Philips FRT100 - any users here?

Hi,

I am considering buying this box as a temporary measure until I intend to
buy a box with twin-tuner, PVR etc next year and then relegate this one to
the kids play/tv room.

The intention is to spend around £60 or so (the FRT500 can be had for ~£65
from Amazon), get 7-day EPG, sensitive enough tuner (signal is only around
70% here and my Nokia 221T that is on its way back to the shop needs to be
rebooted at least once a day...), 2 SCARTs, etc.

Any happy/unhappy users around here? Any other boxes that I should
consider?

Thanks in advance.

"JoeJoe" wrote in message
...
Hi,


Any happy/unhappy users around here? Any other boxes that I should
consider?


I'm unhappy with the current model 1500, which the 500 is to be the
replacement for.

Mine (1500) will not display the 7 day EPG, Philips have refused to do an
upgrade over the air.
Philips say the 500 will, if you require this feature ensure it is supplied
out of the box with this feature, do not rely on a future upgrade for it.

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group.

JoeJoe wrote:
Hi,

I am considering buying this box as a temporary measure until I
intend to buy a box with twin-tuner, PVR etc next year and then
relegate this one to the kids play/tv room.


I've never heard of a Philips FRT100, but Fusion do an FRT100:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...#fusion_frt100


The intention is to spend around £60 or so (the FRT500 can be had for
~£65 from Amazon),


Do you mean this?:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...philips_dtr500

It's not available until some time this month, according to Philips.


get 7-day EPG, sensitive enough tuner (signal is
only around 70% here and my Nokia 221T that is on its way back to the
shop needs to be rebooted at least once a day...), 2 SCARTs, etc.

Any happy/unhappy users around here? Any other boxes that I should
consider?


The new Philips box isn't out yet, but it looks like it's the
replacement for the DTR1500, which seems to be a pretty good box.

You could also consider these:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...rd_bell_tcx170
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...branded_netgem

although I don't think they have the EPG.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest MP3 player, Freeview and DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp3_players.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

David wrote:
"JoeJoe" wrote in message
...
Hi,


Any happy/unhappy users around here? Any other boxes that I should
consider?


I'm unhappy with the current model 1500, which the 500 is to be the
replacement for.

Mine (1500) will not display the 7 day EPG, Philips have refused to
do an upgrade over the air.


Are you unhappy with the DTR1500 because it doesn't decode the 7-day
EPG, or for other reasons as well?



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest MP3 player, Freeview and DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp3_players.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
David wrote:
"JoeJoe" wrote in message
...



I'm unhappy with the current model 1500, which the 500 is to be the
replacement for.

Mine (1500) will not display the 7 day EPG, Philips have refused to
do an upgrade over the air.


Are you unhappy with the DTR1500 because it doesn't decode the 7-day
EPG, or for other reasons as well?



As I said!

There is also a reliabilty issue, but as I'm the only one here I have read
with one that developed a fault I assume this might not be a problem.

I think my advise to ensure all required features are opperational is good
advise. As this is my second Philips digital product that needed an upgrade
that Philips did not do. (Intergrated digital TV set for a different
feature).

PS Regarding features such as & day EPG I would extend my advise to all
makes but the OP is asking about a specific model.

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group.

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...philips_dtr500

It's not available until some time this month, according to Philips.

Dixons has piles
of them in their Oxfrod Street store - or did do when I noticed them late
last week. Noticed a couple with one each in their arms walking towards the
checkout, so they seem to be a hit. Sixty something quid.
--
Ian Tindale

David wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...

I'm unhappy with the current model 1500, which the 500 is to be the
replacement for.

Mine (1500) will not display the 7 day EPG, Philips have refused to
do an upgrade over the air.


Are you unhappy with the DTR1500 because it doesn't decode the 7-day
EPG, or for other reasons as well?



As I said!


No, you didn't say, otherwise I wouldn't be asking.


There is also a reliabilty issue, but as I'm the only one here I have
read with one that developed a fault I assume this might not be a
problem.


Right. (you didn't say that in your previous post)


I think my advise to ensure all required features are opperational is
good advise.


You advise someone, and you provide good advice.



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest MP3 player, Freeview and DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp3_players.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

Ian Tindale wrote:
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...philips_dtr500

It's not available until some time this month, according to Philips.

Dixons has piles


Are you sure it wasn't the Philips DTR100?:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=125856



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest MP3 player, Freeview and DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp3_players.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

Oops! Sorry, meant to say "Philips DTR500".


"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
JoeJoe wrote:
Hi,

I am considering buying this box as a temporary measure until I
intend to buy a box with twin-tuner, PVR etc next year and then
relegate this one to the kids play/tv room.


I've never heard of a Philips FRT100, but Fusion do an FRT100:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...#fusion_frt100


The intention is to spend around £60 or so (the FRT500 can be had for
~£65 from Amazon),


Do you mean this?:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...philips_dtr500

It's not available until some time this month, according to Philips.


get 7-day EPG, sensitive enough tuner (signal is
only around 70% here and my Nokia 221T that is on its way back to the
shop needs to be rebooted at least once a day...), 2 SCARTs, etc.

Any happy/unhappy users around here? Any other boxes that I should
consider?


The new Philips box isn't out yet, but it looks like it's the
replacement for the DTR1500, which seems to be a pretty good box.

You could also consider these:


http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...rd_bell_tcx170

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...branded_netgem

although I don't think they have the EPG.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest MP3 player, Freeview and DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp3_players.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:

Ian Tindale wrote:
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr...philips_dtr500

It's not available until some time this month, according to Philips.

Dixons has piles


Are you sure it wasn't the Philips DTR100?:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=125856

Ah, yes, you're right. Actually, now I see a picture of both at the same
time it dawns on me that they're two different products. Yep, the dixons
offering was the DTR100, as I remember looking 'through' the shop-display
one thinking it must be a dummy one - I could see through the
semi-transparent front panel and back out the rear panel socket holes.
Turned out that it's just because the entire front strip is in fact
semi-transparent with no high-profile components other than the IR gubbins.

With prior Philips On-Digital box experience and seeing how it behaves on
Freeview (pretty much a still-frame slide-show with creative mosaic
dissolve effects) , I'm not sure if I'd choose a Philips again in a hurry.
--
Ian Tindale