Freeview Receivesr Price Comparison Page

Roger wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
[snip]
I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can
given that the amount of information available on the net for some
of the receivers is scant or unreliable (e.g. Dixons and Currys
websites frequently have incorrect / ambiguous specification
information). [snip]

It's a well presented useful list, Good on you for that.
I'll echo your comment that its often difficult/impossible to find
basic details even from manufacturers.


Yes, it was very frustrating trying to find the info. The online
retailers just usually copy the information from the manufacturer's
website -- if the manufacturer even has a website (not all do), and even
then they may not have a page for the product.


One aspect I think would be
useful is the video options available on the second scart (if fitted).


Why second SCART and not first SCART?


As an example (if I've got this right) the Netgem i box second scart
is capable of all three formats: Composite (CVBS)/S-video (Y,
Cr)/component video (Y Pr,Pb), though this can only be confirmed from
the Video forum and not from the manufacturers site.


Yes, that's a good idea. I'll add it to my to-do list. Another thing I
was pondering was whether to add RF-out features. The main thing that
put me off was, again, the crap information on the websites, because you
I might end up adding the information to some where the information is
available, and miss it off others where the info isn't available, but
the receiver does have that capability. One example is the Samsung box,
which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got a decent spec, but
there's absolutely no information for it that I could find.


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

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Roger wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
[snip]
I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can
given that the amount of information available on the net for some
of the receivers is scant or unreliable [...]

Yes, it was very frustrating trying to find the info. [...]

...
Another thing I
was pondering was whether to add RF-out features. The main thing that
put me off was, again, the crap information on the websites, because
you I might end up adding the information to some where the
information is available, and miss it off others where the info isn't
available, but the receiver does have that capability. One example is
the Samsung box, which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got
a decent spec, but there's absolutely no information for it that I
could find.

That would be a very useful addition. There are quite a few people
who want to pipe their new box around the house and SCART is
not going to do it for them. Current standalone modulators are much too
expensive for what they are.


--
Graham W http://www.gcw.org.uk/ PGM-FI page updated, Graphics Tutorial
WIMBORNE http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/ Wessex
Dorset UK Astro Society's Web pages, Info, Meeting Dates, Sites & Maps
Change 'news' to 'sewn' in my Reply address to avoid my spam filter.

Graham W wrote:
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Roger wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
[snip]
I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can
given that the amount of information available on the net for some
of the receivers is scant or unreliable [...]

Yes, it was very frustrating trying to find the info. [...]

...
Another thing I
was pondering was whether to add RF-out features. The main thing that
put me off was, again, the crap information on the websites, because
you I might end up adding the information to some where the
information is available, and miss it off others where the info isn't
available, but the receiver does have that capability. One example is
the Samsung box, which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got
a decent spec, but there's absolutely no information for it that I
could find.

That would be a very useful addition. There are quite a few people
who want to pipe their new box around the house and SCART is
not going to do it for them. Current standalone modulators are much
too expensive for what they are.


Okay, I'll add that to my to-do list as well as the RGB/composite issue.
I'm in the process of doing a page for MP3 players (1GB and over) at the
moment though, so I won't be able to do it for a bit.


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

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
One aspect I think would be
useful is the video options available on the second scart (if fitted).


Why second SCART and not first SCART?

Agreed, why not.
My initial thought was that the first scart would be used soley for RGB to
TV and your guide makes the point that all boxes have RGB on the TV scart
anyway. On second thought I realise that single scart boxes might not be
connected directly to the TV but feed other equipment in the chain.

One example is the Samsung box,
which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got a decent spec, but
there's absolutely no information for it that I could find.

I can't help you with the Samsung, but if information on the Netgem i
player is anything to go by you will need a fair wind behind you to get
anything useful.

I thought that by downloading the user manuals I could find out video ouput
capabilities, but for the Netgem I was no further forward. They weren't
even mentioned in the specification at the back.

Netgem moderate a user forum somewhat hidden away at:
http://forum.netgem.com
Possibly other manufacturers operate similar.

So the best of luck with the Samsung and others, the answer seems to be:
buy one and find out. Perhaps that's the idea.

Roger

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Roger wrote:

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
[snip]

I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can
given that the amount of information available on the net for some
of the receivers is scant or unreliable (e.g. Dixons and Currys
websites frequently have incorrect / ambiguous specification
information). [snip]

Great idea, there wasn't much good info around when I bought my STB and
I ended up with a lemon.

One example is the Samsung box,
which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got a decent spec, but
there's absolutely no information for it that I could find.

This is the box I've got and with hindsight it's not worth the money.
There isn't anything particularly wrong with it but it's over priced for
such a basic box. It DOES NOT support the 7 day EPG currently, despite
Samsung's claims - and before the EPG was rolled out who could tell?

Basically it's got 2 SCARTS, RF loopthrough (no modulator), no 7 day EPG
and news multiscreen doesn't work (despite one OTA flash upgrade so far).

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Digi...SIRU20 0I.htm

--
Steven

The message
from "DAB sounds worse than FM" contains these words:

And you've forgot the Daewoo STB


If you mean the Daewoo DS608P then I don't think anybody sells it any
more.

