Extra channels - info on BT Help pages

And the guidance confirms what Syko reported earlier in another thread that powerline adapters cannot be used. a real selling point that one - how on earth BT expect to attract new customers switching from Sky , Virgin who will be told "by the way unless your router is in the same room as your TV you will have to connect via a long length of cable".

Looks like when the current football season ends I will be changing from BT.

Again, there's nothing stopping you from using power line adaptors. of course, if theyre low bandwidth you might struggle which is why bt wont support them probably. I can push over 40meg through mine si ill be fine anyway.

VisionMan1 · 10-01-2013, 13:49

Quote:

Again, there's nothing stopping you from using power line adaptors. of course, if theyre low bandwidth you might struggle which is why bt wont support them probably. I can push over 40meg through mine si ill be fine anyway.

Hi wwwebber,

How do users check what speed their PLA's operate at?

wwwebber · 10-01-2013, 14:15

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Hi wwwebber,

How do users check what speed their PLA's operate at?

I plugged in my laptop instead of btvision and did an internet speed test.

montycat · 10-01-2013, 16:41

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Again, there's nothing stopping you from using power line adaptors. of course, if theyre low bandwidth you might struggle which is why bt wont support them probably. I can push over 40meg through mine si ill be fine anyway.

True. I dont use the BT supplied ones but have a pair of Solwise 500 Mbps ones which may be ok. The problem is that according to the BT price list published earlier you will have to recontract for a year to get the extra channels. If the adaptors didnt work it would probably be a battle to get out of the contract as the BT guidance is very firm that only ethernet cable will do. However still some months before I have to make a decision.

promo-only · 10-01-2013, 16:52

Quote:

True. I dont use the BT supplied ones but have a pair of Solwise 500 Mbps ones which may be ok. The problem is that according to the BT price list published earlier you will have to recontract for a year to get the extra channels. If the adaptors didnt work it would probably be a battle to get out of the contract as the BT guidance is very firm that only ethernet cable will do. However still some months before I have to make a decision.

Forgive my ignorance here but on what basis would somebody be asked to enter a new contract for a few extra TV channels? Will they not be similar to TalkTalk and be an added 30-day at a time option?

VisionMan1 · 10-01-2013, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by promo-only

True. I dont use the BT supplied ones but have a pair of Solwise 500 Mbps ones which may be ok. The problem is that according to the BT price list published earlier you will have to recontract for a year to get the extra channels. If the adaptors didnt work it would probably be a battle to get out of the contract as the BT guidance is very firm that only ethernet cable will do. However still some months before I have to make a decision.

And you know what montycat? I completely agree with you. One would have thought these new channels would have been offered on a month to month contract only, particularly when bearing in mind whats just around the corner with YouView.

I'm out of contract with Vision, and have also just signed up to Infinity Unlimited, but again with no extension of contract. All in preparation for switching to YouView in July (hopefully). Yet now this happens...

montycat · 10-01-2013, 17:23

Quote:

Forgive my ignorance here but on what basis would somebody be asked to enter a new contract for a few extra TV channels? Will they not be similar to TalkTalk and be an added 30-day at a time option?

Here is the relevant extract from the BT price list

"UNLIMITED EXTRA3
BT VISION+ BOX
All Viewing Packs + TV Replay + Extra TV channels – 12 month term – eligible for ESPN add-on
£15.00"

This may only apply to new customers the price list does not specifically cover existing customers. It would seem completely daft for BT to ask existing customers to recontract for the 12 month period to get the extra channels but I would never put anything past them. They may do something on the same basis as when they added Sky sports i.e. a lower monthly cost for the channels subject to taking out a new contract.

d'@ve · 10-01-2013, 17:35

Quote:

Here is the relevant extract from the BT price list

"UNLIMITED EXTRA3
BT VISION+ BOX
All Viewing Packs + TV Replay + Extra TV channels – 12 month term – eligible for ESPN add-on
£15.00"

This may only apply to new customers the price list does not specifically cover existing customers. It would seem completely daft for BT to ask existing customers to recontract for the 12 month period to get the extra channels but I would never put anything past them. They may do something on the same basis as when they added Sky sports i.e. a lower monthly cost for the channels subject to taking out a new contract.

12 months contract will apply to people getting a new (subsidised) box from BT - anything beyond that would be madness.

As with Youtube from BT, the new information isn't very well written - BT will catch up after a few weeks... I seem to recall that it was a couple of months before they clarified this kind of query in their Youtube information, they need better copy writers and editors.

Sky do this kind of thing from time to time, too, sometimes I despair at the quality of information put out by these companies and the unanswered (but often obvious) questions they leave hanging in the air.

ney · 10-01-2013, 21:35

That will be crap for my YouView box is in living room and my Home Hub 3 is in my back bedroom where my main desktop PC is.
Is is the powerlines I use with my Youview box.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...uctInformation
Would thay be any good for the new BT channels. They seem to work well with HD on the BBCi player via YouView.

