UK Digibox: Classic or Dud

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Thank you for listing your favourite programmes, Koogs. I will look out for them.

I think the Steady One is too stressed out to contribute.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:00 (eighteen years ago) link

my remote semi-broke, and the only solution is to buy another frigging box.

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:03 (eighteen years ago) link

On this model? Cos one of the reviews says it's a big liable to breakages (not the remote though).

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:08 (eighteen years ago) link

no, my model was the cheapest possible (echostar), it has NO BUTTONS on the actual box.

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't think my Panasonic has any buttons on the box either.

Alba (Alba), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:12 (eighteen years ago) link

This is a whole new can of worms.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:15 (eighteen years ago) link

> my remote semi-broke, and the only solution is to buy another frigging box.

what about a universal remote? might be cheaper. might be an idea to take advantage of argos' no-questions asked returns policy though. (i have a six-in-one but the digibox is the one thing that i don't use it for)

koogs (koogs), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:20 (eighteen years ago) link

They ask questions now, sadly.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Since I am now incapacitated and therefore anticipate spending a great deal of time home alone over the next few weeks, if anyone could tell me which didgibox to buy I'd be very grateful I'd prefer it if it was cheaper rather than expensiver. Like, I was hoping to pay downwards of £60 rather than lash out the sort of ackers Mr Hoity Toity PJM is thinking about.

Tim (Tim), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:32 (eighteen years ago) link

You'll get a decent one for about £20 - £30 in Asda Tim.

Rumpie, Friday, 21 October 2005 08:37 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm sure you will have many people coming to see you, Tim. Note clever avoidance of the obvious word to use there.

I would prefer to pay less too, but I have never heard of Humax or Digifusion and everything cheap I've ever bought has been shit.

There is a Philips one at £60-ish.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000A0D8HM/qid=1129887698/sr=1-30/ref=sr_1_0_30/026-1079273-2068421

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:42 (eighteen years ago) link

i think they are all 'much of a muchness' -- in what ways are the cheap ones less good? £30 minimum in argos.

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:43 (eighteen years ago) link

When we finally get a Freeview box, it will have a harddrive.

I like the Topfield TF5800PVRt, which lets you record two channels while watching a third, records 90 hours or recordings, and perhaps just as importantly allows you to transfer those recordings over to your PC for archiving.

Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:51 (eighteen years ago) link

The Simple Life: Interns is the only thing worth watching really.

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:53 (eighteen years ago) link

According to my limited research, some have a better chance of getting more channels than the others and of working with a crappier aerial. And then there is all the fancy stuff, like programme guides.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:54 (eighteen years ago) link

mine works pretty well of an inside ariel, the only channels I'm missing are QVC, bid-up, price-drop and channel 5. The channels go funny sometimes, but oh well.

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:56 (eighteen years ago) link

oh, and I can't get the 10 minute preview of Red Hot!

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:57 (eighteen years ago) link

oh, and I can't get the 10 minute preview of Red Hot!
-- jel -- (freeduni...), October 21st, 2005.

yeah me neither.

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:58 (eighteen years ago) link

my £30 echostar does everything i would want. i have a vcr still so don't have arial need to record digitally, since the input isn't great anyway (i live in a valley) i don't see the advantage. also digital channels repeat stuff all the time so i never record stuff in any case.

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 21 October 2005 08:59 (eighteen years ago) link

I understand your HUMAX reservations, but they do seem to be making quite a name for themselves in the Freeview HD recorder box market. I have seen them... recommended.

Alba (Alba), Friday, 21 October 2005 09:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, HUMAX is not cheap, really. Hm, HD recorder box.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 09:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Hm indeed.

Anyone have any HD recorder box recommendations, or should I cut out the fannidangle and go for the route one cheapy thirty quid knock it long to the big lad approach? Well?

Tim (Tim), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:22 (eighteen years ago) link

if you're at home all day, you won't need to record much?

