Bush Internet Tv

We purchased the Bush Internet Portable Television two years ago for the meagre sum of £99. We were only after a portable TV for the bedroom at the time but this was in the same price range as other models with the added feature of Internet access so as that rather irritating advert says, "Why pay the same for less?"

The Bush Internet TV in packaged in a worryingly heavy box, dragging the television out of its annoying polystyrene ...
...is obviously a "universal" to Bush televisions remote. I can only presume the keys are designed for fast text but since my television does not even have text they are largely made redundant. The keys are soft rubber and as such can be unresponsive without some definite pressing especially the volume and channel up/down keys. However, due to the oversized nature of the remote I would suggest this is ideal for the uncoordinated, partially ... more

We purchased the Bush Internet Portable Television two years ago for the meagre sum of £99. We were only after a portable TV for the bedroom at the time but this was in the same price range as other models with the added feature of Internet access so as that rather irritating advert says, "Why pay the same for less?"

The Bush Internet TV in packaged in a worryingly heavy box, dragging the television out of its annoying polystyrene carton you are confronted by what can only be described as a space age style portable television. In fact it looks like a deformed helmet for Neil Armstrong. This is re-enforced by its metallic silver, curved, bubble style. It is all very 1970's.

Setting up the television appears to be easy. According to the step-by-step instructions simply plug in the hoop aerial, plug into the wall and use the remote to "auto find" the five terrestrial channels available. Now here is were the real fun starts. Perhaps, it is area in which we live but the television only finds four channels and even then puts them in the wrong order. Re-arranging them is a complex process of using the on-screen menu system combined with "smart keys" which are similar to fasttext keys being red, green yellow and blue. Unfortunately, the smart keys are not very smart. Rather than one key being for one function you have to use all four keys in various combinations to swap channels round and even then finding how to store them can lead to you resetting the whole lot.

Having finally installed the channels I am going to spend a little time talking about the remote. It is huge; we are talking 30-cm here people! Not only that it is very heavy especially after putting four AA pencil batteries into it (not supplied…moan, grumble). As I have already mentioned the "smart keys" are pretty much useless especially since this is obviously a "universal" to Bush televisions remote. I can only presume the keys are designed for fast text but since my television does not even have text they are largely made redundant. The keys are soft rubber and as such can be unresponsive without some definite pressing especially the volume and channel up/down keys. However, due to the oversized nature of the remote I would suggest this is ideal for the uncoordinated, partially sighted or simply large handed!

The remote control has a flip top lid that opens up to reveal a fully functional QWERTY keyboard beneath it. However, these keys are small and as such great care must be taken when in use (no use touch-typing). I have actually found the best way to use this keyboard is to use the end of a ballpoint pen. Of course the QWERTY keyboard is only of use for the Internet function. The Internet is perhaps the only redeeming feature of this television. Plugging in the phone cable supplied into the back of the television and then into a phone point you are hooked up and ready to go. Pressing the large yellow button on the remote connects you to the Bush Internet page in which you sign up to your account via the usual online form. From here you are transferred to the Bush Internet homepage which has an email facility as well as a rudimentary search engine. The Internet function is an ideal way for your children to access the Internet, as it has no hard drive. As such there will be no viruses, adware or pornographic images flashing onto screen. Furthermore, the television is unable to display more than the most simple of images so flash images are not accessible. Even better the more, shall we say unsavoury sites are simply not connectable due to Bush's own built in filtering.

Of course being a very basic link up the Internet option is severely limited. Page access can be ridiculously slow and more popular sites such as Friends Re-united although accessible can take minutes to load. Not only this but the email option is purely that, a messaging system. Do not expect to be able to send attachments, smilies or downloads. However, considering the low call cost of dialling on the Bush Internet TV I would say this television could be ideal for a child's bedroom. You would certainly be safe in the knowledge that when they say they are "researching homework" this is what they are doing.

Back to the television itself. Do not drop the remote! Batteries fly out very easily and this renders it unusable as it loses synchronicity with the television. Retuning it to the televisions frequency is once again a complex process of multiple keys and even worse the channel buttons on the front of the tv do not work. The television picture is good and although not flatscreen its 14 inches are have good clarity with no blurring or ghosting in evidence after two years of solid use. Sound quality is sufficient if not spectacular although the decision to have speakers on the side of the helmet leads to a little echoing at higher volumes. A further problem is in the volume control itself. The gradients vary between ear piercingly loud or supersonic hearing level low. We tend to flit between the two depending on the nature of the programme (loud for soaps or anything with talking, low for sport/documentary).

There are extra features on this television including a sleep timer and manual tuning (both a little bit pointless?) but it is missing a teletext option. There is a scart socket although I have not had occasion to use it. Of course being a portable television I should answer the question how portable is it? Well, it does have a moulded plastic handle built in but it is bloody heavy so I would not consider carrying it from room to room.

All in all I would not recommend purchasing this television unless you have more patience than I have. It has far to many irritating features and its reliance on overly technical features makes it the opposite of what a portable television should be. Functional, portable and simple to use. The cheap Internet option would have made it an ideal television to introduce children to the wonders of the net but this gimmick is not enough to warrant its purchase. Even at the now reduced price of £75 there are far better options on the market. 

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