HbbTV - how is this accessed?

[Jhprelude]

I have a U4 and am really impressed with it.
However one of the feature it supposedly has is hbbtv.
For the life of me I can’t find how to enable/access this.

After searching this forum I have worked out I need a plugin, but I am totally lost as to which plugin.
There is no “hbbtv” plugin and the web associated plugin seem to be for setting up web access to the box.

Can anyone tell me what plugin/extension is required to access HbbTV?

Once it is installed, how then do I use/access it?

Apologies if this has been covered somewhere else.

Thanking you in advance,
James

[peteru]

U4 has no HbbTV. See model comparison.

[prl]

U4 has no HbbTV. See model comparison.

The U4 is a bit all over the place on this. HbbTV and Web browser capability is listed on the two U4 retail boxes I have, but not in the U4's Beyonwiz shop page, and some random forum contributor says that it's not supported

[Jhprelude]

@peteru and @pri thank you both for your prompt replies.

It was one of the features that I looked for when I was checking out replacements for my deceased Topfield back in June last year.
I have access to the catch up services via both my TV and my Apple TV so it is no longer an issue.
I just thought it would be nice to have them all in the same box, so to speak.

[MrQuade]

It's a bit of a shame, but since the HbbTV functions rely on the web browser, and the web browser is currently broken for the U4, and the browser itself is not developed in-house it leaves the U4 unable to use HbbTV. The V2 is in the same boat.

Of course, you may not be missing out on much in comparison to the other T series boxes. The commercial channels restrict their catchup services to registered devices with proper access keys, even the T series boxes that *do* have working HbbTV can only access the ABC and SBS HbbTV feeds as they don't have the commercial station's access keys.

[Paul_oz53]

@peteru and @pri thank you both for your prompt replies.

It was one of the features that I looked for when I was checking out replacements for my deceased Topfield back in June last year.
I have access to the catch up services via both my TV and my Apple TV so it is no longer an issue.
I just thought it would be nice to have them all in the same box, so to speak.

I bought the Beyonwiz dongle which is connected via a switch and a splitter to the HDMI-IN. But I couldn't stand the 7 and 9 catch up apps so I deleted them. Mostly use it for youtube and Stan.

As you have an Apple TV there's no point in the dongle but if you route it via a splitter to HDMI-IN you can record shows to watch later.

[Jhprelude]

As you have an Apple TV there's no point in the dongle but if you route it via a splitter to HDMI-IN you can record shows to watch later.

Hmm. Hadn’t thought of that.

[Paul_oz53]

As you have an Apple TV there's no point in the dongle but if you route it via a splitter to HDMI-IN you can record shows to watch later.

Hmm. Hadn’t thought of that.

Beyonwiz sell one that definitely strips out HDCP. I bought one that looked similar off of eBay that works too. Most cheapies probably work but there's always a chance some don't strip out the HDCP but I can't recall anyone ever posting their splitter didn't work this way.

[prl]

... even the T series boxes that *do* have working HbbTV can only access the ABC and SBS HbbTV feeds as they don't have the commercial station's access keys.

It's been a while since I tried to use HbbTV: I use the WizTV dongle for catchup these days, but when I did use HbbTV for SBS catchup on our T4, only a small fraction of SBS's OnDemand content seemed to be accessible via HbbTV. I don't know whether that's improved.