BT TV Box Pro offers 4K HDR & Dolby Atmos – but it’s VIP-only

BT TV has announced the new Box Pro, a set-top box to better rival the likes of Sky Q and Virgin 360.

The new set-top box offers 4K HDR picture quality along with Dolby Atmos support and can record up to 600 hours of recordings. The BT TV Box Pro is available first to customers on the VIP package and will be added to other packages in due course.

While Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound technology is a welcome addition, HDR is more important, providing a more vibrant and colourful picture. However, BT doesn’t say which HDR standards – such as HDR10 and Dolby Vision – the Box Pro supports.

Another major update is a revamped user interface which BT says centers around an image-led homepage and also has a unified search function so you can find content from apps and live TV in one go. This has already been rolled out to other boxes and you can read more about it in our BT TV VIP review.

While the Box Pro has 1TB of storage space for the 600 hours of recordings figure, there are only 4 tuners – to record three shows while watching a fourth – which is behind Sky and Virgin equivalents where you can watch six while recording a seventh.

It’s also possible to get 2TB of storage elsewhere and Box Pro users will also have to put up with a wired internet connection via Ethernet until Wi-Fi is enabled later this year.

The Box Pro comes with a Bluetooth-enabled remote control for a more reliable experience and also means the box can be placed out of sight. It’s also “designed to support the future of all IP streaming and works with BT Smart Hubs and Complete Wi-Fi as well as the BT TV mobile app.”

Getting the Box Pro via a VIP package costs £65 per month and includes Now Cinema, Entertainment and Sport Memberships as well as Now Boost – getting you plenty of Sky content in one place.