BT Remove Connection Fee

[cancunia]

Just happened to notice that BT have removed the 30 GBPound connection fee as of 30 May http://www.beta.bt.com/bta/forums/ann.jspa?annID=169

Will this now mean that the Vision Boxes will work also without BT Broadband? It would be interesting if anyone has BT Broadband but no Vision account to get connected after 30May and see what service they receive. I'll see if I can get connected too although I'm not on BT. I guess the connection is somehow verified against the Broadband Account Name so it may still only work for BT users, but a step in the right direction from BT and maybe other telcos will follow. 

[redband]

Unfortunately, NO...
This is BT increasing their prices...  instead of the free box and £30 connection fee and a free trial subscription, they are now offering a box for £45, no connection fee as long as you sign up to a subscription (at least £15/month).  without subscription it's £90 for the box as long as you agree to  renew your bb for another 12 months.   last option, they'll let you buy a box for £195 without subs or renewal but without a btbb line, your box won't be able to authenticate and so won't work without modification.

[cancunia]

Yeah, it does look the way you describe, I read it that way too at first, guess I'm overly optimistic. What prompted me was the offer of a box without sub, why would that even be mentioned if it was not going to work? I find it hard to believe that BT would even offer a box that won't work.  In any case I'll see what happens after the end of May.

[redband]

You don't need a sub to use the freeview side, but you need a btbb account to get a "NEVIS" account, which is their server that manages accounts, boxes and entitlements.  I've never paid BT a bean towards BTVision..  I even managed to get them to wave the £30 activation :-)
I don't think the auth/entitlements (nevis) server is even accessible from outside the BT network, another reason it doesn't work w/o a BTBB line...

At the moment at least, your only hope is a bit of "micro" soldering :-)

[paxa]

I do not have BT broadband and enherited a BT view box. From your comment it seems that I can use the box as an ordinary freeview. Can you please explain how to set it up? thanks