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July 2010

Freesat Freeview euro tv skyThe best kit, The best programmes

Freeview HD RECEIVERS

MegatestFreeview HD

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Freeview HD zappers There’s more than a sprinkling of HD TV channels on the first Freeview HD receivers

Only about half the uK can receive Freeview HD, whose package of channels includes BBC HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD (S4C Cirlan in Wales),

with BBC One HD set to be added in the autumn. Almost total coverage won’t be achieved until the digital switch is completed in 2012 (find out if you can receive Freeview HD broadcasts at www.freeview.co.uk).

But is HD TV enough? With just a handful of channels, shouldn’t £100+ bring something more? Some brands think not, and are happy to be judged solely on their picture quality and usability. Others have media

streaming from a network, DivX playback from a uSB stick, or even – in the case of the ADB i-CAN Easy HD – access to BBC iPlayer direct from the remote control (soon to be added to the Humax box also).

Another desirable feature for sports fans is a common interface slot, which can be used for plugging in a CAM and viewing card to receive ESPN, although it’s looking unlikely that Top up TV will issue a CAM for its forthcoming Sky Sports subscriptions package.

To draw our conclusions we’ve concentrated on picture performance as well as value for money.

Humax HD-Fox T2

Icecrypt T2200 Bush DVB680

Sharp TU-T2

Goodmans GDB300HD Philips DTR5520

Metronic T2 HD Zapbox ADB i-CAN Easy HD 2851T

buying tipsn If you need a new TV, most now come with Freeview HD tuners

n All Freeview HD set-top boxes have Ethernet ports but BBC iPlayer or similar functionality is not guaranteed to appear on all of them

n Imminent updates for the Humax and Icecrypt zappers will enable recording to external drives

MegatestFreeview HD

teSt Freeview HD zapperS

ratingsPLUSn Good SD/HD picturesn Media playback/streamingn Excellent user interface

MinUSn No common interface slotn No DivX HD playback

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86%

The HD-Fox T2 – the first Freeview HD receiver to grace shelves earlier this year – has become the benchmark by which to judge all others.

But we’ll start with a few reasons why the HD-Fox T2 might not be for you. There’s no CI slot, leaving subscriptions sports TV beyond reach, while we’re not convinced that the DVB-T2 tuner is as sensitive as others featured here – we had trouble holding onto some channels during our test. And while that might put-off some, our final drawback is probably scraping the barrel; the HD-Fox T2’s uSB 2.0 slot doesn’t play DivX HD files (a multimedia update is coming), as the Icecrypt box can.

But now it’s at a discounted price it’s hard to resist this debut effort from Humax, largely because of its stunning user interface. large fonts, clear, crisp graphics, a fast operation and a class-leading remote control are just a few reasons why this is the easiest set-top box of its kind to use. Its eight-day EPG is lightning-quick and covers seven channels over three hours, with a thumbnail

playing a live channel next to a short synopsis. It’s able to play DivX video files, MP3 music and JPEG

photos, and Humax has also promised that the HD-Fox T2 will be able to record to external uSB drives after a software upgrade later this year. That would be icing on the cake because this box can already indulge in broadband home network streaming (of those same files listed above) from either a PC or Mac.

The excellent remote can control digital media from those sources in seconds, while videos can be skipped through at various speeds up to 32x, as well as in short chapters of around eight minutes each.

Best of all, files on computers and uSB sticks can be inspected while a live TV channel plays.

As for the Freeview tuner, while HD channels are as sharp and fluid as anywhere else, SD fare can look muffled. The HD-Fox T2 doesn’t upscale SD as effectively as other boxes here, but it’s still difficult to overlook unless you need pay-TV or DivX HD playback.

Humax HD-Fox T2n www.humaxdigital.com/uk n £140

The build quality and design on this Bush box are nothing special, but it’s a realistic price for the limited step forward the DVB680 represents;

it inserts three free HD channels into the usual Freeview mix, but does little else.

That’s obvious from the outside of a gloss-black fascia, which is studded with logos including HDMI, DVB, Freeview HD and even the digital tick logo. Sadly, there’s no common interface slot, which is a great shame for pay-TV fans considering there’s a definite space in the design to house one.

A small, red lED display sits in the middle, flanked by a standby and channel up/down controls, while on its rear you’ll find a uHF in and loopthrough, that all-important HDMI output, a RGB Scart and a digital optical audio output supported by Dolby Digital transcoding. There’s also an Ethernet port, although it’s redundant for now.

Switch on the DVB680 and the installation process

bush DVB680n www.argos.co.uk n £100ratings

PLUSn HD pictures n Attractive pricen SD upscaling

MinUSn Uninspiring user interfacen No common interface slot

Build hhhhhhhhhh

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70%

presents a choice of resolutions before scanning automatically for channels. It does this rather slowly and during our test failed to find any of the HD channels despite being used in an area known to have a strong signal. It took three attempts before it locked on to BBC HD and ITV1 HD.

