The only point to add is BT's reason for replacing the silver boxes. Presumably because it's not cost effective to support a small number of silver boxes running a different operating system?
Precisely. So from July 2014 BT will just operate the Linux software.
Then it seems the next stage will be to get Sky Sports on BT Youview then BT will gradually phase out the BT Vision boxes, but keeping a small number of those customers who can only have BT Sports over DTT/Freeview (channels 58 & 59) as they don't have Infinity and therefore need the Vision Box as that has a card slot where as the Youview Box does not.
If these users want to access BT Sport in the future (remember, they get it free with their broadband) then chances are they will be able to via the IPTV channels 507-509. If not now, very soon.
But note that you need Infinity broadband and a Youview box to get the HD versions of these channels.
But note that you need Infinity broadband and a Youview box to get the HD versions of these channels.
I'm sure those with a cracking ADSL connection and copper multicast enabled could technically get it?
BT have installed copper multicast at most exchanges so get the feeling this is going to be something combined with vectoring that they will work on as a method to push out tv to nearly everyone on their network.
I'm sure those with a cracking ADSL connection and copper multicast enabled could technically get it?
Not as I understand it. Though you can get third-party routers which support the necessary multicast protocol you still need a Youview box. Then you would need to persuade BT to activate BT Sports over an ADSL connection which I don't think their ordering system can cope with. I couldn't find a way before I changed to Infinity and was using a retail (ex-trial) Youview box.
So the newer BT Vision boxes support live IPTV, but the older ones don't? So the newer ones potentially could take BT Sport over IP?
The Silver ones have the software of Windows CE, which is not upgradable to recieve the new channels. the majority of these boxes have already been "upgraded" to newer black BT Vision boxes or YouView boxes. these boxes will cease to work from June.
The Black ones with the 512mb ram and not the 256mb ram BT Vision Boxes do work with the infinity channels, and BT Sport HD most definitely works with these boxes.
One thing we do know is that BT were not going to keep the DTT space for much longer or why would they stop new customer signing up?
To be honest, no one knows BT's plans, probably not even BT! Marc Watson has left and will be replaced by Delia Bushell (ex-BSkB, Sky Italai) in the summer. Doubtless, strategic decisions will wait until she has her feet under the desk.
BT has stopped new customer sign-ups to BT Vision as it wants customers to sign up to YouView now that its fibre network covers a lot of the country. I think that's reasonable.
BT has to show some CL/Europa matches FTA. It may decide to do this via its own DTT channel or it may licence them to another channel. If it does show them itself, then it may retain at least one DTT channel long term. No one knows.
I assume that BT's original plans have slipped a bit (they wanted to roll out Infinity to a majority of the population) but I fully expect the two BT Sport channels to eventually disappear from Freeview/DTT either later on this year or some time in 2015.
I assume that BT's original plans have slipped a bit (they wanted to roll out Infinity to a majority of the population) but I fully expect the two BT Sport channels to eventually disappear from Freeview/DTT either later on this year or some time in 2015.
No! No plans have slipped because there never were any plans to close the DTT channels on 30th June. This whole thread is based on an incorrect assumption about a piece of news that was about something else altogether.
Yes, we can be sure that the DTT channels will close at some point. The end of January is a good bet as that would be 12 months after they stopped sending out decoder cards. But there is no definitive news on this closure.
BT sport 1 and 2 are no longer showing up on CH 58 or 59 on my BT Youview box or my retail Youview box but are still showing up on my Samsung 22 inch smart TV in my bedroom.
BT sport 1 and 2 are no longer showing up on CH 58 or 59 on my BT Youview box or my retail Youview box but are still showing up on my Samsung 22 inch smart TV in my bedroom.
Darren
They have never showed up on any Youview box because Youview boxes have no way of decoding them. This is not news. The channels are still broadcast on DTT.
No! No plans have slipped because there never were any plans to close the DTT channels on 30th June. This whole thread is based on an incorrect assumption about a piece of news that was about something else altogether.
Yes, we can be sure that the DTT channels will close at some point. The end of January is a good bet as that would be 12 months after they stopped sending out decoder cards. But there is no definitive news on this closure.
The rumours were around before the start of this thread and were triggered when BT stopped offering the DTT based service to new subscribers. The 30th June date was probably a guess based on the BT Sport channels launching on 01/07/2013. Not making the channels to new customers is clearly an indication that BT won't keep these services on DTT indefinitely.
The end of January date may well seem like a good bet in relation to the when BT stopped sending out decoder cards but that could possibly cross the expiry date of BT's carriage contract with Arqiva. It is unlikely that BT would want to take out a new contract when the existing one expires.
