What do I lose if I cancel TV Essentials?

[illingd]

I’ve read some responses on here, but am still a bit confused.

I have a BT Youview box (pre 2019). I also have a SMART TV with Freeview. I’m thinking of cancelling BT TV Essentials, but just want to understand what I’ll lose.

I know I can continue to watch Freeview through my TV. Tick.

There are two things I am unsure about.

1. Can I still use the box as a recorder after I’ve cancelled?

2. Will I still have access to the apps on the box? I’m  particularly interested in NOW as I want to subscribe to Sky Sports through it.

Any help gratefully received.

[rbz5416]

Yes & yes.

Just one thing though. Now claim that you can pause & rewind live TV using the BT box. This is only true if you subscribe to Now via BT & view via the EPG. You can't pause live using the app.

[Brucemeister5]

If you subscribe to Sky Sports directly with NOW there’s no need to pay full price for it. It’s currently on offer for £25 per month and if you go to cancel at renewal time it’s almost certain that they’ll offer you another discounted deal to keep you. You don’t have the pause/rewind or recording option but it’s a way of saving money if those things aren’t important to you.

[illingd]

Thanks both. Really helpful replies. I guess it begs the question, once you’re out of contract and if you have a SMART TV, what’s the point of subscribing to TV Essentials. I’m not sure what I get extra for my (now) £10 a month - or am I missing something?

[Brucemeister5]

I’m not sure whether you would have got the AMC channel included in your Essentials package, but you probably never watched it and certainly not worth paying £10 per month for.

I’ve been subscribing to Sky Sports directly with NOW for over 3 years now and I’ve never paid more than £20 per month for it. You just need to make sure that you remember to cancel when it’s due for renewal, otherwise you’ll end up paying full price of £33.99.

[illingd]

Thanks again. I think I’ll just cancel BT TV Essentials….although I then presumably need to connect my box differently to my TV…? As you can tell, I’m no techno wizz…

how did you get Sky Sports for £20. Do you need to ring them. All I can see is the initial £25 deal.

[Brucemeister5]

You have to do everything on-line with NOW. The current offer is £25 for 6 months which is quite a good saving. I must have started with a better offer at the time I think. Anyway if you go to cancel when you enter the final month of that deal I reckon they’ll offer you a deal which will probably be less as it will be the end of the football season by then. Just keep cancelling and they’ll keep offering you another deal every time. You’ll get free Boost with your first month. I find Sky Sports unwatchable without Boost. I’ve got a deal on that too. I’m paying £2 per month because I go to cancel that when it’s due for renewal too.

You don’t need to connect your box any differently to how you’ve got it at the moment when you cancel your Essentials package with BT.

[illingd]

Thanks again Brucemeister5. Your advice has been so valuable.

Can I just ask one final question…? You say I don’t need to rewire the box. I’ve just been on my SMART TV and pressed record as a test and it says “Recording unavailable. Please check your TV and USB connection”. I know my TV allows me to record, so presumably I need to connect the box via the USB…? Any ideas?

Thanks, and apologies for so many questions. Just tell me to stop if you’ve had enough!

David

[rbz5416]

You record Freeview on the box EPG as normal.

TVs can only record to a USB stick/HDD & then only from Freeview. You cannot record from apps.

[Brucemeister5]

@rbz5416  Is 100% correct. Just use your BT box to record. No need to change anything at all. I just hope that BT don’t hassle you to return it. I think you’ve already established that it belongs to you and you want to keep it!