Reviews related to : Freeview
The Government's perceived wisdom is that analogue TV has had its day and will be replaced by digital broadcasts. Instead of boring old analogue, you'll get to choose (consumer power) between satellite, cable or the new 'digital' terrestrial service (Digital Video Broadcast, or DVB).
Of course if you're happy with your existing analogue system - tough - your government wants to sell that area of the electromagnetic spectrum for some exorbitant fee!
Freesat is a digital television service that has come about as the result of a co-operative venture between the BBC and ITV.
This offering will provide subscription free access to satellite delivered television channels and services without the need to tie a customer to a contract. Currently the Freesat offering stands at 80 channels featuring those available via Freeview with one or two extra morsels. While this is subscription-free, some expense will be necessary in order to receive this service. For a start you will need a Freesat digital box or a television with built-in Freesat capability.
We all know Digital TV is coming but before you chuck out perfectly good TV’s because they do not have a SCART socket there is a way to get Digital TV using this little box from TVonics.
I have a 14inch Analogue TV that sits in my kitchen it works fine but when the switch off gets to my area it will end up in landfill or so I thought till I heard of this TVonics box. I had thought of adding a Digital Box but they all need a SCART socket apart from this offering. The box is 7x9x2.5cm with cables inserted. In fact this can be hidden away anywhere and the only visible item is a little 4x3x1cm IR sensor unit.
Polaroid is a name traditionally linked with instant film and sunglasses. They have however been
at the forefront of a number of technical developments over the years. Now they are capitalising
on that heritage to enter the high-definition TV market.
We'll be taking an in-depth look at Polaroid's Definia Range in December. This is a little sneak
preview of the Polaroid range. Paul Smart recently
and
was impressed with the results. The Definia range take that core technology and integrates a
digital (Freeview) tuner.
While I have seen cheaper unbranded boxes on sale in adverts, this is a new ball park low in a nationally advertised box it breaks the £20 price point and of course it’s not a sale price.
This is a simple black box, it is 21x17x3cm with the aerial lead inserted. There is a single LED on the front and the mains lead is hardwired into the rear. Unusually for basic Freeview units not only does an aerial input but an output as well. Most will connect to a SCART socket and it of course has one of those.
Humax provide a Sky+ (plus) like box for those without Sky!
Published in Entertainment
by petew
on Sep 10, 2007
The Humax PVR 9200TB is the equivalent of the Sky Plus box for those of us that don't want to be tied to monthly
subscriptions, but prefer the flexibility offered by FreeView.
It was with some trepidation that I plugged my very old TV aerial into the back of this Humax FreeView PVR. Having been on cable for the last 5 years with the aerial dangling in the garden I was expecting the worst! Luckily though the box sprang to life and discovered a good range of digital channels. The Humax PVR9200T provides everything you need to receive and record FreeView programmes onto it's internal hard-disk drive (HDD).
This is the first dual box that I have seen, great for anyone with a perfectly serviceable tubed analogue TV that only has a single SCART socket; oh that’s exactly my situation when not looking at other peoples offerings.
The box is 42x28x5cm and is silver grey in colour. The total weight is around 2.4kilos. The front edge has six silvered buttons and the front left has the DVD tray while to the right of this is a LCD display. Once configured most will probably control the unit with the 47 key remote control. Providing you have a TV with a SCART socket the Alba unit provides everything you will need.
Samsung 32inch Digital and Analogue TV (LE32N73BD)
Published in Entertainment
by paul_smart
on Apr 20, 2007
Several people I know say Samsung is a good make so after a long while trying I have succeeded to get one to review and you know what they are not wrong.
The outer screen dimensions are 81x51x10cm, there is a 4cm high base (but you can fit it on a wall) and the bases footprint is 24x47cm. The actual size of the wide angle screen is 70x40cm giving the diagonal 32inch measurement. As with most recent TV's the routine is much the same, remove from box, fit the base, plug in aerial and any other boxes (Sky, Cable etc), plug into mains and switch on.
This is a small sized high quality twin tuner PVR, I have been happily using it for several months and in that time I have not had a single problem with it.
First let me explain - the is a twin tuner unit and not a twin recorder unit. You can watch one channel while recording another. You can playback something while recording another, however, you cannot record two programs at the same time. Goodmans GHD8015F2 It is very small in comparison to other such units in fact the width and depth are no more than a standard video recorder but the height is half that.
