There are three different models of YouView box from BT, each designed to fit a particular niche. What YouView boxes are available from BT?
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While YouView is accessible to everyone with a YouView branded device, the additional channels offered by BT bring these YouView boxes into the premium TV realm with access to a wide variety of channels, including one – BT Sport – in full 4K Ultra HD. Available to anyone with a BT broadband connection, the BT TV service is tightly integrated with YouView across the three different set top boxes that customers of the service can choose from. The idea of YouView is for it to be augmented with channels and services from the providers that support it, and YouView from BT is one of the most popular.
There are also mobile YouView apps to let you control the set top boxes from remote locations. It’s all brought together under a user interface that lets users search for content across different channels and platforms and seamlessly switch between them, or browse the available content using a detailed guide and an easy-to-use interface. At the basic level, YouView gives users access to the many digital Freeview channels available via broadcast, alongside the catch-up services from many channels and networks, and paid streaming services such as Netflix. It may be two years overdue, but the YouView experience was worth waiting for.The YouView platform is based around set top boxes that are connected to both your conventional TV aerial and your broadband internet connection. It may not perfect, but YouView really is a strong proposition. The user interface is fast and intuitive, image quality top notch, and the way IPTV services have been wrapped into the mix beguiling. What we actually have here is a kick-ass PVR, with immaculate Catch-up integration, which should be of interest to everyone.Įxpensive it may be, but with scope for expansion Lord Sugar's new toy is one to hire not fire. YouView: VerdictĪccording the marketeers, YouView is on a mission to bring a connected TV experience to the great unwashed - but this box is wasted on such tech numpties. Streaming proves buffer-free (although this is dependant on your broadband speed, a minimum of 3 Mbps is recommended) rather cleverly a small partition on the hard drive is reserve to cache streams in order to provide a smoother viewing experience. YouView: Picture Qualityīoth broadcast TV and recorded image quality are excellent, the latter transparent to source. More services are promised, including Sky's Now TV PPV offering. What's more, if you've BT or TalkTalk then you'll be able to access even more content. There are over 70 TV and radio channels to choose from, including HD options such as BBC One HD and there's also a library of on demand content. While Smart Freeview recorders already offer BBC iPlayer alongside sundry other services, this is the only platform to pony up Players from the BBC, Five, Channel 4 and ITV. YouView: Contentīlending broadband with linear telly might seem an invitation to calamity, but YouView's diligence seems to have paid off – the interface works beautifully. The latter isn't for media playback, but a Humax Wi-Fi dongle. In addition to HDMI and aerial loopthrough, there's a retro pairing of Scart and AV phono outputs, an optical digital audio output, Ethernet and USB. In other respects, this YouView debutant functions just like any other PVR, recording digital TV to a 500GB hard drive beneath the hood. But for a non-subscription option it's still undeniably cutting edge. Today not so much, it's already available on the VirginMedia TiVo service.