with new EE TV Box Pro

[Hackmuss]

Hi all,

I currently have a BT 4K UHD TV Box - not sure of the exact model, but it's the small one with red light on the front and the small square control panel on the top. I have recently renewed my BT contract and have been sent one of the new EE TV Box Pro devices. It was always the case that you couldn't transfer recordings between boxes and I assume this is still the case - but can I start using the new box, but plug my old one in any time just to watch the recordings already on it? Or would registering the new box somehow stop the old one from working?

[rbz5416]

The worst that will happen is that you may be unable to watch recordings of subscription channels. Historically you could only have one box active at a time unless you had a multi-room subscription. There was talk that EE subscriptions give multi-room FOC, but I don't know if that actually happened, or indeed if you now have an EE contract rather than a BT one. But the last I saw reported here was that you could switch the active box back & forth as required without any issue.

@DarrenDev?

[Midnight_Voice · Accepted solution]

@Hackmuss 

That will be a DTR-T4000, and no alas, you can’t transfer the recordings. But having one of the new boxes won’t stop it continuing to work at all. A couple of things to know though:-

if you got the box before 13 December 2019, it’s yours, and you can keep it. But if you got it after that date, it’s only borrowed from BT, and they may ask for it back, and charge you a non-return fee if you don’t. (Though you get it back if you surrender the box within two years, which should give you time to watch everything 😛)

also, if you have been using the T4000 to record the BT-provided channels, then you can’t play them back while you are using the new box; but the T4000 box will ask if you want to switch it to be the main box, and you just say Yes, switch, watch your programme, and all is well. The Box Pro, when you next use it, will ask you if you want to now switch it to be the main box , and away you go again.

Only the BT internet channels are affected by this; regular Freeview channel recordings aren’t affected at all.

I’m cycling between a Box Pro, a Box Mini and a T4000 at the moment, and you soon get used to it.

Usefully, if you set an internet recording on the Pro Box (it has to be the main box at the time) and then switch to the T4000, this won’t affect the Pro box making the recording; you’ll just have to switch back before you can watch it 😛

[Hackmuss]

Very clear explanation - many thanks!