Freeview Box Wanted

[cymaz]

I need some advice please..

I have been with Sky for 20 years. But the monthly cost is beginning to get stupid. I have the phone and broadband package and the tv family pack.

The monthly cost is around £60! If I get Freeview and keep the Sky phone and Internet, I reduce the bill to about £25/month.

BUT the big question is which Freeview box should I get

My telly is non HD, though we might get an HD projector and screen in the future.

Any help and advice would be a big help.

[Gary Manuel]

Hi Cymaz,

You didn't say how much you are prepared to pay for the box, or what features you need.

If you want something that will record and play HD content, I thoroughly recommend Humax HDR FOX T2. Lets you record 2 programs while you are watching a recording - all in Standard or high def. worth every penny and will work with your projector in the future. I've had mine for a couple of years without problems. New models may be available but you can still buy this one.

This is the new model - top of the range

http://www1.humaxdirect.co.uk/Direct/Prod/Humax_HDR-2000T_1TB?sh=4107e0d3-7f41-46c9-a965-e5603de99c38

Edited By Gary Manuel on 19/11/2014 21:20:15

Edited By Gary Manuel on 19/11/2014 21:25:08

[Pete B]

Just to clarify, cymaz - is that the digital terrestrial system you're thinking about - Freeview? Or ar you thinking of Freesat, the satellite-based system, using your existing dish?

Pete

[cymaz]

Thanks for the tips. Freeview..as the kids bedrooms have tv points.

Edited By cymaz on 19/11/2014 21:29:46

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Wow that's a question with no or many answers cymaz.

Depends how much you want to spend and what you want.

Freeview boxes can be very cheap indeed.
Recorders are clearly more.
HD more again. etc etc.

Then there's Freesat, which would work off your existing dish (I'm fairly sure).

Some boxes will only have HDMI outputs, which may not connect into your SD TV. Check that.

With recorders, some will only record the channel you're watching, others will record two channels at a time.
Some simple boxes will record onto a USB stick...

You pays your money...

[cymaz]

It's a mine field isn't it !

[Brian Lambert]

Sky do a freesat service, use your sky box and dish, but no monthly charge. Talk to them.

[cymaz]

Posted by Brian Lambert on 19/11/2014 21:42:46:

Sky do a freesat service, use your sky box and dish, but no monthly charge. Talk to them.

Our bedrooms have terrestrial tv points so I am thinking that freeview would serve everyone.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Then there's Youview, which you can buy as a box, or rent from BT or Talktalk.

Basically a freeview HD recorder, with an internet connection for catchup services etc. The programme guide goes into the past too, so you can watch what you've missed. In reality though, this just takes you to iPlayer, 4OD etc etc.

[cymaz]

Oh ! Another viewing platform

[gangster]

Simply use your existing Sky box without subscription If you leave your card in you will get all the freesat channels Pretty sure Sky would willingly sell you a Freesat card but I dont think it will give you any more channels You do need a card of some sort in but your old cancelled sky card will do

[Frank Skilbeck]

Are you saying the TVs in all the other rooms are so old that they don't have built in freeview tuners?

[Vecchio Austriaco]

As you say to cymaz his TV sets are old if they do not contain a freeview tuner- I have currently 3 TV sets in the house, all are flat screen - 2 of them hd -means not that old but none of them has a freeview tuner built in. Probably I am old fashioned but I refuse to change devices which are perfectly working.
VA

[TinPot Pilot]

You need to know that if you go freesat using your existing Sky box you will lose your recording facility . I consider this a con but there is little we can do about it.

[cymaz]

We do record some programms, so I think a freeview recorder will be the way to go. Possibly with HD just in case our old telly decides its time to blow up. Number one son had a freeview telly in the house before moving out and it seemed ok to me.

The aerial has been up for 15-20 years and now appears to be at a funny angle after a gale, so that's the first thing to be looked at.

I've never bothered to look into tv choices for years as we've always used Sky for 20 years. Now the kids are away more and more, living their own lives, I don't see why I should spend out on subscription telly for glam weddings and MTV celebrities that no one watches.

[Max50]

I took early retirement from work 2 years ago ,( and loving it, do it if you can afford it ), the first thing i did was get rid of Sky. I had the full package. Got a FreeviewHD recorder , and now i don't miss Sky. I record late night films on the hard drive when i've gone to bed, and then watch them as infill when there's nothing much interesting on, or record one program while watching another.

