Seeking Freeview Box

oxter

I'm considering buying my first freeview box and have been reading reviews on http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/terrestrial/reviews/
I'm confused at the problems some people are having and wonder if I should hold off till the glitches have been sorted out? I fancied a Thomson DTI2300 or 2305 with top up tv but there are unresolved problems with this one.

Think I'll buy a simple cheapie to begin with pref. with 2 scarts and a RF loop. I can always use it in another room or the caravan when I buy a singing dancing one later on.

Any recommendations on a reliable, simple cheapie?

Joe_Bloggs

I agree with oxter on avoiding topup TV for now but this is because of the part time nature of all of the channels and the continous pap that they show.
If you want repeats then stick with free to air rather than pay for this soon to be repeated material.
J_B.

Hintza

Mr_Skint wrote:

I bought a Freeview box and I must admit theres a load of pap on it so I sold it after a month, so Im gonna wait until the government takes away my freedom of choice then I will get one, Hopefully they might have the odd programme to watch then.

What KAK!!!

Just the Olympics and the Rugby World Cup made this a great buy. Then you have Sky News for a different perspective on the world. You get the new BBC channels which have some very good programmes. ITV2 is okish and ITV3 lets you watch all those old favourites if thats your thing. Digital radio, and the childrens channels make a pretty good package.

For £30 plus I would say a good buy.

dirtyred619

What extra channels do you get with Top Up TV?

Hintza

Go to:-


http://www.topuptv.com/

dirtyred619

Thanks. After taking a look I'm not sure if its worth doing, £7.99 for a few extra channels that aren't fantastic, suppose its down to personal preference.

Paul_Varjak

I had a PACE Freeview Box that could receive TOPUPTV (after software upgrade) but I only used the free channels anyway. The great thing about the PACE boxes is their Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) - it's like Sky Plus.

Now have a BUSH FREEVIEW. This is better in every respect than the PACE box, except it won't get TOPUPTV and the the EPG is not as good. The BUSH has an RF loop - which is a great boon should your digital transmissions be lost - and it also has two SCART connectors.

PACE have stopped making FREEVIEW boxes (I think).

shrek101

I dont think freeview is boring tv at all. I have had it since its first came out and before that ITV digital. It's improving abet slowly and more channels are planned. The picture provided you are in a fair good recption is better than normal UHF signal.

The Humax FOX-T or Humax PVR8000 are one of the best boxes and are supported by the manufacter, via OTA (Over The Air ) updates. BBC channels are partiularly good theres some good things onn BBC3 and 4, that normally on make it to prime time tv once they have been on there, Little Britain for example.

I agree it could so with improvements, ie a documentary channel for example, Freeview isnt designed to compete with $KY.

Dont also forget you have have little choice but to go digital soon, and once that happen provided there is demand there will be even more channel as you can get more digital channels on a UHF that current channels.

dirtyred619

I agree its fine with the basic package, you pay £35+ for a box and away you go, thats great. Its probably worth it for the digital radio stations alone. But the Top Up TV package is very overpriced for what channels you get, personally I'd watch maybe 3 of the extra channels if any.

shrek101

To clarify things, Toptv have nothing to do with Freeview its a separate platform. Toptv is subscription based digital package. All it is doing is cashing in and or providing a pay be view digital platform. Personnel I think its not cheap and only provides part time channels at designated time slots.

Shinds

You guys need to check this out

http://www.freesatfromsky.com