BT YouView box remote intermittent - 50% of button presses randomly aren't responded to
therobyouknow
Member Posts: 5 ✭
in Support
Also posted here: https://community.bt.com/t5/YouView-from-BT/BT-YouView-box-remote-intermittent-50-of-button-presses-randomly/td-p/1966133
I have to post on both forums (sorry) because I believe it could either be a hardware problem with the BT YouView box or the YouView software running on it, as suggested below.
The problem:
I have to post on both forums (sorry) because I believe it could either be a hardware problem with the BT YouView box or the YouView software running on it, as suggested below.
The problem:
I have a BT YouView box and recently, it has become intermittently responsive to the remote control button key presses.
I have owned the box for 18 months. I would expect the box to still be reliable after this period of time.
I have already:
- factory reset the box
- reset the remote. The remote blue led always lights up when any key is pressed so I think the remote would be functioning.
- Changed the remote batteries for new ones.
- Tried another remote of the same model, this remote 4 months old from new.
- checked for software updates - it tells me it checked today - Sunday 1 September 2019.
I observed that, on turning the box on in the morning, it responds well to the remote, I'd even say is working normal.
However, with the box on throughout the day, towards the evening, it becomes intermittently unresponsive as described above. I suspect this could be either a thermal issue whereby the temperature of the box internals is impacting its ability to receive the remote's signals. Or that there is a software bug/regression in the most recent update, which includes a problem, like a memory leak, that manifests only if the box has been on for some time. Though having turned off and turned on the box, the problem prevails.
0
Comments
Welcome to the forum
It'd be useful for us to know your YouView box model and the software it's running on, you can find this by pressing help and then info on your remote control. We saw that someone from BT reached out to you on Twitter, were they able to assist you at all?
Thanks,
Sarah
Device Information:
Manufacturer: Humax
Model: DTRT2110
Variant: 84B08530
Serial Number: +077328+1749003713
Identifier: 0000DB-DTRT2110-077d6d99
Software Information:
Last Checked for update 02 Sep 2019
Last Checked for players & apps 02 Sep 2019
Component software 3.6.48 (b02cd1)
Manufacturer software 32.23.50
Platform configuration 4591 (e1cafa85)
ISP configuration 2402022
Remote control:
RC3124705/04B
3139 238 30584
Item Code: 077143
CP03 11737 | 005523
I looked for the twitter reply, but could not see it, sorry. Could you send me the permalink, please.
Thank you.
Have you made any changes to your TV/box set up (new TV or cables, TV stand etc)?
Thanks,
Sarah
I have responded to the tweet by DM as requested. This is what I said:
"We are not a customer with BT but instead had bought the BT YouView box outright last year from John Lewis to use with TalkTalk."
Therefore, we still need help regarding the box, please. If it's a software problem, I would think YouView would need to assist. If it's hardware I would think BT would need to assist as it is their branded product. I would need guidance on which one. But for now, as you can see from the beginning of this post, I have posted on BT's forum as well.
You obvious cause of action is to return the box as faulty.
We usually suggest maintenance mode resets on the box when it's acting up like this however as you've tried a full factory reset already and that didn't help, it's likely that there's something internally which is causing the box to act up unless there's some external factors which are causing this issue. Do you have a Plasma TV? Does your YouView box have plenty of space to ventilate with nothing on top of it?
Thanks,
Sarah
Thanks,
.Richard
There is a known issue where Infrared from Plasma TVs affects the performance of the remote with the DTR2100 boxes. I and others have responded about this issue a number of times in the past. Simple answer put a bit of grey cloth in front of the sensor at the right most end of the set top box and this significantly eases the problem.
Sounds daft but true!!
Wilf
Thanks,
Sarah
The BT YouView box has plenty of ventilation - above (20cm) and at rear.
The problem has only just started in the last month.
Here is a share of photos showing the setup, the box being unresponsive to remote button presses and proof that the remote is always sending a signal with each button by recording the infrared LED emissions shown up by the phone camera.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16aSzdR-a0s8mtkXORWAXnDOpLCstbM_z
I have tried my own same YouView box in the same position of setup and get the same issues.
As you will see from the pictures and video, I have tried the remote close enough to the box.
Unless there is some physical environmental issue in this setup (shown by the photos) e.g. a mysterious infrared source or interference then I can only guess that it is regression introduced into a recent software update.
The problem is very specific - the box does not respond, intermittently, to remote control button presses. The video footage shows that Infrared is being sent. 2 remotes and a 2nd box have been tried and the same problem is seen in those. Regarding the other box tried, this had been plugged in to the internet at my home (since it was bought earlier this year), so it would have received the same software update.
Pressing buttons several times seems to eventually work with the box some of the time. However this is clearly unacceptable, not least because this makes it impossible to enter channel numbers. If it is a software problem, I would suspect that the priority of the infrared handling process has been changed, for example, such that it is missing some incoming signals from the remote. Or it could be something else.
The box seems to be better in the mornings, after being on low power standby overnight. That suggests it might be a thermal issue, whereby the box is cooler in the mornings because it hasn't been on for long. It could be a failing hardware component. However, given that I am seeing this on my newer box, bought earlier this year, so newer than the original problematic box, bought early 2018, I am concerned. On that basis, the thought og taking it back to John Lewis to get a replacement doesn't give me encouragement that this would solve the issue. Moreover, to have a hardware fault, if it is that, develop so soon is not acceptable. We should expect better value for money in a device that should last more much longer. Also, there is an environmental impact on hardware having such limited life.
There could also be a bug in the software, which together with a thermal issue, is causing this problem, at a guess.
Can you please let us know the TV model you are using?
It sounds a little strange but we are aware that there can occasionally be interference from LED lightbulbs, are you using these bulbs in the lights in the room with the TV?
Thanks,
Sarah
No, I am not using LED lightbulbs in the room with the YouView box, nor anywhere in the house.
The setup I've had has been as it is since beginning of last year, 2018 as already mentioned. The problem had only just started about a month ago, again as mentioned.
Also as mentioned, the problem is intermittent, it comes and goes and tends to happen after the box has been on for a while - i.e. into the evening.
However, we haven't noticed this problem for a while now, maybe because the box hasn't been on for so long. We'd like to think the problem had gone away. But even so find that somewhat troubling with the concern it may come back.
Would anything like Scotch/3M Magic Tape be effective?
Wilf
The designers of the product will never admit to this and will no doubt encourage various black magic cures. If my AppleTV box can work perfectly in exactly the same environment why does the youview box screw things up?
Does your AppleTV remote need line of sight? i.e. is it perhaps wireless?
YouView remotes use IR (infrared) and the boxes are known to be confused by plasma TV displays that the IR detector on the box can ‘see’.
There are many threads on the Community about this, with the advice variously being to move the box down, or backwards, or anywhere that better shields it from the plasma screen radiation.
Or to drape a semi-transparent cloth over the IR detector on the box; this can blot out the plasma interference, and yet still let the YouView remote’s IR get through.
But a Black Magic box is apparently too opaque 😢
The response of the remote control really felt like something was interfering with it. My soundbar remote also controls the BT box - and that was showing the same symptoms.
I tracked it down in the end - my DVD remote had something pressing on one of its buttons, and it was sending a continuous stream of IR. Removing the offending object immediately cured the problem
Rearrangement of coffee table cleared fault.
Why do we always look for a technical fix .......