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What has happened to BT owned Plusnet TV?


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Old 07-05-2015, 16:34
neo_wales
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I'm with Talktalk and find the box to be pretty good, as is my fibre connection, fast and rock solid.
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Old 07-05-2015, 21:31
ney
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I had heard mixed reviews about the Talk Talk Youview box in the past. It may have improved since than.
The Humax made BT Youview boxes are very good and the G4 is better than the older style box. So BT and Humax have a nice 500GB hard drive and I think the Talk Talk boxes still come with just 320GB hard drives. Also I think the Humax boxes/BT boxes get any software updates at lest a few weeks before Talk Talk boxes

Darren

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Old 08-05-2015, 08:46
noise747
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I don't know if you've had any experience with the Humax G4, but it is a nippy, intuitive piece of kit. The TalkTalk Huawei box is nowhere near as good, though it is older technology.
I do not think I have seen the G4, someone I know is considering youView from BT, so if they go for it I may see one then. They have Sky at the moment, but since the price is going up they are thinking of getting rid of it, they are already with BT for broadband.

The great thing about YouView is you can buy the box you want, then your ISP will automatically update your channels etc.
Not with Plusnet by the look of it, I heard that plusnet will only support their box, which is a bit strange.


I doubt I'll switch to Plusnet as, at the moment, they aren't offering me anything interesting bar a small saving. TalkTalk could be a possibility as they often have some great deals for existing customers, but I'd want to keep my G4 box. The likely scenario is I stick with BT, I may be paying top whack for their fibre, but Ive been delighted with it for almost a year now and am a big fan of their TV service too.
I will stay with plusnet as a ISP as long as things stay ok, they seem to have got things sorted out over the last couple of days. i watched a bit of Netflix yesterday and it seems to be running at full HD now, which is more than it did a few days back.
I doubt very much if I will bother with You view, unless i decide to buy a TV licence, which and I think that prospect is pretty slim.
I got a 18 month contract so I have little choice anyway, unless they really mess things up.
The problem is there is very little choice now, I do not think I could really go with Talk Talk, even if I did think about it for about 5 mins.
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Old 08-05-2015, 08:51
noise747
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I had heard mixed reviews about the Talk Talk Youview box in the past. It may have improved since than.
The Humax made BT Youview boxes are very good and the G4 is better than the older style box. So BT and Humax have a nice 500GB hard drive and I think the Talk Talk boxes still come with just 320GB hard drives. Also I think the Humax boxes/BT boxes get any software updates at lest a few weeks before Talk Talk boxes

Darren

Darren
500Gb is still not a lot if you record HD a lot, my Digital stream is a 320GB, it says on the box about 80hours of HD. these days with 1TB drives so cheap, it is a wonder they do not put them in HD boxes.

sometimes software updates can cause more problems. certainly when BT is concerned. I remember them updating my HH2 a few years back, it never worked after that, not sure if I would trust them updated a You View box.
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Old 08-05-2015, 12:34
neo_wales
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I had heard mixed reviews about the Talk Talk Youview box in the past. It may have improved since than.
The Humax made BT Youview boxes are very good and the G4 is better than the older style box. So BT and Humax have a nice 500GB hard drive and I think the Talk Talk boxes still come with just 320GB hard drives. Also I think the Humax boxes/BT boxes get any software updates at lest a few weeks before Talk Talk boxes

Darren

Darren
IIRC BT got the Netflix channel a few weeks before TT.
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Old 12-05-2015, 11:29
noise747
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I just had a phonecall from Plusnet, I do not normally answer that phone, but I was just going past it when it rang.

Anyway, they offered me Plusnet TV for nothing. When ,my payment goes to full, I would get TV for free, I know it is only a fiver, but still. But i would still need to pay the £50 activation fee. That is a lot of money just to do a few clicks on a computer to get it activated.
I kindly refused. I know why they phoned because i clicked on the advert in the member centre by accident and it put me as interested, even if I did put a note in their ticket system to say it was a mistake and I was not interested, they still phoned.
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Old 14-05-2015, 04:34
tvmad-alan
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Notice on the Youview site that under software that PlusNet has two types/Variant of boxes
DTR- T2120 / 84B08520
DB-T2220 / 86B08530
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Old 14-05-2015, 09:30
noise747
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Notice on the Youview site that under software that PlusNet has two types/Variant of boxes
DTR- T2120 / 84B08520
DB-T2220 / 86B08530
One is a none recording device, Got enough memory to pause TV for 30 minss SD and 15mins HD, but that is it, the other is a PVR.

