New BT YouView Box with new features and wifi onboard,to give multi room abilm capabilty a and WIFi?
Michael Hrons
Member Posts: 23 ✭
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Can anyone update me on this,whether its true and when is it likely to happen? Tks
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Michael Hrons
Member Posts: 23 ✭
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We haven't seen any major developments recently (apart from cosmetic ones), so I'd say there's a very high probability that there is a new box in development.
(Despite the fact that there are many people in this forum who are convinced that YouView's days are numbered
There has been absolutely nothing apart from the well documented fact that the current CEO at BT is way less enamoured with its tv offering then his predecessor hence the offloading of it's sport content.
So you can probably guess where a new box figures on his to do list.
Perhaps he has some now? But if not, this must at the very least stand as speculation, if not actually rumour.
But straws in the wind are some patents/licences for new devices for both BT and TalkTalk; these may ever see the actual light of day, though.
And PVRs are becoming decidedly niche now; the Humax Aura box was caned, not for any recording shortcomings, but because it didn't have Netflix. A streaming service!
Can you please fix the typos in the title of this thread?
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2020/11/bt-uk-hints-at-plan-to-launch-a-new-wifi-equipped-tv-box.html
https://community.youview.com/youview/discussion/7606266/new-bt-boxs
My my, that article's nailed it. Yeah - its a Sagemcom, but I wasn't lucky enough to be selected to trail one.
Sagemcom and May in the update hmm
I hope its available retail as you don't have a presence at the moment.
The same way you cannot buy a Sky q box or whatever the Virgin equivalent is.
BT need exclusively otherwise why would anyone use them for Now tv when it's cheaper and more flexible buying direct.
But I personally don't believe a new box is on the horizon or in fact exists as BT are currently trying to offload its greatest asset BT sport.
Any new box usp would be what exactly?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/latest-sport-news/bt-confirm-talks-offload-stake-24004880
In a Press Association report on April 29th :-
BT is understood to be considering a possible full sale of BT Sport, as it looks to focus on its broadband and telecoms business.
A stake sale to bring in outside investment, joint venture or partnership with a media business is also said to be under consideration.
Subsequent reports seem to focus on a stake sale, but I can’t find an actual denial of the full sale claim. Though perhaps you can?
It leads with the headline BT to sell stake and then says it is looking to offload but a stake is also possible - shockingly bad writing.
The fact that every other report is about a stake sale should tell you something. Of course any business will never flatly deny any options because they would always weigh up any deal if one came along.
Anyway we are getting a bit off topic as usual lol. Let’s just say the chances of a new box from BT are definitely more pro than they are against
The Mirror is perhaps not my gold standard either 😛
Which is why I emphasised above that they were quoting (presumably verbatim or they would have had to say so) a Press Association report.
Here’s what BT have said officially:-
https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1323-14957161-4B888F5RKGE8MEKS7G9OVDB68D
My takeaway from that would be merely to emphasise the disconnect between reports of BT wanting to back away from, or soft-pedal, BT Sport and the quote ‘help take it to the next stage in its growth’, which would be a continuing distraction from the Openreach side of things if it still required active BT involvement.
So I think this is a coded indication that the full sale option is firmly on the table; you don’t have to agree with my interpretation, of course, but please consider it.
For some like me who only occasionally watches sport would not want the monthly fee of Amazon Prime or Disney + to go up by much just to cover sport that we have little or no interest in.
I think a partnership would be the best option for BT Sport in the short term.
@Roy
I don't disagree with the fact the nothing is off the table if the price is right but I think that is not to intention (at this point).
I think BT want help with the TV rights costs and thought selling a share to ITV would help BT cover some of that cost while giving a partner rights to show Premier/Champions league and Moto GP (I thought I read somewhere they are letting ITV show a couple of live races this season). I don't think they realistically think someone like ITV could fully purchase all the TV rights, broadcast studio, sponsorship deals, presenters contracts, etc etc in one go (Amazon and Disney possible but even then I think they would look at a gradual buy out rather then a big bang sell off).
BT Sport is not so much a distraction it is actually a great tool and has made BT seem more attractive to a younger audience that saw BT as an old persons company not so long ago, they are just very aware of the TV rights costs and want to offload some of that but (again my opinion so obviously you can disagree) actually will quite happily keep BT Sport as a part of the company and use it as a showcase (I believe it was a broadcast first for 50FPS/4K/Atmos/HDR/VR or very close).
The last prem rights deal was the first ever won with a lower bid, to avoid this happening again the prem want to "roll" over the current deal.
This obviously is against fair competition rules hence the need for government approval.
This decision has forced BT into offloading or finding someone to share the burden.
Talk Talk and BT's Plusnet have already abandoned offering a tv service.
If BT do lose the football an alleged new box might not be enough to maintain its current lofty position as a now tv middle person.
Excuse me, thats simply not true. No one can be forced into a new contract they don't want.
Don't-cha just love internet lawyers....
The truth is it actually makes sense for all parties to roll over the current deal, but as you state above, thats basically the equivalent of a one-off cartel, hence the need for Govt approval to do it and they will approve it, as these are strange times with many businesses going under.