Freeview, more like...

[jonjonjon]

Thought I'd join the digital revolution that is freeview. Anyway I like to research before I buy, and looking at the online reviews it seems that just about every freeview box available is plagued with problems.

Does anyone have any recommndations for a reliable basic(not hdd or tutv) box please.

Thanks

Jon

[eddielloyd]

I have a Sony VTXD800. I've had it for nearly 2 years and I reckon it's locked up about half a dozen times. When i say locked up I mean the channel info stays on screen when changing a channel. that's the severity of the prolem. It's not done it for couple of months. All you need to do is switch the unit off for 10 seconds and back on. It doesn't lose any of the timer records that I've set either, which is nice.

[SamRadford]

Our Nokia 221T has been reasonably reliable. Like all such boxes, it suffers occasional software "glitches" so I reckon we have to reboot it twice a year.

[mildred]

I have a Humax PVR-8000T which has never locked up, and is 100% reliable.

[ad47uk]

I agree., most freeview boxes and not stable enough. You will find it difficult to find a good one.

I know smeone who have a Humax Fox-T and that seems to fine, now they have the latest update.

[IronGiant]

Goodmans GDB 2 frequently locks up and has to be unplugged as there is no on off switch

Pioneer Ex-ITV digital machine, much more reliable but occassionally ignores the remote, so on off on the on/off switch.

Hauppuage USB to PC, nice machine, records to PC, software locks up every now and then.

So none of them are perfect.

2 are running off desktop aerials and the 3rd off our new aerial I haven't roof mounted yet (it's 3 feet off the ground at the moment) so we must be in a good signal area.

Mind you we're in a bungalow and Westbury are about to build houses in our line of site to the transmitter, so depending where the gaps are we might get nothing!

Dave

[Geofbob]

I bought the cheapest Freeview box I could find at the local Maplin, the Matsui DTR1, for £50, and it works fine. Indeed, I bought a second - for another TV with an indoor aerial - and that's great also. Occasionally, the Freeview channels sieze up, and I simply switch off the box of a minute or so, and it corrects itself when I switch back on. The only real problem I've ever experienced was due to a problem with the the outdoor (communal) aerial.

[MarkE19]

I've also got the Sony VTXD800 Freeview STB and think it is about as good as they get. The channel changing is fast, as are the text & interactive features.
When I first got it it locked up a couple of times, but has not done it for a long time now so a software update probably fixed that problem.

I don't think I've seen any users of this STB complain about it's performance or features. It is now quite an old STB, but I've not seen anything to replace it other than the DVR's.

Mark.

[MartinImber]

Poor - Nokia Ondigital box

Good - Pace DTVA

Variable - Pace Twin

Very Good - SOny IDTV

[sdc395]

I too recommend the Sony VTX-D800U. Very stable, fast and well designed.

[Bert Coules]

Do Freeview boxes differ in their sensitivity? I'm in a location which officially shouldn't be able to receive Freeview, but some time ago I borrowed an elderly and clunky box (Philips, I think) which worked perfectly well. Now I've acquired a more up to date Daewoo box: it's much smaller, lighter and neater - but it doesn't find any channels at all. The aerial and downlead are exactly the same as they were before, so presumably this is just down to the receiver.

If some boxes are more sensitive than others, which make and model is most likely to be effective in my fringe location?

Many thanks,

Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk

[cerebros]

Originally Posted by SamRadford

Our Nokia 221T has been reasonably reliable. Like all such boxes, it suffers occasional software "glitches" so I reckon we have to reboot it twice a year.

Bloody hell, you're lucky. My 221T is decidedly temperamental - will go fine for a week and then start freezing up (requiring the power cable to be yanked out the back) several times a day. That's why it's been relegated to the bedroom now we've got Sky+ and barely gets used any more.

[wildone]

Cerebros - wire in an inline power switch to the mains cable. Whenever you get lockups, it's easier to flick the switch. Apologies for being off-thread - thought I'd share a tip with fellow 221T users.

[cerebros]

Originally Posted by wildone

Cerebros - wire in an inline power switch to the mains cable. Whenever you get lockups, it's easier to flick the switch. Apologies for being off-thread - thought I'd share a tip with fellow 221T users.

Well I just got fed up with the lock-ups which is why the 221T is now barely used.

[MartinImber]

Originally Posted by sdc395

I too recommend the Sony VTX-D800U. Very stable, fast and well designed.

Sony IDTV2 without CAM support or a TV attached