UK Digibox: Classic or Dud

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (266 of them)

Bought a freeview box at the w/e because a salesman in one shop told me that it worked fine in our area. However his products were expensive & lacked the all important digital out :) so I picked up one on offer in Dixons.

Connected it all up to find that it can't receive any of

BBC1
BBC2
BBC3
ITV1
ITV2
4
BBC News 24
ITC News
Sky News
Sky Sports News
CBBC
UKTV History
Sky Travel
Price-Drop TV (wtf?)

Now I have to see if I can return it. I have a feeling they will try & stick the blame on me for not checking coverage fully first ...

― Mooro (Mooro), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Dixons, as noted upthread, offer a 14 day money back guarantee, I think. So you should have no trouble.

So you can get BBC4? That's odd.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

That means you're only getting Muxes A, B and D (and not 1, 2 or C). Bad news. Sounds like they haven't ramped up transmitter power for those muxes in yr area.

I'd blame N. for encouraging you against Web advice. Good luck getting a refund, DM.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I only said to give it a whirl! I made no promises.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I like my Ftn joke upthread, by the way.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah! Drat dastardly N. & his cavalier attitude to customers at his weekend salesman job!

― Mooro (Mooro), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

It's weird that they sell them in Dixons in an area that can't receive it properly. You'd think they'd warn you when you bought it just to save hassle for themselves. Maybe they keep some commission or something even when it's returned.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate everything about Dixons.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

DTTV uses the DVB standard which uses a bit rate of 8 Mbps Variable nominal.

Sky uses a standard that it created all by itself and uses a bit rate of 4 Mbps Variable nominal.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow, I didn't know that, Ed. Any Web links I could follow to read up on this stuff? What do you mean by "variable nominal"? 8Mb/s wouldn't be bad for DVD - do yr actual Freeview channels ever get near that in practice? BBC2 and ITV2 often look shockingly poor.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 22 March 2004 18:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think you can get a refund from Dixons. My folks bought my aunt one and they tried it, but it didn't work in her house. When they tried to take it back, they wouldn't let them return it as it had been taken out of the box and used. Like we could have found out another way that it didn't work. Bastards. (this may not have been Dixons, though I think it was).

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 22 March 2004 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

They must have changed their policy. Sorry Mooro - I feel guilty now.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Or else I am stupid. N. is usually more right than me about stuff, so you could try anyway.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 22 March 2004 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I dispute that, except when it comes to neds.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I only know what I've picked up through work.

Here's an explanation of how it works (this is how sky works at least DVB is very similar though):

Channels are arranged in bouquet of 8 channels. The 8 channels are supplied to a statistical multiplexer as 270Mbps SDI lines. The multiplexer dynamically assigns bandwidth to the channels, 32Mbits to assign in the case of sky. Each channel has a bandwidth floor and a nominal badwidth. The multiplexer decides where bandwidth should be allocated to get a picture quality of a certain level and dowcodes the SDI to the appropriate bandwidth. So channels with lots of movement get higher bandwidth and other channels get less. Some channels in a bouquet get priority and bouquets are normally organised with a couple of premium channels and a few lower value channels and maybe a data service.

As far as an objective assessment of quality BBC 1 looks better on freeview than it does on sky but the difference is not stark as the BBC not on the main sky satellite and I think they give it higher nominal bandwidth. The difference between bbc1 and one of the less premium channels is starker on sky. There are lots of other factors; the original footage has a lot to do with picture quality, but modern all digital 50 and 270Mbits footage obviously provides the best end product.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 22 March 2004 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

So channels with lots of movement get higher bandwidth

Blimey! How does this work.? I was thinking that there wasn't too much quick moving action on QVC, but have you seen how fast that steam cleaner blasts away grime??

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 22 March 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

FAQ for a CIsco statistical MUX

― Ed (dali), Monday, 22 March 2004 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The best quality picture I can get is definitely BBC Parliament. I think this is because it's always slight variations on the same picture, thus enabling them to dedicate more bandwidth multiplex SDI clusters to little details, like the reflections glimmering in a backbencher's glass of water. Am I right or wrong?