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:30 (eighteen years ago) link

The latest humax recorder jobby got good writeups. Make sure you have a good analogue signal before you mess with digital though.

Ed (dali), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:32 (eighteen years ago) link

there's a cool one out there that you just plug into your usb of your computer and that lets your computer be the hard drive recorder...around £60 for PC version, i think? unfortunately, i don't know where toby found it, but a quick search for usb freeview turns up some results that are bigger and clunkier (and cheaper) than the one we were looking at, which looked more like this:
http://www.miglia.com/products/video/tvmini/index.html

colette (a2lette), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:34 (eighteen years ago) link

also ELgato EyeTV as well, does the same thing.

Ed (dali), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:37 (eighteen years ago) link

NRQ: I'm at work all day, or at least part of the day, depending on how injured I feel, but my lack of mobility means I will be at home all night most nights, which is unusual.

ED: I only have an indoor ariel but it's a booster and I think it will be OK (friends' experience in similar areas seems to bear this out). The 80gig Humax looks the one for me. Surely any more gigs than 80 is simply self indulgence? 80 seems a lot of gigs.

COLETTE: my pooter is not that clever and the whole upgrade-the-pooter project is something I am trying to ignore at the moment.

Tim (Tim), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, I am stressed. The Sony one upthread is the one I bought in summer 2003. It's great, never a problem with it; well, had some difficulty doing unattended timer-recordings off the radio through the optical-out, but a firmware update fixed that. Please note: I have still never made an unattended timer-recording off the radio through the optical out, but it's comforting to know that I can.

We have it to the side of the telly rather than on top; Ava likes to slap it about; the Sony remote is the one she likes to shove in her mouth too. Both have survived infant manhandling and droolage.

80 gigs? I reckon Carsmile can beat that. In a week.

Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Droolage is something to bear in mind. Good to hear about the digital "out" too.

How about this one, Captain Pegleg? £10 off.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00076WG8G/qid=1129899254/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-1079273-2068421

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:56 (eighteen years ago) link

> 80 seems a lot of gigs.

my 40G tivo was only 12 hours on Best quality (although Good (19 hours) was fine and medium was also watchable.). i upgraded two weeks ago to a 200G drive and it now records more than i can sensibly watch (i think there are 3 solid days worth of things i haven't got around to yet) but i don't have to worry about missing anything.

but, yes, 80G probably ok unless you're a square-eyed hermit like myself.

(Arsenic And Old Lace on this afternoon if you're stuck for something to watch btw)

my digibox was, for a long time, used almost exclusively to record Peel into the computer. worked like a treat but the radio 1 feed via freeview isn't the most reliable thing in the world - a decent fm or dab tuner would be better.

koogs (koogs), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:58 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm more tempted by this, Colonel Gappy:

http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/products/pvr-8000t.asp

Koogy I don't like the thought of you worrying about missing television programmes, so I am pleased you have a vast pulsating hard drive now.

Tim (Tim), Friday, 21 October 2005 12:08 (eighteen years ago) link

The 9200T has dual tuners so you can record and watch at the same time.

Ed (dali), Friday, 21 October 2005 12:10 (eighteen years ago) link

True. And another forty quid.

Ugh, decisions.

Tim (Tim), Friday, 21 October 2005 12:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, that looks like a snip at £140 quids. But who are Buy Your AV?

What's more Aamazon are kind enough to offer a few compatible leisure tips, I see:

Customers who shopped for this item also shopped for:

100 Naked Girls; Hardcover ~ Petter Hegre
Shaven Angels 2; Hardcover ~ Peter Lorenz
Natural Beauties; Hardcover ~ Eolake Stobblehouse
Stripped Naked; Hardcover ~ Peter Gorman
Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) Handheld Console Value Pack (Includes Memory Stick, Battery Pack, Headphones, Demo Disc and More); Video Game ~ Sony

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 12:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Sorry, only £4 off. Worra swizz...

