What to get to replace a BT Vision Box

handmadepages

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Hello All

I currently have several BT Vision boxes and have been using the service from BT for over a year now (some good experiences, a few not so good).

Recently its been announced that sometime in early 2012, BT will be releasing an update for the Vision box which will completely wipe it and install a new operating system to make way for Youview.

This is of concern as it will mean losing hundreds of hours of recordings. Furthermore if I decide to cancel my Vision service or change ISP then I will also be unable to watch anything recorded on the Vision box as it needs an active BT broadband connection.

Therefore my question is can anyone suggest a good PVR/DVR that will enable me to play the contents off the Vision box and record them onto the new box via scart or HDMI.

Ideally I want the replacement box to have a twin tuner (HD if possible), must be able to record from an external source via AV/HDMI port, have a good EPG with fairly big HDD, have USB out/in to enable extra external storage. An extra bonus would be DVD/RW facilities.

I have tested a Panasonic EX99-VEBK and to be honest it has one of the worst EPG's I have ever seen, full of adverts which take up half the screen plus it's only 7 days. It also only had one SD tuner but the range of recording inputs and outputs were good but the VHS playback on it was very very poor. It was also very very slow, 10 to 30 seconds for it to respond to certain functions, so now put off from buying a Panasonic unit.

The EPG on the BT Vision is very good, clear and easy to use, plus it's 14 days.

Are there any Freeview+HD and Freesat HD combo boxes out at the moment?

Any recommendations or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Recently its been announced that sometime in early 2012, BT will be releasing an update for the Vision box which will completely wipe it and install a new operating system to make way for Youview.

Where was this stated?
 
It was on the BT site the other week but then all of a sudden BT changed the page. A bit more of a discussion about it on digitalspy in the BT Vision forum "thread 1603049". Alarming to say the least and maybe a breach in contract/terms& conditions if they pull a stunt like that.
 
Hello All

I currently have several BT Vision boxes and have been using the service from BT for over a year now (some good experiences, a few not so good).

Recently its been announced that sometime in early 2012, BT will be releasing an update for the Vision box which will completely wipe it and install a new operating system to make way for Youview.
Welcome to the forum.

Have you any links to this information because I believe that to be erroneous... for two reasons... So I will be surprised if it turns out to be otherwise.

My understanding is that Youview capability requires new hardware which rules out all existing BT Vision boxes.
Secondly, if a software update occurs, it does not require the removal of existing recordings.

Additionally, I think BT would have a very serious issue on their hands if they unilaterally removed users recordings... so much so that it is an unthinkable proposition. Commercially suicidal.
This is of concern as it will mean losing hundreds of hours of recordings. Furthermore if I decide to cancel my Vision service or change ISP then I will also be unable to watch anything recorded on the Vision box as it needs an active BT broadband connection.

Therefore my question is can anyone suggest a good PVR/DVR that will enable me to play the contents off the Vision box and record them onto the new box via scart or HDMI.

This capability cannot be provided by a PVR.
It has to be a DVDR or BDR [ Bluray disc recorder]
Additionally, no broadcast video recorders have HDMI inputs. It is forbidden.
Ideally I want the replacement box to have a twin tuner (HD if possible), must be able to record from an external source via AV/HDMI port, have a good EPG with fairly big HDD, have USB out/in to enable extra external storage. An extra bonus would be DVD/RW facilities.

The only twin tuner disc recorders available all have HD tuners.
External source recording is by Analogue AV [ Scart]
Camera HD sources can be fed in digitally.
You will have to suffer the awful EPG as the only way you can get these facilities is to have a Panasonic machine.

Additionally it is a universal restriction that you can get Video material into a machine via USB - but never OUT of a machine except via a disc medium. [ Albeit recent development has shown it is possible to get material out via DLNA across a network ]
I have tested a Panasonic EX99-VEBK and to be honest it has one of the worst EPG's I have ever seen, full of adverts which take up half the screen plus it's only 7 days. It also only had one SD tuner but the range of recording inputs and outputs were good but the VHS playback on it was very very poor. It was also very very slow, 10 to 30 seconds for it to respond to certain functions, so now put off from buying a Panasonic unit.

The EPG on the BT Vision is very good, clear and easy to use, plus it's 14 days.

Are there any Freeview+HD and Freesat HD combo boxes out at the moment?

Any recommendations or suggestions would be appreciated.

I agree about the BTV box. I regard it as a very good Freeview PVR.

Forget machines like the EX99 - It is an ancient model... several generations old.

Basically - your choices are limited, and if you want some of the essential features you have mentioned , you just have to put up with the things you don't like because there is no other choice in the marketplace... and if there ever is, [ and there are no signs of that happening]... they are extremely likely to suffer from all the same drawbacks.

I'll get back later with a link to your options.
 
The update mentioned there is one that has already occurred on my machine a month or two back now and was largely cosmetic.


Regarding machine options - The top four machines on this page are options
[Note the bottom two are for Freesat]

There is also the top machine here which is a DVD version of these machines.

See this sticky thread which should give you some useful background info relating to these machines.
 
Im due to get the new update in the next few weeks. Everything will be deleted from your box. It will move away from the current windows based software and enable youview content on current bt vision boxes.
 
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Im due to get the new update in the next few weeks. Everything will be deleted from your box. It will move away from the current windows based software and enable youview content on current bt vision boxes.

