Plusnet is looking for existing customers to trial its TV service

[#1]

As part of Plusnet’s exciting plans to move into TV, Plusnet’s YouView trials are to be extended from staff, to customers who have Unlimited Fibre, in the new year. Plusnet will provide a Humax YouView+ box offering Freeview channels and easy access to on-demand content, such as the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and Demand5. Plusnet is also offering customer trialists access to extra channels including top sporting action on BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN, as well as entertainment channels including SyFy, Universal, E! and Fox - all delivered through the fibre broadband connection. Rob Perkins, Head of TV at Plusnet said of the announcement,

“This is an exciting step forward for Plusnet and these trials will ensure Plusnet can gain crucial feedback to ensure it launches the best service it can to a wider customer base later in the year.”

People accepted onto the TV trial will be given loan of a YouView box and any other essential equipment for at least three months, at which point the box should either be returned or the trialist can opt in to the paid-for service.* To be considered for the trial, you will need to have Plusnet Unlimited Fibre and a working TV aerial. You will need to commit to use the service and provide feedback through short web-surveys when requested (these are expected to happen no more than once or twice per month). If you are interested in joining the trial, please log in to https://www.plus.net/wizard/ where you will be asked to complete an application form. The full launch date for Plusnet TV, along with pricing at this launch, is yet to be confirmed.   *3 months free Plusnet TV trial by invitation only, following application. You’ll need to have and retain Plusnet Unlimited Fibre, a 15Mbs minimum line speed & a suitable TV aerial. You’ll need to complete feedback questionnaires provided by Plusnet, who may contact you to offer an extension of the trial. You’ll get a YouView+ box but when the trial ends, if you don’t continue your service by signing up to one month rolling lease of the box, you’ll need to return it. Availability of digital channels and quality of content depends on local transmitter and rooftop aerial (www.freeview.co.uk/availability). Limited availability. For terms go to: http://community.plus.net/tvtrialterms/   Update:  Thanks to everyone who has applied to take part in our TV trials. We've now stopped taking applications for the trial. However, we may open it up again in the future and so if you would like to register your interest please complete the application survey via http://trials.plus.net  If you have already applied - thank you, we will be in touch in the next week or two.

[#2]

When YouView launched their trial, they sent me a pair of homeplugs and a Youview box. The Youview box was nominally returnable if I didn't want to pay for their service. But who wants to pay for used equipment? Plusnet are skinflints (and that box still has problems, years after it was due to be "launched").

[#3]

P.S. I eventually put the Youview box in the rubbish bin. Kept the homeplugs though!

[#4]

Sorry to hear you're not interested in the trial, however I'm confident that many other customers will be.

[#5]

Will the trials still be available at the end of March when fibre optic is finally enabled in my area.

[#6]

I've been checking everyday for this for the past month (sad I know). Signed up and looking forward to being accepted.

[#7]

Hi, It would be helpful to have some idea what the cost of the TV service will be?

[#8]

I'd have to bump up to a more expensive product (with less inclusive calls) so it would help to have a rough idea of the future cost of the TV service as well.

[#9]

I have had a Talk talk Youview box working very well on plusnet broadband for a few months now it works very well and i would not be with out it

[#10]

@theograham1612 I'm unsure if the trial will still be available in March. @Andy We don't have those details yet, this is the trial phase. @Bascule As above

[#11]

So PlusNet get their trial data, then either their box back, or a monthly subscription from the customer. I'd have thought you'd have given your trial audience a year free or something as a thank you, not "give us our box back or pay for it."

[#12]

Looking forward to seeing PN join the party. Delighted that PN have made this move.

[#13]

Have been regularly checking for news on this for about a month now. I'm on Fibreoptic, but unfortunately not Unlimited, so I guess I'll have to wait until it's eventually rolled out. I wonder if this means users would have to be on Unlimited as presumably, watching a lot of TV would use a lot of my allowance, hence the need to go Unlimited.

[#14]

I'm in - having to send the box back or not is immaterial for me. If I like it enough to keep it I won't mind paying for it. If I don't like or use it, it goes back with no penalties :) It seems a small price to pay (a few surveys) to find out if it is something I want or not. I was thinking of getting one of these with another ISP before joining PN but decided that I may or may not really use it so went with Plusnet as they had the better overall FTTC deal.

[#15]

Is this the new youview box that is currently being trialed or the old/existing one?

[#16]

Baffled by this offer - I could buy all of these features in a Humax box for £170 with no subscription or just buy a smart TV. Just sounds like a thinly-veiled marketing exercise dressed up as a trial.

[#17]

Totally agree with Carl....I think they should also come and mow my lawn for a year, walk my dog and pay for a holiday!! OR....how about thinking about the fact you get to fill a few forms in and get about 3 months (maybe more) of premium content TV?

[#18]

I do not see why you need a fibre broadband service to go on this trial as the you view box works perfectly well on normal broadband

[#19]

Will the btsport channels by in HD and is Sky sport available too?

[#20]

In my area I have a fast non fibre Plusnet connection, and am using a Youview box. No need for more expensive Plusnet fibre connection.

