BT Vision

Have you switched yet?
What have been your experiences?

I want to know if it'll be worthwhile - I'm out in the sticks and currently on Virgin which has for us been [ed very good excellent] so persuading Portnoyova to agree will be difficult. So I need to produce a convincing business plan.

I've got Virgin Media and Sky Sports through them. I'm not sure whether I could get BT Sport through Virgin, but Sky Sports is expensive enough without adding BT Sport.

I only got Sky Sports for the Lions tour, but then I had to keep it for the Ashes, and now that they'll have some Pro 12 matches, I'm locked in!

Thanks LP. But Sky will do for Welsh regional fans won't it?
Not so for English club fans.

If Sky still has the Heino and the Amlin, that'll do.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:If Sky still has the Heino and the Amlin, that'll do.

I don't know how the sky contract is affected in Wales for ERC competitions.

Mind you for that matter, I can't say that I'm neither fully confident about nor conversant with the exact state of play relating to TV contractual rights in England this coming club season

I'll be getting the BT sport channels when the season starts (no point before). I might not bother if the games are still shown in full on the website but probably will.

The Sky coverage is generally completely Poopie. There commentators and pundits make my blood boil (except the odd SH guy). Hoping BT will continue ESPN's good work.

BT appear to have signed up Kay and Healy for their coverage, along with Craig Doyle and Nick Mullins as senior commentator.

The BT sport channles are FREE to BT broadband customers. Looking forward to watching 3 Avivva premiership rugby games per week once the season starts for nothing

wrfc1980 wrote:The BT sport channles are FREE to BT broadband customers. Looking forward to watching 3 Avivva premiership rugby games per week once the season starts for nothing

But are they free to returning BT broadband customers, wrfc?

Also are the ERC HC/Amlin games on Sky or BT in England this coming season?
I'm confused.

Portnoy it's free for BT broadband customers full stop. Also free to everyone for the JP 7s first night.

I might just live without the JP7s, EE. I'm not sure I'd watch that if it were in my own back yard.

Anyway is 'free' a time-limited special introductory offer or an eternal and forever type 'free'?

Just singed up.

Apparently all I need is 41 or more jelly beans to watch it.

Any ideas?

Scrumpy wrote:Just singed up.

Apparently all I need is 41 or more jelly beans to watch it.

Any ideas?

Jelly beans? Are you sure you haven't signed up for a Basestts' sweets offer?

Or is that the cabling requirement?

I used to run the BT team that supplied the data to the original Red/Amber/Green (RAG) online line-test service,

It's free permanently (as permamnent as anything these days). It's a sweetner to get customers back from Sky broadband. This is all about broadband market share, nothing to do with BT trying to beat Sky on the TV side. (according to today program on R4 this morning).

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:

wrfc1980 wrote:The BT sport channles are FREE to BT broadband customers. Looking forward to watching 3 Avivva premiership rugby games per week once the season starts for nothing

But are they free to returning BT broadband customers, wrfc?

Also are the ERC HC/Amlin games on Sky or BT in England this coming season?
I'm confused.

Given how much this has been talked about I'm surprised anyone doesn't know but...

Sky deal with the ERC covers the current agreement that runs out at the end of next season. After that BT have bought the rights any any English home games in european competitions (to be ratified by the RFU)

HammerofThunor wrote:

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:

wrfc1980 wrote:The BT sport channles are FREE to BT broadband customers. Looking forward to watching 3 Avivva premiership rugby games per week once the season starts for nothing

But are they free to returning BT broadband customers, wrfc?

Also are the ERC HC/Amlin games on Sky or BT in England this coming season?
I'm confused.

Given how much this has been talked about I'm surprised anyone doesn't know but...

Sky deal with the ERC covers the current agreement that runs out at the end of next season. After that BT have bought the rights any any English home games in european competitions (to be ratified by the RFU)

Caught in a cross-fire of mis/information it becomes difficult to believe which 'truths' are true.
Plus I avoid any commercial ads so I largely graze over BBC radio and channels 1, 2 and 4.
Rugby is my main commercial TV consumption but I do tend to hope to have a pee or something when the breaks kick in.

You wont even need to take BT Vison, you can watch online so you can have one game on tv and the other on your laptop handy for those coronation street match clashes

I think the free bit is only for six months...! The cost after is more than sky.

I have looked into it, spoken to the BT sales people who also, for all other Welsh expats, promised that they will provide BBC Wales and S4C.

Though, after reading a few forums regarding BT promises of providing what they agree before you sign up and the reality when you do be warned that they do not keep their promises and their customer services are rated as some of the worst in the business.

I was very keen to change after their promise of S4C and BBC Wales but am happy I read a few opinions first.

Their wifi is exactly the same as SKY Fibre we just had connected. It was fitted by BT technicians. They were rugby fans and even they said not to change from SKY.

BT Vision is currently free on sky, they're doing a free for 48hours deal.

