I’m looking at signing up to BT. I’m currently with SKY for phone and broadband only, so joining BT means I also get BT Sport and a Vision box all in for less than I’m paying now to SKY. I won’t be getting BT Infinity as it’s not available in my area.

Can I still get the Freeview HD channels through BT if I don’t have Infinity? Can I get BT Sport HD without Infinity?

Any help will be much appreciated as this is a deal breaker for me! I’ve been on hold to BT for 30mins and given up!

Yes.

FWIW, go onto the BT website and either wait for, or select the “chat to an agent” option. You’ll get an online chat window that (a) is more friendly than the phone system and (b) lets you save the conversation for future reference.

Just found this on their website:

HD Freeview channels are only available as standard with YouView. If you have Vision+ you will need Infinity and Extra TV channels to access these HD channels.

My not yet confirmed order is for a Vision+ box, not Youview. What’s Youview? How do I get one?

This is doing my head in!

Does BT TV receive HD Channels?
HD On Demand Films are available on both YouView from BT and BT Vision+. In addition, there are 4 HD Freeview channels (BB1 HD, BBC HD, ITV1 HD and 4 HD) available to watch on YouView from BT. You’ll need to connect your set top box to a HD ready TV. We’ll send you the HDMI cable you need.

Youview is different to vision+ and you need to stipulate which one you want when ordering. With youview you can’t get sky sports or any of the extra channels as these are delivered via fibre.

Thanks all for the quick responses.

When selecting a package it said ‘YouView’ under the image of the TV. However, when ‘View Order Details’ it says my order is for a Vision+ Box. There’s no option to change this.

Drac, I found that but it implies that only films are available as HD on Vision+.

When I wanted a quick response I sent a tweet to them. Heard back within no time at all.

Or

check their forum for a similar question.

https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Vision-box/Will-I-get-HD-with-the-BT-Vision-Box/td-p/927482

Cheers Drac, will check out the forum now.

I spoke via the chat thing to someone, he’s told me to ring customer services! So I’m now back on hold while I go off to the forum.

We have Vision & can access HD movies, although you have to download them first rather than stream them.

I now have a definitive answer.

To watch HD channels ‘live’, eg BBC HD or BT Sport HD you need to have a YouView box. You must have Infinity broadband to operate a YouView box. Infinity is not available in my area, so BT can’t offer me any ‘live’ HD channels. I think this is a major flaw in their entire model of streaming of HD channels requiring fast internet.

92% of the UK population will be able to get Infinity by the end of next year, by which point they’ll probably have stopped doing free BT Sport with broadband!

… not a flaw that can’t offer it to me personally of course, but it’s not as though I live in the Outer Hebredes, they must be losing potential business for this reason.

Yes. I can via sky freesat and BT standard broadband.
So I have bbc HD and itv1 HD via the satellite dish, but also BT sports channel via broadband.

You can get the free view channels through and aerial so no sure why they need to offer those.

Because the aerial will go in to the Vision+ box, then to the TV. In order watch the built in Freeview HD channels on my TV I’d have to switch the aerial direct tot he TV, or get a splitter which can mean a lesser signal (I believe).

Number18,

Think you’ve been advised wrong.

If you cannot get Infinity, a Youview box will still provide Freeview HD channels. However, the lack of Infinity means you can’t get BT sport or other bolt ons such as the Discovery channels.

You may be able to opt to get BT Sport via Freesat using your old Sky box, you would need to check this…it may only work with a Sky sub. It’s also on the Internet but you’d have to connect your laptop to the TV to watch it.

If you want BT Sport via the box you need to order the ‘old’ Vision+ box.

Spooky is spot on. BT have given you duff info.
We have 14meg ADSL and a BT Youview box. All works fine for us. On demand players stream perfectly.

It can be confusing because you’re getting HD content in a variety of ways with BT, when it all works you don’t think about it

1. Freeview HD over the air with Youview e.g.: BBC HD, ITV HD etc
2. Extra HD Live Channels via multicast ie Fibre (Infinity) Discovery HD, BT Sport HD etc
3. On Demand HD Films/TV streamed progressively or downloaded via BB or Infinity

This guide is useful for getting ITV2, 3 and 4 in HD :

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqgKNKiJKAk[/video]

Thanks all.

I am with SKY now but I don’t have SKY TV, only broadband and phone so I don’t have a SKY box. This is why BT made so much sense as I could hopefully get BT Sport and I don’t have any SKY TV to sacrifice.

I can watch the on demand/streaming, no issues on 8mb ADSL. Fingers crossed I am in the 99% planned coverage for Infinity when my council gets their BDUK money flowing!