ITV are updating their content protection technology, meaning that older boxes will no longer be able to access ITV shows on catch-up or on-demand.
The change is due to take place during January 2022. While the change takes place, older shows will continue to be available until they expire. New shows will be unavailable. Once all the older shows have expired, the app will be removed altogether.
Newer YouView boxes, plus Sony YouView TVs are unaffected by the change.
In a service update issued by YouView support, the company says affected YouView box models are:
- Humax T1000 from BT or retail outlets
- Humax T1010 from retail outlets
- Huawei DN370T from TalkTalk
BT TV customers
BT customers are due to be contacted by BT to discuss their options, including an upgrade to a newer box.
TalkTalk TV customers
TalkTalk is advising customers to “head to another device that’s available to you”. As a second option, it advises customers to contact them about upgrading their TalkTalk TV box.
TalkTalk is in the process of launching its next generation TV platform with Netgem. As a result, it’s moving away from supporting existing YouView boxes. This may explain the reluctance to advise users to upgrade to a new YouView box.
Customers with YouView, unconnected to BT or TalkTalk TV
No further support is offered to customers. For them, first generation YouView boxes join the growing number of 5-10 year old devices that are becoming increasingly obsolete due to changes to the way on-demand content needs to be protected.
Broadcast rights holders often stipulate a minimum standard of content protection as part of their rights deals with broadcasters.