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BT Set top box control for elderly

cant_get_no_line — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 08:48:04 GMT

Hello

I have an elderly relative with a BT Connect Dolby Bluetooth Set top box. She finds the BT TV remote control difficult to operate causing anxiety and not able to make use of the tv.

It has too many very small buttons (47 buttons) on it most of which elderley or impaired people will never use. Easy to mistakenly press the wrong button and turn it off or change its mode.

There are simple remote controllers like Flipper which could help but they are infrared only and this BT box uses Bluetooth from what I’ve been told. Haven’t found a simple to use Bluetooth tv remote yet.

Has anyone found a solution they could share to make BT Connect more accessible to elderley people? A keyboard or game control is not an Option. This needs to be simple with on / off, channel Change, vol / up down that’s it.

Otherwise are infrared set top boxes and controls still available ?

thanks

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

JonMace — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 08:57:24 GMT

I think the box you have is a BT TV Box Pro, if so it can use IR as well as Bluetooth, you need the remote up as Humax DTR-T4000, I have done this with my harmony remote and it works perfectly

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 09:05:10 GMT

I don't recognise the BT Connect description but the mention of bluetooth suggest the BT Pro box? But that remote doesn't have 47 buttons.

If that is what she has then the box also has an IR receiver & will respond to a Humax command set. So if you can identify a suitable programmable remote then that should work fine. But they usually have the opposite problem of missing buttons!

As far as I know, all previous BT boxes were made by Humax & are IR only, so again should work with a third party remote.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Les-Gibson — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 11:06:24 GMT

@Anonymous

I think the OP must be referring to the earlier (T2100, T4000) remote which does have 47 buttons

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Les-Gibson — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:07:51 GMT

Whichever box your elderly relative has it will work with an IR control, indeed there is no value in using Bluetooth mode at present as voice search has not yet been implemented in the BT TV Box Pro.

Geemarc manufacture a range of learning big button remote controls which may help, they do not need a code as they learn from the original control.

The disadvantage of that being that you have to decide which keys you want the Geemarc control to learn and then programme them in one at a time

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:14:28 GMT

The One For All Zapper 2 may do the job & is currently discounted at Argos. Or there's a plain Zapper without number buttons but it's also missing a Menu key.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

cant_get_no_line — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:46:36 GMT

Thanks. I bought a Flipper. Tried all the codes but it didn’t connect. The BT Box is made by Dolby which seems to be Bluetooth not responding to any infrared instructions . I’ll give this another go. But did spend ages on this.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

cant_get_no_line — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:50:16 GMT

Thank you for all the replies.

Hi the BT box is made by Dolby. It doesn’t reply to any of the codes for Humax on the Flipper simple remote. Though the flipper remote works fine with the Samsung tv which is infrared.

but I’ll give it another go anyway.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:58:00 GMT

Can you post the model number of the box on the label, or post a pic?

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

JonMace — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 14:04:31 GMT

Dolby do not make TV Boxes, they do audio specification so not hardware - can you take a picture of the box then we should be able to help

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 14:14:06 GMT

This seems to be the latest UK code list for the Flipper & seems to have several codes for both BT & Humax.

https://flipper.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/202365626/Code_List_UK_V4_2015.pdf

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

cant_get_no_line — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 21:54:18 GMT

thanks for all the input and ideas.

You can see this is a Dolby box. This is proving to not be an option for non technical elderly people. Just Too complicated. Control no use for people with arthritis. If we could get a simple control to work with this box, would be great.

thanks

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 22:18:17 GMT

That's simply a logo. It's no more a Dolby box than it is an HDMI, SCART or Ethernet box.

It looks to be a DTR-T2100 made for BT by Humax. The model number should be on a label on the bottom of the box.

Try the Argos one I suggested. Even if you get the Flipper working I'd say it's going to be impractical with only channel up/down.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Les-Gibson — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 22:26:45 GMT

That is indeed a Humax manufactured box and has no Bluetooth capability, it is purely Infra-Red which should make your choice of remote easier.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

cant_get_no_line — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:24:28 GMT

Thanks. None of those codes worked with the Flipper. Guess will need to try another option.

Re: BT Set top box control for elderly

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:40:25 GMT

Just a thought but what is the box actually used for? Is there an active BT TV subscription & if so, for which channels?

Is it still used to record?

Given that most BT content is delivered by third parties now, maybe something app based would be a suitable alternative. Either built into the TV or added with a Firestick or similar with voice search.