BT VISION

NOVEMBER 8th 2007
BT have come out with a real corker in BT Vision. But their marketing and sales drive you potty. [However, see latest notes below].

You don't need a SCART input on your TV, you can get a RF Modulator for about £20-£25 that has the necessary sockets and loop-throughs to handle it. A 20-year-old Ferguson has a bigger better clearer, sharper, brighter more regular picture and better colour than anything I have seen in a shop for years. It is also the best aspect ratio compared to some of the new wide-screen models (which are a big mistake, unless you have a really large one with enough vertical dimension for the classic format). As for High Definition, a complete waste of time for normal viewing though the BT Box will handle that too.

 You DO need the BT Home Hub, not just a line networked Voyager router. BT Vision sales misinform applicants on both points - the SCART (because they have never heard of RF Modulators) and need for the Home Hub (if they check your account and confirm you are fully equipped already you could find they are wrong on page one of the instructions once the box is delivered). BT Vision Tech Help who have the answers are not directly accessible - not a problem if the sales staff are informed on these, the only two absolute basics, but they are not. Nor are the BT Technical Help line you are told to ring. They have to put you through..... and you know what that can mean.

Also you do NOT need to start with any package that costs £14 or even £4 per month. You can choose that later when you have all the details and the Freeview up and running (about 50 channels). And you can take pay-for stuff on the fly, or open up a package for a month and close it after. Included in the hardware are two 'Powerline Adaptors' that enable your PC and your TV to be in quite different places in the house, while both use your broadband connection, though the main live TV will come in through your aerial. The possibilities and choices are extraordinary and flexible, the controls are simple, you only need ONE remote control for everything (I think, maybe not actually).

How is it possible that companies this big, with such amazing products and services at such amazing value, make such a complete pig's ear of marketing it and don't even tell their sales staff what they are selling and what you DO and DO NOT need to get it set up.  The only answer has to be that the people right at the very top are no damned good at their job. They are just accountants, manipulating the books and their own salaries and parachutes.

Well now!
BT seem to have put all that right very quickly - the only remaining thing being to add one line in the setup instructions:

STEP 4    Start up your BT Vision

1. First switch on your TV. It can be set to any channel.

That important line is missing.
Later on it explains you should allow  up to 1 hour without TV programme reception for the automatic BT Vision setup, which starts when you switch on the BT Vision box, to complete itself. During that time you must not try to switch channels or AV settings.

NOTES - Nov 14th 2007

If using an RF Modulator:

Before switching on the BT V-box to start the setup

1. Set your channel on the TV using your old remote to 8 or the one for VIDEO
2. Set the channel in the RF Modulator window to 32

Otherwise you may not get the V-box setup showing on the TV screen.

The BT Vision helpdesk, NOW available to all those BT Broadbad subscribers setting up BT Vision, is instantly accessible and up to the job. I recommend this technology and service unreservedly.
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