BT DTR-T4000 YouView Box. Replacement suggestions

[Benny5]

My current seven-year-old BT DTR-T4000 box (Non subscription) is exhibiting signs of failure.

I am looking for some pointers as to the best replacement options.

One option is to go for a ‘like for like’ replacement. Cost; available on different platforms £100-£150.

An alternative is the EE TV Box Pro RTIW387. Cost similar/lower than the above.

Then there’s the Manhattan. These appear to be much more expensive than the above.


I realise that Freely may well be the future but for now I’ll give that a miss.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[SFK]

No suggestions on new box as I have that box and quite like it.
My only annoyance being that it does not play Disney.

May I ask how it is showing signs of failure?
If it is over heating, open lid and remove dust from fan (had to do that twice).

if hard disk is making a failure noise, it is easy to replace the disk.

Sfk

 

[Benny5]

Thanks for the input.

As for overheating, its not excessively hot. I've opened it up and removed any dust and cleaned the fan.
The failure symptoms I've noticed are;
1) Picture breakup but the same aerial also feeding TV is fine.
2) When the box has been idle for a period of time (E.G while viewing input via the TV i.e. You Tube) and then switch back to the box it shows 'No Signal'. Only by switching everything off, disconnecting/reconnecting all inputs/output does it restore the signal.

I've replaced all the HDMI and Aerial cables but the issues persists.

 

[Benny5]

Just to provide an update.

After disconnecting everything and leaving it overnight, on restarting this morning its functioning much better. While the picture quality on some channels is not as good as in the past, the 'No Signal' issue on start-up has gone, for now at least.

Therefore I shall nurse it along for a little bit longer.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Benny5]

Well, the issue returned this morning.

No picture. The box was on and yet the TV screen prompted ‘Turn Box on’. While the TV Guide could be selected when choosing a channel, the TV screen then went blank.

Using the main menu the ‘On demand’ option (Players & Apps) the ‘Apps’ selections failed to appear. (Error YVM900)

Furthermore, while previous recordings were displayed none of them could be accessed.

I disconnected everything and waited 30 minutes then put everything back together and now it works again.

Clearly, it’s an intermittent fault which can be difficult to detect.

I’m convinced I should be on the lookout for a replacement.

 

[urbis]

The EE TV Box Pro is the modern equivalent, same interface.

Go for that.

 

[SFK]

Also now going to suggest the EE TV pro.

After my message above, last week my BT DTR-T4000 told me that at end of Nov2026 the Netflix app would no longer work.

Hence last weekend I bought a EE TV Pro.

Seems to work well and in addition to Netflix working, it also has the Disney app (which the old one didn't).

Got it from eBay, where they are between £85 and £125.

sfk

 

[Rodders53]

Check out the hummy.tv forum for that fault symptom and potential fixes?

DTR-T1000/1010/2000/2100/2110/4000 (YouView) PVR's

Terrestrial dual-tuner Freeview HD PVR, VoD (catch-up TV)

hummy.tv

YouView pvrs are rather locked down beasts though.

Streaming: Sticks like FireTV, Chrome TV and the like tend to keep updated far longer than TVs or PVRs systems... Our spare bedroom Panasonic TV will lose BBC iPlayer soon it informed us last night. Black Friday soon so a new streaming device may be on my wish list.

 

[Benny5]

Also now going to suggest the EE TV pro.

After my message above, last week my BT DTR-T4000 told me that at end of Nov2026 the Netflix app would no longer work.

Hence last weekend I bought a EE TV Pro.

Seems to work well and in addition to Netflix working, it also has the Disney app (which the old one didn't).

Got it from eBay, where they are between £85 and £125.

sfk

I shall look into that one. Thanks for that.

 

[Benny5]

Check out the hummy.tv forum for that fault symptom and potential fixes?

DTR-T1000/1010/2000/2100/2110/4000 (YouView) PVR's

Terrestrial dual-tuner Freeview HD PVR, VoD (catch-up TV)

hummy.tv

YouView pvrs are rather locked down beasts though.

Streaming: Sticks like FireTV, Chrome TV and the like tend to keep updated far longer than TVs or PVRs systems... Our spare bedroom Panasonic TV will lose BBC iPlayer soon it informed us last night. Black Friday soon so a new streaming device may be on my wish list.

I've been over the reset procedure advised for these boxes (Remove all inputs/output, restart without aerial holding down the 'Down Arrow' button) and while it provides a temporary improvement, however, it then reverts to the pervious failings after a week or so.

While the streaming sticks are appealing my principal use of a PVR is to pause live TV also programme recording. Hence my desire for a like for like change.

 

[Wayners]

Those old TV boxes tend to get harddrive failer so you can swap out for around £35 and easily enough.
You might have one in an old pc.

 

[Benny5]

That has been suggested but given the info provided by a previous contributor (https://www.diynot.com/diy/goto/post?id=6337078) re; lack of ongoing support, then the newer version seems more appropriate.

 

[SFK]

In that case, a quick review of my new pro.

Likes...
Much the same as the old one.
Only one button for power, with a three second press also switching off the TV (old one had a separate button for TV that visitors always forgot.

Dislikes...
Only one fast forward button. To do the 1min jumps (used to do four to jump over the adverts) you have to hold the button and I keep under or over shooting). Fast forward only shows snippets of the programme rather than a faster version of the programme.

Time duration bar on TV screen, only sometimes shows the actual duration of the programme in minutes. Most of the time it is simply a bar.

Bah humbug, hate change.

Otherwise all good for my use (netflix, Disney, pausing live TV so I can get a tea, recording some on air programmes so I can skip adverts and one simple remote for parents).

Sfk

 

[Benny5]

Really appreciate that. Pity they didn’t carry over all the positive features from it’s predecessor.

 

[Benny5]

Looking at these BT/EE units on Amazon I've discovered two variants, one Freeview the other Youview.

BT/EE TV Box Pro - 1TB 4K Wireless Freeview TV Box Latest Model - (RTIW387). ASIN BODMTT76K5.

EE TV Box Pro 4K HDR Set Top Box Recorder 1TB Storage Subscription Free Youview Receiver. ASIN B0F2VS1FW5.

Both carry the same Model No. RTIW387 but a different ASIN code.

My existing box is the Youview version, does it matter which one should replace it or is there any significant difference between the above?

Thanks.
Benny.