Digital Freeview boxes, SNers opinions sought.
09 October 2004, 08:48 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Digital Freeview boxes, SNers opinions sought.
We're thinking of getting the old fella a freeview box for christmas (mainly because my mum has told him he can't buy one himself
), but I know the grand total of **** all about them.
Anyone got any experience of which are the good ones, and which are akin to a plague?
), but I know the grand total of **** all about them.Anyone got any experience of which are the good ones, and which are akin to a plague?
09 October 2004, 09:39 PM
#2
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15,623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Sony VTX-D800U from Amazon.com is a very good box,£83.Dont forget you'll probably need to have a wideband aerial fitted and most of the time it has to go on the outside of the house.
Alternatively wait til Sky do the £150 one off for a dish to get the free channels.S'posed to be later this year.This ooption will allow you to upgrade if you want,freeview,its the free channels and thats it.
Alternatively wait til Sky do the £150 one off for a dish to get the free channels.S'posed to be later this year.This ooption will allow you to upgrade if you want,freeview,its the free channels and thats it.
09 October 2004, 11:23 PM
#3
I got the Mitsumi version has it has RGB ourput, 2 scart sockets and the menu system is quick. Well worth the £50 or so. Also, a must have for a large TV in my opinion as the definition is so much better.
09 October 2004, 11:38 PM
#4
I've got a 2..... one with a hard drive and another without. Easy to use and set up so buy one from ASDA !!
THE BIG THING is to check that you can get the signal as some areas not covered
THE BIG THING is to check that you can get the signal as some areas not covered
10 October 2004, 10:37 AM
#6
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ecosse
Posts: 1,156
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't believe everything you read on the Freeview web-page about the coverage, we got the Mrs auntie one last year for xmas, when we looked up the web-page it said her area was not covered 
but we went ahead and tried it anyway, it worked 
no problem at all even with a 20yr old ariel, that was until some goofball 
decided to install a new ariel but moved it down lower and she lost the signal, guess what my next job is then 
John.
but we went ahead and tried it anyway, it worked no problem at all even with a 20yr old ariel, that was until some goofball decided to install a new ariel but moved it down lower and she lost the signal, guess what my next job is then John.
10 October 2004, 01:08 PM
#7
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15,623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Mica Blue
You can now get Freeview with something called 'Top-Up TV', which for £7.99 a month allows you to watch extra channels such as Sky one, E4, Television X 
etc...
etc...Trending Topics
10 October 2004, 05:40 PM
#10
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Gloucestershire, home of the lawnmower.
Posts: 4,531
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pace Twin has an optical audio out that I use no problem. But the Twin isn't cheap, but there again it isn't just a Freeview box.
10 October 2004, 06:01 PM
#11
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 757
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I got a Humax 8000 box with HD recorder for £122 from Currys - HD recorder makes all the difference, there's lots of good telly on at 4.a.m. all the rallying etc. - I haven't upgraded the aeriel so get patchy BBC4 reception and I'm missing the music channels.
11 October 2004, 03:49 PM
#12
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
I'm kinda confused, are these units 'plug & play' set-top boxs, a la Vegas & the Monkey, or do they have to be fitted and installed in the manner of sky or ntl digital systems?
11 October 2004, 03:59 PM
#13
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15,623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
plug and play,takes about 10 mins to set up.BUT you may or may not need to upgrade your aerial and IF it has to go outside then its a "getting a guy to do it job".
(dont forget poor Rod Hull)
(dont forget poor Rod Hull)
11 October 2004, 04:04 PM
#14
Scooby Senior
I looked into Top up TV today. £40 for a card adaptor, £30 pound for a starter pack, then £8 a month. Bugger that! I can hire an actress for the amount of time I would've watched it and still have change for a beer.
11 October 2004, 04:24 PM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Yep got two boxes too, one for freeview + topup tv in the lounge and one normal one for the tv in the bedroom.
Think its great and didn't have to buy a new aerial etc, plugged it in, a couple of minutes scanning channels and that was it
And no you don't get Sky One with Topup TV but do get UK Gold which I love for all the classic comedy thats far better to watch than all the sh!te on normal telly of an evening plus Cartoon Network and Boomerang for my sons, oh and me
Think its great and didn't have to buy a new aerial etc, plugged it in, a couple of minutes scanning channels and that was it
And no you don't get Sky One with Topup TV but do get UK Gold which I love for all the classic comedy
thats far better to watch than all the sh!te on normal telly of an evening plus Cartoon Network and Boomerang for my sons, oh and me
12 October 2004, 01:06 AM
#17
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 499
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Digital Audio ? .. Yep !!!
Originally Posted by druddle
I was looking for a freeview box with either digital sound out (yeah right !!!) or analogue phono out.
Are there any about ?
Dave
Are there any about ?
Dave
Pioneer do a brilliant Freeview box .. Twin Scart ( RGB ) RF loop-through, AND ur Digital out
for £90 ish .. One of the best boxes u can buy IMHO .. If ur looking for Analogue Phono out I'd recommend Pace's Freeview ..It's one of the neatest on the market ..again Twin Scart , RF , and Phono outputs ..
Hope this helps,
Steve
12 October 2004, 01:10 AM
#18
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: New Jack City
Posts: 1,500
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by paulr
plug and play,takes about 10 mins to set up.BUT you may or may not need to upgrade your aerial and IF it has to go outside then its a "getting a guy to do it job".
(dont forget poor Rod Hull)
(dont forget poor Rod Hull)
12 October 2004, 06:55 AM
#19
The cheap Mitsumi one has analogue out.
Originally Posted by druddle
I was looking for a freeview box with either digital sound out (yeah right !!!) or analogue phono out.
Are there any about ?
Dave
Are there any about ?
Dave
12 October 2004, 09:23 AM
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
CrisPduk I have got a Pioneer jobbie for plain old Freeview, parents got it for me for my Birthday, I only wanted a cheapo job but they went and bought me a Pioneer one which weas about £100, can get the model number later if you need to know, its very good quality, sounds like the one abobve to be honest.
The other one is a Pioneer ex ITV On Digital one which I aquired from Buzzer for the TopupTv and works a treat
The other one is a Pioneer ex ITV On Digital one which I aquired from Buzzer for the TopupTv and works a treat
12 October 2004, 09:27 AM
#21
Got a cheapo Freeview box...works great! and didn't have to upgrade the aerial...and it is using a £9.99 indoor aerial from Wilkinsons at the moment 
...picture quality is superb and no break-up...well happy!
...picture quality is superb and no break-up...well happy!
12 October 2004, 09:29 AM
#22
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,882
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by workshy_fopp
I got a Humax 8000 box with HD recorder for £122 from Currys - HD recorder makes all the difference, there's lots of good telly on at 4.a.m. all the rallying etc. - I haven't upgraded the aeriel so get patchy BBC4 reception and I'm missing the music channels.
Easy to use, fast response (Text etc) and you can even upgrade the HDD yourself (although it would invalidate warranty)
Oh, and it works great without an arial upgrade. Though I'm on top of a bloody big hill and you can almost see Emley Moor from here.....(Did I mention I once ran round emley moor mast naked?.....maybe a muppets thread that one
)
Last edited by jowl; 12 October 2004 at 09:31 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
28
28 December 2015 11:07 PM
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
12
18 November 2015 07:03 AM
JackClark
Computer & Technology Related
1
25 September 2015 06:50 PM