![]() ![]() This can be done over the mobile network, so while you are away from home you can still browse the TV schedules on the train and set recordings on your box at home without being there in person.Īt the moment that's all the app will do. There's also the smartphone app (we've been using the Android version) and this will allow you to connect/pair your smartphone and then browse the EPG and schedule recordings. ![]() This isn't a universal remote so there might be some fiddling around if you have other boxes, such as an amp, connected to your TV. You can programme the remote to control your TV, but it only has TV codes preinstalled. We like the heft of it: it's the sort of remote you can use day-in day-out and it now has buttons to take you direct to BT services, as well as the more useful YouView button. The supplied remote has been redesigned for this new box too. In the future there could be scope for functionality expansion. They are powered, however, should you want to charge something up on the side, but that's about as far as they go for now. There's a USB port on the rear and another to the side, but they don't do much. If you are taking audio through the HDMI into a receiver, then there's an option in the menus to enable Dolby Digital Plus "surround" sound the same option is there for the optical connection too. The optical audio output gives the option to split off the audio for those who have a separate speaker system. They're the same connections as the old YouView box, so if you're swapping one for the other, it's literally a case of swapping the cables over and plugging it in. There's also the Ethernet connection, USB and a power on to the back. Hardware and connectionsĪround the back of the T2100 box you'll find the aerial in and out (with support for loop through which needs to be toggled in the menu), analogue video and audio outputs, optical audio output, SCART and HDMI. There's a record button, as well as a YouView EPG (electronic programme guide) button and a navigation controller. The previous box featured tiny dot button controls, the new box has larger clickable controls on the top, so if you find yourself wanting manual control when the remote goes walkies temporarily, it now at least feels possible, whereas before it was uncomfortable at best. ![]() That helps keep the size down and when this information is only a button press away, that probably won't be too much of a problem to you.īut even though this box is now much smaller, the physical controls are much better. The older Humax box had an LCD display on the front which is absent from the latest DTR-T2100. In the world of so many catch-up and set-top box solutions does it make sense? We've been living with the new Humax box upgrade to see whether it makes BT's YouView experience more compelling than before. We won't dwell too much on the nuts and bolts of what YouView offers, except where needed for clarity and completeness. However, the YouView platform is still the same, so whether you have the new box or old one it won't make a difference to what you can watch. In its latest generation form, the new YouView+ box from BT is again manufactured by Humax, but looks to change and improve the YouView offering. The first generation of box - the Humax DTR-T1000 - coped well enough, but had problems from the start: it was slow to respond, which detracted from the overall experience, and the fan was pretty noisy too. There's potential for confusion with the BT TV packages.That's something to mull over, as you'll be tied into an initial contract for the provider's overall package just like you would be with Sky, Virgin or any other provider. If you're not a BT customer, however, then the full BT package isn't necessarily going to save you heaps of cash compared to alternatives. If you're an existing BT YouView customer then the T2100 is certainly worth the upgrade (at the £35 offer) because the box and the experience is better all round. The important thing is to ensure you know what you're getting from the outset and make sure you don't end up paying for TV services you don't need. There's still plenty of confusion around what you might have to pay for, though, as well as the integration of BT TV services with wider YouView staples. It's slick and fast in operation and no slouch when it comes to firing up and delivering those on-demand services. The physical controls on top of the T2100 are welcome should you lose the new-and-improved remote control from time to time, and the box offers ample connections to appeal to new TV owners or those looking to use an old TV lacking a digital tuner. ![]()
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