£50 activation fee for PVR, but nothing for the non-PVR.
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Old 17-05-2015, 16:08
Trevvie
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the basic youview box is free the youview + box with the 500gb hard drive there is a £50 charge however you can get the £50 wavered if you sign up for 24mths
as an existing Fibre customer i signed up the other day i was also given a £4 discount on my monthly charge so from £19.99 to £16 for 80meg fibre for 24mths then £5 for youview channels and £3 for HD

since i have been extremely happy with plusnet i have no problem signing up for another 24mths as in reality i am paying £4 extra for youview so cannot complain (i hope not anyway)
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Old 17-05-2015, 16:28
noise747
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the basic youview box is free the youview + box with the 500gb hard drive there is a £50 charge however you can get the £50 wavered if you sign up for 24mths
as an existing Fibre customer i signed up the other day i was also given a £4 discount on my monthly charge so from £19.99 to £16 for 80meg fibre for 24mths then £5 for youview channels and £3 for HD

since i have been extremely happy with plusnet i have no problem signing up for another 24mths as in reality i am paying £4 extra for youview so cannot complain (i hope not anyway)
24 months? been there, done that with my last ISP, not doing it again to be honest.
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Old 17-05-2015, 20:30
ney
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500Gb is still not a lot if you record HD a lot, my Digital stream is a 320GB, it says on the box about 80hours of HD. these days with 1TB drives so cheap, it is a wonder they do not put them in HD boxes.

sometimes software updates can cause more problems. certainly when BT is concerned. I remember them updating my HH2 a few years back, it never worked after that, not sure if I would trust them updated a You View box.
I agree 500GB is not a lot when recording HD and I try and record HD whenever I can.
You would think the likes of BT would bring out a 1TB version of the Youview + box for the likes of Sky and Virgin have 1TB boxes.
Youview says 300 hours of SD recording and 150 hours of HD recording from a 500GB box.
BT don't fully do the software updates for there Youview boxes. Its partly done by Humax and Youview. Im in a way glad that BT use Humax for there Youview boxes.
Dose anyone know what the PlusNet Youview box looks like. I take it that its also made by Humax.

Darren
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Old 18-05-2015, 09:17
noise747
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I agree 500GB is not a lot when recording HD and I try and record HD whenever I can.
Stuff that made no difference if it was in HD or not I used to record in SD, like HIGNFY and Q.I it do not really need to be in HD. Stuff that HD made a difference, if you call what they transmit HD i would record in HD.


You would think the likes of BT would bring out a 1TB version of the Youview + box for the likes of Sky and Virgin have 1TB boxes.
Youview says 300 hours of SD recording and 150 hours of HD recording from a 500GB box.
My 320GB Digital stream does 160hours SD, 80 hours HD, , so in another 180GB the you view box can stick about 70 hours more data than my digital stream.
they must use more compression, so quality reduces again.

BT don't fully do the software updates for there Youview boxes. Its partly done by Humax and Youview. Im in a way glad that BT use Humax for there Youview boxes.
Dose anyone know what the PlusNet Youview box looks like. I take it that its also made by Humax.

Darren
I thought BT and Talk Talk did the updates, ok they would need the basic from the You view lot, but I thought it was up to BT or Talk Talk to update them.
That is pretty good news. My mate got a humax freesat PVR and his biggest problem is the way it updates, in that it will check for updates at 3 in the morning, when he is recording stuff and the box just stops recording. He now have to check the guide to see if he can find a later time date when the programme is being transmitted .

do the You View boxes do the same thing or do they wait until they are in standby? i presume the updates for them come over the net. Oh they must do as i know someone that got one that is not connected to the net and it is still on a pretty old update.

