BT phone line+broadband+YouView from BT advice please

Magenta

Hi all,
Has anyone got the above package?

If not what is BT customer service like? Is their broadband service good?

I am in a bit of a dilemma - I have been with Virgin (phone, broadband + basic TV for more than 10 years) and would like to change as I have so many problems with my broadband connection and they are 0% helpful.

Thanks all.

VisionMan

Hi Magenta,

Whilst I don't yet have YouView, I do have BT broadband and BT Vision (and have done for over six years) and I've never had any major problems with them. And today, I had BT Infinity installed, too.

I will be switching to BT YouView in mid 2013, when they launch their new live IPTV channels and other On Demand services too.

It really all depends on what you want from your next box/service. So whats important to you? Just a Freeview PVR, on demand, the latest shows and films? Budget? Decent line speed, etc, etc? What do you need from your next service?

Colin_London

I have these services although I bought my Youview box separately rather than through BT.

The broadband service is excellent although I did upgrade to infinity so not really a fair comparison with my previous provider.

Youview does everything we want from a TV box. Have used it to watch some HD films on demand from BT Vision and the PVR capability is second to none. Has all the catch up services with future plans for live IPTV channels.

BT customer service has well known issues as it is usually Indian based call centres reading from scripts. Have only had one problem with my line so far and once I got past the hurdles they arranged for the problem to be fixed the same day. However read other posts here and you will hear much worse stories :-(

VisionMan

Hi CoL,

Yes, all services can get a bad rep, when things go horrendously wrong. And they all seem to be the same, IMHO.

And if one reads the BT Vision Community Forum at the moment, BTV just seems to be an absolute nightmare. However, upon closer inspection, it is in the main the same few posters posting the same complaining tosh over and over again.

And a few of them who have now moved on to Sky or other providers, but still continue to post on a BT COMMUNITY forum (and it's called that for a reason). As such, genuine newbie problems just seem to get drowned out, in the malaise of noise from now ex-customers, who just endlessly complain over and over again. Often about the same thing.

And sorry for the rant. lol

In fact, I've just had an upgrade to my BTV service, so I think I'll start a new thread about it. As BT users need to know it's not all bad news.

skizeewoo

I have been with BT for about two yrs now. I have to say the broadband service I get from them is nowhere near as good as the waitrose one I had before. (Don't think you can get it anymore). I was thinking of moving to virgin. Not so sure now! Lol

I can't get infinity yet so mine is the bog standard broadband with them. Tbh they all seem a rip off and everyone seems to have call centres in India. Fine if its a straightforward issue but when it gets more complex you really need a native speaker. Well that's my opinion anyway!

VisionMan

skizeewoo wrote: »

I have been with BT for about two yrs now. I have to say the broadband service I get from them is nowhere near as good as the waitrose one I had before. (Don't think you can get it anymore). I was thinking of moving to virgin. Not so sure now! Lol

I can't get infinity yet so mine is the bog standard broadband with them. Tbh they all seem a rip off and everyone seems to have call centres in India. Fine if its a straightforward issue but when it gets more complex you really need a native speaker. Well that's my opinion anyway!

And I totally agree with you, lol. UK jobs for UK call centres, is what I say. And it would -

1 - Cut unemployment and boost the economy. And -

2 - Make life much easier for the users, too.

So thats a thumbs up from me.

Ectophile

Their customer service is very hit-and-miss. The front-line call centre has been outsourced to India. If your problem is simple enough, it can be sorted easily. If something really goes wrong, then BT do everything they can to keep you away from the people who might actually be able to sort it.

However when the service works - which is has for me the vast majority of the time - there's nothing wrong with it.

Magenta

VisionMan wrote: »

Hi Magenta,

Whilst I don't yet have YouView, I do have BT broadband and BT Vision (and have done for over six years) and I've never had any major problems with them. And today, I had BT Infinity installed, too.

I will be switching to BT YouView in mid 2013, when they launch their new live IPTV channels and other On Demand services too.

It really all depends on what you want from your next box/service. So whats important to you? Just a Freeview PVR, on demand, the latest shows and films? Budget? Decent line speed, etc, etc? What do you need from your next service?

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

What I want from BT, which I don't have now is broadband which works! and on demand TV, as I am not in front of my TV when the programmes go out at their original times.

Their don't seem to be many companies providing on demand so I am a bit limited.

macman

All you need for your TV service is a Freeview or Freesat PVR then-no subscription necessary. Not 'on demand', but all you have to do is hit 'Series Record'.
If you want true on demand, then get a Humax Youview box-again, no sub is necessary.

Anthorn

I agree with macman, what is being offered from BT for youview is subscription-free tv for a subscription: "Essential" for £5 a month which offers catch-up tv for an extra 50p a show or "Unlimited" for £12.50p a month which includes catch-up tv.

Looking at the youview box itself, it's a Freeview HD+ box with the four catch-up services added so if you already have Freeview HD+ all you're getting for nearly 300 quid is the catch up services.

My own BT services are Total Broadband unlimited, phone with evening and weekend calls. Added to that I have a Freesat SD box and Sony smart blu ray player which gives me the same channels as Freeview and more besides and BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, Netflix, Lovefilm Instant, Lovefilm blu ray rentals by post and lots more through Sony Entertainment network on my Sony smart blu ray player.

Price comparison for the extras: BT youview £12.50p; Sony Entertainment Network on the Blu ray player with Lovefilm and Netflix £15.98p. (Sony smart blu ray player BDP-S390 costs £97 on Amazon last time I looked.)

Also check out the LG smart blu ray players which might have all four of the catch-up tv services priced from £79 on Amazon.

VisionMan

Magenta wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

What I want from BT, which I don't have now is broadband which works! and on demand TV, as I am not in front of my TV when the programmes go out at their original times.

Their don't seem to be many companies providing on demand so I am a bit limited.

If it's On Demand you want then you have definitely picked the right service to go for, IMO.

As YouView has over 20,000 on demand items to choose from. And all subscription-free, too.

Where-as my 'icckle bitty BT Vision box only has just over 5,000 to choose from. lol