Continuing my series of 32 and 37inch LCD TV’s with this Digital and Analogue TV from LG, having both means PIP (Picture in Picture) can be used to show a second channel.
The was reviewed in the same place as the 37inch offerings with my own 28inch standard TV sitting on the floor sulking. While there was more space on top of the unit the missing five inches does not really detract. It is 80x61x13cm and sits on a silver grey stand that is 21cm deep at the widest point in the centre so the panel itself is well within the stand.
Fancy a Digital TV that will fit into a pocket? Well this offering from Evesham has a seven inch screen and given the right conditions can view any UK Digital TV station.
The Evesham Portable Digital TV is 20x13x2cm and weights just over 500grams, so a large pocket is a possibility. However when used in a house you get the full range of Digital Channels (Freeview) when plugged into a standard aerial socket via an adapter supplied with the unit. When using it with the supplied magnetic stick lead in the house only a few channels were available.
Fusion Freeview Box
Published in Entertainment
by paul_smart
on Aug 18, 2006
From the same company that makes the excellent DigiFusion dual tuner unit with hard disc, this is a basic Freeview box at a basic price.
Installation should be a case of putting the batteries in the remote, connecting the aerial and plugging in the main lead. I did this but only the red light appeared on the Fusion box. I then checked the remote batteries and tried two different sets with the same response. I then unplugged the unit and plugged in again and this time pressed the button on the remote straight away and everything was fine.
This is a twin tuner PVR (hard disc recorder) with built in Freeview so you can record two channels at the same time, or start watching something from the beginning after it’s started, and, lots more.
There are lots of hard disc recorders about, some are analogue, a few are digital but this unit marketed by Evesham Technology has built in Freeview (so no other box is required) and best of all it can record two separate channels at the same time. Because of the loop through you can still watch an analogue channel at the same time.
Freeview & Internet
Published in Entertainment
by mfereday
on Nov 5, 2005
Accessing Freeview television and surfing the Web can be achieved with one device. That device is the iPlayer +.
iPlayer is a digital set-top box that provides access to the various Freeview channels.
Add a "+" sign to the product's title and you get several additional features
to boost the appeal and functionality of this set-top box. As is fairly standard, this piece of kit consists of the base unit, remote control,
SCART cable, aerial lead and power cable. You also get a phone extension cable
that has a splitter connection at one end.
A Digital TV and Radio Offering
Published in Entertainment
by mfereday
on June 28, 2005
Digital Freeview television and radio on your computer sounds like a media junkie’s dream. However frustration and disappointment could follow.
My first experience of a television tuner card, just over five years ago, was a Hauppauge unit. Maybe because of this, along with an element of rose-tinted nostalgia, I have always had a soft spot for the company's range of analogue and digital tuners whether these were external USB devices or of the PCI card variety.
iPlayer+ Freeview Box and more
Published in Entertainment
by paul_smart
on May 13, 2005
This is a Freeview unit, but just like other recent items it does more, and in the case of the iPlayer+ that means playing MP3 and photo images on your TV and it also can collect and receive emails and even more.
Firstly it is a very good and easy to tune Freeview box, it is 31x20x5cm with cables inserted. The front of the unit has three pin hole LED's red, green and yellow. The red is on when power is connected to the unit, the green comes on when turned to a digital TV or Radio station and the yellow comes on when there is email waiting to be read. The front also has the infra-red receiver for the remote control and wireless keyboard.
Adding extra channels to your basic television viewing could not be easier. All you need is one of the new generation of set-top boxes such as the Hauppauge DEC110-T.
This digital terrestrial receiver, measuring 160 x 140 x 35mm and
capable of bringing the Freeview channels into your living room, comes
boxed in a package that contains all the bits and pieces you are likely
to need. For a start you get the DEC110-T unit but more of this piece
of equipment later. There is a remote control powered by two AAA
batteries and a 12v power supply for the actual unit.
Free means different things to different people. Take Freeview and free-to-air as an example. There is no subscription charge but you do need to purchase an appropriate receiver.
The Government's perceived wisdom (surely an oxymoron) is that analogue TV has had its day and will be replaced by digital broadcasts. This digital switchover is due to begin in 2007. A taster of what is to come can be experienced with the Freeview service which rose, Phoenix-like, from the debacle known as On-Digital and its monkey figurehead.
Free means different things to different people. Take Freeview and free-to-air as an example. There is no subscription charge but you do need to purchase an appropriate receiver.
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