Set top box suggestions

[JayCeeDee]

Previously, you kept the Sky Box as you needed somewhere to plug the viewing card into…… Sky deemed you to have bought it by the time your contract ran out :good: – presumably the same will apply to the Q box.

Edit:-  On the channel front, apart from BBC/ITV/C4/C5, most of what I watch is on Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic, Fox, Universal, Alibi hardly any of which are on the Freeview/Freesat package.

[blacklion1725]

I think Sky officially changed their service model with the launch of Sky Q – sky own the box and you only ever loan it now – its never “yours”. On the plus side you don’t pay for service calls relating to the box (since it isn’t yours) – although I have always been able to negotiate free service calls anyway. On the downside I think if you cancel you’ll have to return the box.

I think if you keep the (non-Q) Sky HD box without the subscription – even with freesat from Sky – you won’t be able to record. In that case – if you just like the Sky EPG the DRX595 multiroom box (£15 – £20 on ebay) makes sense as it is play-only and uses much less power than the full HD box (I think its about 7W versus 30W in standby). If you want to record without a sub then the freeview or freesat purpose built boxes make the most sense.

[Bob Williams]

Thanks for all the advice guys, it is much appreciated. As we descend further into our dotage, TV will become more important I guess, as we dribble over our Horlicks.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Dave Rice]

Just found out about the not recording. What a dirty trick. Might as well flog your box and put the money towards a Humax.

Didn’t realise that about not owning a Q either, but I’ll never be getting one.

[blacklion1725]

I’ve checked the youview box I have in my kitchen. I’m not a BT customer and bought it privately. It is a DTR-T4000. I bought to replace the Sky box that was out there on multi-room – and mainly use it as a radio out there.

It is (as per earlier post) made by Humax for BT, but works with freeview and any ISP for TV, iplayer, Netflix and NowTV etc. The EPG is not bad (series link etc), HDD is 1TB and the remote can be programmed to control the connected TV as per Sky. There is RF loop through (no modulator) and an optical audio out. Only mentioning as they can be picked up for around £70-£80 on ebay. I’m very much under-using the features on it but it is pretty good.

Yep crippling the recording (Sky) is a pretty low trick, they’ve done it since the original Sky+.

[The Duke]

The you view box has the best tv epg out there, so of your not sold on that, just letting you know, it’s only down from here on out.

Thought it does make the most sense then you can take full advantage of its “going back in time” feature. Not sure if that works on the BT box. I know the TT one does, even with no tv contract.

My inlaws have mine. And they “got it” with out any training. That is as big of a praise as any ui design team needs.

[Author]

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