... I know this doesn't really make any difference to the workings but I felt it reflected my character, and what better name to give a TV related article than an Oggle Box.
It is not the smallest on the market, but neither the largest. Apart from the coloured letters in the logo it is silver ... Read review
Advantages: Very easy to use and set Up Disadvantages: None
...TV related article than an Oggle Box.
It is not the smallest on the market, but neither the largest. Apart from the coloured letters in the logo it is silver coloured with a black front and measures 26cm(W) x 16cm(D) x 4cm(H).
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What does it offer?
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*This Freeview ... ...Radio stations, usually 30+. It cannot be used for Top Up Tv, since it does not have a slot.
*It has two SCART slots making connecting to a VCR or DVD easy.
*Red Button Interactive. By pressing this button whilst watching a program you can access for info on the program, switch to another program or play games when on children's' channels.
*An 8 day EPG (Electronic Program Guide) meaning that with just ... more
We recently moved to a new house and was surprised to find that each room except for the bathroom had an aerial socket fitted.
This was great news as I have long since been relegated to the dining room with my computer. In our old house it was not possible to have an aerial fitted so we simply had to stick with four channels, and fuzzy ones at that.
In both the living room and bedroom we had bought a Freeview box and now finally I could have one for the dining room to give me a bit more choice on what to watch.
><><><><>< Why Freeview ><><><><><
Most people have heard of Freeview, so I won't go into major details. Basically we chose this option over Satellite or Cable since we wanted something cheap and didn't want something that would require continuous payments. With a Freeview box you simply plug your outdoor aerial into it and then another lead into your TV. (Via your DVD/VCR if you prefer). You only pay once, which is for the actual box, and provided you can get Digital television in your area you will then be able to pick up an extra 30 or more channels.
So off shopping we went.
><><><><><><><><><>< Where to buy and how much ><><><><><><><><><><
You can buy the set top boxes from most electrical shops and these days most supermarkets. The prices have come down dramatically in the last few months and for a basic model you can expect to pay no more than £30. If you want to be able to add additional channels with Top Up TV then you will pay about double this and then double again if it also has a hard drive for recording.
We purchased ours in Asda for the princely sum of £24.99. It is also available from amazon for the same price. It is a basic model, no frills and will pick up all the Freeview channels available.
><><><><><>< Why this model? ><><><><><><
Firstly the price. It was the cheapest I had seen so far, that was actually in stock. But one thing that I did particularly like was the name and coloured logo. I know this doesn't really make any difference to the workings but I felt it reflected my character, and what better name to give a TV related article than an Oggle Box.
It is not the smallest on the market, but neither the largest. Apart from the coloured letters in the logo it is silver coloured with a black front and measures 26cm(W) x 16cm(D) x 4cm(H).
><><><><><><>< What does it offer? ><><><><><><><
*This Freeview Set Top Box can receive all the Freeview channels and Radio stations, usually 30+. It cannot be used for Top Up Tv, since it does not have a slot.
*It has two SCART slots making connecting to a VCR or DVD easy.
*Red Button Interactive. By pressing this button whilst watching a program you can access for info on the program, switch to another program or play games when on children's' channels.
*An 8 day EPG (Electronic Program Guide) meaning that with just one push of a button you can scan the scheduled programs for the next 8 days.
*Picture in Picture Guide. This means when you are going through the 8 day Guide in the top right hand corner you will still be able to view the channel you were previously watching.
*Child Lock. Self explanatory and always handy.
*Choice of languages. English, Welsh or Gaelic. So ideal for even the far flung corners of the British Isles. (Unless of course there is no freeview coverage of course!)
*Timer Programming Function. This allows you to set your box to change channels at set time. A brilliant addition if you tend to tape off digital as normally you can only tape the channel that was last being watched, or hang around to manually change the program. This way it will change to the number you want meaning you are free to leave the house.
*Easy Set Up and Installation. Something many of these boxes claim, and something I was about to put to the test.><><><><><><><><>< Set Up and Installation ><><><><><><><><><
I prepared myself for a nightmare here. I am not technologically minded at all. After removing all the items from the box.
The contents included all the expected, remote, batteries and Manual, but also an RF cable and SCART lead. These are often not included, and will cost anything from £5 to £10 so considering the price of the unit to have these included is excellent value.
The manual was fairly easy to follow and clear pictures showed you where to plug everything in. I was going straight from Aerial to Freeview Box to TV so literally took a couple of seconds, but including a VCR or DVD into this seemed no more difficult from the illustrations.
Next I waited for the Set Up screen to appear on the TV, which it did. This unit is designed for Auto Set up so it was simply now a case of pressing the OK button and allowing it to do all the searching for me.
This took just a couple of minutes, much quicker than other models we have experienced and even sorted them all into order, such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV, CH4, CH5, ITV2, BBC3 etc. They basically go in order of popularity and have found this to be perfect. You can however manually re order and tune if you so wish.
Once all was installed I checked out all the features. The 8 day EPG is a definitve bonus. A lot of units don't have this but just a program guide, which only shows what is on that particular day.
This guide allows you to either view that day or any in the next 8 by using the coloured buttons on the remote. Also with the picture in picture function you can still view the program
The coloured buttons can also be used to access the digital teletext, not something I use often but my hubby likes to play some of the games availablw on it.
I think the installation took no more than ten minutes from opening the box to actually viewing.
It has no fancy sound extras but nor does my TV so this would be wasted on us.
I have not had any reason to glance back at the manual since it is really straight forward to use. The remote buttons are clearly marked and are well spaced out so you don't accidently hit the wrong one. The remote is average sized, approx 17cms long and 5cms wide, maybe too large for some who like things in miniature but it really is not a problem to me and less likely to be lost.
Since buying this box we have not had any problems with it. My daughter's box which she got at the same time as a present has had to be reset several times as it has just frozen on her. Our box in the lounge has had to be reset as the sound keeps going off and the one on our bedroom keeps going off due to no signal.
All are well known brands and cost a fair amount more. So when comparing this to them I would say that this cheaper model is a much better buy.
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I definitely would, and have recommended this product to others. It is the simplest one I have ever had to set up and it has worked really well. It was extremely good value for money as not only was it under £30 but it included two leads that others expect you to buy as extras plus it has the 8 day EPG and interactive button that is not available on a number of other brands.
