BT TV set top box

[227bhp]

I have an old TV; pre flat screen, digital, plasma whatever and BT (my internet provider) is offering a box through which I can watch:
Catch up TV
Pause & Rewind
Record TV
For:
£5/mth
+ £35 activation fee

Which as we're post recession and i'm rolling in it seems ok to me. Do you think this will work with my TV? It says it comes with a scart lead (my TV has scart sockets)

I used the online live question box on their site and the woman didn't know, she gave me a number to ring for the engineers which had voice activation, after it asked what I wanted, it started asking what phone number and phone problem I was enquiring about, so I put the phone down and hoped i'd get a more useful reply here.
Cool story Bro', but will it work?

Edited by 227bhp on Saturday 6th June 13:07

[clockworks]

My BT TV box has a scart socket, but I've never tried it.

To make use of the catchup service and extra channels, the box needs to be connected to your router via ethernet, and you need a decent broadband connection. Without an internet connection, it is just a Freeview recorder.

[227bhp]

clockworks said:

My BT TV box has a scart socket, but I've never tried it.

To make use of the catchup service and extra channels, the box needs to be connected to your router via ethernet, and you need a decent broadband connection. Without an internet connection, it is just a Freeview recorder.

So basically the box needs hard wiring to the internet?
If so this would be a problem as my TV isn't near my phone line and I have wooden floors so can't run a cable internally.
I guess I could do it externally by drilling holes in walls etc, i'll have a think....
Thanks for the reply

[marshalla]

Homeplugs - ethernet over the ring main.

[HarryW]

clockworks said:

My BT TV box has a scart socket, but I've never tried it.

To make use of the catchup service and extra channels, the box needs to be connected to your router via ethernet, and you need a decent broadband connection. Without an internet connection, it is just a Freeview recorder.

? Does the BT box not connect to your router via the home hub wifi?

[227bhp]

marshalla said:

Homeplugs - ethernet over the ring main.

Wow, that's welcoming me to the 21st century! I'll hit Google to find out more, but do you have any particular recommendations or things to avoid?

[clockworks]

It needs to be hard wired direct to the router for HD channels. Got my BT box nearly a year ago, spent a few weeks messing about with an existing network cable that went via the switch in my loft. No end of problems with dropped connections.
BT sent me a pair of homeplugs, which were no better.
Eventually I got to speak to second level support at BT, who admitted that a direct cable was sometimes the only cure. They were right in my case. YMMV

[russ]

beggars belief that it can't use wi fi like sky boxes

[outnumbered]

russ said:

beggars belief that it can't use wi fi like sky boxes

The non-freeview channels are streamed over IP multicast, which can be disastrous if you have WiFi involved. Homeplugs should be OK if you get a reliable connection with them, but it all depends on the wiring and other environmental factors.

[Kenny6868]

I returned my BT TV box after 4 days because it kept zooming in and the only way to zoom out was to do a factory reset on the box. BT refused to simply replace the box. They wanted to send an engineer out to have a look, but the catch was that we would be charged if he found nothing wrong, so we just cancelled.
They then refused to refund the £35 activation fee even though I was easily within my 14 day cancellation period.

After 2 months of shouting down the phone, I eventually got my money back. Beware. Its a nice cheap solution to give you extra channels, but BT customer service is shocking!

[Podie]

Kenny6868 said:

I returned my BT TV box after 4 days because it kept zooming in and the only way to zoom out was to do a factory reset on the box. BT refused to simply replace the box. They wanted to send an engineer out to have a look, but the catch was that we would be charged if he found nothing wrong, so we just cancelled.
They then refused to refund the £35 activation fee even though I was easily within my 14 day cancellation period.

After 2 months of shouting down the phone, I eventually got my money back. Beware. Its a nice cheap solution to give you extra channels, but BT customer service is shocking!

In contrast, our experience has been first rate and far superior to Sky.

Had ours 14 months now. The box is more reliable, there is no interference and come the end of the year contract the price went DOWN.

Unlike Sky, which went up every year, had an unreliable box (£149 to replace despite being a customer for over a decade) and suffered interference as the dish was placed too low on the property (a mere £80 to fix).