Use channel app versus same EE channel

[snes]

I'm presently seeing out my SkyQ subscription and am exploring what life will be like as a cord cutter.

To that end I have purchased an "illegal" EE TV pro box and am using it as a Freeview device. While not as polished as the Sky product, I am liking the box very much so will continue along this path. When my Sky sub ends, I will have to decide whether to continue using the box as a Freeview box with apps or sign up with EE TV for the BB/TV service.

I find the EE sports package quite appealing and good value, but my main viewing would be Eurosport and Discovery car programmes, both of which come with this package. But I am reluctant as a potential cord cutter to sign up for another 2 year TV contract so am considering simply signing up direct to the Discovery+ app which is built into the box and viewing on that basis.

But what differences would I notice? Would both options have ads? Would both options be launched via the TV guide? Would the app be streaming only or could I record onto the box? Any guidance on here would be gratefully received, and I  mean no disrespect to EE TV by posting on here as I think they are offering a solid product.

Oh, and just in case somebody asks, I am a current BT BB customer!

[snes]

Thank you for your helpful guidance!

Interestingly, if I approach EE TV "cold" as a new customer, I can get the 500mb BB plus Sport TV for £53, whereas if I transfer across from my logged in BT account, the same package would be more expensive at £56!

When renewal time comes, should I try the BT call centre to negotiate a BB/TV package (which may allow me the Apple Box option) or try the EE  call centre and try to negotiate a package there (and try to request I keep my existing BT router?)

Or are the BT and EE call centres the same place anyway? Sorry to faff on like this, but as a long term Sky customer, I have no experience with BT procedures, but of course that is where my future obviously lies....

An interesting aside - on eBay "illegal" EE routers are about a third of the price of "illegal" EE  wi fi extenders, I would have thought it to be the other way round?

Thanks again for your forbearance!

[Midnight_Voice]

@snes 

Those numbers are not too far apart- a mention of them should get you the better price on transfer.

I don’t think you will get the Apple box on BT; it may even be that EETV’s deal with Apple is EE-only. But you can always ask…

I also suspect it will only be a matter of time until EETV from BT, and even BT broadband renewal, go the way of BT Mobile, BT achieves its aim of being business-only, and only EE is available to domestic consumers.

But this won’t happen until EE’s systems are ready for seamless automated onboarding and transferring, rather than the current overly manual process, which you have noted as somewhat error-prone 😢

Re call centres, it’s a slightly different number that you call for EE help versus BT help. But they may well ring on the same desk, or at least in the same building. We keep being told that BT and EE are the same company, which I think is the aim, anyway,

I am not privy to the mindset of eBay buyers and sellers, but note that EE rent you a router at zero cost, but charge for WiFi extenders, at least for the first one. Which makes them more valuable than routers. And they are scarcer, too. So Economics 101 takes its course 😛

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@Midnight_Voice wrote

I also suspect it will only be a matter of time until EETV from BT, and even BT broadband renewal, go the way of BT Mobile, BT achieves its aim of being business-only, and only EE is available to domestic consumers.

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This is the really important bit @snes , it doesn’t really matter that you want to stay with BT, BT Group are moving all residential customers to the EE brand, it’s just a matter of when.

Everything is geared towards this, albeit there have been a number of teething issues with systems and transfers.

[snes]

Many thanks - I am now beginning to get a broader understanding of the BT/EE ecosystem. No doubt I will be back asking for advice nearer my actual renewal time, but for now, I feel a lot happier about moving towards the EE world than once I did.

Thanks again!

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@snes 

The closer you get to renewal, the better the offer will be to move.

[snes]

Forgive, I thought I had finished my posting on here for the time being, with all questions skilfully answered. But....

I was rummaging through the EE sub Reddit last night and came across a poster who claimed to have both a Box Pro and an EE AppleTV. He also claimed to have a sports package, which he watched on the Apple box, then a few days later, tried to access on his Box Pro. However, when trying to use the BoxPro, he received a message to the effect that he couldn't use his subscription (sport) on more than one device.

This surprised me, as I felt sure it would be ones ip address that would be the key element here, enabling use of multiple EE devices if so wished. But I have, as you know, yet to have any practical experience with EE TV, so though it best to share this on here with the experts and find out if the above is likely or not?

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@snes 

Entirely possible.

You can have up to 3 devices from EE as a maximum, an Apple TV 4K or a TV Box Pro plus up to 2 further mini boxes and with the correct subscription, you can an watch on all 3 devices at the same time.

If you just took one device (Apple TV 4K or TV Box Pro), you can watch through the TV Guide (or the EE TV app on the Apple TV 4K), on one device only. 

If you took the TV Box Pro as your main device and added your own Apple TV 4K, then tried to watch through the EE TV app on it, you would get a “too many boxes” error and would have to choose if you wanted to switch to watching on the Apple TV 4K, stopping the service on the TV Box Pro.

Why? Because you have only paid to access the subscription through a TV Guide on one device.

However, you could use the TV Guide on the TV Box Pro and watch through an app like discovery+ instead on another device without issue.

Think of it as a maximum 3 TV Guides plus app viewing through NOW or discovery+. Using the EE TV app on an Apple TV 4K of your own counts as a TV Guide and will stop another box from working.

[snes]

Okay, I think I am onboard with this! But can I just double check for my own peace of mind....

I currently have an "illegal" EE Box Pro which I am using as a Freeview pvr - and jolly good it is too! But, come BT BB renewal time, I intend to recontract with BT or join EE plus have one EE tv package which would be sport.

If I join via BT, I would receive another BoxPro, and my TV would, naturally, be activated.

If I should join via EE, then I would select the AppleTV option as I already have a BoxPro (albeit illegal). So I would have 2 EE TV devices in use using 1 Sports package. Would I come within the "up to 3 devices" category and could thus enjoy the EE TV guide on both the Box and the EE AppleTV, or would I have to commit to just one device - which in my case would have to be the BoxPro?

I know you have already explained all this clearly and succinctly, but it is early in the morning and the coffee has yet to kick in, so please be gentle!!

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@snes 

This is why you need to join EE, not BT. 

Because…

1. The Apple TV 4K with full EE TV Guide is only available with EE (this is device 1)
2. EE offer 1 mini box for multiroom use for free, which is £10 per month with BT, (this is device 2)
3. Then you never use the mini box they send, instead you use the TV Box Pro you already have as the second device

You now have full TV Guides on a TV Box Pro and an Apple TV 4K and no need to keep swapping.

[Midnight_Voice]

@snes

Can you post a link?

There are very few people who have both a Box Pro and an AppleTV legitimately, and those who do are likely to avoid posting about them on Reddit.

As the Sports package is unnamed, this could be as simple as a Now subscription without Boost, where the poster had carelessly swapped from one box to the other without any cessation of the first streaming session.

It doesn’t take a couple of moody EETV boxes to execute that scenario though 😛