Page 1 of Freeview Boxes, advice please

Although quite versed in general Home Entertainment thingeys, we`re looking to get a Freeview box at the end of the month. I`m a stranger to these things and I was wondering which, in YHO`s, is the best (in quality and value for money) would be the best?

Also, We`re in a block of flats with a communial coaxial aerial, will this be a factor?

Hi,

It depends how much you want the freeview box to do really. At their most basic they will receive all the Freeview tv and radio channels and give access to digital teletext. Pay a bit more and you`ll get two scarts, RF loop-through and maybe a 7 day programme guide built in. The most expensive ones are now starting to have hard drives and two tuners built in so you can watch one digital channel whilst recording another and pause live TV (a bit like a simpler version of Sky+). I have one of these boxes (the Pace Twin) and while it`s had it`s bugs I find it a great piece of kit. You can get it for less than £200 now too.
One other thing to bear in mind though is that the new Top Up TV service (due to launch next month) will offer a further 10 or so channels for a fee of £7.99 a month - see www.topup.tv for details. This service will require you to have a box with a card slot and decoding capability. Not all boxes have this and it`s still a bit vague as to which ones will be compatible. If this service sounds like it will appeal to you then it might be worth checking compatibility with whatever box you decide to go with.
A good source of info on all freeview boxes are the Digital Spy forums. Check them out on http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/index.php
Hope this helps!

It might be that you can`t get Freeview through your communial aerial.
I suggest you borrow a box first to try it out before buying one.

If you can, I can recommend paying that little extra to buy a Pace Twin Freeview receiver with built-in hard-disc recorder.
Records perfect broadcast quality digital widescreen pictures. Twin tuner allows you to watch one digital recording whilst recording another and with live pause facility etc.

Currently available for just £188 from Digital Direct.

Pete
My DVD collection

Thanks guys. I don`t really want that many extra channels, but 5 would be a bonus (I`m in Kent and they don`t broadcast down my way). Plus Sky Sports (I`m actually missing WWE!)

The Pace twin sounds tempting, but we really only want a simple one. I`ve looked at the listings in the papers, there`s nothing on the cable channels that`s gonna change my life dramatically. (Apart from advance Simpsons)

Just checked http://www.freeview.co.uk/ and it`s looking good re: communal aerial. I just need to call my local council to check our aerial`s been upgraded to receive digital signals

This item was edited on Thursday, 12th February 2004, 21:19

I`m in a block of flats, communal aerial, but I have a freeview box. I get pixelation very rarely. And receive all channels.

so, quick extra question. Do you receive Channel 5, Sky 1 and Sky Sports?

I thought you could only recieve `free to air` channels thru a freeview box? ie..all terrestrial channels (BBC1,BBC2,ITV,ch4,and 5) plus the bbc3 and itv2 channels...so I doubt Sky1 and Sky Sports will ever be available thru freeview...I know you DO get Sky Sports news and Sky news on freeview, which are to my knowlege the only `free to air` Sky channels... if they start giving away Sky1 and Sky Sports I`ll be mighty p***ed off being a subscriber! :/

This item was edited on Thursday, 12th February 2004, 21:51

No, you can`t get sky sports, you get sky sports news.
No Sky1 either

Sky Sports and Sky1 are not available on Freeview
On subscription via sattellite or cable only I`m afraid

The main channels available on Freeview are:
[*]BBC 1, 2, 3 & 4
[*]ITV 1 & 2
[*]Channel 4
[*]Channel 5
[*]BBC News 24
[*]ITN News
[*]Sky News & Sky Sports News
[*]CBBC & Ceebeebies
[*]some crap shopping channels and
[*]a couple of music video channels

Pete
My DVD collection

This item was edited on Thursday, 12th February 2004, 22:12

I got a Samsung for 80 odd quid in Richer Sounds a few weeks back...and as I can`t use an outdoor aerial for various reason, bought a wideband indoor one for £9.99 at Maplin.

Stuck the aerial on top of a CD rack..pointed it towards Crystal Palce (which I can just see twinkling over the rooftops)..and it worked perfectly first time.

Just need something worthwhile to watch now :-).

My collection