[#21]

What are the plans for those stuck with adsl? My line is connected directly to the exchange so no fibre for me. However I do get 14 to 16 meg..... Surely quick enough?

[#22]

When they talk about 'fibre broadband' it isn't really fibre cos it still comes through your phone line. its only souped up adsl and it only is faster if you live next to a cabinet. Its all marketing innit?

[#23]

Hi, hopefully the following mini-FAQ will answer many of your questions: Q. How long will the trials be available? A. We’re not sure yet, but we’ve said that triallists will receive at least 3 months of trial service. We’re planning on recruiting throughout December and into January until we have enough volunteers. Q. Any idea of what the ongoing cost of subscription will be? A. We will confirm costs as we confirm our official launch date. The customer trial and volunteer questionnaires will in part help us determine the final subscription cost. Q. Which version of the YouView box is being trialled? A. We’ll be using the Humax DTR–T1000 for the trial. Q. Why do I need fibre when my normal broadband is fast enough? A. It’s not so much the speed of your broadband but more a question of the availability of fibre multicast technology which is only available on enabled fibre cabinets to fibre users. Q. I can't get fibre in my area. What are the plans for people like me stuck with normal ADSL? A. For the foreseeable future we’ll only be able to provide our TV channel content to fibre-enabled customers, sorry. We’re very conscious that this excludes some people from our service and will continue to work with our wholesale broadband supplier to increase availability and options as they become accessible. Q. Are the BT Sport channels in HD? Is Sky Sports going to be available? A. Yes, the BT Sports channels 1 & 2 are available in both SD and HD but no Sky content will be available. One question not asked that I can see but I'm sure you will, is when will we start contacting those who have applied? We've had a tremendous response and will look to start contacting you after the Xmas and New Year holidays. Merry Christmas to you all. PJ

[#24]

can you list all the channels that will be available? (I'm asking because I'm possibly interested) the next question would be will there be any limitations to the number of boxes a person may purchase to use on this service? it would be nice if I can pay a subscription but buy as much equipment as I want to and hook it up myself in different rooms instead of always being tied to the one room for tv well supposing that is the box works as advertised, the channels I watch most are in the package, and the price isn't too high..

[#25]

I applied for this and was told it was only open to staff. Not customers. Thanks anyway.

[#26]

Hi There, I have plusnet up to 80 meg 250GB capped Fibre, I don't really want to commit to another 18 months as I don't get anywhere near the limit so have no need for it. Can I sign up still? Or is there a way for me to regrade without a new contract? I am currently on Sky so am looking for something to replace it. We have an aerial that we use for our second FreeView TV. Regards Chris

[#27]

@nanotm I can't give you a complete list of channels because during the trial we are continuing to bring new ones on board. What I can tell you is that there is already a broad range of popular entertainment and factual programming (as the blog mentions; SyFy, E!, Fox, Universal etc) as well as the sports channels we have. We'll provide one YouView box. We're not planning on trialling multiroom options during this phase of the trial but it certainly is something we'll look at in the not-too-distant future. @Paul I've seen the ticket you raised and will look into the issue with the trials.plus.net page. The advisor was incorrect and obviously hadn't seen the news (to be fair this was announced very quickly). @Chris You'd only need to recontract if you took a new offer or changed product (update: see edit). The TV trials run independently to your broadband service, all we ask is that you have Plusnet Unlimited Fibre and a 'digital'/Freeview compatible aerial, and agree to the terms and conditions of the trial. EDIT: Sorry Chris, I'd not read your comment properly. Unfortunately we are restricting the TV trials to Fibre Unlimited customers only, so yes, you would need to change product if you wanted to be eligible.

[#28]

Hi Peter, Thanks for the response ( I was just chris above). That doesn't really answer my (badly worded) question though which is "Am I eligible as I am on Fibre Pro (but not Unlimited)) I am on the older equivalent to the Unlimited. I don't mind upgrading to Unlimited but not if that means another 18 month Fibre contract. Cheers Chris

[#29]

Hi Chris, sorry about that I'd not read your original question properly. Yes, you need to be on Fibre Unlimited, no way around that. With regards your options around recontracting I'd suggest you gave our customer service team a call. I'd have to point out clearly though that there are no guarantees that everyone who applies will get on the trial, and suggest strongly that if you want to move to Unlimited that it's because it offers you better value, rather than you want to be on the TV trial.

[#30]

Thanks, I will see what they say.

[#31]

Hi Peter, It would be great to be involved with this as I also enquired about being involved in customer trials of YouView some time ago as I was looking to get away from Sky, but didn't like the idea of leaving Plusnet. Please see ticket 77045182. Thanks Michael.

[#32]

No Sky channels? Then no point. The only value that Youview could offer me over my existing setup is the ability to lose my Sky subscription. Shame, I was hopeful someone other than the dreaded talktalk would get in on the action and provide some real choice.

[#33]

Signed up today, whats the rough lead time for this? Used to have BT Vision until I switched across to PN.

[#34]

We've had an amazing response to this and it'll take a while to collate the applications etc. I'd expect we'll start to contact applicants within a fortnight or so. We'll hopefully be well up and running before the end of January barring no unforseen delays. As with anything 'in trial', I'd be rash to make any promises though.

[#35]

Will you be letting people know who have applied for the trial if they have not been successful?

[#36]

How will the service work if people already have a youview box? Or can people choose a different Youview box? Many might have smart TVs anyway. Having the option to out rightly own the Youvview box is something to think about. Of course if you still have to pay a monthly fee like rest then this becomes less attractive. HUMAX DTR-T1000 1TB is currently on clearance in 2 store locations for only £99. Seems to have been replaced by DTR-T1010 1TB model. I think BT use the older model currently. I don't think there is much difference between the 2 models. 1TB is probably the minimum size I would go for as you will fill up the drives pretty quickly.

[#37]

BT used to charge £5 per month to have the Freeview box. My contract finishes with them in 3 weeks time. After that I keep the Freeview box having essentially cost £60 over the year. In the shops it costs £190. Now I'm thinking of moving to Plusnet for your cheaper tariffs. I'm expecting to save £10 a month.

[#38]

If talktalk can offer the tv channels on normal DSL why can't you

[#39]

signed up for the trial but still waiting to hear

[#40]

I applied and filled out the on line application. One question asked , concerned the type of aerial in use, with no reference to signal strength. I have a loft aerial but am located only about a mile from the local transmitter, so have a very strong signal. Will my loft aerial mean that I will not be considered ? Also have Sky, but considering cancelling.

[#41]

Hello, as it's a couple of weeks into the new year, I was wondering when we will find out whether we've been accepted into the trial.

[#42]

I am rather concerned to hear that Plusnet intends to charge Fibre Unlimited customers who also have phone line rental and calls with Plusnet simply to go on having the YouView box once the trial is over. Surely the equivalent product with TalkTalk is free of charge and the box is yours forever (albeit that its a Huawei and not a Humax YouView box) if you only use Youview to record FTA channels and watch OnDemand services from the FTA Terrestrial providers? I can see that you would clearly expect to charge your ultra cheap rate £2.99 per months ADSL2+ customers to have a YouView box once you move on from the trial to offering the service to nearly all your customers. Also what about Lovefilm, Netflix and KnowHow Movies etc as surely the main way that YouView boxes make a profit for Plusnet is through the cut it then gets on sales of these pay per view VoD services. For that reason I would also expect you to have some kind of access to Sky Services, even if only through NowTv. So surely there will be a NowTv App for this box? I also think you should have Eurosport and Sky Sports F1 HD as these are two key channels that many customers who don't want to take the entire range of Sky channels do frequently want access to. I certainly do think anyone who is a Fibre Unlimited customer should be allowed to keep these Humax YouView boxes permanently, once the trial is over, so long as they retain the Fibre Unlimited service and perhaps subject to completion of a minimum Fibre Unlimited term such as 18 months.

[#43]

There seems to be a whole load of confusion going on above that Plusnet aren't doing themselves any favours by not sorting out... Here's an explanation. There are TWO DIFFERENT YOUVIEW SERVICES. * YouView Basic ** You buy the box. ** No subscription charge. ** It works over ADSL. ** You get a Freeview HD PVR with online catchup services. ** In function, not that different to other smart Freeview HD boxes. * YouView Premium ** You buy or lease the box from the ISP. ** It only works over Fibre or other higher speed internet connections. ** It only works where the ISP has a YouView multicast service. ** You pay a subscription charge. ** You get a Freeview HD PVR with online catchup services. ** You also get access to HD Streaming Video Channels such as SyFy, Discovery, Disney et al depending on the ISP's offering. ** You may also get access to premium on-demand services, depending on the ISP's offering. And yes, the requirement for higher speed internet is a technical one. There has to be a hefty multicast backend setup to service all the YouView boxes on the premium service, and you will be getting a lot of data used up by it.

[#44]

I've got a few questions: 1) If the box is on monthly lease, in the event of a fault will Plusnet repair / replace it FOC once the normal 2 year Humax warranty is up? 2) Are the BT Sport channel's in HD? or is BT Sport HD gonna be extra? 3) If a customer already has a YouView box, could they just add any extra Plusnet TV content to it?

[#45]

Do Plusnet have any update on this? I would hope that they contact customers one way or the other. Not sure whether to open a support ticket to get an update?

[#46]

It's all gone very quiet and the thread in the Community Forum was locked some time ago. Any news?

[#47]

i think it may have been shelved as no one who signed up for it like have not heard anything yet ???????

[#48]

are well it was worth a try it may have been shelved/ i hope not and plus net may start the trial later in the year as the 2 weeks is well up

[#49]

Got a reply to my ticket today: Thanks for applying to take part in our TV Trials. We are currently in the process of selecting participants for our trial and expect to be contacting successful applicants before the end of January. In the meantime thank you for your patience.

[#50]

In the process of selecting participants ? Some mistake surely, "The trial is on a first come, first served basis so hurry .... "

[#51]

@KevinG your lucky to of had a reply plusnet appears to have returned the ticket back to me along with the survey they asked to be filled in which it was.