Will there be new set top boxes for Retail Youview?
Joe
Member, Super User Posts: 2,067 ✭✭✭
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Hi Youview and all,
Could we have clarification on the retail side of Youview?
There's a new box just realised for BT customers, will there be an equivalent available to buy for retail customers in the shops?
Looks like BT units sold on eBay are the only option for retail customers at the moment. Be nice to have the option of buying a new box from retail with a manufacturer's guarantee, that isn't tied to an ISP. Whats the retail situation for Youview now & going forward?
Could we have clarification on the retail side of Youview?
There's a new box just realised for BT customers, will there be an equivalent available to buy for retail customers in the shops?
Looks like BT units sold on eBay are the only option for retail customers at the moment. Be nice to have the option of buying a new box from retail with a manufacturer's guarantee, that isn't tied to an ISP. Whats the retail situation for Youview now & going forward?
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There is no retail situation as it simply ceased to exist.
Youview Retail died years ago.
BT only loan you the new pro box ( and the previous Humax boxes) and obviously if they sold them they would lose their usp.
All is not lost as the pro box is starting to appear on Ebay and Amazon.
I myself purchased 2 of the pro boxes and they work perfectly.
You can of course buy freeview play boxes like the app free Humax aura and the aging Manhattan but these in my opinion are really not an good alternative.
So to summarise you either buy from a third party or enter into a costly subscription, with youview that's just the way it is.
As T2000 owner at this point I’d really appreciate an official statement from Youview as to where retail now stands, and whether it will be supported in future.
There seems to be a strong sense from a number of users that retail Youview, is no longer supported. Apparently (though I can’t confirm) units are no longer available in the shops according to a number of people. Also the fact that Amazon prime app has failed to appear on the retail boxes points to a decline in this side of the Youview platform.
Having said that I’m still getting software updates to my T2000 hardware, which is unique to the retail models. So there is a mixed message here…
Youview official, what is happening to the retail platform? If it’s going to continue, and see new hardware it would make business sense to make a statement to restore confidence. As there has been very little communication in this respect. A lack of a statement at this point will confirm worst fears for retail users.
Boxes continue to be updated, whatever their source (ex T1000), and will continue to do so, as long as is viable.
As to your other questions, these are of a commercial sensitive nature, and I doubt any response will be forthcoming officially.
Going forward, am
i now dependant on the Ebay market place for future boxes of if I don’t wish to sign up to an isp tv service? Some clarification is needed.
And yes, you are now dependent upon eBay as has been previously stated.
https://www.youview.com/get-youview/
This gets more and more confusing
It's akin to asking did England win the 2018 World Cup with everyone here telling you no and you replying no disrespect but I want to here that from FIFA.
We are where we are and official confirmation really won't put youview boxes back in the shop's they left several years ago.
Really don't understand the connection between BT developing a new box for subscription only and then returning to long abandoned retail.
https://support.youview.com/mobile-app/
And buried in the heart of the much-modified content at this link, named such that you might not even realise the import of what it has to say, is the never-altered death blow to YouView Retail:-
In order to deliver the most innovative TV experience, we are refocusing development away from ‘direct to consumer’ products and toward delivering best in class TV technology services direct to our customers BT, TalkTalk, Humax and Sony.
Seemingly inviting Humax to take up the cudgels of selling retail boxes alone, perhaps, but Humax didn’t bite….. 😢
Don't you mean a new Betamax recorder incorporating a ‘Live & Catchup TV’ interface?
“best in class TV technology services direct to our customers BT, TalkTalk, Humax and Sony.”
But those who have been members of this forum for a long time are simply confirming the fact that there is never any advance statement of YouView's plans.
Have a look at this thread:
https://community.youview.com/youview/discussion/7606556/new-bt-youview-box-with-new-features-and-wifi-onboard-to-give-multi-room-abilm-capabilty-a-and-wifi/p5
(all six pages of it!)
Someone else asking the same kind of question as you.
But there was no official response until the new BT box was actually released.
However in this case there aren't even any rumours of a new retail box.
But who knows, we might all be pleasantly surprised.
YouView retail died some number of years ago without announcement. But what is clear is that you started this thread to get a direct answer from YouView. That sadly, is not going to happen.
No retail activity for several years with almost everyone accepting that if you don't want a subscription free youview box it's third party sellers or do without.
BT bringing out a new box doesn't alter that fact.
Oh... no. The question has been asked often with no reply ever being given.
At this point, I am irresistibly reminded of the Monty Python ‘Dead Parrot’ sketch 😢
Thought perhaps I’d missed something official hence my post here. Thanks all
I still miss the mobile app, as the BT one is not as good for Youview customers. It may be better for BTTV customers, but unfortunately as I have an exchange only phone line and can't get BT fibre, I can't get BTTV.
However, I love the Youview interface and to me it has been a more than worthy replacement to Sky Q. I've used a BT T4000 for about 3 years now and have been very happy with it, but wanted the new pro box. I have now purchased one from eBay and am really happy with it. It even connects wirelessly to my Virgin Internet (the only fibre broadband I can get!).
I agree that it would be nice to be able to buy a retail unit from a high street shop and have the protection that would give you, but as that probably won't happen, the pro box is the next best thing (and you get Amazon prime!), Just need Disney+ and it'll be perfect!
Do you mean true wireless or do you use powerlines?
To be fair it's located right next to my router so I use a cable anyway as the wireless signal from the virgin hub is awful and drops out, but I just wanted to see if it would connect wirelessly!
Also for me there's an insecurity about the continued support of the Youview ISP boxes outside of contract. If the retail side has finished and likely the involvement of the public broadcasters, then what is there to stop BT from effectively switching off boxes that are out of contract? I suspect that that feature was present as a stipulation of the public broadcasters involvement. All guess work of course, but that's where we are.
Oh wait, there is a shortage of retail boxes. Panic buy now!
Only by one.
I can’t see any connection between this query and the thread above it, so this would have been better as a new thread, which hopefully @Sarah or @Louise Murdoch can turn it into.
A few questions, though:-
What is ‘this’? The tiny TV in your avatar, or something else?
What is a smartplug? Do you mean a PLA (PowerLine Adapter)?
But a pair of PLAs can replace any Ethernet cable connecting anything to anything else, pretty much, as long as the mains wiring it is running over has a path between the PLAs.