Mooro, I am sorry to hear about your problems. Although it's on an entirley different technological level, I recently bought a set-top (AKA indoor) aerial on special offer and then took it back to exchange it for a daft 'all-in-one' remote control, which was slightly more expensive. I had the extra three pounds all ready to make up the difference, BUT THEY REFUNDED ME AS IF IT HAD BEEN FULL PRICE, so I was quids in there then. I reckon they might refund you full price, Mooro.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 11:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Freeview box (with its BBC4 & super shiny five - it was nice while it lasted) returned today for full refund. I think the salesman was going to be awkward at first on the grounds that I could get *some* channels, but I did my charcoal grey pinstripe middle class oozing integrity number & it all ended jovially.

― Mooro (Mooro), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"You can get Ftn - what more would you want, sir?"

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

what the hell is f tn anyway.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The Ftn Channel is a frank and uncompromising television experience with an eclectic mix of gritty reality, celebrity gossip, full on talk, hard hitting drama and real life fly on the wall documentaries. Pushing the boundaries of entertainment, Ftn features some of the most original and exciting programmes from LivingTV, Bravo,Trouble and Challenge? and broadcasts from 6pm to 6am.

(see upthread)

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

That's what Richard Briers reckons, anyway...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Their strap line is 'Full On Entertainment' ...

"Ftn is available on FREEVIEW solely dedicated to general entertainment with a mix of talk, drama, comedy, reality and documentaries. Broadcasting from 6pm to 6am, Ftn features quality original programming from Living TV, Bravo, Trouble and Challenge."

Sounds like the TV equivalent of a tea bag.

― Mooro (Mooro), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ftn - better than a teabag, but substantially worse than teabagging"

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

If you stay up late, Bravo has shagging.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, that's a better slogan.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I updated the software on my Freeview box, and now I've got all the channels that I can only actually watch if I buy one of the new boxes with a decoder slot and subscribe to Top Up TV. I might consider this if it weren't for E4 being the only one I actually want. I'm not paying £7.99 a month just for that.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Intriguingly 'Television X' also appears on the list but there is no mention of this on the Top Up TV website.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes there is, this mention:

Top Up TV Channel 60 11pm - 5am

Television X - The Fantasy Channel (Adult Only)

available for a separate monthly fee - terms and conditions apply.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I beg your pardon.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

We've got a brand new non-TUTV station*, Nick - unfortunately, it's another bloody shopping channel, Ideal World (ch22).

(* Do people still say TV station?)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 29 April 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yes, I saw that. Is that 4 now? This must stop.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 29 April 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"ooh, these sandals are fantastic! (for 1/2 hour. Not that I waited...)

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 April 2004 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

Arrgh! We bought a shiny new freeview box last night, hooked it up, started searching for channels and found... bugger all. We should be able to receive all the usual free-to-air stuff in our postcode according to the DTG website.

We get pretty good reception through our aerial but the lady at the DTG suggested it needs an upgrade cos it can't receive the digital frequencies - is this likely to be the case? Should we just give up now and beg Argos to take the box back?

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 10:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Argos are quite tight nowadays. I am semi-boycotting them, when it suits me.

Will Digiboxes work with a set-top aerial?

I would persevere a bit, all these things are a bastard to get working.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 10:58 (twenty-one years ago)

> Yes there is, this mention:
> Top Up TV Channel 60 11pm - 5am
> Television X - The Fantasy Channel (Adult Only)

this morning i came into the room with the tv to find the digibox was on channel 60 when i could've sworn i left it on 70 last night before going to bed (to tape 'peel'). the tivo is capable of turning the digibox over but doesn't know about channel 60. poltergeists, obviously.

robster, don't you have 14 days grace with argos? i'd give it another go. try a signal booster.

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)

don't you have 14 days grace with argos?

In theory, but not always in practice. 'Oh, you've broken the seal!' etc.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I was wondering if a signal booster would do the trick - DTG person didn't think so. Haven't tried the set-top aerial yet but our reception's pretty poor through it usually.

I used to have a digibox that worked fine with a portable aerial so I could give it a go.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:06 (twenty-one years ago)

'Oh, you've broken the seal!' etc.

You peed on your set top box?

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Was that a bad idea then?

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

buy the signal booster AND better aerial from argos too, then if it don't work you can take everything back all at once

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

or just get broadband and digiTV all at once like a responsible internet person should :)

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't get me started on broadband...

