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Review: This Hauppauge DEC 1100-T is my first digital freeview set up box, so I cannot make a comparison between this one and others from first hand experience. Nevertheless, this would seem to be a great little device. I found the set-up to be very straight forward: just a plug in and go situation really. The box found dozens of channels in what felt like less than a minute (about a dozen of which would seem to be placeholders for the channels that one can choose to pay extra for as I believe is the norm with the Freeview thing). The picture quality is good: certainly much better than taking the same aeriel and plugging it directly into my TV (the benefits of a digital style signal rather than an analogue one I guess). This is despite all the Freeview postcode checkers telling me that they're sorry but I can't receive Freeview in my area. (If you're in the same position, might be an idea to see if any of your friends have a Freeview box that they'd be willing to bring over to test your aerial/area -- you might be pleasantly surprised as I was.) Of particular note in the case of this device is that it is relatively small, with a footprint (when installed horizonally) not that much larger than a CD jewel case. Perhaps because of its small size, the transformer for the box is part of the power plug, and it requires a non-standard SCART lead (supplied) with normal SCART on one end (for your TV or VCR) and a smaller connector on the other end for the set-top box. Other points of interest: Vertical or horizontal installation (stand supplied),
Favourite channel support,
Multiple language support (including subtitles),
Support for 4:3 as well as widescreen,
Event timer,
Parental lock At the time of writing, Amazon is not the cheapest place to buy this unit. Mine cost me £34.99 (plus £5.99 P&P) from a reputable outlet, although it would seem unfair to Amazon to name them (*cough* British Telecom *cough*). For some, one negative aspect of this device would be with respect to those dozen (or however many) subscription channels I mentioned earlier. From what little I know (please someone correct me if I'm wrong), accessing those channels requires a decoder card of some variety that would be inserted into the set-top box, and this one doesn't have anywhere for such a thing to be inserted, so it would seem you have to be happy to settle for the free offerings (which, as it happens, I am). Summary: Small, good, cheap. | 
DVD, TV & Video
