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Features
Cheapest set top box on the market
Light and small unit.
Composite and S-Video in and out
Automatic configuration.
Supports wide screen letterbox and pan scan.
Pros
Crystal clear image when you get somehting to watch.
Cons
SCART sucks.
Ratings
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Thomson DT1352TH
Digital television set top box
Recommended retail price: $699
(inc. GST)
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Reviewer: Daniel Potts
A set top box is like a modem for television -- it picks up digital TV broadcasts and converts them into a regular analogue video signal that your TV can deal with. Plus, it's wireless -- getting the signal using a normal TV antenna, not cable. Why do you need to know this?
Because digital TV is going to replace the existing free-to-air services we get now. This means that, eventually, you will to have to buy either a set top box or a new TV with an integrated digital receiver. The transition will be slow process, though, taking at least until the year 2008. So you still have a bit of time up your sleeve before having to commit - although once you've sampled the merchandise, you may not want to hang out that long.
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To kick-start digital TV in Australia all the current free-to-air channels began simulcasting their existing programs in digital at the beginning of this year. In fact, the only channel being broadcast in digital that isn't available via regular TV reception is ABC Kids, a new children's channel from the ABC, although SBS are planning a second channel as well.
So the obvious question is, why fork out $700 for a box that gives you the same TV channels that you already get now for free? Aside from the obvious benefits of having another sophisticated looking black unit in your home theatre system, there is one other advantage. The picture is absolutely phenomenal: it's like watching TV on DVD.
The first thing you'll notice about this box is that it has very few connectors and even fewer buttons. A quick inspection indicates that it's a modified version of a European model, as it has one of the cables hard wired on the outside of the rear panel and it is fitted with SCART connectors as well.
To get around this problem, the unit comes with two SCART adapters that provide three standard RCA sockets for composite video and stereo audio. The connectors also have S-video connectors, making their clumsiness almost worthwhile.
The unit is pretty easy to configure -- you simply press the menu button, go into channel installation mode and leave it to scan the airwaves. This will take about 10 minutes so you could take this time to familiarise yourself with the manual. You could, that is, except for the fact that the manual is so badly organised that you may be better off checking out a few websites on digital TV instead.
Once you're tuned in it works pretty much like regular TV. The remote is familiar enough -- except for a button marked "Web" which is intriguing and undocumented, no doubt added for possible future ITV or Internet connectivity.
The menu display for channel selection and information is pretty impressive -- you can even scroll through each channel to see the title of the current program as well as the one to follow, like a mini-TV guide on screen. Once you have adjusted to the awesome picture quality and settled in for some serious viewing, the on screen menu that was so impressive at first will quickly become a nightmare. For starters it takes up a third of the screen and stays there for about 10 seconds before disappearing.
While you could press another button to dispel it, it's twice as much button pressing as you're used to. Also, notorious channel surfers will be eternally frustrated by the lengthy delay in channel changing. Whether or not this is a digital TV limitation or a problem with the box itself, you will have to switch back to analogue TV for your speedy channel-changing fix.
Digging a little deeper, there are a few extra features you get with the set top box. Firstly, it picks up digital radio broadcasts, although currently only two SBS channels are available. Plus, there's a child lock option, although this is pretty useless at the moment considering that the only channel not simulcast on analogue TV is ABC Kids.
So, while there is a little future-proofing built into this machine, it's pretty much geared to just getting those digital pictures now. Which is fine, because ultimately that's what it's all about, and if you have to put up with some annoying little characteristics to get superb reception, well then, so be it.
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