BT TV Pro Box - Multicast?

[g0akc]

Does the BT TV Pro box use multicast ?  When in internet mode or aerial mode, or both?

Can you have it, and use it with another ISP such as Virgin Media broadband or another fibre provider?

[ozsat]

The internet fed channels on a BT Pro Box - require a BT Internet subscription and connection.

[g0akc]

Okay - but are they delivered by multicast or unicast?

[mikealanr · Accepted solution]

Hi @g0akc 

Yes BT use multicast.

MikeAlanR

[g0akc]

Yes, I know that, and I understand IGMP and the Openreach GEA offering, though I've not looked at it for a fair while.

What I want to know is;

• Does the TV Pro box use Multicast for all content delivery when in internet mode, even for the free to air channels, or is some unicast, albeit off the CDN. Presumably HD and UHD BT Sport is Multicast, just as it is on other BT TV boxes - then;
• Presumably using the Freeview Play 'IP Fallback" Streams - where additional Multicast streams were added a while back for the 'Freeview type' line up.
• How does the box behave if used on another ISP broadband line - with or without GEA Multicast available - does it become  effectively a YouView box with Freeview channels (if connected to a terrestrial antenna) or is it totally dumb - or can one at least use the apps such as BBC IPlayer and ITVX?

thanks.

[DarrenDev]

ALL IP channels are delivered over multicast.
ALL content delivered in the apps is delivered Unicast OTT.
There is no connection/overlap between YouView and Freeview Play.
If the box is connected to a different network, it behaves the same as all other YouView boxes. Apps (other than BT Player) will work as normal. It won't offer IP mode, and if already in IP mode, all the channels will fail.

[g0akc]

Thanks - that's what I presumed - thanks for responding...