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Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
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Author:  bejoe [ Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:42 am ]
Post subject:  Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
Has anyone here heard of 'Learnstar'? I see on ebay, there are folks selling what either seem to be the OEM blue game boxes or original ones that have been re-purposed as 'Learnstar'. I can't really find anything on this company.

I know in the past, I saw actual NTN or Buzztime branded 'Playmakers' pop up on ebay occasionally and heard they would be taken down as the site agreements required them to be turned back in upon terminating which makes sense.

These seem different as the branding on the Glass and Chargers says 'Learnstar' 'Lighting the way to Learning' with no reference to Buzztime which seems to indicate one of 3 things:

-These are straight from the OEM manufacturer before Buzztime gets them and re-brands them as 'Buzztime Playmakers'
-Learnstar is some kind of Subsidiary of Buzztime where they use their game systems in some kind of Educational Setting.
-Learnstar is some kind of 3rd party educational company that has 're-purposed' the 'Old Blue Box' system for use in an eduactional setting.

Since they seem identical, I am wondering if they would work if brought into a Buzztime Classic Trivia location as a 'bring your own' box?

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Author:  ANON [ Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
It looks like an after-school program, but might be more than that. Amid all the dreary news of the Buzztime earnings report last quarter, I noticed the following intriguing sentence:

Quote:
We secured a $3 million hardware follow-on contract with our correctional facility partner, formed a partnership to deliver tablets to a digital marketing and loyalty company, and grew our hardware pipeline to over $30 million at quarter end. Also, sites with our new, lighter product Buzztime Basic grew and we increased volume on our ad exchange.


So the good news seems to be that if your local BWW dropped trivia, you might be able to go to your nearest correctional facility to play.
Author:  BUD [ Tue Nov 19, 2019 1:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
This was most likely a buzztime side gig, selling their system to schools, day care or whatever. I'd say a good while ago. With the wrong logos on everything BT probably didn't want them back.

These boxes would have to be re-set to the "frequency" or ID code of the bar where you would try to use them. It is a very short call to BT by a manager of the location to change the ID in the box menu. At Hardtimes Germantown we would get refurbished boxes back from BT with the wrong ID code often. I know there was also a few universal private yellow boxes for a short while. I don't know how those were set up to be used anywhere.

I would try to get these at a cheap price and donate them to needy bars like Stained Glass Pub Silver Spring MD to be re-set. They are in dire need of more blue boxes. (only 6 good ones to cover the all players from 2 defunct BWW) I have no idea why SGP hasn't been able to get BT to send them any refurbished ones? I know they have tried.

If you get the boxes I could buy 5 or 10 off you.
Author:  ANON [ Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
According to this, the LearnStar boxes were an experiment started in the 1990s:

https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/poli ... zztime-inc
Author:  -BO- [ Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
BUD wrote:
These boxes would have to be re-set to the "frequency" or ID code of the bar where you would try to use them. It is a very short call to BT by a manager of the location to change the ID in the box menu. At Hardtimes Germantown we would get refurbished boxes back from BT with the wrong ID code often. I know there was also a few universal private yellow boxes for a short while. I don't know how those were set up to be used anywhere.

I would try to get these at a cheap price and donate them to needy bars like Stained Glass Pub Silver Spring MD to be re-set. They are in dire need of more blue boxes. (only 6 good ones to cover the all players from 2 defunct BWW) I have no idea why SGP hasn't been able to get BT to send them any refurbished ones? I know they have tried.

If you get the boxes I could buy 5 or 10 off you.

A private box was setup for one location. If you wanted to take it somewhere else you had to call tech support.

I'm dubious on whether or not BT would authorize a box that wasn't leased to that location. Obviously they have all the serial numbers and such on hand. It's certainly more complicated than the old gray boxes you could literally take to any location and use. That was fun!
Author:  DMACD [ Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
A lot simpler to just use the smartphone app. They work fine at locations using the blue players.
Author:  BUD [ Mon Feb 24, 2020 11:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
DMACD wrote:
A lot simpler to just use the smartphone app. They work fine at locations using the blue players.


That would be obvious except that the phn app doesn't get the 2 main games we play: Playback and Spotlight, it also doesn't get Showdown. Many bars that have the blue boxes are seriously short on boxes with no help in sight. Getting boxes from any source could help the situation.

After the end of BWW our large group has to play at Stained Glass Pub SS, a blue box location with 7 boxes. We have the phn app going and it's fine till PB or SP begins then half the handles go dead. If we had some more blue boxes from whatever source we would be able to play better. Yes, the bar has asked for more blue boxes from BT with none sent after asking several times since Nov 15th. Maybe they are no longer supported or bars can only get refurbished ones when sending some back? SGP has no idea where the missing 8 boxes are. (they have 3 charging racks)

Ohh and all the serial numbers are long gone off the bottom of the current boxes so it could be easy to slip in some other blue boxes with serial numbers obliterated. :mrgreen: Got some handguns the same way. :shock:
Author:  Gogetem [ Mon Feb 24, 2020 2:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
Danny K's recently added 5 blue boxes. It took about 2 weeks for them to arrive and they were used boxes.

There were problems that are still being addressed. First they had duplicate numbers as BT didn't address them before shipping. That was simple to fix, so no big deal. One box went haywire after trying to login. Hieroglyphics were all over the screen. It went back.

The ongoing problem that is still being addressed is that there is a lag on the first question. That is still being addressed. Those numbers start with 21. I have seen that problem before, but other than the lag, overall they're working fine.
Author:  BUD [ Wed Feb 26, 2020 2:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Learnstar Blue Game Boxes
Okay, good to know the blue boxes are still going out.

I guess Stained Glass Pub SS is in a different situation because of the 8 missing boxes. BT probably won't send refurbished ones without getting old ones back or the bar agreeing to pay more per month for 5 more.
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