Digital terrestrial television set-top-boxes have quality and their prices are falling
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Author: ANACOMTitle: "Digital terrestrial television set-top-boxes have quality and their prices are falling"
Published: 17.12.2010
URL: http://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1063017
View: 24.05.2013
As the body responsible for coordinating the transition process from analogue to digital terrestrial television transmissions, ANACOM - Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações has signed a protocol with DECO - Associação Portuguesa para a Defesa do Consumidor(Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection) under which the association makes a commitment to carry out ongoing comparative tests on the DTT set-top-boxes which have been coming onto the market. The boxes are needed by anyone who wants to receive terrestrial digital television but doesn’t have an integrated digital television set.
The results of the tests conducted by DECO in October, available on the association’s website (www.deco.proteste.pthttp://www.deco.proteste.pt/) and on ANACOM’s website (www.anacom.pthttp://www.anacom.pt/template2.jsp?categoryId=198), reveal that set-top-boxes vary greatly in terms of performance and price, but in no case does the image disappoint, even when displayed on conventional television sets (CRT). With a high-definition signal, which is not currently being transmitted through terrestrial digital television, only two models fail to achieve very good results.
The experts at DECO decided not to recommend 4 devices, above all due to high electrical consumption when on stand-by, between 10.8 W (Teka TK2000 THD) and 17.4 W (Univers by FTE U6000): 5 times the limit specified by the European Commission.
According to DECO the prices of set-top-boxes also vary considerably from shop to shop, whereby consumers do well to shop around – this information can be found on DECO’s website. According to the results of the DECO study it’s possible to save up to €77.80 on a Televes device, considered the best in the tests, by going to the right shop, highlighted as Alfa Elecktor, in Braga.
Prices break the 40 euros barrier
At the shops of Leroy Merlin, you can buy the Best Buy Easy Home TDT HD Nano set-top-box on promotion for 29.95 euros. Without the promotion the price is 36.95 euros, which is still the lowest price found on the market so far. This device was not included in the DECO study.
The studies conducted by DECO under its partnership with ANACOM will run until April 2012, the date established for the switch off of analogue television in Portugal, providing information on equipment on the market and guiding and raising awareness among consumers.
Currently the terrestrial digital television network in Portugal covers around 86% of the population and provides improved television quality and audio. It also enables transmission in high definition and new features such as the electronic programming guide.
| Make and model | Overall quality (%) 1 | Prices (€) October 2010 |
Shop with lowest price |
| [Best of test.]Televes TDT 7151 | 69 | 120 - 199 | Braga Alfa Elecktor |
| [Right choice.]Denver DMB-105HD | 67 | 49,90 - 65,37 | National - Worten |
| BestBuy Easy Home TDT HD | 66 | 65,37 - 92,99 | Massamá Computer System |
| Sigmatek DVBR-520 HD | 63 | 63,11 - 100 | Massamá Computer System |
| Optex/STARcom ORT8891/ 8891-HD | 62 | 142,45 | Massamá Computer System |
| TechniSat DiGYBOXX T4 | 53 | 79,50 - 130,99 | Fajã Baixo FMC Electrónica |
| Metronic Zapbox HD-Z2 | 45 | 85 - 117,55 | Covilhã Civiléctrica |
| Iberosat TDT-3000 | 43 | 61,71 – 98 | Coimbra Centro Eléctrico Coimbra |
| Teka TK2000 THD | 38 | 72 - 164,77 | Braga Alfa Elecktor |
| Strong SRT 8150 | 34 | 79,90 – 140 | Viseu- Jorsat |
| Metronic Zapbox HD-Z1 | 29 | 89 - 99,99 | Fnac Alcabideche e Alfragide e Box Castelo Branco |
| Univers by FTE U6000 | 28 | 96 - 150 | Leiria – Sonigate Leiritrónica |
| Maximum T-102 FTA | not tested | 55 - 118,41 | Charneca Caparica- JMC Telecomunicações |
| Peribsen TDT4HD | not tested | 59 - 100 | Fajã Baixo-FMC Electrónica |
| Peribsen TDT4HD USB | not tested | 69,90 - 119,90 | Queluz Servelec |
| Strong SRT 8110 | not tested | 59,90 - 104,78 | Viseu Jorsat |
Key
[Best of test.]Best of test
[Right choice.]Right choice
[Economic choice.]Economic choice
[Very good.]Very good
[Good.]Good
[Average.]Average
[Mediocre.]Mediocre
[Poor.]Poor
n.a. Not applicable
Note
The prices indicated for e-commerce shops include acquisition costs and delivery to Greater Lisbon. These values may not be valid for other mainland districts or for the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores.
1 More than 65: good quality; 40 or less: don’t buy.
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