Can you cite some verifiable source for this?

I still believe this is a myth.

Existing boxes do not meet the technical requirements of Youview hardware.
 
BT Plans to Bundle YouView Boxes with BT Broadband
Thats the best I can find. But it doesnt mention updating the existing vision boxes. It will probably be a limited form of youview that makes its way onto the current boxes.

All I know is the info ive got says the update will wipe everything currently on the box including all settings and recordings.
 
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I have seen some BT sources mentioning that the 'current' BT boxes are capable of handling YouView [ ...whether that mean the black boxes or all boxes including the original silver box, I don't know ] ... even though, as far as I am concerned they do not meet the published hardware specification requirements for YouView equipment [ for one thing they do not have DVB-T2 tuners ]

If linux based, it would mean a wipe of the hard disc for a reformat.

However, I could only see BT offering this as a form of optional upgrade, not an automatic or mandatory one.. and presumably one that will incur some premium pricing.

With the Youview launch just about a month or so away I find it impossible to accept that BT would be dumb enough to make such a move as wiping customer discs, with either such short notice... or unless it was optional.


No doubt all will become clearer in the coming weeks.
Some form of official announcement must come soon.
 
I have seen some BT sources mentioning that the 'current' BT boxes are capable of handling YouView [ ...whether that mean the black boxes or all boxes including the original silver box, I don't know ] ... even though, as far as I am concerned they do not meet the published hardware specification requirements for YouView equipment [ for one thing they do not have DVB-T2 tuners ]

If linux based, it would mean a wipe of the hard disc for a reformat.

However, I could only see BT offering this as a form of optional upgrade, not an automatic or mandatory one.. and presumably one that will incur some premium pricing.

With the Youview launch just about a month or so away I find it impossible to accept that BT would be dumb enough to make such a move as wiping customer discs, with either such short notice... or unless it was optional.


No doubt all will become clearer in the coming weeks.
Some form of official announcement must come soon.

Hi

All interesting stuff - Thanks - You would have to say that the lack of T2 Tuners would seem to be a deal breaker !!!

Have to see how the picture develops over the coming weeks . . .

EDIT: From the linked article
The Director of BT Vision, Andy Baker said: “When YouView launches in the first half of next year, BT will offer the service to consumers via a variety of packages. YouView may be offered at special rates as part of new or improved broadband packages.”

Read more internet tv news: BT Plans to Bundle YouView Boxes with BT Broadband BT Plans to Bundle YouView Boxes with BT Broadband

That to me says that there will be an option to upgrade the "package" probably requiring a new box and some extra funds to be forthcoming !!

Cheers
Pete
 
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Hi

All interesting stuff - Thanks - You would have to say that the lack of T2 Tuners would seem to be a deal breaker !!!


I was expecting that at the Youview launch they would also reveal new boxes which do include DVB-T2 tuners on top of the other youview capability.

If Youview can be retrofitted onto the older boxes I can only see that happening as an option only.


I confess I am yet to fully understand what benefit is accrued by having the Youview system... albeit it has great flexibility and future potential.

The catchup services are already available on BT Vision, albeit only the BBC iplayer is Free.

If the catchup services come free on Youview - but one is paying a Premium for the service ...then it amounts to paying for them in a different way only.

But this kind of uninformed speculation is really pointless - Far better to wait until the hard information comes along... which cannot be long now.
 
I got an automated call from BT earlier saying that I have 14days to watch any recordings I have before I get upgraded to the new platform and everything is deleted.
 
Given that the YouView will essentially be twin tuner HD PVRs, which no current BT Vision box has, it wont be full YouView functionality anyway.
 
I got an automated call from BT earlier saying that I have 14days to watch any recordings I have before I get upgraded to the new platform and everything is deleted.

Gordon Bennett!

BT are being very foolish.
 
Gordon Bennett!

BT are being very foolish.
Why? Im all for having an improved bt vision service. If the price to pay is to delete all my recordings then thats fine with me. Although saying that I think im so welcoming to the idea because I dont actually use my vision box and dont have any recordings on it. Ive only had it plugged in because of the impending update.
 
Why? Im all for having an improved bt vision service. If the price to pay is to delete all my recordings then thats fine with me. Although saying that I think im so welcoming to the idea because I dont actually use my vision box and dont have any recordings on it. Ive only had it plugged in because of the impending update.

That's fine for you and sounds like a good solution, but I think a substantial number of the existing customer base will be somewhat displeased at BT acting unilaterally. Specifically at:

1 - The shortness of the notice, and
2 - The lack of option.

Youview may indeed be a significant improvement of service, but it remains to be seen if it is.
 
Could it be that BT are targetting boxes that have few or no recordings on them first as this information is sent back to BT when the Vision box is connected to the internet.

I think I would need at least 6 months notice inorder to watch the programs I have recorded.
 
I signed up to be part of a trial thats testing the way its being rolled out. You probably have a few months before its publicly available.
 
I signed up to be part of a trial thats testing the way its being rolled out. You probably have a few months before its publicly available.

Are you partaking of the trial at the moment?

If so , what are your first impressions... although I dare say you are gagged on the matter?
 
Are you partaking of the trial at the moment?

If so , what are your first impressions... although I dare say you are gagged on the matter?


It must be a super-injunction. :)
 

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