Second hand BT Pro box

[Endwinad]

I have decided to go with BT full fibre for my broadband but for TV I have decided to buy the BT pro box off eBay. I am sure I have seen this somewhere but wanted to clarify if I do not have tv package on my account, can I still watch live tv with an Ariel?

[NigelB72 · Accepted solution]

Yes...

[Hunter2660]

..... but not in IP mode.

[Les-Gibson]

@Hunter2660  @NigelB72 

Just out of curiosity, will the OP get software updates under the circumstances described?

[Crimliar]

I don't know about the updates, but reading the user guide for the BT TV Pro box, it would seem to suggest that you would only need your BT TV ID to use the BT TV app on the box and access paid-for content.  The manual would seem to suggest that you don't need the BT TV ID for Freeview Play content over IP!

[NigelB72]

@Les-Gibson hmmm good point... Older Youview boxes do because they're generic retail boxes but the Pro Box isn't a retail unit so probably not...

[ozsat]

I thought Box Pro's remained the porperty of BT - so one on Ebay would be stolen?

[Weerab1983]

Someone probably never sent it back in time after cancelling their contract and that's why it has ended up on eBay 

[Crimliar]

See: https://www.bt.com/terms/post1stsep2020tv

The terms are pretty clear and explicit.  So if you buy a "stolen" box, BT is within its rights to prevent it from accessing any of its servers - that could include Freeview Play equipment stationed on BT properties or under its control at other properties.  And the recourse would be with whoever sold you the equipment (which they never owned) and not BT!

[ozsat]

But would still belong to BT - so techincally stolen.

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@Weerab1983wrote:

Someone probably never sent it back in time after cancelling their contract and that's why it has ended up on eBay 

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