BT TV Pro Box without subscription?

[123Moray321]

Does a BT Pro Box work to access live TV without a BT subscription?

I have BT Fibre broadband with a smart hub 2. I want to be able to access Freeview channels. I do not have an aeirl so will be connecting by wifi only. I want to be able to record as well as access apps when required. I do not need now tv or sports and I already have Netflix subscription. 

Any response as to whether this would meet my needs or an alternative solution would be great. thank you. 

[NigelB72 · Accepted solution]

IP delivery of Freeview channels is only available with an active BT TV subscription. 

Also, any Pro Boxes that are bought through a third party retailer aren't being sold by BT and won't have any after market support or warranty. Your warranty will be with whoever sold you the box.

[stereohaven]

Not without an aerial, you need some form of BT TV subscription to access the IPTV channels, even the Freeview based ones. 

BT TV is the only option in the marketplace currently that allows you to access a base level of channels delivered over the internet and record them. Something they really should market properly.

[123Moray321]

It’s just a shame they don’t seem to offer a basic IPTV package as I don't want the NowTV etc I just want a recorder box that works via wifi. Never mind. Thanks anayway.

[Pip601967]

So you can get the freeview channels with an aerial, can you record them as well. Can i also log into any of the streaming apps with my own accounts too.

[NigelB72]

At the moment yes but this could change in the future as the retail version of Youview winds down.

[Pip601967]

So any ideas when that may happen and what that will mean.

[NigelB72]

@Pip601967 just speculation but Youview is officially dead as a retail platform and I think BT are now the only one of the original partners left on board. They're also loaning the Pro Box now as standard with BT TV subscriptions so I can see at some point support for the older boxes stopping so they become redundant and Pro Box's authenticating against a BT TV subscription before they do anything...... 

Youview retail customers will be nudged towards a new Freeview retail box as their retail Youview boxes become more and more useless.

[wellfan]

Bit late to this thread. My BT TV contract expires in October 2024, just had email from BT to confirm. We have no aerial reception so rely on broadband or satellite for tv services. Quite happy paying £7 per month for access to 'entertainment' package, we only watch Netflix and BBC, ITV and other free channels. This will increase to £20!! My query is to confirm what you stated, ie. that we will lose access to the free channels over internet on our BT TV Pro box?

Happy to pay for a Netflix subscription to cheapest provider, but really do not want to lose the ability to record BBC and ITV channels. Seems crazy to need to pay £20 per month to record free channels.

[Brucemeister5]

Have you checked MyBT to see what the renewal offers are on there? When we entered the final three months of our contract I found that we were not able to flex our tv package and we had offers on all of the EETV packages on MyBT. The strange thing was that the Entertainment, Big Entertainment and Sport renewal prices would fluctuate depending upon the time of day that I checked, whereas the offers for Big Sport and Full Works were constant throughout. I’m pretty sure that you’ll be able to get a renewal offer to beat £20 one way or another if you check MyBT or call to ask for a better offer.

You do need a current EE TV subscription to be able to continue watching the free IP delivered channels, but I believe that you will be required to return your Pro tv box if you received it since 19th December 2019 if you don’t renew your EETV subscription ( I’m not sure how this applies if you have been sent a replacement box for a subscription taken out before that date)