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Alba Single SCART Black Set Top Box (Help) |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Humberside
Posts: 678
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Alba Single SCART Black Set Top Box (Help)
My first Digi-Box purchase is a Alba Single SCART Black Set Top Box...http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...+TOP+BOXES.htm
Has anyone used one and is it any good -at all?? I'm on a very limited budget, hence I can only afford to spend £20 on a Set Top Box. Thanks, if you can help me out at all!
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
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Reviews show build quality to be variable but its argos so you can always take it back.
If you are really straped for cash, have you checked on freecycle. I see loads of freeview coming as people move to integrated freeview. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: It's Grim
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I don't think Argo take back set-top boxes if you don't like it.
I'm pretty sure ASDA do (and likely Tesco/Sainsbury/Morrisons/Aldi) Maybe get a box from a supermarket instead so if it's not to your liking you can get your money back? |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: South West
Posts: 10,218
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I'm sure it'll do the job for as long as it remains practical to stay with Freeview.
We're rapidly moving to Freeview HD, and with Tesco's Technika box now down to £70, it won't be too long before HD boxes cost as little as non-HD boxes do now. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
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Quote:
I'm sure it'll do the job for as long as it remains practical to stay with Freeview.
We're rapidly moving to Freeview HD, and with Tesco's Technika box now down to £70, it won't be too long before HD boxes cost as little as non-HD boxes do now.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Humberside
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Argos Do
Quote:
I don't think Argo take back set-top boxes if you don't like it.
![]() Thanks for the replys.. please let me know if you've experience of the Alba Freeview box? |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
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Posts: 10,218
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Quote:
As there's hardly any HD channels on Freeview, and little prospect of space for any more, it's not much of a concern
![]() Freeview will have to change, or get left for dead in the dirt. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
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Quote:
As the future has a habit of coming up to meet us much more rapidly in recent years, I wouldn't want to be running an SD channel any longer than I had to.
Freeview will have to change, or get left for dead in the dirt. ![]() Or perhaps become an even more partial service than current plans?. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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Oh No!
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Freeview will have to change, or get left for dead in the dirt.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Great Yarmouth
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Based on past tv standards and my life experience, I would say that the current Freeview (DTT) platform will be around for at least 10 to 20 years. But thats a long time in technology terms so I would expect bits of it to have evolved but the core channels will probably still be there.
Cheap boxes often only last 2 to 5 years anyway, so it shouldnt be a worry. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
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Quote:
Noooo... I haven't got my Freeview box yet and you're saying they're to become extinct!
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#12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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Hummmm..
Quote:
Based on past tv standards and my life experience, I would say that the current Freeview (DTT) platform will be around for at least 10 to 20 years. But thats a long time in technology terms so I would expect bits of it to have evolved but the core channels will probably still be there.
Cheap boxes often only last 2 to 5 years anyway, so it shouldnt be a worry. ![]() PS.. Does that make me sound Tight-fisted? |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
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Quote:
Noooo... I haven't got my Freeview box yet and you're saying they're to become extinct!
![]() It may take 5 or 8 years or so, for which £20 is not a bad outlay. But it will only pick up SD channels, and there are three HD channels already. With most people having HD capable TVs they will want more HD content. As the older generation, who are generally quite happy with SD, pass on - so will their technology. In the 60's they went from 405lines to 625lines - that technology is 50 years old now and is why we've started to shift now. Contemporary TVs provide much higher picture quality, and the 201x's will surely see a large drift away from SD. So, yes, your £19.99 Freeview (SD) box is only a stop gap measure, and has already been supersceded by the £70 Freeview HD box. That £70 price tag will surely drop within the next year alone. While the BBC has only 1 HD channel, which it is careful to limit mostly to HD material. ITV1, Channel 4 and Five all have mirrored HD channels. Both Sky and Virgin Media offer even more HD channels, including Film4 in HD. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: It's Grim
Posts: 24,413
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The Argos site has lots of customes comments on that Alba STB, some like it some don't.
I would say it's just an OK box, nothing special but all right. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Quote:
No, not extinct - but there must be changes in the future because it delivers such a limited number of channels, and even less channels as more try to move to HD.
