Freeview Set-top boxes

3view Box

Powerful Freeview HD set-top box that can access BBC iPlayer and YouTube, as well as Facebook and Twitter, all on your TV screen using an Internet connection. No subscription needed.

The 3view box also support Internet browsing, with an optional keyboard, and has a 500GB hard drive.

Price: Around £140 - order from Amazon or Play.com with free P&P

More details: 3view Box Explored

BT Vision+ box

This box is designed for the BT Vision service, which launched in December 2006.

The BT Vision+ Box supports live TV from Freeview, and TV-on-demand via broadband. The box has a twin-tuner, hold 80 hours of TV, and requires a BT Total Broadband connection to support download of content.

The BT Vision box is available to BT Broadband customers. More on our BT Vision Review or at get.btvision.bt.com

Bush SCART Adapter

Want Freeview without having to clutter up your TV system with a set-top box? Then this could be the answer. This adapter from Bush plugs into the back of your TV's SCART socket, and lets you receive the Freeview TV and radio channels without a set-top box. An infrared pod plugs into the idapter, so that the remote control can work. The Idaptor supports the 7 day programme guide.

Available for £29.99 from argos.co.uk (Cat no: 532/2082)
Available from Amazon.co.uk
Also available on Ebay.co.uk

Bush TU160DTR - Top Up TV PVR

• Freeview, plus extra content via Top Up TV Anytime
• 160GB hard drive - Up to 80 hours
• Twin Tuner
• 14 Day EPG
• 2 x SCART sockets

Price: £87.99 from Argos (Cat no: 527/0299)

Daewoo DSD9520

PVR to allow recording of Freeview onto hard disk. Card slot suitable for subscription services and has EPG

• Hard Disk: 80Gig (40 hours)
• Outputs: 2 x SCART, stereo audio, digital audio

Listed for £175.95 from Amazon

Dion Eco 1 - BUDGET MODEL

A budget model with a 7 day programme guide and one SCART socket

Available for £19 from the Tesco Direct website.

Fetch TV Smartbox 8000

Fetch TV launched towards the end of 2008. It combines Freeview, hard disc recorder, and content over broadband - a little like the cheaper BT Vision service.

Specs: 80Gig hard disk, 8 day EPG, Freeview, hard-disk recorder, USB connector. Made by NetGem

More on our Fetch TV page.

Humax HDR-Fox T2 - Freeview HD Recorder

Storage: 500Gb (125 hours of HD)

Features: 8 day EPG, twin tuner and access to Internet services such as BBC iPlayer via the Humax Portal.

Connectors: HDMI, Ethernet and USB ports

• £299.00 from John Lewis
• £299.97 at Tesco.com
• £299.99 from Currys
• £299.99 at Comet.co.uk
• £307.00 at Very.co.uk
• £357.44 at Argos

More details on our Humax HDR Fox T2 page.

Humax HD Fox-T2- Freeview HD

The first Freeview HD receiver to be produced by Humax

Available in February 2010 for around £180.

2 x SCART ; HDMI ; RF loopthrough ; Ethernet

• Listed for £180 at Argos.co.uk and Comet

More details: See our Humax HD Fox T2 Page

Humax PVR-9150T

Freeview receiver with a built-in hard drive. Features:

• 160GB built-in hard-disk (up to 100 hours recording)
• Twin Tuner
• 7 day Electronic Programme Guide

Available for £126.99 from Comet
Available for £149.99 from Argos (Cat 532/1681)

Humax PVR-9300T

Freeview receiver with a built-in hard drive. An upgrade from the popular PVR-9200. Became available in July 2008. Supports Freeview+ . Features include:

• 320GB built-in hard-disk (up to 160 hours recording)
• Twin Tuner (watch one channel while recording another
• Picture-in-Picture
• HDMI out for upscaling to a Hi-Def TV
• 8 day Electronic Programme Guide
• Card slot suitable for subscription services. (requires CAM)

Available from £155 - Latest prices

Full details on our Humax PVR9300 Review.

Icecrypt T2200 - Freeview HD

Freeview HD, support for Dolby Surround, Ethernet socket and 8 day programme guide. Supports playback of DivX, AVI, MP3, MP4 and MKV content via USB.

• £100 from Tesco Direct
• £110 from Play.com
• £140 from Maplin

Icecrypt T5000

Freeview box that has an RF Modulator, handy for TV sets without a SCART socket. Has 7 day programme guide, 2 SCARTs and digital audio out.

• £24.99 at Amazon
• £32.67 at Play.com

Metronics Eco Zapbox

Freeview box with 7 day programme guide. Two SCART sockets

Available for £34.99 from Comet
Available for £34.99 from Currys

Nikkai 7" Freeview /Analogue TV and Media Player

OK - So this is not a Freeview box - it]'s a Freeview desktop telly, but we thought it was worth a mention. Capable of getting Freeview and analogue telly, this TV can also watch DivX video, play MP3 files and show a slideshow of pictures via a connected USB stick.

Under £100 and a good buy. See our collection of photos and our review: Nikkai 7" LCD Review, or find out more at maplin.co.uk

Panasonic DMR-XW380 EBK - Freeview HD & DVD Recorder

Storage: Freeview HD, 250GB Hard Drive

Features: DVD Recorder with Twin Freeview HD tuner, Freeview +, High Speed Archive to DVD, SD transfer, DivX, MP3 and JPEG playback

• £385.90 at Amazon.co.uk
• £393.66 at Laskys
• £393.00 from Dixons
• £479.99 from Play.com
• £449.95 at Comet.co.uk

Panasonic DMR-EZ28EB-K DVD Recorder/Freeview

Top quality DVD recorder with built-in Freeview tuner and HDMI upscaler, for better picture.

• DVD Recorder: DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, +R, +R DL, and +RW.
• Has an HDMI socket for use with High-definition TVs - 1080p upscaling.
• Supports DivX playback.

Output: 2 x SCART , RF loopthrough

Available for £159.99 from Dixons online - Best price, free delivery
Available for £179.99 from Currys
Available for £199.99 from Play.com
Available for £199.99 from Comet

Panasonic DMR-EX88 DVD Recorder/PVR/Freeview

400Gb HDD Recorder (for up to 700 hours), Freeview Tuner and DVD recorder.

• DVD Recorder: DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL.
• Has an HDMI socket for use with High-definition TVs - 1080p upscaling.
• Supports DivX, MP3 and JPEG compatible.
• USB Flash Drive playback

Output: 2 x SCART , RF loopthrough

Last seen for around £350. No listed suppliers

Philex FV400

This box has an RF modulated output - handy for TV sets that don't have a SCART socket. Also supports connection by SCART, digital audio out and a 7 day programme guide.

Last seen for around £35 from Amazon - Consider the Icecrypt T5000 as an alternative box that has an RF modulator

Philips DTR220

Features: Electronic Programme Guide, digital text.

Outputs: 2 x SCART, digital audio, RF loopthrough

Available for £34.95 from Laskys
Available for £39 from John Lewis
Available for £33.23 from Tesco.com

Philips DTR230

Features: 7-day Electronic Programme Guide, auto retune, interference suppressor, low energy.

Outputs: 2 x SCART, digital audio, RF loopthrough

Available for £29.99 from Amazon.co.uk
Available for £29.99 from Currys
Available for £29.99 from Comet
Available for £39.99 from Tesco.com
Available for £39.99 from Argos

Philips HDT5520 - Freeview HD

Available Now (May 2010)

Features: 8-day EPG, HD resolutions up to 1080p, surround sound support, low power consumption, auto-switch off.

Connectors: HDMI, 1 x SCART. Ethernet socket

• £149.99 at Comet.co.uk
• £141.29 at Laskys
• £169.97 at Tesco.com
• £141.29 at Amazon.co.uk

Technika Smartbox 8320 - Freeview HD Recorder

A powerful box that offers: Freeview HD, twin Freeview recorders, plus Internet TV using the Fetch TV service.

Launched towards the end of 2008, offering Freeview, hard disc recorder, and video content over broadband - much like the cheaper BT Vision service.

Specs: 320GB drive, Freeview HD receivers, Wi-fi, USB and BBC iPlayer.

More on our Technika Smartbox page.

Thomson DTI 6021 - Top Up TV PVR

• Freeview, plus extra content via Top Up TV Anytime
• Two versions: 250GB drive (Up to 180 hours), or 500GB drive (up to 310 hours)
• Twin Tuner
• 14 Day EPG
• 2 x SCART sockets

250 Gig version: £99.99 from Amazon
500 Gig version: £149.99 from Amazon

Thomson DTI 6300 - Top Up TV Anytime PVR

• Freeview, plus extra content via Top Up TV Anytime
• Two versions: 160GB drive (Up to 120 hours), or 250GB drive (up to 180 hours)
• Twin Tuner
• Output: 2 x SCART, digital audio and RF modulated output
  

Reviewed: See our Top Up TV Anytime Review

160 Gig version: £49.99 (reconditioned), or £89.99 (new) direct from topuptv.com
250 Gig version: £59.99 (reconditioned), or £99.99 (new) direct from topuptv.com

Topfield TF5800PVR

Twin tuners, 160Gig hard disk (up to 88 hours recording time), supports time-shifting & dual recording, Electronic Program Guide (EPG), MP3 via USB 2.0 for storage of personal files. CI slot suitable for subscription services. Became available April 2005.

250Gig version available for £188 at Amazon

More details on our PVR page

TVonics MFR-200

Ultra-small box, works with TV sets that don't have a SCART socket. Has an 8-day Electronic Programme Guide and is energy efficient (1.5 watts).

Last seen for around £40 from Argos online , Tesco Direct Online , Play.com and Homebase

More on this on our TVonics Freeview page

Hauppauge HVR900 Hybrid USB

Receive digital TV on your PC. Run either in full-screen mode making your PC monitor behave as a TV, or having a smaller TV screen sitting in the corner of your desktop while you work. This model is a 'hybrid', so supports both analogue and digital.

Available from Amazon , Dabs.com and Play.com

For more on this, see our TV on your PC page

There are several different solutions available, from different manufacturers:

• Hauppauge - These seem to be the most common and popular - You can get these from Amazon , Dabs.com and PC World
• AverMedia and Nebula - See the range at Misco and www.maplin.co.uk (under the 'Computers', 'Build your own' section).
• Xpert V-Stream VS-DVBT - Available from Maplin.co.uk - Cat No A75BZ (PCI version) and A78BZ (USB version)
• Got an Apple Mac? Consider the Equinux Tubestick