Both the onscreen menus and the seven-day EPG are slow to respond to commands from the remote, and though you don’t completely exit the channel you’re watching to inspect it – the audio plays beneath – there’s no thumbnail for the live picture. It’s nice to see a ‘now’ button for returning from the days ahead in the schedules, while a neat ‘zoom function sees the EPG truncated from three, to two, to one hours.

HD channels are as sharp and clear as on any of the DVB680’s more expensive rivals, while SD material also impresses. The DVB680 just about meets the brief for a Freeview HD box, but little else.

The T2200 isn’t ‘just’ a Freeview HD receiver. That’s obvious from looking at its fascia, which includes a flap hiding a uSB port. For software

upgrades only, right? Not here – Icecrypt hasn’t just made the T2200 digital media-friendly, it’s added advanced DivX HD compatibility and the promise of single-tuner uSB recording to come.

Once implemented the T2200 will – after an OTA upgrade – be able to record in both SD and HD to an external drive hooked-up via uSB. Another update could also let the T2200 offer an element of home networking similar to the Humax.

Its abilities with JPEG, MP3, MP4, MKV, AVI, DivX, XviD and M2TS (AVC HD camcorder) files are a superb extra feature, though only video is handled with a polished DVD-like experience – music and pictures suffer from a

more rudimentary treatment. Arguably, though, however nice it is to see DivX

icecrypt T2200n www.turbosat.com n £160 (includes ESPN CAM)ratings

PLUSn Two common interface slotsn DivX HD playback n PVR soon

MinUSn Average remoten Basic MP3 playback

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82%

HD on a self-appointed HD machine, it’s no dealmaker. unlike the T2200’s provision of two common interface slots under a further flap on the front panel – something that’s unique in the Freeview HD market.

A hi-res user interface and a responsive remote are a good start, but the latter is marred by tiny buttons. A channel list can be called up, as can the seven-day EPG, which covers either three hours on seven channels, or five hours on five channels. It’s enough to impress, but it’s not as silky as the T2200’s treatment of digital video files, which can be scanned through at rates of between 2x and 64x, while a file list can be consulted as the movie continues underneath. Files can also be deleted from the uSB stick, folders created, and files moved.

Pictures are reliable from both HD and SD broadcasts, with good close-up detail and contrast from the likes of BBC HD and ITV1 HD. SD channels, meanwhile, are bright and clean and upscaled as well as any box on test here.

ratingsPLUSn User interface n EPGn HD pictures

MinUSn SD pictures n Poor remoten No common interface slots

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70%

There’s nothing special about the Tu-T2, though the front panel’s flashing lED lights might signal otherwise. Crowded in the centre of a glossy

black fascia, a square of eight blue lights give this little box an unusual – and not necessarily pleasant – look.

It’s a different story with its user interface, which is the Tu-T2’s best feature. It’s not as creative as some in this group test, but this black-and-blue menu system helps make the Tu-T2 easy to get on with; its colourful, well-designed and hi-res EPG has few flaws and, best of all, works very quickly while never interrupting the TV programme you’re watching.

After a simple and quick installation (it seems to have a super-sensitive tuner) the basic though transparent EPG shows schedules across eight channels for two hours while Fastext buttons navigate to the following two hours, or skip forward a day.

Programme synopses take up far too much room on the screen, especially as the EPG is packed with

information – you can even see which programmes are broadcast in native HD and which are simply upscaled SD (almost everything on ITV1 HD).

The interface is aided by a responsive remote control, although once again the buttons are too small – and that applies to every single button.

Although it delivers on its core aims – hi-def channels have never looked better – the Tu-T2 is expensive for what it is; a Freeview HD box that doesn’t upscale SD with any aplomb is a bit of a letdown. Another disappointment is the lack of a common interface slot, although at the rear you’ll find a brace of Scarts (one for a VCR) alongside Ethernet, optical digital audio, a uSB slot (service only), uHF and loopthrough connections.

With its unambitious spec, the Tu-T2 was never going to blow us away, but in use it’s one of the most comfortable T2 set-top boxes around. Having been impressed by its easy-to-use and speedy interface and EPG, we’ll overlook some of the Tu-T2’s shortcomings.

Sharp TU-T2n www.sharp.co.uk n £160

teSt Freeview HD zapperS

While a PVR is set to follow, the T2 HD Zapbox is a rather rudimentary take on DVB-T2. No bigger than a tiny, no-frills Freeview HD box, it sports a

bog-standard black shell with a central red lED display that’s flanked by simple standby and channel up/down controls.

