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Original poster

Can anyone recommend a freeview box

21 replies

allatsea · 06/02/2004 13:39

With prices seeming to range from £80 to £380 can anyone recommend a good freeview box? My parents want one, they're in their 70s, so it needs to be easy to install and kind of fool proof

thanks

OP posts:
ks · 06/02/2004 13:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

debster · 06/02/2004 14:19

We've got a Daewoo one and it was piss easy to install. Even I could do it! Got it from Dixons but it was over a year ago so not sure if they still sell it.

suedonim · 06/02/2004 16:42

We bought one from Sainsbury's for less than 60gbp. IT was v easy to install.

What is the difference between a 'good' and a 'bad' one? Do you get more programmes or something?

katierocket · 06/02/2004 16:51

suedonim - I think it's just that some cheaper ones (like the one we have that's just broken dammit) can be a bit flakey and have problems getting a signal. (think I'm stalking you today BTW

SHIREENSMOM · 06/02/2004 16:52

yeh they do still sell the daewoo one its in tescos for £60

click123 · 06/02/2004 17:08

what do you get with a freeview box? SORRY showing my age I guess but it all has me in total darkness!

lydialemon · 06/02/2004 17:08

We bought the Panasonic one with christamas vouchers so we could move our original (huge and clunky) Philips On-digital one into the bedroom.

Not only is it about a sixth of the size, but the signal quality is a lot better too. Try and see if the shop will let you see them working. They all have different software for menus etc, and TBH the panasonic one is really irritating compared to our old one.

lydialemon · 06/02/2004 17:13

BBc1,2,3,4, ITV1 and 2
CBBC, CBeebies
History Channel
price drop and bid up TV , QVC
News 24, ITV news, Sky news, Sky Sports news
Ftn, a travel channel
2 music channels, loads of radio stations

I'm sure I've missed something,

ks · 06/02/2004 17:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

spacemonkey · 06/02/2004 17:15

i get the same channels as you lydia

we bought a ferguson one for £53 from comet - i think it was fairly easy to set up (dunno tho - dp did it!)

it's nowhere near as flaky as our broken sky+ box

suedonim · 06/02/2004 17:26

Lol re stalking, KatieR. We get very good reception here as we're in direct line to a big transmitter. Maybe that's why our 60 quid version works just fine! Mind you, I never watch it anyway. I'm addicted to a programme called Mumsnet, which you receive on a computer.

spacemonkey · 06/02/2004 17:29

i'm not supposed to be able to get any reception here but my cheapo box works anyway

(lol suedonim btw )

Original poster
allatsea · 06/02/2004 22:48

does anyone know what happens if you get it home and you find out that the picture is poor? I've told my dad that he may need an arial upgrade, but if it's just rubbish/too hard for them to work can you send it back?
lydialemon - what's annoying about the Panasonic one? I've been looking at that coz I am generally pleased with panasonic stuff that I buy

OP posts:
lydialemon · 06/02/2004 23:19

With the Phillips one you could nominate your 'favourite' channels and when you flicked up and down the channels (as DH is prone to do during ads etc) you only went through those ones. You can't do that with the Panasonic one, so DH now subjects me to the delights of Bid-up TV and the like - and you have to remember the numbers of the channels or else it takes forever to flick over to the one you want. It undoubtedly wouldn't irritate me as much if we hadn't got used to the other one, it's just a personal gripe.

lydialemon · 06/02/2004 23:21

Oh yeah, when you buy it they should ask you what postcode it will be used in, as they can check how good the reception is there and advise you in advance if you might need the upgrade.

click123 · 07/02/2004 13:10

Many thanks for the enlightening replies I now know more than my DH for a change!

nutcracker · 07/02/2004 22:35

If you get it home and the pictures crap, then there is nothing you can do because they are not returnable unless faulty., well argos's aren't anyway. That has really put me off getting one.

JanHR · 07/02/2004 22:40

this is the one we have. It has had excellent reviews and has not crashed yet.

JanHR · 07/02/2004 22:45

DP always does excellent research before buying anything and the humax is the best out there for the price we paid

lydialemon · 20/02/2004 15:44

We've just signed up for Top Up tv, which is some pay channels running alongside Freeview, not many but it has Boomerang, Cartoon Network, E4, Discovery plus some others for 7.99 per mth. The thing is you need a card slot on your box, so if you think you might be interested you'll need to shop around for one with aslot(Woolies had one for £80 with 2 slots, but I have no idea of the make.)

StuartC · 20/02/2004 16:34

Check your potential reception before you buy.
DTG gives a slightly different result (see its "more details" section) to freeview.

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