I'm not sure whether to get BT. Would be nice to see some Jeff games for free and see how North and Gavlar get one.

I know some Rabbo games are on Sky Sports but I'm a Dragons 'fan' and I don't see Sky broadcasting from Dave parade too often, Stuart Barnes would get a shoeing

maestegmafia wrote:I think the free bit is only for six months...! The cost after is more than sky.

I have looked into it, spoken to the BT sales people who also, for all other Welsh expats, promised that they will provide BBC Wales and S4C.

Though, after reading a few forums regarding BT promises of providing what they agree before you sign up and the reality when you do be warned that they do not keep their promises and their customer services are rated as some of the worst in the business.

I was very keen to change after their promise of S4C and BBC Wales but am happy I read a few opinions first.

Their wifi is exactly the same as SKY Fibre we just had connected. It was fitted by BT technicians. They were rugby fans and even they said not to change from SKY.

I went with Sky because Virgin couldn't promise BBC Wales or S4C (in Bristol)

munkian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think the free bit is only for six months...! The cost after is more than sky.

I have looked into it, spoken to the BT sales people who also, for all other Welsh expats, promised that they will provide BBC Wales and S4C.

Though, after reading a few forums regarding BT promises of providing what they agree before you sign up and the reality when you do be warned that they do not keep their promises and their customer services are rated as some of the worst in the business.

I was very keen to change after their promise of S4C and BBC Wales but am happy I read a few opinions first.

Their wifi is exactly the same as SKY Fibre we just had connected. It was fitted by BT technicians. They were rugby fans and even they said not to change from SKY.

I went with Sky because Virgin couldn't promise BBC Wales or S4C (in Bristol)

From the research I've done it is only sky that do provide s4C and BBC Wales.

Sounds right, I'll stick with them then and find other matches...elsewhere

Erm, freeview and freesat both have S4C and BBC Wales. FREE.

Effervescing Elephant wrote:Erm, freeview and freesat both have S4C and BBC Wales. FREE.

In all regions of the Uk ? Strange that Virgin wouldn't offer them outside of Wales then.

My TV is HD but doesn't have a Freesat box built in

virgin do have bbc wales, if you live in england it'll be up in the 900's channels with bbc scotland etc. By the radio channels

gcBlues wrote:virgin do have bbc wales, if you live in england it'll be up in the 900's channels with bbc scotland etc. By the radio channels

They didn't used to before we got Sky (in Bristol)

Or they didnt have BBCW2 - which most of the rugby is on

maestegmafia wrote:I think the free bit is only for six months...! The cost after is more than sky.

I have looked into it, spoken to the BT sales people who also, for all other Welsh expats, promised that they will provide BBC Wales and S4C.

Though, after reading a few forums regarding BT promises of providing what they agree before you sign up and the reality when you do be warned that they do not keep their promises and their customer services are rated as some of the worst in the business.

I was very keen to change after their promise of S4C and BBC Wales but am happy I read a few opinions first.

Their wifi is exactly the same as SKY Fibre we just had connected. It was fitted by BT technicians. They were rugby fans and even they said not to change from SKY.

Not sure exactly what you mean but Sky sports costs £22 per month. BT Sports costs £12M. For BT Broadband customers BT Sports is free of a year. They've said they have no plans to start charging after this year but they also haven't said that won't.

So considering I'm only interested in English rugby it's either £22 per month for 1 English game a week and the HEC or £12 per month for 3 games were week and no HEC. No brainer.

So, if we say the English league season is 9 months long you'd be paying £108 for BT Sport a season. Add in a month of Sky Sports for the AI and you have £130 a year. For 69 Jeff games and 3-4 England games. Or I could pay £198 per year for about 40 fewer England games and the HEC.

It's pretty obvious which is best depending on your interest.

munkian wrote:Sounds right, I'll stick with them then and find other matches...elsewhere

The HEC will be on Sky too so i think its best. Looked pretty hard into this BT deal, sounds great, really cheap. No one online even the guys i met yesterday, two rugby fans who work for BT installing our Sky Fibre router, said we should change to BT.

I am staying where I am.

You just need to look overall, are you really gonna watch 3 jeff games a week?

Sky still has the cricket, golf, rugby, football and F1. All BT sport seems to have is premiership football and rugby.

They have Jake Humphrey too, but that's definitely not a selling point.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:They have Jake Humphrey too, but that's definitely not a selling point.

Why oh why is Craig Doyle on there? He is dreadful and should stick to double glazing ads.

Miles Brignall View all 129 comments
Until recently, the viewing choice for big sports fans was relatively limited. You simply signed up for Sky Sports and settled down in a comfy chair for the season. But the arrival this week of BT Sport's two channels – the first broadcasts were on Thursday – has thrown that into some disarray.

BT has spent £736m for the right to broadcast Premier League games, and has captured exclusive coverage of the Premiership rugby season.