Actually I would quite like to get started on broadband - we've yet to establish quite what all the holes coming into our living room do.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

They are for broadband mice.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

You may need to upgrade your ariel, and the down cable from it. I spend some of last night fixing the 80s vintage ariel cable and we still only got the BBC bouquet. Go for the highest gain ariel you can get (£40 from homebase, Maplin etc.) Get double screened cable and use distrbution amplifiers whereever you split.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

also.. is sky one on freeview? (otherwise is it worth it?)

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

no sky one, don't know about top up though

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 13:08 (twenty-one years ago)

No, sky 1 isn't on freeview, but yes, it is worth it. FOr the sake of £60, you get top-bopmbing terrestrial channels + bbc3 and bbc4, which is a def. plus.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Top up is shit. It costs about £7 a month or something and all you get that's any good is E4. Also you need one of those new boxes that take decoder cards (or an old OnDigital one, I think).

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 166 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i was watching the war film 'the train' last night, or bits of it, on film4 + 1. blocky as fuck. i wonder if +1 is blockier than the actual filmfour.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 26 January 2007 09:57 (nineteen years ago)

Filmfour has a crystal clear picture usually. Maybe the source of Battle Royale was just crap. Last night I watched "Stuck on You" and it looked perfect. I almost cried when they were on the operating table. I am such a ninny.

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Friday, 26 January 2007 11:46 (nineteen years ago)

i guess 'the train' could well have a shitty source. i switched over and indeed 'stuck on you' looked pin-sharp. it would be funny if +1 were lower quality tho.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Friday, 26 January 2007 11:51 (nineteen years ago)

it would be funny if +1 were lower quality tho

Yeah, cos it's supposed to be one better, innit? That's the point.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 26 January 2007 11:57 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

MORE4 – 10 Feb 2007

15:35 Relocation, Relocation
16:40 Relocation, Relocation
17:45 Relocation, Relocation
18:50 Snowmail
18:55 Relocation, Relocation
20:00 Relocation, Relocation
21:00 Inside Waco
23:05 GBH
00:40 Relocation, Relocation

― jed_ (jed), Saturday, 10 February 2007 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

So it's pretty much the same as channel 4, then.

― g00blar (gooblar), Saturday, 10 February 2007 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

I have just done a search for the Liverpool Everton thread, but ended up here instead.

So...

I take back what I said about Life on Mars being rubbish. I enjoyed epsiode 2 very much, and although I didn't enjoy episode 3 as much, I think it might be just a question of overdoing it. I am looking forward to the one about wife-swapping parties.

My cheapo digibox's perfromance gets worse and worse. I often switch over to "normal" telly now. I take great comfort in this act of rebellion, but it is not that convenient really.

― PJ Miller, Thursday, 22 February 2007 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe it's a seasonal reception thing - all our ITV channels are blocking and breaking up something chronic thesedays.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 22 February 2007 16:55 (nineteen years ago)

The damp/rain can play merry hell with any connector or junction boxes you have on the line from your aerial and the damp air isn't great for radio propagation either. It's been wet recently.

― Ed, Thursday, 22 February 2007 16:57 (nineteen years ago)

I was worrying that maybe the strong winds in January had loosened something up there and I was going to have to emulate Rod Hull and get a big ladder to fix it. But the junction box is a good one - it's just to the left of our living room window so perhaps I can put a little mac on it.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 22 February 2007 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

junction box theory is a good one, I meant to say

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 22 February 2007 19:56 (nineteen years ago)

second week running the tivo has turned over to record a (unwanted) second showing of Screen Burn and then try and turn over for Millennium on itv4 an hour or so later only for the poxy set top box to stick on bbc4. on the recording i can see the '28' appear on screen but the box just sticks on '9'. argh.

― koogs, Friday, 23 February 2007 08:50 (nineteen years ago)

That is terrible news, Andy. May I suggest a HUMAX dual-core model?

I'm not sure we even have a junction box, but the aerial is pretty crap. Previous resident was a Sky person.

Am I right in thinking a new aerial would be in the region of a hundred nicker?

I think I might have asked this question before, so here is an additional one:

And could we take it with us when we move? Assuming we eventually do. Would this involve Rod Hullism?

I wonder if Rod Hull lived in the Thames Valley. Seems likely, after all, it is the light entertainment capital of the world.

― PJ Miller, Friday, 23 February 2007 09:30 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.