Manhattan has released a significant software update for their T4-R and T4 Freeview boxes, with version 2.06 finally resolving the frustrating standby mode issue that has plagued some users since the boxes launched last year.
The update, which began rolling out this week, addresses numerous stability issues while fixing compatibility problems with popular streaming apps and improving recording reliability on the T4-R.
If you’ve been using Energy Saver mode as a workaround to avoid the standby problems, you can now safely switch back to Sleep or Smart standby modes without fear of your box becoming unresponsive.
Manhattan T4 and T4-R: A Quick Refresher
Launched in June 2024, the Manhattan T4 and T4-R represent the latest generation of Freeview boxes from the British manufacturer, taking over from their popular T3 series.
At its core, the Manhattan T4 is a straightforward yet capable Freeview Play box. It gives you access to more than 100 live TV channels through your aerial, alongside the full suite of UK catch-up services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4.
As I noted in my review, the box offers snappy performance and an excellent programme guide, though some catch-up apps could be faster.
Step up to the T4-R, and you get everything the T4 offers plus comprehensive recording capabilities. Available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB versions, it can store up to 1,200 hours of your favourite programmes, depending on the model.
The T4-R particularly impressed me with its intuitive interface, clever recording features, and innovative guide filtering options – and with the YouTube app added in February, it’s become an even more versatile device.
What’s New in Version 2.06?
You might notice that this update skips from version 2.00 (the February YouTube update) directly to 2.06.
Manhattan explains that versions 2.01 to 2.04 were never released publicly, while version 2.05 was pre-installed on recently manufactured units but not made available as an update to existing users.
This means most of us are jumping directly from 2.00 to 2.06, getting all the improvements from both 2.05 and 2.06 in one go.
The headline improvement is undoubtedly the fix for the standby issue that Manhattan has been working on for months.
This particularly troublesome bug could cause boxes to become unresponsive when entering or exiting Sleep or Smart standby modes, requiring a power cycle to recover.
“We know this has been frustrating for many of you,” Manhattan acknowledges, “and we’re grateful for your patience and the valuable assistance you provided in testing releases to help us confirm this fix.”
If you’ve been using Energy Saver mode as a workaround, you can now check or change your standby settings by going to: Settings → System → Standby Options → Standby Mode.
Beyond this critical fix, the update addresses compatibility issues with the latest versions of ITVX and U apps, along with numerous improvements to stability, recording reliability, subtitle display, and audio output.
T4-R Specific Improvements
For T4-R owners, several recording and interface issues have been resolved:
Fixed in 2.06:
Subtitle synchronisation problems: When playing back a recording that was still in progress, subtitles would completely stop working after catching up to live TV. This has now been fixed.
Wrong subtitle display: When playing back an in-progress recording while two other recordings were happening simultaneously, the system would incorrectly display another programme’s subtitles after catching up to live TV.
Channel Browser improvements: Previously, when watching TV and pressing Info to open the Channel Browser, then pressing Info again to view more programme information, attempting to press Info on another programme wouldn’t display its information until the browser was closed and reopened.
Fixed in 2.05:
The standby mode issue: The long-running problem that could cause your T4-R to become unresponsive when entering or exiting Sleep or Smart standby modes has finally been resolved after months of work.
Recording deletion problems: Previously, programmes that were recorded and then deleted would incorrectly appear as “skipped” and couldn’t be re-recorded. This has been fixed.
+1 channel recording errors: When recording split events on +1 channels (e.g., ITV2+1) that were currently airing live on the main channel (e.g., ITV2), the system would incorrectly record on the main channel instead, causing part of the programme to be missed.
Slow recordings menu: Users with a large library of recordings would experience a noticeable 3-4 second delay when opening the Recordings menu.
Missing clash notifications: The recording clash icon failed to appear against series folders in the Scheduled section of the Recordings menu when episodes had scheduling conflicts requiring attention. These important notifications now display correctly.
General Improvements for Both Models
Both the T4-R and T4 benefit from these fixes:
Fixed in 2.06:
Channel Browser information display: Same interface improvement as mentioned for the T4-R, ensuring proper programme information appears when navigating through the Channel Browser.
Fixed in 2.05:
App compatibility: Both ITVX and U apps could crash when starting playback due to recent app-side changes. Manhattan notes that both apps temporarily reverted these changes until this update was available, but the permanent fix is now in place.
iPlayer stability: BBC iPlayer would sometimes crash unexpectedly during playback, an issue that’s now been resolved.
EPG system crashes: The system could crash unexpectedly due to an issue with the EPG module used to collect TV Guide programme data.
Audio output corrections: When watching an HD channel with 2.0 audio and Dolby enabled, both boxes would incorrectly signal and output 5.1 audio over the Optical connection with sound only from the left and right speakers. (This was previously fixed for HDMI in the 1.08 update and is now resolved for Optical connections too.)
YouTube audio improvements: YouTube would not pass through 5.1 surround sound even when Dolby was enabled in the audio settings. This limitation has been removed.
YouTube volume control: When using YouTube with Dolby set to Auto and passing digital audio through to a connected device, the volume bar would still appear when pressing the volume buttons, even though volume control is handled by the connected device in this mode. This confusing behaviour has been fixed.
Interactive app interference: When opening YouTube on a channel with an interactive application (e.g., 210 Ketchup Too), or after launching BBC Red Button+ on a BBC channel, the interactive application would appear on top of YouTube, blocking the interface.
Search results information: Broadcast search results would not display “Updating Info…” while programme data was being retrieved, leaving blank tiles showing only programme titles with no indication that additional information was loading.
Live programme information: When a currently-airing programme displayed in broadcast search results ended, their tiles would lose all timing and scheduling information, displaying only the programme name.
Truncated channel names: Channel names shown in the More Info Broadcast Episodes and Showings carousels could be unnecessarily cut off (e.g., “107. BBC THREE H” instead of “107. BBC THREE HD”). The display now shows full channel names.
On Demand descriptions: On Demand programme descriptions could be truncated incorrectly at the end of their first line, cutting off important information. This formatting issue has been fixed.
How to Update Your Manhattan T4-R or T4
Users can update their devices in two ways:
Over the internet:
- Ensure your device is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet
- The box will update automatically overnight while in Standby
- To update immediately, press HOME and select: Settings > System > Software Updates > Check for update now
Using a USB stick:
- Download the full instructions and update files from Manhattan’s website
- Follow the provided instructions carefully to complete the update
To check your current software version, press HOME and select: Information.
- Order Manhattan T4 Freeview Player
- Order Manhattan T4-R 500GB Freeview Recorder
- Order Manhattan T4-R 1TB Freeview Recorder
- Order Manhattan T4-R 2TB Freeview Recorder
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Are they planning to support Netflix in the future?