[BigAde]

From reading the threads on here, it seems many people are in the same boat... Given that a twin-tuner version still seems some way off, I'm planning to get a single tuner DVD/HDD/Freeview recorder.

Cheapest option seems to be the Yamada DTR-1000HX from Maplin at a shade under £200 (£220 minus the £15 voucher minus 3% quidco cashback).
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...97186&doy=12m9
Anyone know what this box is like?

The one thing that is critical is a sensitive (and good quality) freeview receiver due to a poor signal at my place. I presently use the excellent Sony 800 set top box and have had no problems with that. For that reason I was thinking of a Sony or even one of the Panasonics.

Price wise - well the less, the better in many ways as I'm rather short of cash at the mo. Will probably look to get something second-hand off the classifieds forum if possible, but failing that maybe up to £300 ish new ???

Open to suggestions, ideas and comments

[Gavtech]

I have one firm piece of advice.

Don't buy cheap. You will certainly regret it.

Only go for major brands. Panasonic, Sony , Pioneer.

Of the brands, avoid Philips and JVC. At present [ 2006] they have very significant reliability problems.

Don't even consider the Yamada.

[BigAde]

Thanks Gavtech... appreciate your advice.
That rather echos my own feelings... certainly I've never regretted buying the Sony 800 freeview box - cost a few quid more, but the quality of the picture is much better than some of the cheapo freeview boxes out there.

Of the three major brands then (sony, panasonic and pioneer), I've been somewhat put off Pioneer from some of the comments I've seen which mentions that the freeview receiver itself isn't of the best quality.

[nicp01]

either

pioneer 545
panasonic ex95
sony 860

havent decided which yet....need a bit of persuasion...

by the way ..The best freeview reciever I bought was a card for my PC superb reception on a standard aerial puts the rest to shame and only cost £45 at a computer fair..looks well on the 19in wscreen amazon have just been selling for £105inc..

[BigAde]

LOL - I got one of those £105 19" widescreen DVI monitors off Amazon too!
And you're right, my Nebula DigiTV card looks superb on that too. Been using the PC to do all my off air recording recently, but a one box solution that the wife can also use would be soooo much easier.

Yes, the Sony 560/860 boxes look promising... anyone know what the onboard freeview tuner is like on those... (I heard the tuner on the 710 was no good in poor signal areas)?

The panasonic boxes look nice (and very well reviewed), but they seem to be more money than eiher Sony or Pioneer.

[Gavtech]

Originally Posted by BigAde

The panasonic boxes look nice (and very well reviewed), but they seem to be more money than eiher Sony or Pioneer.

The general opinion seems to be , that despite that, they represent good value for money... and are worth going the extra mile for.

[drpatterson]

The freeview on the 860 is giving a picture as good as my 800 STB. The only difference I've been able to see is the EPG, the STB has the program info usefully displayed as you scroll round, on the 860 you have to go into a program to see the full info.

Our aerial has struggled with cheaper freeview boxes but neither of these have given any problems so far.

[nicp01]

yep
wife thinks I'm crackers sitting at the PC while she's watching corrie little does she know..

even more crackers when I bought a humax 2000 and sold it 2 weeks later after trials..(super hd little else without a motorised dish)

think I'm truly gone when my dvd recorder of 3 wks goes..a yamada I'm trying files thru the usb port..

so which one pioneer/sony/panasonic??...I'd try all 3 but its the hassle of selling the things after...

People on here want them for different reasons...but I think we all want one box!!

go on you choose.....

[BigAde]

Excellent...many thanks... just the sort of information I was looking for.
Good to know that the 560/860 is as good as the old 800 box.

Was just googling and came across the following information review of the Sony 560
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.ph...&commentpage=1

[BigAde]

Thanks again to everyone for all the responses in such a short time... would still welcome further opinions etc, but so far I reckon I'm best off looking at a Sony 560 (approx £285), or failing that a Panasonic if I can find one cheap enough... (probably second-hand).

[nicp01]

Originally Posted by BigAde

Thanks again to everyone for all the responses in such a short time... would still welcome further opinions etc, but so far I reckon I'm best off looking at a Sony 560 (approx £285), or failing that a Panasonic if I can find one cheap enough... (probably second-hand).

I see the flea bin price for the ex75 is c£360
as is the 560....r u allowed to say where your £285 source is?
not much on the pioneer yet...

[BigAde]

Sure... just a quick pricerunner search, here it is:
http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/sound-a.../663836/prices

Also Ex75 is £328:
http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/sound-a.../587577/prices

[BigAde]

Just popped into Asda at lunchtime and it amazes me... you can get a Philips DVD recorder + 80GB harddisk, but no freeview for £99. Yet the Sony equivalent including freeview is £285! Just shows how they're ripping us off. With analogue switch-off looming there's no way I'm going to buy an analogue recorder! I suspect prices will drop considerably over the coming months. I might be tempted to wait a little while to see what happens

[nicp01]

Could even be worth trying this currently on ebuyer and building one with a couple of dvb t cards...got a dvbt in a square shuttle already but just a bit noisy for under the tv and wife says they dont look right!!..

MSI Barebone System - Mega MPC800K - SKT754 --> £84.40 Delivered!!

keep searching its either 860 or ex ?5 at right money

mind you that new packard bell tv/computer looks interesting

[BigAde]

Yes, thought about getting a Media Centre PC, but like you don't think it has a very high WAF.