14 
BT’s currently trialling a complete revamp of its Vision TV service, moulding it into the next evolution of television, IPTV. While the likes of you or I won’t get our hands on it for a while, an anonymous tipster was kind enough to clue us in on what it’s like. Will IPTV really revolutionise TV in the UK?
Apparently BT’s just using the original BT Vision hardware with upgraded software. On that front, the interface is a lot better than the previous Vision experience, but it’s not exactly slick. Both YouView and Sky have it licked, but what did you expect for ageing hardware? We don’t know, yet, whether BT will roll out new set-top boxes to go with it, or whether it’ll just push out software updates. There’s a good chance that BT will provide its IPTV channels to YouView users rocking BT broadband too, which would be big boost for Sir Sugar’s platform.
The good news here, for anyone looking to cut that aerial or satellite cable, is that the IPTV channels look good. There’s a fair selection being pumped down broadband lines in the trial, including the likes of BBC One HD, BBC HD, ITV HD and Channel 4 HD — none of which can really be distinguished from regular Freeview HD broadcasts, apart from the little ‘bTV’ logo. In fact, our anonymous TV-watcher actually reckons the IPTV channels look a tad better than their HD terrestrial broadcast counterparts, which is impressive when you consider the bandwidth requirements.
Other channels on display during the trial include things like Watch, Alibi, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, FX, Sky Sports 1 and 2, ESPN, British Eurosport, Discovery, Syfy, Comedy Central, and many more. Basically, a whole raft of channels you’d normally associated with the likes of Sky or Virgin.
I think its safe to say that our anonymous IPTV trialist has been impressed by what they’ve seen. IPTV has long been heralded as the future of TV in the UK, and if this trial is anything to go by, it looks like we’re nearly there.
It’ll be interesting to see the evolution of IPTV in the UK, especially where YouView’s concerned. More TV channels, pumped over broadband from everyone and their Mum’s was one of YouView‘s original selling points. If we really can get solid HD broadcast TV down our broadband pipes, then I’m definitely up and ditching that sodding aerial. Hell, everything else I watch is streamed over IP from the likes of Netflix, LoveFilm and Now TV, so what’s the difference, really?
Thanks to our anonymous BT Vision IPTV trialist. If you have any questions about the service, leave them below and we’ll see what we can do for you.
BT Trials Cable-Meltingly Fast Broadband
YouView Gets Anonymously Poked and Prodded
This Hilarious Video Pokes Fun at Clueless DSLR Users
‘The future of TV”?! this just looks exactly the same as sky/virgin but in a really horrible UI. Am I missing what is different about this than any other package out there, other than it looks horrible?
Yes, it’s the delivery mechanism that’s new here, not the UI (which you’re right isn’t exactly pretty). The new thing is the same broadcast TV you’d normally get over an aerial, satellite, or cable, delivered straight over the internet.
ah ok, so interweb based rather than cable. That makes more sense, was sure I must have been missing something there, thanks
It looks like TV in the same way that digital TV looked pretty much the same as analogue TV. What it means in the long run is the biggest change that will have ever happened to TV.
TalkTalk have offered an IPTV service for some time now. It really took off last year with the release of their YouView box. Using it myself I have to admit it’s very impressive and is a welcome alternative to Sky TV.
So have BT with their vision service, this is just some sort of upgrade. I have yet to learn what the exact difference is unless it’s now HD or all the formerly terrestrial channels are also provided over broadband unlike visions internet/freeview system.
The change is that these are linear channels as opposed to on demand content
That’s all very good, but the internet speeds throughout the country are pretty poor. I live in a brand new development in Bristol and can only manage to get a broadband speed of 1.3 Mbps. It struggles to load internet pages when my girfirled is on Facetime. Downloading content from Sky Anytime is useless. So poor internet speeds would, presumably, mean poor TV connection/streaming (whatever it is)?
Hi There,
You shouldn’t be blinded by the BT Press release. Most BT Vision users will not be able to get this currently. Why you may ask?
- You have to have BT Infinity customer.
- Your exchange has to have Infinity.
- Your exchange needs to be multicast.
- You have to have a Vision + box to get the linear channels and not a Youview box at the moment
- You have to have your hub connected directly to the Vision + box and you can’t use the wireless adapters which they have supplied to most customers.
It seems as though most people because of the above will not be able to receive the linear channels delivered via Broadband at this point.
While the first three points you make are correct the final two aren’t. The linear channels will be available on youview from July and BT are now allowing the boxes to be connected through power line adapters which is the way most people do it anyway.
Also all infinity exchanges are multicast enabled by default as part of the infinity process.
And finally this wasn’t a rewritten press release it was from a tipster as stated in the title.