Free Digital Channels

[Molly]

How can I receive free digital channels?

a) Purchase a set top box and receive the transmissions through my aerial?

b) Purchase a dish and set top box?

Which option is the best and how much would the equipment cost? Can anyone recommend a retailer.

[LV426]

Your choices as you say are:

a) Purchase a set top box and receive the transmissions through my aerial?

Works well enough if you have a good signal. As a rule of thumb, if your analogue reception is good, your Digital will probably be, too. But this isn't a cast-iron guarantee.

Buying a terrestrial STB is expensive - about GBP300. What you can do, is get an On-Digital prepaid box for about GBP100. The box is never yours; it's on loan to you for as long as you subscribe to a minimum number of pay channels. This costs GBP100 per year. The first year is already paid for.

Advantage: Has ITV. Easy to install (just plug in and go). You can choose which make of box (I recommend the new PACE735 or Pioneer; avoid Philips and Nokia). Also, because your up for paying GBP100 a year anyway - you can just send it back and get a new one when the year is up - that's exactly what I did.

Off the record - if you give a false name and address when you buy it, and don't register the smartcard, they'll never know where the box is and won't be able to take it back. You'll then happily be able to receive the free-to-air stuff for ever....

OR

b) Purchase a dish and set top box?
You can get a Sky digibox installed for GBP100 if you don't subscribe. It's yours to keep for as long as you like. Or pay much less (eg GBP20) for installation, provided you do subscribe for at least 12 months.

Advantage: Many say picture quality is better (I can't comment). Disadvantage - Sky choose the box for you and it may be a poor one. Also no ITV as yet.


OR

You could buy a new TV with a DVB receiver built in.

Although it pains me to say it, you are as well getting a Prepaid OnDigital box from Comet, Currys, Dixons. They are all the same price give or take a quid. As for Sky - it makes no odds where you go because they have to come (from Sky) to deliver and install it anyway.

[Molly]

Thanks for the reply.

I can't believe there is no cheap alternative into digital TV. How much does the extra kit built into a DV TV cost?

Doesn't anyone make cheap Digital decoders?

[StephenR]

Pace and other companies will be producing digital TV add-ons which should cost less than £50. These will be small devices which you can connect to a TV to get free channels from your aerial. They should be available before the end of the year.

If you can't wait I would suggest the Sky option. If you order from an independent you can choose your box (choose a Panasonic TU-DSB30 or TU-DSB31 for speed or the Sony for optical output) and you get many more free channels. Downside is no ITV/ITV2 but that will be rectified by the end of this year.

[Peter J Roberts]

I do not condone such things (Yeah Right) but for around £60 you can get Pirate Ondigital cards that give you EVERYTHING that is avalable with ondigital Including OnRequest.

and yet I still use Sky ask yourself why....

Im damed if I know

Actually, you can get "magic" OnD cards for nearer £15-00 these days (the world and his brother is selling them in the newsgroups!) And here is a measure of how widespread OnD piracy is: 10th June - OnD start broadcasting ecms to knock the most prevailent (dbmg2) pirate cards on the head; 18th June the ecm-proof "kevlar v1.3" is released, with a promise of dbmg3 to follow shortly!

Heyho, OnD must have had a reason to use SECA / Mediaguard encryption, but I'll be buggered if I'll ever work it out..!

stan.

[MartinImber]

I think the IDTV route is probably the best, if you want a new TV.

I have got a Sony KV32DX20 and I am happy with it.

Sony should do a 36" IDTV