Sky Sports on BT Vision Box via Infinity

[Russ07]

Hi - I've had BT Vision for years and used to pay for Sky Sports 1 & 2 as an extra which was viewed via the Aerial into the Vision box on one of the channels (Ch 58 & 59) so was the same as watching any programme. When BT Sport came along they removed SS 1 & 2 and I'm now looking to subscribe to them again. My questions are:

1) I understand you now need BT Infinity Broadband to watch Sky Sports as they come via the broadband connection rather than the Aerial. Is this correct?

2) If it is via Infinity, do I need the most expensive Infinity option with faster download speeds to make sure it's viewable and doesn't keep freezing? Or would the base Infinity package be okay? Does anyone have any experience of watching Sky Sports via Infinity. I'm concerned it will just keep freezing and I'll be paying for something I can't watch.

3) Will watching Sky Sports count against my Broadband allowance if it's coming via the broadband rather than aerial?

4) Can you still cancel Sky Sports with a month's notice as you used to be able to? If so, I guess less of a problem if it doesn't work when I install if it's only on that notice period.

5) Does it just show up on the TV guide or how do you access the channels?

Sorry for all the questions, but I want to pre-empt any problems before I actually pay for the service and have issues.

Hope this is on the right forum page, sorry I'm new to this!

Thanks

Russ

[umpire]

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1) I understand you now need BT Infinity Broadband to watch Sky Sports as they come via the broadband connection rather than the Aerial. Is this correct?

Yes that is correct. In order to subscribe to Sky Sports you now need Infinity. You also need the Fibre Multicast service available for your line.

Note: There are a small number of existing long term Sky Sports subscribers who now get the channels delivered over ADSL broadband using Copper Multicast, but as far as I know this service has never been available to new subscribers.

2) If it is via Infinity, do I need the most expensive Infinity option with faster download speeds to make sure it's viewable and doesn't keep freezing? Or would the base Infinity package be okay? Does anyone have any experience of watching Sky Sports via Infinity. I'm concerned it will just keep freezing and I'll be paying for something I can't watch.

Any Infinity should do the job. I'm on Infinity 1 and get Sky Sports, BT Sport, BT Sport HD and other HD channels. They all work without issue for me with my speed capped at 38Mbps.

In BT's world Infinity means an FTTC broadband connection that is at least 15Mbps. If your FTTC speed is estimated at less than 15Mbps then BT just call it Faster Broadband and the Infinity based TV might not be an option.

A single SD multicast channel such as Sky Sports 1, 2 or 5 will use about 3Mbps. An HD channel such as BT Sport 1 HD will use 7.5Mbps or possibly a bit more. In theory the 15Mbps is enough to support 2 HD chanels simultaneously though 20Mbps might be a safer target. Most Infinity connections are well above 15Mbps but it depends on your distance from the street cabinet and the state of the cabling.

3) Will watching Sky Sports count against my Broadband allowance if it's coming via the broadband rather than aerial?

No. Data usage through the BT Vision+ box doesn't count towards your allowance. So you could be on the cheapest Infinity 1 (20GB) package and still watch Sky Sports all day every day.

4) Can you still cancel Sky Sports with a month's notice as you used to be able to? If so, I guess less of a problem if it doesn't work when I install if it's only on that notice period.

Yes. Sky Sports is only on a minimum 1 month contract. You can cancel any time after 1 month. I don't think you need to give any notice at all.

5) Does it just show up on the TV guide or how do you access the channels?

When you subscribe to any multicast channels BT send a software update to your BT Vision+ box to enable them. The extra multicast channels appear in the EPG (101 - 107, 400 - 599) and can be viewed/recorded in exactly the same way as Freeview channels. 

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[umpire]

I assume that you are aware that Sky Sports are not currently available on the BT Youview+ box, only on the BT Vision+ box.

[Russ07]

Thanks for your answers. That's really helped. Do I need to do anything specific to get the Fibre multicast service you mentioned when I order Infinity or do they just sort out whatever is needed to get the Infinity broadband option.

I've got the old Vision black box which I presume is the Vision + one so should get sky sports okay?

I currently get BT sport via the aerial on the Vision box. It sounds like I'll have the option of HD when I get infinity? Is that right?

Last thing, do you need an engineer to come out and fit anything to get Infinity do you know?

Thanks again

[stuartrogerson]

You need to not inky check you can get infinity but and this is very important that multicast is available as well. A search for your exchange will give the answer to that. Yes an engineer will need to visit to install a socket.

[umpire]

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@stuartrogerson wrote:
Yes an engineer will need to visit to install a socket.

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Hi Stuart,

I don't think that is necessarily the case any longer. Back last year when I got Infinity 1 installed an engineer (in fact two of them) did come to my house and replace/move the master socket and install the VDSL modem. However BT have now released the HomeHub 5 with a built-in VDSL modem to allow self-installs using existing master sockets and micro-filters. This is now the default for Infinity 1 but it depends on your exact set up.

See  http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48324

[stuartrogerson]

I based my advice on my daughter who had infinity installed three weeks ago

[umpire]

Do I need to do anything specific to get the Fibre multicast service you mentioned when I order Infinity or do they just sort out whatever is needed to get the Infinity broadband option.

Enter your telephone number in the BT Wholesale Broadband Availability Checker.  That will tell you the estimated speed range for FTTC fibre broadband and will also list Fibre Multicast if that service is available for your line.

I've got the old Vision black box which I presume is the Vision + one so should get sky sports okay?

Yes that is the correct BT Vision+ box for Sky Sports. I have one and also get Sky Sports.

I currently get BT sport via the aerial on the Vision box. It sounds like I'll have the option of HD when I get infinity? Is that right?

Yes. On a BT Vision+ box BT can provide certain channels in HD over Infinity, but not Sky Sports. Some HD channels are free (101-107), others cost extra.

See the yellow highlighted channels on  http://www.a516digital.com/p/freeview-youview-channel-listing.html

But note that 73-74 and 108-111 are not currently available on the BT Vision+ box, as they are on Youview.

[umpire]

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@stuartrogerson wrote:
I based my advice on my daughter who had infinity installed three weeks ago

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Interesting. I guess they decided they had a good reason to visit in that case?

Infinity 2 installations currently still involve an engineer visit to the home.

From what I have read the FTTC self-install was introduced by OpenReach in an effort to reduce the costs of installing fibre broadband and hence reduce the costs passed onto the customers by ISP's. That should encourage more take up and also allow some government minister to tick some box saying what a great job he is doing overseeing it all and deserves a promotion.

[stuartrogerson]

They came and changed her socket. No big ugly wall mounted modem. House only 15 years old