BT TV Box Pro - comments/questions

[chrispw1]

It's actually worse than that - last night it could only record one other channel while I watched live football on BT Sport 2. Let's hope the upgrade comes through soon. Apart from this limitation I think the IP delivered channels are a great improvement.

[DarrenW]

Hi All,

I just want to clarify that recording > 2 programs at the same time whilst in IP mode on the TV Box Pro is not a feature that we currently have.

We are talking about this at the moment and discussing what it would take to unlock flexibility.

It comes down to bandwidth & we'd have to make sure that if the feature was launched it was only given to customers who could support the maximum required bandwidth, for example:

Watch UHD & Record HD = 39Mbps

Record another 1 or 2 in HD = 8-19Mbps

Then we have to make sure there is room to breathe, do you have enough bandwidth left to even use your broadband for other purposes such as browsing the web or video calling, playing xbox online etc. There is potential to cripple your own service if we just unlock it and let it free so it requires careful consideration.

[nickking24]

If in the future I was to stop paying for the subscription for BTTV would the new freeview by internet carry on working like it does through an aerial or will it need a subscription? I know via the aerial it will still work and you lose the premium channels only. Thanks

[DarrenW]

Hi @nickking24 

Unfortunately, the Freeview IP channels are only available with a TV subscription as the channels are carried over our TV platform, if you were no longer a subscriber then an aerial would be your best bet.

[SRB]

@DarrenW Surely the bandwidth issue could be solved for many channels by simply allowing the box to operate in both IP and Freeview mode? It has never been possible to record more than two IP channels and customers always knew that, but effectively crippling the inbuilt tuner seems a very odd move to make. The box is perfectly capable of running a mixture of both, as it was doing since launch. If other cheaper boxes can do an "available over IP or Freeview?" check before recording, why was this not implemented on the Pro box? 

[chrispw1]

What would help is if there was a way of adding future programmes I spot on the EPG to the watch list to remind me that they are there to watch on catch up (maybe there is a way but I haven't found it!)

[why_oh_why]

The statement @DarrenW has posted dashing hopes of further virtual tuners being made available has certainly put a huge dampener on the practicality of keeping the ip channels option. This is now clearly a massive downgrade from what we have by keeping the Freeview 'over the aerial' channels option.

My initial plan was to ditch Sky Q and throw my hat in with BT for everything. The reverse will most likely now be the future for me, ditching BT and taking all with Sky instead 😐

[DarrenW]

There are some things to work through to provide more flexibility whilst recording in IP mode such as digital rights management.

It is something which I see us working towards but it's not something that is currently being worked on, therefore timelines to implement such feature I'd guess is not likely to be within the next year.

IP Freeview is a great solution to those that don't have an aerial and that was the purpose, developing that will take time I'm afraid.

[scointer]

@DarrenW Sorry but again BT so short sighted. I have full fibre 900 that BT are keen to sell me as fast as they can give me but my 900Mb is only useable for two channels on thier TV service. I mean didn’t anyone really have the foresight to see that as an issue while developing the IP mode. Now we have to wait a year for the lumbering whale that is BT to try and sort something better….

I know you will say IP mode is for people without good terrestrial service but why are BT so short sighted and see the full potential from the start of a service and then develop it to its full potential, by the time BT get it done there will be something new on the scene and again they are too late to the party.

[DarrenW]

It's probably more of a timeline/cost question.

We had IP mode ready to launch which will benefit a lot of customers without aerials, without access to ITV Hub/BBC iPlayer or those that have poor DTT reception vs launching it with more functionality/features a lot later