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Set top box - pros and cons

Satellite, cable and broadband systems are installed with their own set top box, which the companies supply. See satellite channels and cable/phone line channels.

Then there are set top boxes for free to air digital terrestrial TV services. See terrestrial channels. To find out if you live in the terrestrial coverage area and what services you can expect to receive, see our contacts list for who does postcode checks.

Whether it’s called a Freeview receiver, a digital terrestrial receiver or a set top box, this is a small piece of kit that sits on or near your TV and is connected up with it and the aerial. It comes with its own remote control, separate from your TV one. Set top boxes cost from £25 to about £70, depending on their features.

It is simplest to plug the set top box into your TV with a SCART lead. All set top boxes and most modern TVs have SCART sockets. An old TV might not, so you would need a set top box that feeds the digital signal into the TV’s aerial socket - see no SCART TV.

For what to look for in a set top box, see Features to look for. For all test results, go to set top boxes test reports.

FOR AND AGAINST

For

  • Cheapest way to go digital
  • Don’t have to buy a new TV
  • Extra channels without subscription
  • Set top boxes can be small and neat
  • Most provide a full 7-day TV Guide (sometimes called an EPG) that means your TV screen will list 7 days' worth of TV and radio programmes

Against

  • Less choice of channels and programmes than other ways of going digital
  • Might need to buy a new aerial
  • Connecting up can be complicated
  • Extra cost if you opt for terrestrial and want installation done for you
  • Some are easier to use than others – you need to choose carefully if this is important to you
  • Digital terrestrial TV not available everywhere

Combination units

There are complex units on sale with different combinations of digital TV products built in – mixes of set top box / digital TV recorder / VHS recorder / DVD recorder / DVD player. Right now we have no plans to test the more complicated options but do plan to test some Freeview Playback compatible DVD recorders.

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