BT Vision

When you get BT Vision through a shop, think Currys do it - do they check if your line can support it?

The reason I ask is that my parents friends have just got the box - all they've watched is the freeview channels and they have recorded stuff too, however they get a lower connection speed than me - theirs is around 0.5mb and mine is 1.7mb!

However, when my dad tried to order it, they said we couldn't get it as our line cannot support the on-demand service as its too slow!

I'd be surprised if they did, but they should really given the limits on the service

My parents have just been to Comet andpaid �30 for the connection pack - we were under the illusion that you picked up all the hardware in-store and set it up at home?!

Anyway, my dad rang BT Vision Salesdesk when he got in and they said we cannot get BT Vision because our line speed is only 1.5mb (it sync's at 1.7mb) and my dad can return the pack to Comet for a refund.

My parents friends ordered BT Broadband and Vision through a BT Kiosk located in a nearby shopping centre and the sales people there processed the order there and then, including Vision and they recieved their box last week, so my dad is gonna give that a try - because if they can get vision to work on a less than 1mb connection, we should!

BT Vision will work on any line speed, what wont work is on demand.

yep vod requires minimun 2 meg

Well worth the �30 if your on BTinternet just for the PVR function, i don't use it for anything else and i have a nice library of films to try and get through.

They won't let us have it - our line speed cannot support the on-demand service so they won't process the order, which is what I don't understand! We can get freeview and use the PVR service, were not that bothered bout the on-demand content!

Edited by deleted (Mon 28-Jan-08 15:01:56)

The VOD content is the only source of revenue fro BT from the BTVision box. If you're line is not good enough then you cant use the VOD and thus BT gets nowt.

You can get cheap PVRs from Argos.

TBH, I have had BT vision for more than 6 months and the service is very poor.

For the avoidance of doubt, my DSL connection runs at about 7.7M and I can get around 7.6M download speeds... although that was when I used Plusnet! Since switching to BT the throughput tends to be lower - but that is anecdotal only!

I have never once been able to watch a film without at least 3 failures, usually more. I have spent hours on the phone to BT - a call that I paid for at 0845 rates. They have had me reset the v-box (loosing all my recordings), reset the router, disable the fire wall, disable the wireless, disconnect my PC, etc, etc. Nothing has ever worked.

To be fair, it has got better, in the early days I could not watch more than about 5 minutes before the system failed. But last Sunday I put on a film for the kids and their friends and 5 times I had to restart because of error messages.

Take my advice, don't get BT vision. The basic BT broadband service is, at best, mediocre and the BT Vision service is poor. Just to add insuilt to injury, the video content available through BT vision is not very impressive either.

Why is all this so bad? Because you're locked in for 18 months!

I have had BT Vision since July last year. It works perfectly, including VOD. No, I am not next to the exchange. I live over 3.5 kms from the exchange.

I have not had to call the help desk for Vision problems. However when I had a problem with my Home Hub I had the luxury of speaking to the UK technical support people rather than India.

You are only contracted to 18 months if you chose that option. I chose 12 months.

I already have BTVision and it's the puppies plums !!. I've never once had a failure with VOD.

Well, I had a classic BT Vision experience this morning.

Put the TV on and pressed the "TV Listings" button to find everything said 'loading'. Checked my internet connection and everything was working OK.

Went back to the channel and the image on screen just stalled, i.e. a static image. Tried using the remote but no response. Tried pressing a button on the box itself, no response. Tried turning off, no response.

Switched off everything at the mains. The power light on the v-box sits flashing and the screen stays black - not even a power up message, no error message, nothing. Waited 30 minutes, but still no change.

This typifies my experience of BT vision.

Well you obviously have issues. Maybe you have an unstable line or a faulty box. Your experience is definately rare.

I had credit on my account after canceling my package in October. For buffing type stops and starts and lack of choice and updated material. Tried to watch 1408, stopped and starts all the way through, i wanted to chuck the TV out the window in frustration and i still see content from last October and not much in the way of updates. Maybe a some but in my opinion the service is very poor indeed and the main reason i joined BT was for vision.

My sync speed is 6mb

There is another firmware update due for the BT Vision box but no one in BT will say when.

Its currently a month and a half late.

Seems my problems are not as rare as people might think.

But all is not lost. Take look at the link below for some info by somone from the BT Vision support team.

http://www.beta.bt.com/bta/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=12624&#12624

If you are having problems with BT Vision, you will find from these official forums that you are not alone. The good news is that there seem to be fairly regular posts by BT support staff and some of them are quite helpful.