BT services first appeared on DTT on 05/07/2010 as BT1 and BT2. The services were renamed Sky Sports1 / Sky Sports 2 on 01/08/2010, when the services actually launched. Assuming that the contracts were for 2 or 4 years, the end of contract may well be approaching.
The length of the carriage contract is the unknown factor. If the contract was for 5 or 6 years, there could be quite some time left before it expires.
No! No plans have slipped because there never were any plans to close the DTT channels on 30th June. This whole thread is based on an incorrect assumption about a piece of news that was about something else altogether.
Yes, we can be sure that the DTT channels will close at some point. The end of January is a good bet as that would be 12 months after they stopped sending out decoder cards. But there is no definitive news on this closure.
Totally agree. Others have also suggested that BT Vision box customers will be given YouView boxes. This is not the case, it is just the silver boxes that were replaced and in fact BT Vision boxes will get a new version of BT Player this Autmn, see Q 2 on this link.
Doesn't stop Youview boxes showing lots of other channels it can't decode (ie Connect based services).
YouView boxes will never be able to decode the Nagravision-protected DTT channels due to hardware limitations - they don't have card slots. However, they will be able to decode the linear IPTV channels in the future when the appropriate software is in place.
However, it would be useful if YouView would hide them automatically until such time as they can be viewed.
Comments
Precisely. So from July 2014 BT will just operate the Linux software.
Then it seems the next stage will be to get Sky Sports on BT Youview then BT will gradually phase out the BT Vision boxes, but keeping a small number of those customers who can only have BT Sports over DTT/Freeview (channels 58 & 59) as they don't have Infinity and therefore need the Vision Box as that has a card slot where as the Youview Box does not.
Stew
I'm sure those with a cracking ADSL connection and copper multicast enabled could technically get it?
BT have installed copper multicast at most exchanges so get the feeling this is going to be something combined with vectoring that they will work on as a method to push out tv to nearly everyone on their network.
The Silver ones have the software of Windows CE, which is not upgradable to recieve the new channels. the majority of these boxes have already been "upgraded" to newer black BT Vision boxes or YouView boxes. these boxes will cease to work from June.
The Black ones with the 512mb ram and not the 256mb ram BT Vision Boxes do work with the infinity channels, and BT Sport HD most definitely works with these boxes.
As E4HD and Film4 HD are pay channels, not very likely.
Have BT said that?
You need to email BT and get the facts.
When do broadcaster every say what going on till at least a month before.
One thing we do know is that BT were not going to keep the DTT space for much longer or why would they stop new customer signing up?
BT has not said that the channels are closing. Until BT announces they are closing, we can assume that they aren't.
BT has stopped new customer sign-ups to BT Vision as it wants customers to sign up to YouView now that its fibre network covers a lot of the country. I think that's reasonable.
BT has to show some CL/Europa matches FTA. It may decide to do this via its own DTT channel or it may licence them to another channel. If it does show them itself, then it may retain at least one DTT channel long term. No one knows.
Have BT said they are? Why should they confirm something they never said? These reports/threads have been started based on bad research that's all.
No! No plans have slipped because there never were any plans to close the DTT channels on 30th June. This whole thread is based on an incorrect assumption about a piece of news that was about something else altogether.
Yes, we can be sure that the DTT channels will close at some point. The end of January is a good bet as that would be 12 months after they stopped sending out decoder cards. But there is no definitive news on this closure.
Darren
They have never showed up on any Youview box because Youview boxes have no way of decoding them. This is not news. The channels are still broadcast on DTT.
The rumours were around before the start of this thread and were triggered when BT stopped offering the DTT based service to new subscribers. The 30th June date was probably a guess based on the BT Sport channels launching on 01/07/2013. Not making the channels to new customers is clearly an indication that BT won't keep these services on DTT indefinitely.
The end of January date may well seem like a good bet in relation to the when BT stopped sending out decoder cards but that could possibly cross the expiry date of BT's carriage contract with Arqiva. It is unlikely that BT would want to take out a new contract when the existing one expires.
BT services first appeared on DTT on 05/07/2010 as BT1 and BT2. The services were renamed Sky Sports1 / Sky Sports 2 on 01/08/2010, when the services actually launched. Assuming that the contracts were for 2 or 4 years, the end of contract may well be approaching.
The length of the carriage contract is the unknown factor. If the contract was for 5 or 6 years, there could be quite some time left before it expires.
However, it would be useful if YouView would hide them automatically until such time as they can be viewed.