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- What is Sky Anytime?
- Does BT Vision have HD channels?
- Can I watch Virgin TV in more than one room?
- How do I record programmes from BT Vision onto DVD?
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- Does BT Vision offer Asian TV channels?
- How can I watch Sky TV on my Xbox?
- Should I choose Sky TV or Virgin Media?
- What is BT Vision?
- How do I watch 3D TV at home?
- Should I choose Freeview or Freesat?
- What is high-definition?
- Should I choose BT Vision or Sky?
- Sky+ Box Review
- How do I retune my Freeview?
- Which digital TV service should I choose?
Ask our Expert
Which set-top box is best?
Hi Jon, I need some help choosing a digital TV package. I have just moved to a new house and am lucky enough to live in an area that can receive services from all the digital TV providers. But I don’t know whom I should choose, and what hardware is available with each.
I know I need a set-top box to receive digital, but which provider’s set-top box is best? What would you recommend? I like to watch a variety of programmes.
Jayne Lovett, via email, Tuesday 16 February, 2010
Our digital TV expert says...
Hi Jayne, thanks for your email - its fortunate that you have the choice of any digital TV provider. Choosing the best TV package for you will depend on a number of things however, such as the type of programmes and number of channels you want, as well as your budget.
If you are willing to pay for your TV package, you can go for the services available from Sky, Virgin Media and BT Vision, which all offer the widest range of channels. You can even choose to bundle these with other products, like your home phone contract or your broadband deal for example, to save money on your monthly costs.
If you’d rather have a subscription-free TV service - one which doesn’t have a monthly bill - you have the choice of Freeview or Freesat. The hardware you receive with each supplier will vary, in both functionality and cost. Below is a breakdown of the set-top boxes available from the providers, both monthly subscription and free-to-view, and how much they’ll set you back.
HD boxes comparison
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FREE Sky+HD box*
+ FREE set-up
from £20 a month
+ HD for £10.25 a month |
FREE V+HD box
(£49.95 set-up)
£24.50 a month**
+ FREE HD TV |
FREE V HD box
(£49.95 set-up)
£6.50 a month**
+ FREE HD TV |
from £99.99****
(aerial required)
no monthly
subscription |
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| Over 50 HD channels | Over 30 HD channels | 5 HD channels | 4 HD channels |
| Pause and rewind "live" TV | Pause and rewind "live" TV |
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| Record 2 programmes at once | Record 2 programmes at once + watch a 3rd |
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| Record series automatically | Record series automatically |
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| £50 Marks and Spencer voucher (Online only) | FREE catch-up TV with the BBC iPlayer and more | FREE catch-up TV with the BBC iPlayer and more |
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Visit sky.com or call 08442 410582 |
Visit virginmedia.com | Visit virginmedia.com | Buy at johnlewis.com |
* For new and existing customers taking their first Sky+HD package. Get up to 50 HD channels with addtional Sky HD packs. ** + a Virgin Phone line for £12.99 a month. *** + a Virgin Phone line for £12.99 a month. **** Prices sourced from freeview.co.uk. HD box capabilities vary across manufacturers. Higher prices may apply for recorder and catch-up capabilities.
Sky set-top box
Sky is the UK’s largest satellite TV provider, with more than 9.7 million customers. It offers the biggest range of channels and is available to over 98% of the country. Subscriptions to Sky start from £18 a month.
To receive Sky TV you will need a satellite dish mounted to the outside of your home, as well as a Sky set-top box. The Sky+HD box now comes as standard, and is free to all new customers subscribing to the HD pack of channels.
Sky’s Sky+HD box offers the following:
- Ability to record programmes and entire series at the touch of a button - record up to 30 hours of high-definition programmes or 80 hours of standard definition programmes
- Remote record, using your mobile phone or online
- Pause and rewind live TV
- Access up to 38 high-definition (HD) channels
- Up to five times better picture detail than non-HD services
- Superb quality digital sound.
To access Sky’s HD channels, you’ll also need both a subscription to the HD programme pack and a HD ready TV.
Please see the packages below for more details about what Sky has to offer, and click through to Sky’s website for current pricing:
Sky TV, Broadband and Phone Bundles
| Company | Package Name | Channels | Broadband | Home Phone |
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Virgin Media set-top box
Virgin Media offers a cable TV service that can be bundled with your phone line or broadband. Its TV comes in three different sized packages; M+, L and XL. If you take a Virgin Media cable phone line, you can get the M+ TV service for free, however the other packages cost more.
To watch Virgin TV you must be in an area that can receive cable TV, and you must have a Virgin Media set-top box. The digital V Box is offered as standard, and comes at no additional cost. If you want to upgrade your set-top box, there is the option of the V+HD Box - this costs an extra £75 for installation, as well as an additional monthly cost for M+ and L TV subscribers.
The V+ HD Box lets customers:
- Pause, rewind and record live TV
- Record two channels while watching a third - you can’t do this with the Sky+HD box
- Record up to 80 hours of programmes
- Watch eight channels in high-definition with Virgin Media, including National Geographic HD and Living HD
- Enjoy the best of BBC HD on-demand with the new high-definition BBC iPlayer.
Please see the TV deals below for more information about what Virgin Media offers, and click through to the Virgin website for costs:
Virgin Media TV packages
| Company | Package Name | Channels | Broadband | Home Phone |
|---|
BT Vision set-top box
BT Vision is the digital TV service available to new or existing BT Total Broadband customers. Customers that choose to bundle their broadband with their TV will get all the Freeview channels available in their area included as standard.
To get BT Vision you will need BT Total Broadband (with a BT Home Hub wireless router), the Vision+ digital set-top box, and you will also need to live in a Freeview area to access the Freeview channels. As well as the Freeview standard channels, you’ll have access to thousands of hours of on-demand films, TV shows, kids’ programmes, music and sports. You can also catch-up on shows you may have missed from the five main channels over the last seven days.
The Vision+ box from BT costs £15 when you subscribe to a BT Vision Value pack for 12 months. Alternatively, you can pay £90 for the Vision+ box without taking out a monthly subscription to a viewing pack. You can then simply “pay-per-view” for any of the on-demand programmes you watch.
The Vision+ box lets you:
- Pause, rewind and record live TV
- Record up to 80 hours worth of programmes
- Watch stunning HD films from £4.99 and HD TV shows from 99p an episode
- 1000s of hours of entertainment on-demand including recently released films, top US and UK TV shows, music videos, sport and loads of great advert-free kids’ TV
- New sleek Vision+ box comes in glossy black, designed to match the new Home Hub wireless router. It’s also 12% more energy-efficient compared to the old box
- The remote control is a matching glossy black - it has enlarged characters to improve legibility in lower lighting conditions and for the visually impaired.
Please see the broadband and TV packages below for more information about BT Vision, and click through to the BT website for pricing:
BT Vision
| Company | Package Name | TV Package Info | Broadband | Monthly Cost |
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Freeview set-top box
Freeview is the free-to-view digital TV service, which will be available in all areas of the UK by 2012 - the end of the digital switchover. At present, there are around 40 TV channels on offer through Freeview, though this number will increase as the digital switchover draws to a close.
To receive Freeview, you will need a roof-top aerial and a Freeview set-top box. These start from as little as £15 and are available both online and on the high street, from retailers such as Argos, Amazon and Comet. Depending on the type of Freeview service you want, prices can go up to as much as £3,500 for an integrated Freeview HD recorder TV. This would let you watch the high-definition Freeview channels, and gives the ability to record programmes too. Use our HD coverage postcode checker to see if you can receive Freeview HD.
While the number of channels on Freeview is significantly less than other providers, the good thing about Freeview is that it is subscription-free, so you only pay the one-off cost for the hardware.
For more information on products, channels and prices, visit the Freeview website.
Freesat set-top box
Freesat is the subscription-free satellite TV service offered by the BBC and ITV. Like Sky, because it is a satellite service it is available to 98% of the UK, however you will need a satellite dish as well as a set-top box in order to receive the 120 channels that are on offer.
Set-top boxes for Freesat start from £50 but prices will vary depending on the make and the functions available with the box. Like Freeview, boxes are available from retailers such as Argos, Amazon and Comet, as well as through the Freesat website.
If you’re considering a subscription-free TV deal, you should definitely read our guide, Should I choose Freeview or Freesat? first.
For more information on Freesat products and prices, visit the Freesat website.
This should help you choose a service and the right hardware Jayne. Remember, you can also compare package prices online using our postcode checker - just type in your postcode and we’ll list the services that are available in your area.
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