[Andy Green]

I've had a Humax FreesatHD PVR for some years now, excellent piece of kit, series link and easy to use. Uses the same Sky dish.

I did run a separate Rx so I can record 2 channels and watch a recorded program. Excellent.

Andy

[Cuban8]

I don't blame Cymaz for getting rid of his SKY package. I have the XL package from Virgin (no sport or films) and that costs us £65 per month, which quite frankly is as much as I'm prepared to pay for it. If they put the price up again I'll reduce the package down to L or maybe get rid of the TV content altogether.

There's no real competition between Virgin/SKY/BT and we as consumers suffer the consequences of ever increasing charges. It wouldn't be so bad if you could tailor your package to exactly what you want and pay accordingly. To get the factual channels that I like I have to also take all the dross from the US and UK as well, I've had BT Sport (yawn!) included when I didn't want it. Virgin made a big thing about it being included free, but as sure as eggs is eggs, they'll use that to justify a price hike in the near future - well, it wont work in my household.

The TV companies are a bit like how the big supermarkets were a few years ago, no real competition between themselves and customers paying the price. A different story now with the rise of Aldi and Lidl and customers voting with their feet in droves. A similar revolution is long overdue in the world of satellite and cable.

 

Edited By Cuban8 on 20/11/2014 08:02:05

[John F]

As others have said the Sky box will still work perfectly fine with the freeview channels so there is no point in buying to replace what you already have.

I would say, however, that you should hold off buying a HD projector.

A friend of mine has a HD projector and screen and is having a REALLY hard time with the company. After falling for the blurb and sales pitch he regrets it he finds it really hard to see in the daytime and the screen streches over time, giving horrid folds on the screen, despite it being a premium glass beaded "professional quality" screen. Any slight breeze will also make you feel seasick as the material flexes even a small amount.

It's a gimmick.

Edited By John F on 20/11/2014 08:30:59

[Dai Fledermaus]

Around two years ago we got rid of Sky which was costing us about £30 plus, a month, mainly because we weren't watching many programmes which were exclusive to Sky.

In our part of South East Wales, Freeview is transmitted from a relay transmitter, so we do not get the full range of Freeview channels. I bought a Samsung HD FREESAT box for £170, This offered many more channels and just connects to your existing satellite dish. It records in HD exactly in the same way as the Sky box does and paid for itself in around 6 months.

If you buy a copy of the What HiFi Sound & Vision or check out their website You'll get their recommended FREESAT and FREEVIEW recorders.

It's a good idea to check out which Freeview channels are available in your area before going down that route.

Edited By Colin Ashman on 20/11/2014 08:55:49

[Dai Fledermaus]

I forgot to add that on the day our Sky contract ended, the Sky HDR box we had, one which Sky had replaced for us only a month or two earlier - at the time it was the very latest model, stopped recording and would not give us access to anything we had recorded previously. I sold it on EBAY for a decent price and had a rather amusing message from the buyer thanking me for the recordings which came with it.

[avtur]

I have no interest in any of the Sky/Virgin options; movies, sports etc just not my cup of tea. I find that Freeview provides all that a I want.

For me Freeview via Humax HD box has been an excellent choice. Humax isn't the cheapest option but after much searching I decided it was worth paying a little more for one of their boxes, customer reviews are consistently very good.

Also the Humax comes with some internet TV options which I am beginning to find my way around, I think 'media' content delivered via the internet through either TV or Recording box is probably where the future lies.

My overall solution is a one off purchase of the Humax box and unlimited phone and internet from Plusnet for under £25 per month. This keeps me entertained and 'connected' to the world for what I consider to be a reasonable price.

 

Edited By avtur on 20/11/2014 11:08:57

[Dai Fledermaus]

I've had another thought Cymaz which will probably cause even more confusion.

We've just replaced our ailing eight year old 32" HD ready ( not full HD ) TV, with a 42" LG Smart TV. Now this one has lots of apps like YouTube and all the usual catch up TV like the BBC iplayer and 4OD etc and a built in freeview tuner which will record one programme at a time on to an ordinary memory stick.

As others have said Humax Freesat and Freeview recorders are highly recommended but you'll not get much change out of £230. Our LG Tv is available in Richer Sounds for around for £350.

You pays your money.................................................

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

How about a really low cost and unobtrusive option? This will even record if you add the memory.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]