Aerial installer says set-top box is better than IDTV. Why?

[AllFumbs]

My dear old Dad has decided to go digital, mostly because his old set has failed. He also wanted to get Channel 5 and needed a new aerial. (Awkward position of house and old, inadequate aerial.) He was surprised when the aerial-installer recommended he go for a new TV and a separate set-top ('Freeview') box as opposed to an integrated digital TV: the man said it offered more flexibility. Dad hadn't a clue what he meant; nor I.

Dad had rather favoured the IDTV because he doesn't like extra boxes and cables; could anyone suggest what the aerial-guy might've meant: in words a technophobe will understand, please?

Thank you.

[GaryB]

A separate STB can make recording from digital channels slightly easier as you can just leave the box on to record from it when you go out. STBs, in common with IDTVs, have timers but most people can't be bothered to set them.

Another slight plus is that if the STB fails, you don't lose your TV.

The minuses are, as you say, more wires, and possibly slightly higher electricity bills as you have two units on standby a lot of the time.

[nig28]

Hi
Years ago TVs had separate tuners but it got to the point where it was better to have it inbuilt.
One of the best reasons where i think digiTV is better is simplicity, especialy for older folk.
There are lots of options, you could get a digital/VCR and a cheap analogue TV, digiTVs tend to cost more and there isnt as much choise.
Nigel

[TV Headache]

I think the trade tends to prefer (and thus promote) set-top boxes over IDTVs because it's a lot less hassle for them in the event of a return, due to the difference in physical size. There are still plenty of places in the UK without good digital reception so returned sets have been a bit of an issue for them.

Having spoken to various users, retailers, installers and manufacturers I can honestly say that most of the people who say negative things about IDTVs don't actually know what they're talking about. One particular sales manager in a well known high street retailer even told me "There's no such thing as a digital TV, it's just a normal TV that they've stuck a set-top box in the back of. That's why I always recommend Sky to our customers."