Yes, Plusnet YV boxes are Humax, at least they got that right.
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Old 18-05-2015, 20:04
ney
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Stuff that made no difference if it was in HD or not I used to record in SD, like HIGNFY and Q.I it do not really need to be in HD. Stuff that HD made a difference, if you call what they transmit HD i would record in HD.


My 320GB Digital stream does 160hours SD, 80 hours HD, , so in another 180GB the you view box can stick about 70 hours more data than my digital stream.
they must use more compression, so quality reduces again.



I thought BT and Talk Talk did the updates, ok they would need the basic from the You view lot, but I thought it was up to BT or Talk Talk to update them.
That is pretty good news. My mate got a humax freesat PVR and his biggest problem is the way it updates, in that it will check for updates at 3 in the morning, when he is recording stuff and the box just stops recording. He now have to check the guide to see if he can find a later time date when the programme is being transmitted .

do the You View boxes do the same thing or do they wait until they are in standby? i presume the updates for them come over the net. Oh they must do as i know someone that got one that is not connected to the net and it is still on a pretty old update.

Yes, Plusnet YV boxes are Humax, at least they got that right.
Yes Youview boxes get there updates over the net. Most updates are done in the early hours of the morning when the box is in standby mode. Sometimes you can do a manual update if you know there is an update and the box has still not updated. Its Youview and Humax that make the software updates then its up to BT to send out the updates to the boxes. Think that's why BT seem to get the Youview updates a few weeks before TalkTalk.

Darren
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Old 26-05-2015, 17:20
blisteringblue
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I'm going to wait until closer to the Champions League starting because I bet Plusnet have BT Sport available then. They are also missing Watch and Gold that are part of the BT TV package which is a bit odd?
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Old 27-05-2015, 09:24
noise747
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I'm going to wait until closer to the Champions League starting because I bet Plusnet have BT Sport available then. They are also missing Watch and Gold that are part of the BT TV package which is a bit odd?
If they had Nat Geo, then I would have a deep think about it , but Discovery and History channels are not what I used to remember then as. History is now filled with storage wars, there is enough of that on basic Freeview and Discovery is full of Auction hunters.
Animal Planet may be ok.
I know it is only a fiver a month after the £50 box fee, but is it really worth it?
I am still not 100% sure what I am going to do about TV anyway, only just getting my TV licence back after 3 years or so, still wondering if I will keep it or get rid of it again. If so then going for a 18 month contract to get You View would be a waste of money
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Old 27-05-2015, 20:26
tvmad-alan
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Yes Youview boxes get there updates over the net. Most updates are done in the early hours of the morning when the box is in standby mode. Sometimes you can do a manual update if you know there is an update and the box has still not updated. Its Youview and Humax that make the software updates then its up to BT to send out the updates to the boxes. Think that's why BT seem to get the Youview updates a few weeks before TalkTalk.

Darren
Box updates are.....
Virgin TiVo range from 3am to 4am and most nights they have a network update for the EPG and other items like Apps which put the boxes on.
Humax Freeview HD PVR is once a month at about 3am.
Humax Freesat HD PVR is nightly from 3am to 3:15am .
BT Humax box I found will update in the early hours if a large update , but if the box is on then it will hold on until next boot up..... box does check of Apps and software updates each time you boot the box..

BT & TT are having a EPG shake up on 2nd June to put all Internet channels at the same number and to use the space cleared last Autumn by Freeview is PlusNet doing the same ?????
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Old 27-05-2015, 20:59
ney
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Box updates are.....
Virgin TiVo range from 3am to 4am and most nights they have a network update for the EPG and other items like Apps which put the boxes on.
Humax Freeview HD PVR is once a month at about 3am.
Humax Freesat HD PVR is nightly from 3am to 3:15am .
BT Humax box I found will update in the early hours if a large update , but if the box is on then it will hold on until next boot up..... box does check of Apps and software updates each time you boot the box..

BT & TT are having a EPG shake up on 2nd June to put all Internet channels at the same number and to use the space cleared last Autumn by Freeview is PlusNet doing the same ?????
Yes PlusNet EPG will be changing on 2nd Jane as well as its a change by Youview that will affect all everyone on BT TalkTalk and PlusNet.

