BT TV - how does it work?

JustAnotherSaver

I've been with BT before but only for their Infinity broadband which i was happy with ... until Sky had a better deal as a new customer.

Well that Sky deal has come to an end and it's time to return to BT.

I've just gone through a mock package order to see the costs and options available. I got to the page for "installation extras"

I can pay an engineer to do the whole lot for £49 which i'd rather not. I've set up my own broadband before and had no issue.

For £20 i can "self install with mini connectors" it says. Connecting the BT home hub to the BT TV without any wires.


I don't know how the BT TV works but right now i have a switch that is located under my TV. There's a free port. Anyway this switch is connected to a faceplate behind the TV & this basically runs under the floorboards up to where the router is positioned & into the router.

This basically enables at the moment my TV & Sky to be connected to the internet via cable (i prefer cable connection to WiFi, so long as it's hidden).


So i'm basically just wondering how the TV box thing connects up, how difficult it is etc.

iniltous

Sounds like you don't need 'mini connectors' which can be used if the router is to be located separately from the TV and BTTV set top box.
You plug a supplied Ethernet cable into the router and mini connector ( which plugs into a spare mains outlet) and the second Ethernet cable from the second mini connector (also in a spare mains outlet ) into the Ethernet port of the BTTV set top box , eliminating the need for a long Ethernet cable between the router and BTTV box

JJ_Egan

I have router one end of a long room . Ethernet cable to BT TV box . HDMI cable to TV .

How BT TV works is via multi casting and that requires a minimum speed .

Mister_G

OP - All you need to do is connect an ethernet cable from the BT TV box to the spare port on your switch. The BT TV box will also need an HDMI cable to a spare input on your TV.

If you have an external terrestrial aerial connected to your TV then you can reroute that through your BT TV box to give you the Freeview channels.

Assuming that you are not on Sky Q, then your Sky box will continue to work on the Free to Air channels also.

JustAnotherSaver

Yeah i'm not with Sky Q, just normal Sky.

After i posted this i saw a video of how to connect up. It said that it should be connected direct. I don't know if this is just disclaimer mumbo-jumbo or what. I would imagine surely it must be fine to go from TV...hmdi....BTTV.....ethernet-to-switch.....switch-to-faceplate....faceplate-to-router because at the end of the day it's just a connection. I can't see how it would break things down. Ok instead of it being 100% optimal it may be like 90% or whatever but surely it'd still work that way.

Mister_G

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Yeah i'm not with Sky Q, just normal Sky.

After i posted this i saw a video of how to connect up. It said that it should be connected direct. I don't know if this is just disclaimer mumbo-jumbo or what. I would imagine surely it must be fine to go from TV...hmdi....BTTV.....ethernet-to-switch.....switch-to-faceplate....faceplate-to-router because at the end of the day it's just a connection. I can't see how it would break things down. Ok instead of it being 100% optimal it may be like 90% or whatever but surely it'd still work that way.

They mean hard wired rather than wireless (which can be prone to interference). Your proposal will work just fine. There's no reason why it shouldn't be 100%. Ethernet is good for at least 100m.

JustAnotherSaver

Mister_G wrote: »

They mean hard wired rather than wireless (which can be prone to interference). Your proposal will work just fine. There's no reason why it shouldn't be 100%. Ethernet is good for at least 100m.

In that case i'm good then. I don't live in a house that big where i'll exceed that :rotfl:

Time to get cracking & save myself £500 per year, well per the first year that is.