The telecoms firm says its sports service is "free" for its broadband customers, but in reality many will be forking out at least £5 a month to access the service.


http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/aug/02/bt-sky-sports-tv-football-coverage

Guardian wrote:but the only group we can see that would be likely to switch will be hardcore rugby fans.

So it's good for (English) rugby fans. That's it.

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:Sounds right, I'll stick with them then and find other matches...elsewhere

The HEC will be on Sky too so i think its best. Looked pretty hard into this BT deal, sounds great, really cheap. No one online even the guys i met yesterday, two rugby fans who work for BT installing our Sky Fibre router, said we should change to BT.

I am staying where I am.

Wouldn't take BT engineers opinion as an authority on BT prices. I deal with them a hell of lot and there rarely right when coming to prices and services. Not blaming them though as its not there job.

Also were the engineers English or welsh? I can see them saying not to switch if there were welsh as they wont get to see anymore rugby (from teams they support) than they currently do.

maestegmafia wrote:Miles Brignall View all 129 comments
Until recently, the viewing choice for big sports fans was relatively limited. You simply signed up for Sky Sports and settled down in a comfy chair for the season. But the arrival this week of BT Sport's two channels – the first broadcasts were on Thursday – has thrown that into some disarray.

BT has spent £736m for the right to broadcast Premier League games, and has captured exclusive coverage of the Premiership rugby season.

The telecoms firm says its sports service is "free" for its broadband customers, but in reality many will be forking out at least £5 a month to access the service.


http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/aug/02/bt-sky-sports-tv-football-coverage

Just been reading that and I have to say I don't agree with some of it, can't help but think the author is just having a moan. He can't even think why BT wont support smart TVs, well they all implemented apps in a different way. Could you imagine developing and supporting apps for that amount of devices.

Also not sure where he gets this cost of £5 for most people, surely most people will have sky already so its a free add on if you have BT broadband.

Were the JP Morgan Premiership 7s broadcast on BT? Better put, was that a BT production? Here in the US it comes in on another channel, but the telecast appeard different. Just wondering.

Frankly, I am still wondering a bit if I will still see all the Rugby here which I did before when Sky had the virtual monopoly. My dad back home already has BT so he is not worried.

Worst comes to worst, I can crank up a VPN and long in under his ID and Password, I suppose.

The JP 7s were broadcast on BT Sport. BT are using the same production company as ESPN used,Sunset & Vine IIRC

If you're a rugby fan, then BT is definitely worth having.

If you're English you'll need it for the Aviva and if you're welsh, scottish or irish, you'll need it to watch all the players now plying their trade in the top 14 in france.

Thanks gents!

Scrumdown wrote:If you're a rugby fan, then BT is definitely worth having.

If you're English you'll need it for the Aviva and if you're welsh, scottish or irish, you'll need it to watch all the players now plying their trade in the top 14 in france.

BT are covering the T14...?

maestegmafia wrote:

Scrumdown wrote:If you're a rugby fan, then BT is definitely worth having.

If you're English you'll need it for the Aviva and if you're welsh, scottish or irish, you'll need it to watch all the players now plying their trade in the top 14 in france.

BT are covering the T14...?

Yep. Games on every week.

We had the top 14 on Setanta in Ireland anyway.

Now you get BT sport free with Setanta anyway. probably won't bother. T14 has been fairly drab for a while now.

I very rarely watched AP or T14 games live anyway. So you can just download them a few hours after they are on.

Might do that occaisionally for a big game.

Setanta is 19.99 juros a month btw. Or 199 a year.

Not too bad. But I would rather keep that money in my arse pocket unless it affects the HC or rabo.

Some viewing figures for the first few days of BT sport:

Thurs 01/08: JP Morgan 7's:  18K average
Sat 03/08 JP Morgan 7's: 27K average

Not great figures but the JPM 7's never did much on ESPN. Proof of the pudding will be the AP games ratings.
Although TBF, the channels didn't start with much of a bang (especially given they were free up to midnight on the 1/08)
First night ratings 01/08:
Opening show simulcast on BT1 and 2 got 97K
Bayern V City on BT1 (same time as the 7's) got 136K

Given that I'm not currently shelling out any extra from my BT/Sky package this is all honey.

Getting ESPN as part of the deal is pretty cool too.

I've enjoyed watching the JP Sevens.

I'm with Cyril on this. The BT Sport app is really good on my Samsung Galaxy tab as well, so all good for me.

I won't be getting BT Sport until the season starts.

I signed up some weeks ago. Got a splendid deal, phone line and unlimited broadband for 20 quid. With the Sports too in HD for free. Im not interested in soccer and wont miss the sky commentary team.

With BT I will have English and French rugby in the winter and Ive signed up for premier sports for a tenner a month for the NRL in the summer. Sky is going after this ashes series.

I'm just happy for more competition in the pay tv market. Sky have been making a killing from everyone and hopefully this will start to bring prices down.