‘I’ll never buy another’ TV fans cry as beloved box loses access to BBC iPlayer and Netflix in days

TV lovers have been warned they may lose access to popular streaming services like BBC iPlayer and Netflix in a matter of days.

A once-popular set-top box is losing support meaning all internet-based apps will stop working.

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Despite being more than ten years old, existing users of the Humax T1000 are not happy about the move.

“I don’t see why they are spending money to make boxes in operable,” one owner wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“They already upset owners by randomly pulling the app which was frustrating.”

Another fuming user said: “Removing support for perfectly good, working Humax T1000 is one reason why I’ll never buy another device with YouView on it.”

The Humax DTR-T1000 was the first YouView box released back in 2012, designed to act as a “hybrid” TV service with free channels and access to popular on-demand apps like BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

BT and Plusnet also sold the boxes.

Why doesn’t tech last forever?

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Senior Technology and Science Reporter at The Sun

Consumers regularly complain about gadgets that die too soon.

People spend their hard earned cash on (often expensive) devices and understandably want them to last a long time.

But with the speed at which tech is upgraded these days it’s tricky for companies to keep supporting older kit, especially when the number of people using them dwindle.

When apps evolve they adopt the latest technology and features which older devices may not be fit to handle, so extra resources are required to progress with new stuff while maintaining predecessors. And investing in resources mean spending more money.

Eventually companies decide it’s no longer worth offering updates and yank support, resulting in features disappearing.

But firms are getting better at continuing support longer and they are being pushed to be transparent about how long their devices will last so consumers can make more informed choices.

Take Samsung for example – it has promised to make security upgrades for the new Galaxy S24 series available for at least seven years.

The Humax T1000 has received support for around 12 years now, which some will argue is quite generous in today’s world.

Nowadays, most people at least have smart TVs with the most popular apps built into them.

But one of the selling points of the Humax DTR-T1000 was its ability to record shows and keep them on the box.

YouView says people can still use the device to watch and record Freeview channels with an aerial but any features that require an internet connection will no longer be accessible from February 28.

It also means enhanced TV listings information and images will no longer appear.

“This includes access to all apps and features such as Search, the Backwards Programme Guide and image thumbnails,” the firm explained.

“We released the T1000 set-top box over 10 years ago and since then, we’ve launched more devices using newer technologies with more features and apps available.”

Some apps like ITVX predecessor ITV Hub had already stopped working on the kit a while back.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk