Some lucky Freeview users have just been treated to a smart upgrade and it adds a feature Sky users have been enjoying for a while. Anyone who has recently splashed out on the latest T4•R set-top box from the team at Manhattan can now update it for free and get a nifty online remote control. Yes, if you lose the channel changer down the side of the sofa it doesn’t matter.
Sky has long offered the ability to control devices such as Sky Q using a virtual remote via its Sky Go app and now Freeview users can pretty much the same.”You can now control your T4•R using a web browser on your local network,” Manhattan explained in its patch notes.
If you own a T4•R box then you can simply head to Settings > Internet > Browsing Options > Web Remote. Here you’ll see the address you need to pump into your web browser to launch the online remote.
Once done you’ll then be able to change channels and pump up the volume from a laptop, tablet or your phone.There are a swathe of other changes in this software release including improved Channel List Management, being able to enlarge subtitles on HD channels plus there are refined animations and transitions, particularly when using the Home Screen.
For those not up to speed with the latest TV gadgets, the Manhattan T4•R, is very similar to Sky Q with it offering stunning 4K Ultra HD playback plus an internal hard disk that lets you record shows to watch later.
If numerous shows are on at the same time you can even record two things at once whilst watching a third. When someone knocks at the door it’s also possible to pause live TV so you don’t miss a moment of your favourite show.
A TV guide is included which lets you look at what’s on now, next and even what has already been broadcast. If you spot something you’ve missed then on-demand players will let you view things that are no longer on live channels.
There are three versions of the T4•R box including 500GB model (stores 300 hours of shows), 1TB (stores 600 hours of shows) and 2TB (stores 1200 hours) versions with prices starting from £169.99
If you already own a T4•R here’s how to update it to get the latest features.
• Your T4•R needs to be connected to your internet router by Wi-Fi or with an Ethernet cable.• Your T4•R will update automatically overnight whilst in standby, as long as you haven’t disabled automatic updates in the System Settings menu.• To update straight away, press HOME and select: Settings > System > Software Updates > Check for update now.• When you turn your T4•R on for the first time after it has updated, a message will be displayed confirming the update has taken place successfully.