I can't decide. Not that I can afford any of them really.

Meanwhile...

Book Description
Traditionally there have been two kinds of nude art: fine art nudes and erotica. Both have their place in the world, but they are not the only options, not any more. The third kind of nude art, what photographer Stobblehouse calls "simple nudes". This kind of nude art is special in that the primary...

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 21 October 2005 13:04 (eighteen years ago) link

two months pass...
I have got a digibox now. I may plug it in, later on.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 26 December 2005 17:07 (eighteen years ago) link

make sure you plug it into your telly and don't do what I did

cozen (Cozen), Monday, 26 December 2005 17:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Oooh I got the belgian equivalent! We'll probably splash out on some movie subscription as well. I love it.

Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 26 December 2005 18:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Pam has a gadget for her (1/4) £2k laptop now that lets her watch freeview on it.

Mooro (Mooro), Monday, 26 December 2005 22:24 (eighteen years ago) link

what did you do cozen?

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 11:41 (eighteen years ago) link

What an excellent gadget, Mooro!

I did plug it into my telly. It was easy. My pictures come from Crystal Palace!

Last night I watched Winged Migration. Without even pressing the red button I got extra commentary from my mother-in-law.

I think it is true though, that you get what you pay for. Our remote control is unpleasant and feels as if it has come from a pound shop, and the menu screens could be nicer.

It is Digilogic. Remember the name!

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 13:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I also watched Dr Who.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 13:38 (eighteen years ago) link

I have been thinking about getting one of these!

It is confusing, as I am unsure whether my reception is good enough for it anyway. I had imagined that digital TV was a panacea.

Here is another question: is it better to have a DVD / VHS in one box, or as two separate items? More wires the second way.

the snowfox, Wednesday, 28 December 2005 14:23 (eighteen years ago) link

shop assistants are v v unhelpful re 'will i be able to pick up digital'. they guide you to buy a 'signal booster'. there's just no way of knowing for sure, but you'll probably be alright.

Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 15:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, all-in-one is less wires, but as any dad will tell you, there's more to go wrong.

Our "normal" reception is pretty bad (multi-Hansen effect), but the digibox works a treat (one Hansen, but speaking with greater clarity of vision and purpose than ever).

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 15:48 (eighteen years ago) link

the best thing to do is to buy it from a supermarket - they tend to be cheaper than elsewhere and also will return things v. easily if you are not satisfied for any reason.

as for the DVD Video query, i'm of the opinion that it's almost always better to seperate items. if one bit get's buggered at least you're not losing 2 pieces of technology you need. also they are a bit gimmicky and tend to be impossible to fix.

xp

jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 15:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Here is another question: is it better to have a DVD / VHS in one box, or as two separate items? More wires the second way.

I've had an LG combined VHS/DVD thingy for 18 months, and I love it - and although it isn't mentioned in the instruction book, it lets you record from dvd to vhs if you want!

CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Our "normal" reception is pretty bad (multi-Hansen effect), but the digibox works a treat (one Hansen, but speaking with greater clarity of vision and purpose than ever).

With analogue ghosting, you might have won 8-0.

Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 17:25 (eighteen years ago) link

the slushfox:

"YES!

FREEVIEW covers your area for the postcode **** ***.

You should be able to use your existing rooftop aerial and wiring provided they are in good condition but you may need to get them checked to ensure good quality digital reception.

Your local electrical retailer should be able to arrange an aerial survey and aerial upgrade if you need one and advise you of any related charges."

Mooro (Mooro), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link

these are 40 quid in sainsburys now. (also 40 quid (and upwards) in dixons if you can get anyone to serve you). am thinking of getting a new one so i can a: watch bbc4 (ok, bbc3) in the bedroom and b: fit the dvd player under the tv rather than on top of it (the ex-itv-digital box i currently use is too tall to fit both that and the dvd player under my tv)

koogs (koogs), Thursday, 29 December 2005 22:35 (eighteen years ago) link


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