Darren
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Old 27-05-2015, 22:28
noise747
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Yes PlusNet EPG will be changing on 2nd Jane as well as its a change by Youview that will affect all everyone on BT TalkTalk and PlusNet.

Darren
That is another thing that annoys me about this digital TV thing, is that they keep changing the EPG and then you have to remember where that channel is again.
It was so much easier with analogue, just press 1,2,3 or 4
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Old 27-05-2015, 22:41
ney
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That is another thing that annoys me about this digital TV thing, is that they keep changing the EPG and then you have to remember where that channel is again.
It was so much easier with analogue, just press 1,2,3 or 4
I agree. Its going to take me a good few days to get re-used to the channel numbers that I use for the SD and HD channels that I get with my entertainment max package on BT.
There is at lest 5 channels via BT TV that I hardly ever watch 3 of them being kids channels. The other channel numbers I will just have to get re-used to.

Darren
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Old 28-05-2015, 09:20
noise747
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I agree. Its going to take me a good few days to get re-used to the channel numbers that I use for the SD and HD channels that I get with my entertainment max package on BT.
There is at lest 5 channels via BT TV that I hardly ever watch 3 of them being kids channels. The other channel numbers I will just have to get re-used to.

Darren
I presume these changes are just the online based channels and not normal terrestrial.
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Old 28-05-2015, 09:55
stewM
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Yes,

BT

http://www.a516digital.com/2015/05/b...-2nd-june.html

Plusnet

http://www.a516digital.com/2015/05/p...-2nd-june.html

Talk Talk

http://www.a516digital.com/2015/05/t...-2nd-june.html

Stew
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Old 30-05-2015, 04:45
tvmad-alan
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The change to PlusNet along with other two BT & TT EPG numbers on 2nd should be the last as it will take away any clash of numbers and allow the channels to put out press of the same number for all 3 services to show were they are.
This should be the last reshuffle in a long time as space will be there to place new channels in the same orders , so that we can all remember were our best loved channels are.
Looking at the links posted with each company we can see that PlusNet has HD along with sister company BT but TT has yet too.
As yet PlusNet has not put any adverts on TV about there TV packages on youview boxes.
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Old 30-05-2015, 09:33
noise747
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The change to PlusNet along with other two BT & TT EPG numbers on 2nd should be the last as it will take away any clash of numbers and allow the channels to put out press of the same number for all 3 services to show were they are.
This should be the last reshuffle in a long time as space will be there to place new channels in the same orders , so that we can all remember were our best loved channels are.
Looking at the links posted with each company we can see that PlusNet has HD along with sister company BT but TT has yet too.
As yet PlusNet has not put any adverts on TV about there TV packages on youview boxes.
Plusnet TV is a soft launch, I presume they are not rushing it at the moment and seeing how it goes before they push it.
They need to get better channels on it before they launch it proper. The content is not that great on the channels they have got.
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Old 30-05-2015, 20:29
ney
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Plusnet TV is a soft launch, I presume they are not rushing it at the moment and seeing how it goes before they push it.
They need to get better channels on it before they launch it proper. The content is not that great on the channels they have got.
I would have thought that PlusNet would have had almost the same channels as on BT.
They do seem to have a poor choice of channels to start with but at lest they have some in HD.

Darren
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Old 31-05-2015, 11:11
noise747
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I would have thought that PlusNet would have had almost the same channels as on BT.
They do seem to have a poor choice of channels to start with but at lest they have some in HD.

Darren
This is a list of their channels
Entertainment package

413 TLC
414 Discovery
415 Animal Planet
417 Comedy Central
419 SyFy
420 Universal Channel
421 E!
422 Fox
425 MTV
432 History
433 Crime & Investigation
454 Sony Entertainment
471 Investigation Discovery
513 Eurosport 1
514 Eurosport 2

Not that great, really needs to get some more. I know it is only a fiver a month, but I pay only a couple of quid more for netflix and it is better.
some of the shows they got on these channels are what is shown on Pick and really, the same thing really which is almost free.

I did have a think about the plusnet deal, since I now got a Tv licence, but I am really not sure if I am going to keep the licence, so not worth going for another 18 month contract and paying £5 a month, plus the £50 connection fee and then not use it.
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