On the rear is an Ethernet port for software upgrades next to a single Scart, aerial input and loopthrough, a HDMI and an optical digital audio output to take care of sound. The presence of a Scart (which can be set to RGB or composite) may seem redundant on an HD receiver, although it’s the absence of common interface slots and uSB ports that hamstring this box in terms of flexibility – the former puts ESPN off the menu (if that matters to you), the latter digital media playback.

The lightweight remote, curved at both ends much like a Slingbox, is overlong but otherwise well designed. Buttons are laid out logically and well labelled, though

Metronic T2 HD ZapBoxn www.metronic.com n £150 ratings

PLUSn HD pictures n SD upscaling

MinUSn Interface can be slow n No multimedia support n No common interface slots

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68%

we did experience some lag between issuing a command and the T2 HD responding.

The main ‘menu’ and ‘guide’ buttons both take more than a second to bring up the interface, which is nicely styled in purple, lilac and red, but not quite hi-res enough for our tastes. A choice is presented between a simple channel list and a dedicated EPG, although it would be easier to have buttons on the remote to call up each separately. The EPG, a seven-day affair, is not transparent so blocks out the programme you’re watching. It’s hard to argue with the T2 HD’s picture quality – both HD and SD channels look crisp and clear – but its basic interface and lack of add-on features means there are better value examples available.

The T2 HD is easy to source online, but don’t panic if you can’t find it – a near-identical box is also available under as the FDH1 under the linsar brand name (on sale at John lewis).

ratingsPLUSn User interface stylingn HD pictures

MinUSn Baffling user interface n SD pictures n No CI slots

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64%

The GDB300HD boasts a good-looking interface and delivers good clarity from the three hi-def channels, but its standard-def performance is a

letdown – as is its predilection for making its onscreen menus awkward to wander through on first use.

This black box studded with blue lED lights has an Ethernet port on its rear, which will potentially extend the useful life of what appears an initially stunning attempt at a Freeview HD zapper.

At first glance it features one of the better thought-out user interfaces. Six icons fade up in the centre of the screen when the onscreen menus are activated from the remote, culminating in an eight-day EPG that shows TV schedules for eight channels over two hours. Graced by a Freeview logo and a striking black-and-red design, the EPG also contains a small window and synopses. Simple to navigate and featuring one-touch reminders, the interface nevertheless implodes somewhat under scrutiny; a dedicated, simple channel list exists, but it’s

impossible to select anything to tune to. There are other oddities. A ‘home’ button returns the box to BBC One, exiting the EPG can cause a delay and an audio blip, and the EPG froze occasionally.

There are some saving graces, including a simply presented audio delay option to swerve lip-sync issues, an easy setup that automatically detects a display’s maximum resolution, and a sensitive DVB-T2 tuner that holds all frequencies well.

Hi-def pictures also impress, with vibrant colours, well-defined edges and an almost total lack of picture noise in backgrounds, although that could be down to the GDB300HD’s slight lack of sharpness.

SD channels aren’t treated that well, which prompts a doubt over the GDB300HD’s claim of 1080p upscaling and threatens its versatility – an impression that’s reinforced by its lack of both CI slots and digital media-savvy uSB connectivity. This does, however, remain one of the better attempts at Freeview HD on a budget.

Goodmans GDB300HD

n www.metronic.com n £150

n www.goodmansdigital.co.uk n £130

ratingsPLUSn HD picturesn SD upscalingn Dolby Digital option

MinUSn High price n No CI slots

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74%

Designed by Pace and sold under the Philips brand, this HD zapper is all about picture quality – and some unique features.

A well-designed box looks the part, its glossy black front boasts manual controls for channel-changing, swapping the output resolution and toggling between HDMI and Scart.

On the downside there’s no common interface slot, so pay-TV is not an option.

But it’s the one Freeview HD box we know of that includes some nifty audio options; as well as stereo analogue audio outputs, there’s a coaxial digital audio output that can be used to stream Dolby Digital – converted inside this machine from the HE-AAC format used on Freeview HD – to a home cinema system. Any amp compatible with Dolby Digital can then bring surround sound to your living room. There’s also Ethernet, a uSB port (for software updates only), uHF and loopthrough and a Scart.

Generally easy to use, the DTR5520 tuned in all available channels in five minutes, but did fail to hold onto a few of them during testing.

Though not as sharp as its competitors, the user interface is nicely designed with ‘3D’ graphics that lend depth and clarity. The EPG is almost redundant given the vast amount of information that can be inspected from the live TV screen (programme duration, what’s on next, schedules on other channels) and a good job, too, because the guide squashes in eight channels over three hours and is difficult to read quickly. It also kills whatever you’re watching, cutting out pictures and sound, rather than the typical corner-screen video window .

