freeview

radcliffe287

Beware cheap freeview boxes, incuding the SCART ones - they're often unable to display UK Teletext. If that doesn't matter to you, fine!!!

almillar

Are you talking about the old style Teletext that goes with analogue TV, which is being switched off by the end of the year and nothing to do with Freeview boxes;
or the new Teletext, 'red button' type services that you do get through Freeview? If it's the latter, any proper Freeview box should have no problem with that. Care to name and shame whatever box you had a problem with? Also has nothing to do with whether they use SCART or not.

radcliffe287

Yes of course it's the latter - and one example is the Premier Mini Scart Freeview receiver mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter (hence my reference to SCART). I've tried a couple of others, and the makers have acknowledged that UK digital Teletext doesn't work (nor does it on the Hauppauge WinTV 7 USB stick for that matter!). I'm just saying 'beware'!

Kurtis_Blue

Neither of those two items mentioned are proper freeview branded boxes just generic DVB-T.

Any proper freeview branded equipment whatever the price comes with Teletext as part of the specs.

radcliffe287

Your comment about Freeview branding is well taken! I doubt if many viewers / consumers would know the difference between 'generic DVBT' and Freeview. So I guess that's the message - always check for this branding before purchasing!

Heinz

I'd say you would not be missing much - it's vastly inferior to analogue teletext/Ceefax IMHO. It's certainly less user-friendly.

almillar

Kurtis Blue has hit the nail on the head. General advice would be to be very wary of any 'freeview' or 'freesat' boxes on sale in Aldi, Lidl, B&Q, Maplin for starters as they're often unofficial and you can run into exactly this kind of problem, as well as EPG problems.