In a bid to take on the likes of BT and TalkTalk, mobile network EE has announced its own EE TV set-top box which will rival YouView. The device is available now from EE stores nationwide and here's what you need to know about getting one, it's price and features. Updated on 19/03/15.
What is EE TV?
EE TV is a freeview service provided by the set-top box which you can see above. It offers over 70 Freeview channels and on-demand and catch-up services like BBC iPlayer, Wuaki.tv and Demand 5. You can pause, rewind and record live television broadcast.
Compared to rivals like YouView, it has a few tricks up its sleeve including the ability to continue watching live or on-demand content via smartphones or tablets when at home on the same network. Mobile devices can also be used as a remote control for the box via an app – for iOS and Android.
The system will allow up to four devices to simultaneously stream four different pieces of content. MultiRecord can also record four different programmes at once thanks to four tuners and also has a large 1TB hard drive for storing content.
At the launch of the box Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, said: "Today we're announcing the most advanced TV service the UK has ever seen. How, where and when people watch TV and movies is changing, and mobile technology is driving that change."
A feature called 'Replay' allows customers to view the last 24 hours of TV from their favourite channels, and presents the shows in a simple way by genres or channels.
What is doesn't have
Although there is a lot of content available via BBC iPlayer, Wuaki.tv, Demand 5, YouTube and Sky Now TV there EE TV box doesn't have everything. It's currently missing the likes of 4OD, ITV Player and Netflix.
How much does EE TV cost? How do I get it?
The EE TV box is worth £300 but is free if you have EE home broadband. Existing customer will have to sign up for a new 18 month subscription. EE's mobile customers (EE, Orange and T-Mobile) without EE broadband will have to sign up to a package starting at £9.95 per month. That price doesn't include line rental which is £15.75 per month.
At the moment EE is giving away a free Huawei tablet worth £100 but the offer ends on 7 April.
If you fit with the above conditions then you'll be sent a free EE TV box which you'll need to plug into a TV or monitor with a spare HDMI port. You'll also need a minimum broadband speed of 4 Mbps for on-demand content and a working TV aerial. A TV license is also required.
EE TV box hardware and specs
The hardware will be supposedly be provided by Netgem, a Paris-based company which already partners with Orange SA, the French multinational which owns half of EE.
4 HD (high definition) tuners – DVB (digital video broadcasting) – T2
1 TB hard drive
Dual-band WiFi (2.4/5 GHz)
1 Gbps ethernet
Latest Broadcom processor (3000 DMIPS)
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