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Customised Apple TV 4K coming to UK as EE TV box

410 said:
Remote lacks number keys, so you can't just enter in the channel number you want without first bringing up a virtual numpad in the EE TV app
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A virtual keyboard on another Apple device doesn't work?
 
I tried this box out in an EE store. I found it very frustrating that there is no 'back' button on the remote. You click on something and there's no way out, other than going all the way back to 'Menu' or 'Home' - unless I've missed something.

The big problem with IPTV is that adverts cannot be skipped. I use a Sofabaton X1S remote and have programmed a macro to skip ad breaks. It does 4 x 1 minute jumps forward and I have allocated it to a button on the remote. To have to sit through four minutes of advertising every 15 minutes would do my head in!
 
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How is this for changing channels on live TV? For example from BBC1 to ITV, which on most streamers would require exiting BBC iPlayer and going into ITVX? That is my main inhibitor for going full IPTV at the moment, as there are other people in the house find this clumsy and difficult to grasp...
 
HDFan said:
A virtual keyboard on another Apple device doesn't work?
Click to expand...
Haven't tried that yet, I'll have to see what happens with my iPad.

dallardice said:
How is this for changing channels on live TV? For example from BBC1 to ITV, which on most streamers would require exiting BBC iPlayer and going into ITVX? That is my main inhibitor for going full IPTV at the moment, as there are other people in the house find this clumsy and difficult to grasp...
Click to expand...
Hopefully this works - I've attached a quick clip of changing channels in the EE TV app: https://streamable.com/jnskmd
 
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410 said:
Haven't tried that yet, I'll have to see what happens with my iPad.


Hopefully this works - I've attached a quick clip of changing channels in the EE TV app: https://streamable.com/jnskmd
Click to expand...
The video you linked to only shows BBC 1 -> BBC 2 and back. What happens if you go on, through ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5? Is it the same easy channel up/down? When are the apps needed when you're channel hopping live TV?
 
scgf said:
The video you linked to only shows BBC 1 -> BBC 2 and back. What happens if you go on, through ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5? Is it the same easy channel up/down? When are the apps needed when you're channel hopping live TV?
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Yes it's exactly the same. You don't use the apps unless you need to watch things on demand or rewind to before the currently airing programme I believe. Although some channels do disable live rewinding for legal / rights reasons.

tl;dr for live TV going up / down works as you'd expect it. No need for any other apps.
 
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410 said:
Yes it's exactly the same. You don't use the apps unless you need to watch things on demand or rewind to before the currently airing programme I believe. Although some channels do disable live rewinding for legal / rights reasons.

tl;dr for live TV going up / down works as you'd expect it. No need for any other apps.
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Thank you so much for confirming this. So Channel 5 is in HD? It doesn't pull through their SD stream? What about the Channel 4 family, like E4, More 4 and so on. Are they in HD too?
 
scgf said:
Thank you so much for confirming this. So Channel 5 is in HD? It doesn't pull through their SD stream? What about the Channel 4 family, like E4, More 4 and so on. Are they in HD too?
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No worries. Not all of the channels are HD unfortunately. I think E4/More4 are SD for example.

Having a look at the TV Guide in the EE app, I think these channels are HD (have HD in the name, I assume others are SD):
  • BBC1-4, News, Parliament
  • CBBC/CBeebies
  • ITV1,2,3,4,Be
  • Channel 5, 5usa, 5star, 5action, 5select
  • Channel 4
  • Quest HD
  • Discovery HD
If you have the Now TV channels + HD boost (Sport/Film/Entertainment), you can also browse those live too. Channel 4 seems most disappointing as everything other than Channel 4 itself looks to be sub-HD.
 
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410 said:
If you have the Now TV channels + HD boost (Sport/Film/Entertainment), you can also browse those live too. Channel 4 seems most disappointing as everything other than Channel 4 itself looks to be sub-HD.
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Thank you. Looks like for my needs Freesat + Apple TV is the best option. IPTV just isn't quite there yet.
 
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410 said:
Cool find, thanks! I wonder if that means further down the line they might consider an unbranded youview app for only freeview channels / apps for other TV platforms?
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Well they were/are instrumental in the development of Freely - so that will happen in due course.
 
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410 said:
Cool find, thanks! I wonder if that means further down the line they might consider an unbranded youview app for only freeview channels / apps for other TV platforms?
Click to expand...

It's not really anything to do with them, EE and Freely both just hired YouView to build their UI for them and do the development work.
 
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Hey everybody! I have read about users losing CEC sync sometimes! I stay this very problem makes me think of clocking drift between all your device so make sure you can sync the clock to server nearest to you!
 
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