FAQs for @TV Plus
1)What are the benefits of @TV Plus compared to other apps that allow mobile TV?
@TV plus allows you to watch anything which you can view at home, all of your channels, on the go. Other apps tend to offer only a selection of content. No matter what subscription you are paying for, the channel offer from other providers will always be restricted to a selection which you cannot chose yourself. With @TV plus, any channel which is available at home is also accessible remotely. In addition, it works globally. This means you can set up your @TV Plus in your home country and watch your home TV when you go on holiday abroad for example. Mobile TV apps provided by broadcasters normally cannot be used when abroad.
2)Can I watch recorded shows as well as live TV?
Yes you can! If the set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box connected to the @TV plus is a DVR with the ability to record to hard disk, then you can watch not only live channels, but also anything that has been recorded to the storage of the set-top box. Your tablet or smartphone will have a remote control function that will allow you to access the menu of the set-top box, effectively it is just like being on your home couch!
In addition, you can record directly to your smartphone or tablet*. Anything which has been recorded to the viewing device can be viewed even if the device has no internet connection. So if you can’t watch something at the time it’s being broadcast, you can record it and then watch it later on the plane, in the tube etc. *For legal reasons within the United Kingdom, recording to viewing device is restricted to the home Wi-Fi network
3)Does my TV need to be on at all times when I watch TV on my smartphone or tablet via @TV Plus?
Of course not! @TV plus takes the signal directly from your set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box, so your TV does not need to be on for @TV Plus to work.
4)Can I watch live TV streaming from another country?
Yes you can. @TV Plus, unlike other providers of similar services, will work anywhere in the world. So you can set up your @TV Plus in a different country and access it anytime from wherever you are, in a different city, country or continent!
5)How many devices can I stream content to from my @TV Plus simultaneously?
The @TV plus can stream to one remote device (i.e. a device connected from outside the home network, via 3G/4G or a remote Wi-Fi hotspot), and up to 8 devices with the local network simultaneously. This means that not only you can watch your favourite TV programmes on the go, but also anywhere in your home, without being stuck to your couch! With @TV Plus you can take your TV around the house with you, and you can do it with 8 devices simultaneously. You can now cook your BBQ and watch a film in the garden, while your kids enjoy the same content in their playroom, all on your mobile devices!
6)Can I watch a different channel at home than the one someone else is watching remotely?
It depends. The @TV plus can stream the signal which it receives from the set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box. As most set-top box boxes have only one tuner and one output, it’s not normally possible for someone connected via @TV Plus to watch something different from someone watching at home via the set–top box to which the @TV Plus is connected. If @TV Plus was connected to a spare set top box, then you could stream content from that set-top box without interfering with whatever content the main set-top box is streaming to the TV
7)What speed does my network require for @TV plus to work at an acceptable quality?
The greater the available bandwidth, the better it will work. However, the crucial factor for @TV is not the speed of the home network, but the upload bandwidth of the home internet connection (upload speeds of 1Mbps should guarantee a seamless experience).
8)Is there any risk of buffering or delay?
@ TV plus automatically adjusts the bitrate of the video stream to suit the available bandwidth of the connection. When the available bandwidth is low, the bitrate is lowered. So the video quality will tone down when the bandwidth is poor, defectively preventing buffering.
9)Is it possible to manually adjust the picture quality?
There are 3 quality settings the user can choose between: Normal, Medium, and High. However the @TV adjusts the bitrate according to the available bandwidth, the quality selection selects the parameters between which the quality is adjusted.
10)How does the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) of the @TV App work?
The EPG downloads program guide information directly from the internet. You can easily scroll through channels, and tap to record.
11)What do I need to get started?
A set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR), a smart device (such as a smartphone or tablet), or laptop / PC/ Mac, a connection for your smart device (3G, 4G, Wi-Fi), a home Wi-Fi network, the @TV Plus app.
12)How much does the @TV Plus app cost?
The app is free for tablets, and costs x for smartphones. The PC and MAC software is also free.
13)Does the @TV Plus work with any set-top box (TV receiver)?
@TV Plus works with any set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) Box with a Composite, Component or SCART output (SCART requires use of an adapter which is supplied in the box).
14)How can I be sure that @TV Plus will work with my set-top box?
The @TV plus is supplied with an Infra-Red emitter cable (IR blaster) which needs to be positioned in front of the Infra-Red sensor of the set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box. It contains a database of IR codes for the majority of set-top boxes. For any set-top boxes which are not in that list, the device has a learning mode that enables it to capture and store the commands from the original set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box remote.
15)Can @TV Plus be connected to the set-top box via HDMI?
No. This is due to the rules of HDMI. HDMI uses HDCP, a copy-protection system which requires a fully encrypted connection between the source device and the display. Because the display to which the @TV is sending the signal (the laptop, tablet or smartphone being used to watch TV) does not support HDCP and there is no way to perform the HDCP authentication over the network or Internet, connecting via HDMI is not permitted.
16)My TV provider uses a Conditional Access Module which goes straight into the Common Interface slot on the side of my TV, so I have no set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box. Can I still use @TV plus?
Probably not, sadly. @TV plus requires an anaologue video input from a composite or component connection. As most TVs have only composite or component inputs, and not outputs, in most cases there is no way to transmit a video signal from a TV to the @TV. That’s why a separate set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box is required.
17)How many set-top boxes can I connect to my @TV Plus?
@TV plus has only one set of inputs. In practical terms this means that only one set-top box (cable / Satellite box or DVR) box can be connected to it.