Darren

VisionMan1 · 10-01-2013, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by ney

That will be crap for my YouView box is in living room and my Home Hub 3 is in my back bedroom where my main desktop PC is.
Is is the powerlines I use with my Youview box.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9093087.htm
Would thay be any good for the new BT channels. They seem to work well with HD on the BBCi player via YouView.

Darren

Powerlines will not be supported by BT with the new live channels. PERIOD.

Whether an individual user can can them to work or not is a matter for that individual user and that user alone. And they will be on their own, with whatever results they end up with.

ney · 10-01-2013, 21:53

Quote:

Powerlines will not be supported by BT with the new live channels. PERIOD.

Whether an individual user can can them to work or not is a matter for that individual user and that user alone. And they will be on their own, with whatever results they end up getting.

I will no be taking any of the new BT channels then if this is the case and I was thinking about taking a basic package.

Darren

VisionMan1 · 10-01-2013, 22:58

Quote:

I plugged in my laptop instead of btvision and did an internet speed test.

Right... just done the above and no chance. I'm only pulling 10Mbps. But I've just found a spare 15m Cat5 cable upstairs, so I'll use that, if I decide to go for these new BTV channels. But I think I may wait for the YouView launch. Which will still need a cable.

syko29793 · 10-01-2013, 23:23

Quote:

And the guidance confirms what Syko reported earlier in another thread that powerline adapters cannot be used. a real selling point that one - how on earth BT expect to attract new customers switching from Sky , Virgin who will be told "by the way unless your router is in the same room as your TV you will have to connect via a long length of cable".

Looks like when the current football season ends I will be changing from BT.

I didn't say that powerline adapters can't be used. I said BT will not support the use of powerline adapters on the new linear channels. The adapters will probably work fine for some people but if they don't BT won't support you in a technical way.

freetoview33 · 10-01-2013, 23:41

Soon I am moving and if it is to an infinity area I will consider it and price it up!

wwwebber · 11-01-2013, 09:17

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Right... just done the above and no chance. I'm only pulling 10Mbps. But I've just found a spare 15m Cat5 cable upstairs, so I'll use that, if I decide to go for these new BTV channels. But I think I may wait for the YouView launch. Which will still need a cable.

Why not get some new adaptors? quite cheap these days. My Youview box, tv and Sonos runs off mine no problem.

1andrew1 · 11-01-2013, 10:09

Interesting piece from Marketing Magazine on how BT handles YouView and Vision enquiries. Excerpt below.

Quote:

Marketing Magazine: Are they both by BT, or is YouView a different company?

BT: Well, they are both sold by BT, but YouView is from Sir Alan Sugar. It was his idea and he's put it over to BT, and now we sell it on as a product. It's just BT Vision minus Sky Sports.

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/n...l-call-you-BT/

wir3d · 11-01-2013, 11:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Powerlines will not be supported by BT with the new live channels. PERIOD.

Whether an individual user can can them to work or not is a matter for that individual user and that user alone. And they will be on their own, with whatever results they end up with.

It's my understanding that support for powerline is being worked on.

For now, the above is correct to the best of my knowledge - it's not supported, though you may well get it to work depending on the brand of powerline adapter etc.

Obviously if doesn't work and you phone the helpdesk, and you tell them you are using powerline, expect to get short shrift...

1andrew1 · 11-01-2013, 11:27

I'm sure there will be future YouView boxes with built-in wifi too.

wwwebber · 11-01-2013, 12:15

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I'm sure there will be future YouView boxes with built-in wifi too.

I wouldnt bet on it. Wifi varies greatly from location to location and house to house. It can never be depended upon to offer a consistently high throughput due to various factors.

VisionMan1 · 11-01-2013, 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I'm sure there will be future YouView boxes with built-in wifi too.

Quote:

I wouldnt bet on it. Wifi varies greatly from location to location and house to house. It can never be depended upon to offer a consistently high throughput due to various factors.

Yeah... It's a strange one that. Because it was and still is in the YouView specs to include it. But they haven't. Mind you, with the very high bit rates that will be required, I imagine the majority of users just wouldn't be able to get even powerlines to work, never mind wi-fi.

scotty2808 · 11-01-2013, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by syko29793

Yeah... It's a strange one that. Because it was and still is in the YouView specs to include it. But they haven't. Mind you, with the very high bit rates that will be required, I imagine the majority of users just wouldn't be able to get even powerlines to work, never mind wi-fi.

In terms of Wifi - problem is bandwidth throughput and interference. BT are incredibly risk averse when it comes to products and whether customers will complain. Wifi doesn't have enough of a "safety net" to be used.

I think the Powerline Adapters will be fine but WiFi is just too risky especially if streaming 2 channels (1 to watch, the 2nd being recorded).

montycat · 11-01-2013, 12:53

Quote:

I didn't say that powerline adapters can't be used. I said BT will not support the use of powerline adapters on the new linear channels. The adapters will probably work fine for some people but if they don't BT won't support you in a technical way.

I stand corrected.

scotty2808 · 11-01-2013, 12:55

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