It may take 5 or 8 years or so, for which £20 is not a bad outlay. But it will only pick up SD channels, and there are three HD channels already. With most people having HD capable TVs they will want more HD content. As the older generation, who are generally quite happy with SD, pass on - so will their technology. In the 60's they went from 405lines to 625lines - that technology is 50 years old now and is why we've started to shift now. Contemporary TVs provide much higher picture quality, and the 201x's will surely see a large drift away from SD. So, yes, your £19.99 Freeview (SD) box is only a stop gap measure, and has already been supersceded by the £70 Freeview HD box. That £70 price tag will surely drop within the next year alone. While the BBC has only 1 HD channel, which it is careful to limit mostly to HD material. ITV1, Channel 4 and Five all have mirrored HD channels. Both Sky and Virgin Media offer even more HD channels, including Film4 in HD. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: South West
Posts: 10,218
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Goodness me, that's practically a telescope by today's standards
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#17 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
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kevin, have you even got a HD TV ?
If not then don't worry about HD freeview and if you get round to buying a HD TV and HD content is important to you then either look for one for HD tuner built in or budget for a HD stb of some type. No doubt HD stb prices will continue to drop so if you are not planning on upgrading you TV for a couple of years then don't spend the money right now. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 6,258
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One of the reviews says:
"This is not just a set top box, but a hard drive recorder which allows the recording of two channels at the same time, or watch one& record the other. It does the job brilliantly, easy to set up & down load all the freeview channels." If that's true, it's a steal for £20. I think they might have posted on the wrong product though....... |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Quote:
One of the reviews says:
"This is not just a set top box, but a hard drive recorder which allows the recording of two channels at the same time, or watch one& record the other. It does the job brilliantly, easy to set up & down load all the freeview channels." If that's true, it's a steal for £20. I think they might have posted on the wrong product though....... |
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Humberside
Posts: 678
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Hard to believe really!
Quote:
One of the reviews says:
"This is not just a set top box, but a hard drive recorder which allows the recording of two channels at the same time, or watch one& record the other. It does the job brilliantly, easy to set up & down load all the freeview channels." ![]() Picking up my Alba Set-Top Box from Argos at 10am today.. so I will leave my comments here later on today (Monday 30th August) if it wouldn't bore you all too much to read about such a basic model! ![]() By the way.. did I mention, this is my first ever venture into the Digital TV "revolution"! |
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#21 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Why not pop into Sainsbury, ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons to see if they have some kind of special offer going on?
You might be able to get the same model for half the price, or a much better model for the same price. |
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Humberside
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Thanks.. but
Thanks Tassium, but as I've reserved an Alba STB at Argos.. I will check it out there first.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Humberside
Posts: 678
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ALBA Scart set-top box CDVB4
My first impressions of this Box...
Unpacked, it was just a case of finding out which cables went where.. which I'm sure most of you are familiar with. Note.. initially I was struggling. I ordered the set-top box (STB) with the half price Scart cable, handy enough -but there is no RF Loop cable included- so make sure and hunt one down. Luckily, I was able to dig an old one up from the bottom of a draw and all was saved. Most of the channels were immediately loaded up, with the omission of a few; like Film 4 and BBC4, which is dissapointing, plus my outside TV ariel will need to be upgraded soon -too much picture Blocking and "No Signal" messages from time to time. Unusually, my bedroom TV/VCR Combi works better, though there's just a looped wire ariel on the back of the set -weird that! Anyway.. Argos say: You cannot return a STB and get a refund or exchange, if you didn't like that model. But it is your statutory right for an exchange/refund if the unit is not working. Thanks for the words of wisdom folks, I think I will be fairly happy with this Alba, once my outside ariel is upgraded (my landlords job). Oh! One more thing.. the Alba is definately Not a Hard Disk Recorder of any sort
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Humberside
Posts: 678
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Figuring out my STB now...
Quote:
Most of the channels were immediately loaded up, with the omission of a few; like Film 4 and BBC4, which is dissapointing, plus my outside TV ariel will need to be upgraded soon -too much picture Blocking and "No Signal" messages from time to time. ![]() The Blocking patterns on most of the Channels is driving me nuts though -so will have to do the best with what is watchable, until my Landlord has his handyman sort out the ariel and booster... sometime soon, now that the Sun is shining once more. Anyhow.. I shall stop Blogging, is that what I've been doing the last two days? and "Get A Life"
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: DUNDEE
Posts: 1,318
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you could try using an aerial amplifier or a set top aerial
as an alternative to the roof aerial |
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