Home› Terrestrial and Freeview› Freeview
Click here to check out Digital Spy's Tech section for the latest news, updates, reviews and cheap deals.
Options

can anyone recommend a cheap freeview box?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3
Forum Member
in Freeview #1
Hi there,

I would like to buy a cheap freeview box and was wondering which one to buy since I have no idea what to look out for...

These are a few I noticed in shops round here (all around £40):
Asda: Pacific PSTB-1
Woolworth: Echostar T-101
Argos: Alba STBX3

Can anyone give me a recommondation please?

Thanks a lot,
Andrea

Comments

  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,500
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #2
    I know the echostar 101+ from woolies is good, dont have 1st hand experience of the others
  • Options
    fixermanfixerman Posts: 1,329
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #3
    Of the three you mention there is no contest....go for the Echostar. Make sure you get the + from woolies. Tesco are selling the "non+" for £5 more.
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3
    Forum Member
    #4
    Thank you both, I'll try and get the 101+!

    Cheers,
    Andrea
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 619
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #5
    Good choice - I grabbed a T101+ about two weeks ago after reading on here and it's a cracking unit.

    Took a while to find one though - it was three Woolies before I tracked one down !
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 92
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #6
    Im an installer and the only ones I use are the Echostar T101, good, reliable, cheap and easy to use.
  • Options
    Coz21Coz21 Posts: 1,906
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #7
    But someone on here said it was slow with a shaky picture.
  • Options
    Coz21Coz21 Posts: 1,906
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #8
    What's the difference in the plus and the non-plus?
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 201
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #9
    plus has 8 day epg and i think u can delete channels, while mine cannot the t101!!
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 633
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #10
    paddy0991 wrote:
    plus has 8 day epg and i think u can delete channels, while mine cannot the t101!!
    You can't delete channels.
    It doesn't store subscriber channels (eg TopUpTv, TVX) to the lineup though.

    Never seen any evidence of a shaky picture on the one i got my mum for xmas, she's watching on a 4:3 portable tv though so it may be different on a 32" widescreen tv.

    I think it's a very good unit, tiny and light too (like a box of 80 teabags in fact), only drawbacks i've seen are
    1) No volume control or even mute on remote
    2) Only change aspect ratio via menu
    3) MPEG is a little slow but workable
    4) Can't move or delete channels.

    Big plusses are the excellent EPG, good timers, signal sensitivity, price, compactness of the unit, 2 scarts.

    I like the look of the thing too but that's just a personal opinion.
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11
    Forum Member
    #11
    i went for the Pacific PSTB-1 from asda a great little cracking machine at £39.84p the picture and sound quality are excellent and channel changing is fast. i thought to myself if these little babies are anything like there dvd players which play anything i'll take one.i would recommend these set top boxes to anyone who is intrested in getting freeview some great features on this machine.9/10 easy.bargain :)
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3
    Forum Member
    #12
    Meanwhile I've bought the Echostar T101+ (the first two Woolies were sold out by the way). It works fine, it seems to occasionally loose the signal but that is ok, considering that freeview.co.uk says we wouldn't have any reception at all! :)

    A friend of mine bought the Pacific from Asda by the way, and I think it looks nicer (slightly bigger though) and the EPG looks better, but it only does "now" and "next", not the 8-day guide which is definitely useful, it makes setting the timer so much easier as well...

    The only odd think I've noticed with the Echostar is that it seems to need a reboot every couple of days, ie it doesn't respond at all until I disconnect it from the power supply and reconnect it. After that it works fine again. Anyone know anything about this? Should I return it for a new one? Or do they all do this?

    Thanks a lot,
    Andrea
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 633
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #13
    hi_there wrote:
    The only odd think I've noticed with the Echostar is that it seems to need a reboot every couple of days, ie it doesn't respond at all until I disconnect it from the power supply and reconnect it. After that it works fine again. Anyone know anything about this? Should I return it for a new one? Or do they all do this?

    Thanks a lot,
    Andrea

    My mum has never complained about hers doing this so i don't know.

    The only time it doesn't respond AFAIK is when it's got a timer event set and is on standby. Pressing "exit" brings it back to life i think.
Sign In or Register to comment.