Does anyone have any experience of BT Vision (the latest version, with Freeview HD and the Youview box)?

The current offer is for £5 a month (on top of your broadband and line rental), plus a one off charge of about £50 for set up and delivery of the box. For that, you have to sign a twelve month contract, but the Youview box (retail price c. £250) is supplied free. From what I can understand from the website, it gives the ability to pause live TV, record programmes (single or complete series), and has access to all the catch up programmes. Usage doesn't come off your monthly download allowance, so that's not a problem.

So far this seems like an ad for the product, because there don't seem to be any negatives, but a lot of the online reviews seem poor. The problem is, it's hard to differentiate between reviews for the old version (which I understand was poor) and the new one. Has anyone else looked at this? My average download connection speed is 11 mb, so I don't think that would be a problem.

I can't comment on what the service is like in the UK (as I'm in Oz) but I do have cable tv and a box which sounds very similar to the one you're offered with the ability to record a series by setting it up once, pause etc. I wouldn't be without it as it's so handy. The phone rings and you pause the tv, you want to see something again, you rewind with the click of the remote. You want to record a series? Simply set it up once, hit the series link button, and it does it for you. Brilliant. Being a shift worker, I'm not at home when some of my favourite programmes are on so it's there waiting for me. The other great advantage is that you can have a stockpile of programmes ready to go when you have free time and watch them by fast forwarding through the ads which means it takes less time to watch them!

Thanks. I know the functionality is good, but what I was really after was people with experience of it as supplied by BT. I'll probably go ahead and order it anyway; even if BT's service is no good, I'll still have a £250 box for just over £110 at the end of a one year contract.

The only thing to watch for with that plan, dippo, is if the box supplied by BT has been chipped to work only with BT Vision - and I have no idea how you'd find that unless and until it happens to someone and they talk about it online.

Don't have first hand experience of it, but my neighbour has the up to date version and absolutely loves it. She can record two programmes simultaneously whilst watching a third, set it for a complete series or a one off, get catch up TV for all the main stations plus get access to BT's on demand film library.

I have a feeling though that you will find the box has been chipped to only work with BT vision.