The best reason to buy the DTR5520 is for its stunning picture quality. Both standard and HD channels are treated well, and in this respect the DTR5520 is in the upper echelons of Freeview HD receivers. Good-looking and with excellent picture performance, it nevertheless seems rather overpriced.

philips DTR5520n www.philips.co.uk n £160

It’s one thing for manufacturers of Freeview HD boxes to include an Ethernet port and talk about their potential to offer online TV services.

It’s quite another to offer support for BBC iPlayer streaming (including HD) right from the off – but that’s what the i-CAN does with its debut Freeview HD receiver.

Developed by Swiss company Advanced Digital Broadcast, the i-CAN has a very modern ‘rolling’ user interface that echoes that of a games console more than a set-top box and includes an icon for interactive services.

Within that is a sole BBC iPlayer icon that leads to the iPlayer ‘Big Screen’ interface that can be a little slow.

Away from BBC iPlayer, the i-CAN is something of an enigma because for all its versatility there are some notable ‘cracks’.

aDb i-can eaSY HD 2851Tn www.i-CAN.tv n £130ratings

PLUSn BBC iPlayer service n User interface n CI slot n HD pictures

MinUSn Flimsy remote n SD pictures lacking n iPlayer HD wasn’t great for us

Build hhhhhhhhhh

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80%

It’s great to see a CI slot, but we had trouble retaining some channels we’d tuned in and the remote control suffers from frustratingly fiddly small buttons.

When it comes to the business of TV-watching, the i-CAN’s ‘Carbo’ software is impressive, with a simple, transparent channel list and an option to inspect TV schedules without resorting to the EPG.

Not that the EPG is problematic – far from it. Marked by a Freeview HD logo, this eight-day affair presents nine channels and three hours of schedules simultaneously, with a synopsis box popping-up over the programme you hover over.

Rather than opt for the conventional three-quarter screen arrangement, the EPG floats over

whatever channel you are watching.Pictures from iPlayer – even in high

definition – proved jumpy (we used a 10MB connection) and do suffer from some motion blur.

They’re watchable, but are not a patch on pictures from broadcast HD channels, which

feature plenty of depth and subtle details in close-ups.

Switch to SD channels and the i-CAN’s lack of convincing upscaling circuitry becomes apparent on our 42in screen, with blocking, digital noise and jagged edges all too obvious.

teSt Freeview HD zapperSteSt Freeview HD zapperS

n www.philips.co.uk n £160

n www.i-CAN.tv n £130

verdictFreeview HD isn’t just about high-definition TV. You might be lusting after the likes of BBC HD and ITV1 HD, but the fact is that you’re going to have to spend an awful lot of time watching standard-definition channels and some boxes are better than others when it comes to the business of upscaling. However, for sheer usability and extras, the Humax HD-Fox T2 wins being chock full of both.

and the winner is...Replete with the best-looking, fastest and most dynamic graphical user interface by far, the Humax

HD-Fox T2 is the victor. It can stream myriad files from computers or NAS drives or play them from a uSB stick, and comes with the promise of future upgrades including iPlayer and uSB recording.

But it may not be for you if you’re looking for pay-TV compatibility (it has no CI slot), nor is its upscaling tech the best available. That honour goes to the Philips, which comes in fourth place only by dint of ABP, Humax and Icecrypt’s noble bids to embrace digital media and interactivity. Indeed, the Icecrypt earns its impressive score with its all-round performance, CI slots and uSB multimedia playback.

As well as promising uSB recording, it has the bonus of playing DivX HD files.

The i-CAN’s BBC iPlayer support is worth every penny of a reasonable price, though its treatment of SD channels could be better.

Both beat the Philips in terms of usability, though the Pace-made box is a stouter

contender than any of the remaining four boxes, all of which lack that something

special n Jamie Carter

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Humax HD-Fox T2

£140 - 7 1080p - l l l 2 l l - - l l lMP3, JPEG,

XviD32x

July 10

22 (max)

OTA/PC

86

Bush DVB860

£100 - 8 1080p - - - l 1 l l - l - l l - - - 12 OTA 70

Sharp Tu-T2

£160 - 8 1080p - - - l 2 l l - - - l l - - - 7.5OTA/

PC70

icecrypt T2200

£160 2 7 1080p - l - l 2 l l - - - l l

MP3, JPEG, MP4, DivX, DivX HD, AVI, MKV,

MT2S

64xAug10

27(max)

OTA/PC

82

Goodmans GDB300HD

£130 - 8 1080p - - - l 2 l l - - - l l - - - 8 OTA 64

Metronic T2 HD Zapbox

£150 - 7 1080p - - - l 1 l l - - - l l - - - 8 OTA 68

Philips DTR5520

£160 - 7 1080p - - - l 1 l - l l l l l - - - 6OTA/

PC74

ADB i-CAn Easy HD 2851T

£130 1 8 1080p l - - l 1 l l - - - l l - - - 6OTA/

PC80