I saw some recently in Tesco, Stevenage, IIRC selling for 50 quid. The
packaging was different since I bought mine (18 months ago), but the STB
looked the same. I think they had added an 'S' to the model number. Has
it been changed in any way, apart from the firmware version?

Cheers

Clive

Hi DswtF,

You seeem to have overlooked the Hauppage DEC1100-T (50 quid in Boots). Neat
little box with strange Scart facility (D socket with an addaptor cable to
link to the TV. It also had coax S?PDIF and 3.5mm analogue stereo out.
External power supply. Can be mounted verticaly or horizontally (base for
vertical use included. I got one for my mother yesterday. Very simple set-up
proceedure (no need to open the instructions). No USB, by the way. Oh, and a
bit like the Philips, you can flip between radio and tv with a single button
press.

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
I've added a page to my website with the prices at the main online
retailers of all Freeview receivers (apart from a couple like the Nokia
121T and Philips DTR100, which aren't price-competitive).

I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can given
that the amount of information available on the net for some of the
receivers is scant or unreliable (e.g. Dixons and Currys websites
frequently have incorrect / ambiguous specification information).

I've also added the same kind of page for DAB radios.

The prices on both pages will be updated every day or every other day
during the week until the end of the January sales.


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

Freeview prices -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB prices - http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

Not questioning Sony's role in S/PDIF, just forgot to take my finger off the
shift key. ;-)

"Bryn Harris" wrote in message
...
Hi DswtF,

You seeem to have overlooked the Hauppage DEC1100-T (50 quid in Boots).
Neat
little box with strange Scart facility (D socket with an addaptor cable to
link to the TV. It also had coax S?PDIF and 3.5mm analogue stereo out.
External power supply. Can be mounted verticaly or horizontally (base for
vertical use included. I got one for my mother yesterday. Very simple
set-up
proceedure (no need to open the instructions). No USB, by the way. Oh, and
a
bit like the Philips, you can flip between radio and tv with a single
button
press.

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
I've added a page to my website with the prices at the main online
retailers of all Freeview receivers (apart from a couple like the Nokia
121T and Philips DTR100, which aren't price-competitive).

I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can given
that the amount of information available on the net for some of the
receivers is scant or unreliable (e.g. Dixons and Currys websites
frequently have incorrect / ambiguous specification information).

I've also added the same kind of page for DAB radios.

The prices on both pages will be updated every day or every other day
during the week until the end of the January sales.


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

Freeview prices -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB prices - http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

Roger wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
One aspect I think would be
useful is the video options available on the second scart (if
fitted).


Why second SCART and not first SCART?

Agreed, why not.
My initial thought was that the first scart would be used soley for
RGB to TV and your guide makes the point that all boxes have RGB on
the TV scart anyway.


Does having a SCART to the TV imply that the receiver can output RGB? I
thought some receivers didn't output RGB at all?


One example is the Samsung box,
which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got a decent spec,
but there's absolutely no information for it that I could find.

I can't help you with the Samsung,


It's alright, I was just using an example of the Samsung because I
couldn't find a manufacturer's website for it, but it's not unique.


but if information on the Netgem i
player is anything to go by you will need a fair wind behind you to
get anything useful.


Right.


I thought that by downloading the user manuals I could find out video
ouput capabilities, but for the Netgem I was no further forward.
They weren't even mentioned in the specification at the back.


I think the Netgem website used to have a more detailed specification,
but they seem to have edited the whole site.


Netgem moderate a user forum somewhat hidden away at:
http://forum.netgem.com
Possibly other manufacturers operate similar.

So the best of luck with the Samsung and others, the answer seems to
be: buy one and find out. Perhaps that's the idea.


It's a bit late if you get one without the features you want though,
especially as more people buy online these days.


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

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

Steven Roberts wrote:
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Roger wrote:

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
[snip]

I've added the main features of each receiver as best that I can
given that the amount of information available on the net for some
of the receivers is scant or unreliable (e.g. Dixons and Currys
websites frequently have incorrect / ambiguous specification
information). [snip]

Great idea, there wasn't much good info around when I bought my STB
and I ended up with a lemon.


You could sell it on ebay and get a better one.


One example is the Samsung box,
which is relatively pricey, so I'd imagine it's got a decent spec,
but there's absolutely no information for it that I could find.

This is the box I've got and with hindsight it's not worth the money.
There isn't anything particularly wrong with it but it's over priced
for such a basic box. It DOES NOT support the 7 day EPG currently,
despite Samsung's claims - and before the EPG was rolled out who
could tell?


Yeah, I've got the Pioneer box, and they said they would have a software
download to upgrade receivers to support the 7-day EPG, and then once
the EPG started they changed their minds. Then a few people complained,
which made them do a U-turn, but there's been no upgrade yet.


Basically it's got 2 SCARTS, RF loopthrough (no modulator), no 7 day
EPG and news multiscreen doesn't work (despite one OTA flash upgrade
so far).
http://www.samsung.com/Products/Digi...SIRU20 0I.htm


Thanks for this. I was looking on http://www.samsungelectronics.co.uk/.

I reckon they could get done by trading standards for their claims that
it supports the 7-day EPG.


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

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm