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Freeview Set-top boxes

FrequencyCast UK TV Podcast

This page provides information and specifications on the range of Freeview set-top receivers available in the UK.

 

Freeview set-top boxes allow you to access over 40 channels of digital TV without subscription. Boxes can be purchased for a one-off fee starting from around £20.

Below, you'll find a summary of the range of UK Freeview set top box receivers.

If you're looking for general advice on what to buy, try the FAQ on our help page first.

Radio & Telly's Freeview Quick Picks
TVonics MFR-200TVonics MFR-200: Tiny, and works on TVs without a SCART socket. Homebase. £38.99 BT Vision v-boxBT Vision: Freeview recorder & on demand shows. Free to BT Broadband customers.
More info: get.btvision.bt.com
Humax PVR-9300Humax PVR-9300: Includes a hard-disk recorder that holds 160 hours of TV. Laskys £164

Not sure what box is right for you? Try our interactive Set-top Box Selector

Key: Modulator With modulator PVR Hard disk recorder

BT Vision+ box from Philips
PVR Mod

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 FREE to BT Total Broadband customers (How to Switch provider)
. More on our BT Vision page

Bush LPDV210B

Bush LPDV210B

Low-price set-top box with 7 day programme guide. 1 SCART socket.

Available for £19.59 from Argos. (Cat no:532/1856)

Bush SCART adapter

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 £29.39 from Argos. (Cat no: 532/1894)

Bush TU160DTR 160GB
Top Up TV Anytime

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 DSD-9520
PVR

Daewoo DSD9520

PVR to allow recording of Freeview onto hard disk. Car 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

Fetch TV Smartbox

Fetch TV Smartbox

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 and Internet browser. Made by NetGem

Price: £149.98. More on our Fetch TV page.

Goodmans GDB10CA

Goodmans GDB10CA

Freeview box with 8-days programme guide and support for sports channel Setanta Sport
.

Outputs: 2 x SCART

Available for £19.96 from Bennetts Electrical.
Available for £24.44 from Tesco.com (Cat No: 200-0360).
Available for £45 from Littlewoods Extra (Cat No: PY36014).

Humax 9150T
PVR

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 £126.33 from Tribal UK
Available for £127.22 from Comet
Available for £127.17 from Argos
(Cat 532/1681)
Available for £147.91 from Bennetts Electrical
Available for £149 from Littlewoods Extra


Humax 9300TB
PVR

Humax PVR9300 Logos

Humax PVR-9300TB

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
  • USB slot (for pictures and MP3)
  • 8 day Electronic Programme Guide
  • Card slot suitable for subscription services. (requires CAM)

Discuss the PVR9300 in our Humax forum.

Available for £163.99 from Laskys
Available for £171.48 from Tribal UK
Available for £178.87 from Bennetts Electrical
Available for £179 from John Lewis
Available for £179.99 from Comet
Available for £195.67 from Argos (Cat 532/1698)
Available for £195.67 from Tesco.com
Available for £195.73 from Currys
Available for £199 from Littlewoods Extra

Metronics Eco Zapbox

Metronics Eco Zapbox

Freeview
box with 7 day propgramme guide. Two SCART sockets

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

PANASONIC DMR-EZ28EB-K

Panasonic DMR-EZ28EB-K DVD Recorder/Freeview

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

  • 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 £136.69 from Currys.
Available for £149 from Bennetts Electrical
Available for £169.99 from Comet
Available for £174.97 from Argos (Cat no:533/7008)

Panasonic DMR-EX78EB-K
PVR

Panasonic DMR-EX78 DVD Recorder/PVR/Freeview

250Gb HDD Recorder (for up to 441 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

Available for £279.99 from Comet
Available for £279.99 from PurelyGadgets.co.uk.
Available for £293.39 from Argos (Cat no: 085/1077)

Available for £299 from Littlewoods Extra

Panasonic DMREX75
PVR

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

Available for £341.56 from Currys.
Available for £369.87 from Bennetts Electrical
Available for £379.99 from Comet
Available for £391.29 from Argos (Cat no:085/1084)
Available for £399 from Littlewoods Extra

Philips DTR-210

Philips DTR220

Features: Electronic Programme Guide, digital text.

Outputs: 2 x SCART, digital audio, RF loopthrough

Available for £33.99 from Laskys
Available for £33 from John Lewis
Available for £33.23 from Tesco.com

Available for £33.24 from Argos (Cat 532/1076)

.

Sagem ITD68
Sagem ITD68

Basic Freeview box with slot for supports subscription services such as Setanta
Outputs: 1 x SCART, RF loopthrough

Available for £49.99 from Argos. (Cat no: 532/1083)
Home Sagem DTR64160T ECO
PVR

Sagem DTR64160T

PVR to allow recording of Freeview onto hard disk. Eight-day programme guide

  • Hard Disk: 160Gig (up to 80 hours)
  • Tuner: Twin
  • Outputs: 2 x SCART, HDMI

Available for £96.87 from Argos. (Cat no: 532/1629)

Thomson DTI 6021
Top Up TV Anytime

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: £97.86 from Argos (Cat no: 532/1667)
500 Gig version: £146.77 from Argos (Cat no: 532/1650)

TopUp TV Anytime Box
Top Up TV Anytime

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 on our TopUp TV Anytime page

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
Mod PVR

Topfield TF5800PVR Voted by our visitors

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
Mod

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).

Available for under £40 from Homebase . and Argos online

More on this on our TVonics Freeview page

Virgin Media Non-Cable
Image from Vismedia
Virgin non-cable V Box

Box from Virgin Media that's being offered to users of Virgin's home phone service. Capable of receiving Freeview TV and radio channels.


Available free to Virgin Media customers on certain packages
PC Cards  
Hauppauge NOVA-T-USB 2 TV Card

Hauppauge Win TV Nova USB2

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. Teletext, radio channels (note that digital radio on Freeview is not the same thing as DAB), video recording and remote control are available accessories for this product.

Available from Amazon (£66.40
)

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

Nebula PCI card
More Freeview PC solutions

There are a number of 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)
For more on the options available, see our TV on your PC page

Prices last updated: June 2009
Prices, specifications and offers are subject to alteration. Refer to the websites that we link to for latest prices, information and conditions

* RF loopthrough - Your main TV aerial connects into set-top box, and the box has an aerial output socket that can be used to feed a TV or video recorder regardless of whether the Freeview box is on or off. For a fuller explanation, see our Glossary
* RF modulator - Modulated output indicates that a box can 're-broadcast' the output onto a new TV channel, so that your TV or video can 'tune in' to the Freeview signal (this is especially useful for TV and video equipment that don't have SCART sockets). For a fuller explanation, see our Glossary

Boxes are available from: Dixons, Comet, Currys, Argos. , John Lewis and Littlewoods Direct.

Older / Discontinued Set-top boxes

If you're looking for information on older, discontinued or hard-to-find Freeview or onDigital boxes, try our list of Older Freeview Boxes

Freeview Links

Espares

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