Freeview box prices....any advice?

wishuponastar

I currently have one of the old style TVs but I dont have a clue about freeview boxes...all i know is i will need one soon so that the TV will continue to work.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what i need to look out for technical wise...any special requirements?etc

I rarely watch TV so was thinking about getting the £14.99 argos one but wondered if there were any other ones out there around the same price range that may be better as the argos one gets mixed reviews?

Does anyone know of or have seen any other deals about on freeview boxes?

TIA

sassy_one

wishuponastar wrote: »

I currently have one of the old style TVs but I dont have a clue about freeview boxes...all i know is i will need one soon so that the TV will continue to work.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what i need to look out for technical wise...any special requirements?etc

I rarely watch TV so was thinking about getting the £14.99 argos one but wondered if there were any other ones out there around the same price range that may be better as the argos one gets mixed reviews?

Does anyone know of or have seen any other deals about on freeview boxes?

TIA

Try eBay, Gumtree and local junk shops - they often sell second hands ones at very cheap prices, £5-£10!

They are simply to use and automatic set up so don't worry to much.

DO you have an outdoors aerial? If not, you may need one depending on where you are living, do keep this in mind!

macman

Just check that your old CRT has a SCART socket. The majority of Freeview boxes require a SCART connection, very few are RF only.
At that price just get the cheapest you can, Tesco usually have some at around that level.

Kurtis_Blue

You can buy Freeview HD boxes and Freeview PVR (Recorders) as you have an older TV probably wont need the HD but the PVRs make recording TV very easy and you will be able to watch other channels whilst recording is taking place.

The better boxes have a better quality EPG (electronic program guide) something you will be using constantly too search and select programs to view, try before you buy.

For brands I like Humax.

If you buy one before switch-over and are having issues with reception be aware that when your old signal is turned off the digital signal will be stronger.

Hammyman

If your TV aerial has been up donkeys years, I'd budget in a replacement as well. The cable will be well shot by now and although it'll work OK for analogue, when switching to digital it usually flags up the problems.

wishuponastar

sassy-one wrote: »

Try eBay, Gumtree and local junk shops - they often sell second hands ones at very cheap prices, £5-£10!

They are simply to use and automatic set up so don't worry to much.

DO you have an outdoors aerial? If not, you may need one depending on where you are living, do keep this in mind!

Thanks, i put an advert on gumtree and will keep an eye out in the local op shops and ebay.

Not too sure about the aerial...presuming its outside as i never had an indoor one before and tv worked fine. would i know about it if i had an indoor one or are they inbuilt into the tv?

wishuponastar

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

You can buy Freeview HD boxes and Freeview PVR (Recorders) as you have an older TV probably wont need the HD but the PVRs make recording TV very easy and you will be able to watch other channels whilst recording is taking place.

The better boxes have a better quality EPG (electronic program guide) something you will be using constantly too search and select programs to view, try before you buy.

For brands I like Humax.

If you buy one before switch-over and are having issues with reception be aware that when your old signal is turned off the digital signal will be stronger.

So would it be best to buy one after changeover? or does it not really matter?

BOBS

wishuponastar wrote: »

Not too sure about the aerial...presuming its outside as i never had an indoor one before and tv worked fine. would i know about it if i had an indoor one or are they inbuilt into the tv?

Indoor aerials are normally in your attic - if it is outside you will see attached to normally your chimney. It wouldnt be build into your tv. When we got our first digibox 7/8 years ago we had to upgrade our aerial as it wasnt able to get a good enough signal for channels.

macman

wishuponastar wrote: »

Thanks, i put an advert on gumtree and will keep an eye out in the local op shops and ebay.

Not too sure about the aerial...presuming its outside as i never had an indoor one before and tv worked fine. would i know about it if i had an indoor one or are they inbuilt into the tv?

No, they are plugged into the back and normally sit in top. Not very difficult to follow the RF cable out the back of your TV and see where it leads to-it must either be on the roof or in the loft.
Generally you need a roof aerial for a decent digital signal, though it does depend on area.

daveyjp

Be careful going cheap - they may not be too good.

We have a cheap Bush TV in the bedroom with in built freeview and a Sony TV in the lounge - both on different aerials. Sony on the original house aerial and cables - 30 years old, Bush on a brand new aerial and proper coax, both aerials are in the loft.

Sony is excellent - changes channels no problem, programme guide is quick to respond, red button teletext no problem. The Bush TV is terrible, takes seconds to change, freezes when changing channels, doesn't load teletext.

To check if it was the aerials I swapped the TVs over, but the Bush is still as bad and the Sony excellent which suggests it's the processing capability of the digital tuners.

9217niall

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DION-DIGITAL-FREEVIEW-DVB-TV-DIGI-SET-TOP-BOX-/260635841337?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item3caf1b5339

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FREEVIEW-DIGITAL-SET-TOP-BOX-SMALL-EASY-SET-UP-/270618570096?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item3f021fad70

On some freeview boxes, even the ones in the catalogues, you don't get the SCART cable and have to pay extra for that.