BT’s “TV Box Pro” Finally Gets A WiFi Upgrade

BT’s advanced 4K/HDR “TV Box Pro” set-top device is finally getting a long-awaited feature update: the ability to connect to the internet via WiFi.

Yes – while WiFi is a pretty basic feature of almost every TV and streaming box these days, and despite the TV Box Pro being BT’s first box to actually support WiFi – it was originally turned off, at launch (see ahead for instructions on how to turn it on now).

That’s particularly important in light of the fact that BT’s current TV service relies on broadband – you don’t need a satellite dish or extra cables running into your house – instead, you just need to connect the box to the internet (but YOU DO need an aerial for the YouView/Freeview channels).

BT’s Pro YouView-based box launched back in June, with a long list of advanced features, such as:

• UltraHD 4K / High Dynamic Range (HDR)
• Dolby Atmos support
• 1TB of storage for recordings
• 4 Tuners – So you can record up to three shows on three separate channels, and watch a fourth (or a previously recorded one)
• A Bluetooth remote
• An HDMI Port (but no SCART!)

The box also supports a range of TV and streaming services: first, you get all the YouView channels (which is basically the Freeview channels list with a few additions).

Then, you also get all the YouView catch-up apps (BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5, UKTV Play, S4C, STV Player and BBC Sounds), and it supports several streaming services (some of which require an additional subscription) –

• Sky’s NOW streaming service
• BT Sport
• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video
• Britbox
• BT Player
• Milkshake
• VOD365 (includes YAAS, Ketchup Kids, Planet Knowledge & Sports Channel Network)

The TV Box Pro is available to new customers of BT’s VIP package (check the price). 

• Update: Starting from September 24, any new BT TV customers taking one of the Flexible TV packages, will be sent a BT TV Box Pro. Existing customers with an older BT TV box, can upgrade to Pro for a £20 fee (plus £9.99 delivery fee).

Turn On WiFi On The BT TV Box Pro

Until now, the only way to connect the TV Box Pro to your Smart Hub (and the internet) was with an Ethernet cable. 

While not a bad choice (especially for 4K streaming), many people place their TV and set-top box far from their Smart Hub, and don’t want to start running cables across the living room.

So, with the TV Box Pro’s new software update, you can finally connect the box to your Smart Hub (either 1 or 2) via WiFi.

To get this feature, your TV Box Pro needs to be updated to software version 0.4.212 – which should happen automatically after today (September 24).

Once you get the software update, you can switch to a WiFi connection by following these steps:

• Press the Home button on your remote
• Navigate to Settings (The cog icon on the top-right of the screen)
• Navigate to “Broadband Connection”
• Select “Change connection” and follow the on-screen guidance

And as always, since we’re a cord-cutting site, it’s our duty to remind you that you can also get Freeview separately (for free), and subscribe to Sky’s NOW service without a long-term contract. See our full TV cord cutting guide here.