True but with almost a month to go before they officially go live, there would be plenty of time to run in the clear and allow it to be scanned in on those receivers. With all 3 streams now live, it's clear that they aren't just using it during downtime on the main 2 channels. Taking a DTT channel just to promote a service on other platforms seems like an expensive way of advertising. As stated in the Radio Times, they really do appear to have deep pockets.

So which multiplex is the new 3rd feed coming from?

They are all on COM6 / ARQB.
Are we sure Channel 59 is actually broadcasting something? The fact the barker Channel 57 says 'BT Sport 2' in the corner suggests it may just be the BT Sport 2 feed running unscrambled on a temporary LCN.

That is an interesting point, tomee, because both Setanta and ESPN did this in the past. BT might well do this now and again to try to recruit new customers particularly since Sky are having promotional free sports days on Pick TV.

Think I might have an answer to this one.

Effectively BT want their BT Sport subscribers to have BT Infinity fibre optic broadband.

However, for those who can't get Infinity at launch, the BT Sport promo/advert channel on Channel 57 mentions about a one off connection fee for those with a suitable BT Vision box. I suspect they'll be supplying a suitable CAM module for the box, and so be transmitting the channels on 58/59 accordingly.

From the BT Sport Website:

"If you don't live in a BT Infinity area and you want to watch on BT TV, you'll be able to watch BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 2 on your BT Vision+ box, through your TV aerial. You won't be able to get BT Sport in HD, or ESPN on your TV, but you can watch ESPN live online at btsport.com or on the BT Sport App.

To watch BT Sport over your aerial, you'll need to have BT broadband and a BT TV package, a compatible set-top box, and buy a £10 viewing card if you don't already have one.

You can't order BT Sport over your aerial yet, but you can click here to register your interest, and we'll tell you as soon as it's available to order."

Thing is: if they can do that for BT Vision plus boxes, why can't they make it more open to people who have a suitable CAM module, a la what Top up TV did with ESPN??

Yes, at the moment the 58 and 59 video streams are using similar bandwidths about 1.3 to 1.4 Mbps each. The 57 video stream is using around 2.4 Mbps, the highest on the multiplex.

Because the whole point seems to be to get more broadband customers and sign more people up to BT Infinity. An elaborate and costly marketing exercise.

I'm with BT Broadband with option 3 (ADSL) and I will be receiving BT Sports 1/2/HD/ESPN for free via Sky and the internet, though I'm going to have to phone them to see if I can receive it on the freeview, I'm sure you don't need to have BT infinity to get BT sports unless they just changed the rule .. . . . .. Give them a ring . . . ..

or just have a read here: http://www.productsandservices.bt.co...FURL_freesport

I wonder if they'll relax that after they've fleeced enough people. It seems crazy to broadcast on DTT and not actually make it available for people to subscribe to without other seemingly unnecessary conditions.

Just for your info.
Ch 57--- running a promo
Ch 58/59 --- old TopUpTV recorder with no card says "Please insert a valid viewing card".
With a card says "Your viewing card has expired"

Regards

I suppose they'll have the capacity to add ESPN if enough people kick up a fuss about it being missing.

Is there anyone here who has a BT Vision Box and can tell us what they see ?

Hi! All
In answer to the question regarding why BT can not broadcast on Top Up TV or in a way in which Freeview viewers can get a CI card, they are obviously wanting and hoping to make so much money from subscribers to BT Sport that they can make a bid to take over Sky's satellite service.

We have Freeview TV's and also Sky and sadly unless BT change things I am not happy to pay meaning I will miss out on some football, as I said with Setanta the cost was £10 a month I think and with ESPN it is £10 a month and you get them on both boxes or with Setanta there was a cost and then something like £2.50 for another box although I did take up an offer from the Daily Mirror.

Now BT want to charge £12 a month with a connection fee of £15 and free HD for a year where as we get or have been getting ESPN HD free for over a year, and there is not fee for a second box so do you have to pay two lots of £12?.

Sadly there is a war on between BT and Sky and the customers are being treated very poorly and those who are not prepared to pay will miss out which is why I have said bring back Setanta, ESPN and ITV Digital.

Is it no surprise I hate FATCATS and BT are a private company where as they were once a public company, and they are Tory type people.

Perhaps you don't remember when BT was a state owned company...

It took *3* years for my parents to have a line installed.

We'd probably still be on 300 baud dial up modem if they weren't privatised.

Im still not seeing the BT Sports channels on my YouView box and thats after two retunes.

Darren

how do you currently get your espn?

and to be honest, this deal is fantastic - I am a BT Broadband customer, and will be getting these 3 channels inclusive to the price of my broadband.

I do not have to subscribe to sky for these channels.

if you have a different broadband provider, then the answer is simple. move to save money. that is the whole point of them doing this.

Do you see the other channels on the same MUX (I.e. ITV4, Film4, Yesterday, Al-Jazeera ?

Do you see the BT channels on other Freeview devices ?

Was the Youview box provided by BT ?

The channels are not available on a youview box.

Why aren't they?

57 seems to be a completely normal Freeview channel, why can't youview boxes see it, when all other devices can ?

Or is the box software deliberately blocking it for some reason.
I can't see any reason why BT would do that.

Do they appear on talktalk's youview boxes ?

You will be able to see the channels exist on DTT via a Youview Box. You can view any unencrypted transmission. So people will be able to view 57 at the moment and see that 58 and 59 are there but they are encrypted. However Youview boxes have no way of viewing encrypted transmissions over DTT.

Try 507/8/10/11..i found them here on my youview box (non BT)

agree 100percent....my uncle who used to work for BT years ago always says ...BT (when unions were more involved) there was one person to drive the Van ...one to carry the Bag and one to do the Job.....since privatisation they have had to become competitve and they have changed drastically....

Nope - even unencrypted Channel 57 does not appear on my Youview Box, although it does appear on my Sony TV attached to the same connection

There is no point promoting the DTT versions on a Youview box as it doesn't have a card slot.

However, I do get the multicast versions on channels 507, 508, 510 & 511

Now what if someone has a BT Youview box without a subscription to BT Sports. Wouldn't they see Channel 57?! Just a theory that they are hiding it if you have an active subscription.