Bush DFTA14

...Based on this I recommend Bush box to other people.

Latest strange behaviour:

It is now showing signs of ageing and may be approach the end of its life. The first symptom is the occasional lost of sound with good picture reception and signal strength. The on-off button on the box did not help. The cure is by switching it off from the mains and then back on. Also, the 'red button' function is erratic. Sometimes it refuses ...
...the machine's fault. I have notice that this box is capable of adding 'extra' BBC red button sports channels automatically e.g. 301, 302. So the 'red button' function is changing with the TV providers and to certain point the older generation of set top box may not be able to cope i.e. a newer box is required. I have now started to look for another box. Any suggestion is appreciated.
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Introduction:

I got this as a replacement for the Wharfdale DV832C which died within a year. The start date was June 2007. I still have my old receipt to prove it. So this review mainly focuses on the durability of this product because there are a lot newer models out there that can do more. Also, this may help people who are going to get second hand or refurbished set top box as there may be a limited shelf life for this product. Furthermore this review may reveal the requirement of a regular update of the set top box, unfortunately.

Cost:

£29.99 at that time from Argos

Specification:

It has got RF in and RF out, twin scart socket (yes twin scart socket) and a service port (mini-USB).

Installation and usage:

To sum it up - very easy and almost plug and play. Press the menu button to access all functions - channel set up, favourite channel list, timer and configuration.

The configuration function is quite good - set up favourite list, specify electronic programme guide (EPG, now & next or 7-days), specify parental control with password, enable/disable automatic firmware upgrade. However after two years the firmware is still version 2.8 even though I set it to do it automatically and also search for upgrade manually every few months. Obviously the upgrade is via the TV aerial. Strangely there is a mini-USB service port at the back and there is no instruction for how to use it and no information on what kind of device this port will connect to - USB pen drive/engineer's device?

Up to 4 favourite channel list can be set (one for each family member? Too many perhaps). For first time installation, just choose 'first time installation' under the installation option. It will scan all available channels automatically. After that manual installation can be used to re-scan to add more new channels to the list. So far this device can handle and store all the current TV and radio channels available.

Timer function is an important one however most of the merchants only advertise set top boxes with EPG, number of SCART sockets, digital audio connection, HDMI socket, USB socket, how many digital channels to watch etc and forget to mention this. This device has only got FIVE slots for timed recordings (with the option of daily, weekly and once for each slot, like the others). So did the Wharfdale. However the Sagem box has six! In fact the more the better - minimum seven (one per day) for that many Freeview channels.

General summary:

So far this box is still functioning with some strange behaviour showing (see later session). To be fair, with a price tag of £29.99 back in 2007 (of course, we can now get some basic set top box for half the price now) and it lasts beyond two years - good value for money. Over the last two years this machine has served me well. Based on this I recommend Bush box to other people.

Latest strange behaviour:

It is now showing signs of ageing and may be approach the end of its life. The first symptom is the occasional lost of sound with good picture reception and signal strength. The on-off button on the box did not help. The cure is by switching it off from the mains and then back on. Also, the 'red button' function is erratic. Sometimes it refuses to work. However this may not be entirely the machine's fault. I have notice that this box is capable of adding 'extra' BBC red button sports channels automatically e.g. 301, 302. So the 'red button' function is changing with the TV providers and to certain point the older generation of set top box may not be able to cope i.e. a newer box is required. I have now started to look for another box. Any suggestion is appreciated.
 

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