Digital TV hardware guide
With so much choice available it can be quite confusing deciding exactly what kind of hardware you want. It’s not just cost the affects your choice of hardware - it’s also how you will use you TV service, whether you’ll be going for a subscription service, and whether or not you want the very latest and shiniest gadgets around.
If you’re going for a subscription, you’ll find that you might be able to pay extra for high-definition or a digital TV recorder. Here’s a breakdown of the different hardware available from each company.
BT Vision
BT Total Broadband customers who sign up to BT Vision will be provided with a free V-Box (£30 connection fee) which acts as a set-top box and digital TV recorder (DTR), allowing them to record up to 80 hours of Freeview programming on the built in 160GB hard drive. They will also have to have a BT Home Hub in order to use the BT Vision service. This is free for BT Total Broadband option 2 and 3 customers but those on option 1 will have to pay £30 (or £50 if ordered over the phone).
Click here to read more about BT Vision or visit the BT Vision website at www.BTVision.bt.com
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Sky
Sky customers have three hardware options when signing up; those who go for the standard Sky TV service will receive a standard Sky set-top box which unscrambles the digital TV signal allowing them to watch their subscription channels.
Customers can also opt to pay an additional £99 - as a one off fee - for Sky+ box that acts as a DTR as well as a set-top box. The Sky+ box allows customers to record and store up to 40 hours of television as well as pause and rewind “live” TV. They can also choose to record an entire series at the touch of a button and best of all - using the Remote Record service Sky+ customers can set their boxes to record from anywhere using their mobile phone or via Sky.com.
The third option for Sky customers is the HD service which allows them to watch programmes with more than four times the clarity or normal TV. The Sky HD service uses its own set-top box that comes with all the capabilities of Sky+ but with the added ability of high-definition viewing.
The Sky HD box costs £299 but discounts are available for customers who have been with Sky over a long period. After the initial payment, Sky HD adds another £10 a month to your subscription. Note, however, that you must also have a HD television in order to watch any high-definition channels.
Click here to read more about Sky or visit the Sky website at www.Sky.com
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Tiscali TV
At the moment Tiscali TV customers only have the option to use its standard set-top box but as the service rolls out this should change. Customers taking the Kid’s package also get a kid’s remote designed especially for children that allows them to watch their channels without the risk of stumbling across anything unsuitable.
Click here to read more about Tiscali TV or visit the Tiscali TV website at www.Tiscali.co.uk
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Virgin Media
Virgin Media digital TV customers have two options when it comes to choosing hardware; they can either opt for the standard set-top box or the flashier V+ box.
The standard set-top box does what all basic set-top boxes do - it unscrambles your digital TV signal and lets you watch your subscription channels. It comes free with any Virgin Media digital TV package (£25 installation applies to all services).
The second option - the V+ box acts as a combined set-top box and DTR, allowing you to pause and rewind “live” TV as well as letting you record two other channels while watching a third, or an entire series in one go. It also offers high-definition capabilities so if you have a HD TV you can use it to watch any HD channels in your subscription.
The V+ box costs £150 to install and then customers on Size:M and Size:L packages pay a further £5 a month, while those on the Size:XL package pay no additional fee for the service.
Click here to read more about Virgin Media or visit the Virgin Media website at www.VirginMedia.com
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Top Up TV
Top Up TV customers get a Top Up TV set-top box that works as both a set-top box and a DTR. It stores the programmes that are updated and downloaded over night as part of your Top UP TV service and allows you to record more programmes when you want.
You can start and stop programmes whenever you want, pause, rewind and record “live” TV and set it to record a whole series in one go. The Top Up TV set-top box costs £99 for new customers.
Click here to read more about Top Up TV or visit the Top Up TV website at www.TopUp.tv
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Freeview
If you’re going for Freeview then you’ll have to buy your own hardware and will have to choose between a standard set-top box, a digital TV recorder or a digital integrated TV with Freeview built in.
Click here to read more about Freeview or visit the Freeview website at www.Freeview.co.uk
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Set-top boxes
Buying a set-top box is the cheapest way to go digital and you can buy one from around £20. They connect easily to the back of your TV with a scart lead, though you can buy some with an RF socket at the back too in case you have an older TV that doesn’t have a scart socket.
And unless you have a really old TV, all set-top boxes will work with your current set.
Bear in mind that if you plan on adding any pay TV like Setanta, you’ll need to get a set-top box with a card slot.
The Freeview website currently lists the Hitachi HDB70 digital box (RRP: £29.99) and the Goodmans GDB15HD digital box (RRP: £27.99) as best selling set-top boxes.
Ricibility, the consumer testing charity founded by Which? is testing hardware for ease of use (see useful links), so if this is your priority, it recommends the Logik LDR V2 (RRP:£49.99). If you need one with an RF modulator, Ricability has also tested the Humax F2-FOX T (RRP: £69).
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Digital TV recorders
Your video recorder won’t work in the same way after the switchover - it will only record the channel you’re watching. However, if you go for a digital TV recorder to receive your digital signal, you will pay more but you’ll also get more. For that bit extra, you can get one-touch recording, the ability to pause and rewind “live” TV and everything you record goes on the built in hard drive so there’s no need for tapes or discs.
You’ll also get an eight day on-screen programme guide and if you go for one with a twin tuner you’ll be able to record one channel while watching another.
The Freeview website lists TVonics 250GB DVR (RRP: £199.97) as a best seller, which is also recommended by Ricibility for ease of use.
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iDTVs
Integrated digital TVs are expensive so unless you’re already in need of a new TV you shouldn’t really be buying one just to go digital. However, if your current set is very old or not working properly and you know that you want Freeview, you could buy an iDTV.
iDTVs have Freeview built in so there’s no need for any more equipment or anything else to plug in and you’ll only need the one remote control. Also, as with digital TV recorders and some set-top boxes your iDTV will also feature an eight day on-screen programme guide.
The Freeview website lists the 32 inch Sharp LC32AD5E LCD TV (RRP: £599) while Ricibility recommends the Panasonic TX-32LXD60 (RRP: £868) for ease of use in the 32 inch range, the Panasonic TX-26LMD70 (RRP: £649) in the 26 inch range and Sony KDL-20S2030, (RRP: £549) in the 20 inch range (though they noted that none in this range were as easy to use as those in the 32 inch category).
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