Top 10 best Freesat boxes for UK TVsMonthly subscription charges, who needs 'em? Especially when you can get over 140 TV and radio channels as well as HD content free.That's the promise of Freesat - the BBC-backed alternative to Sky's Pay TV service, which can give you all this right, right now - you don't have to wait for Freeview digital TV to come to your TV region.The only thing you really have to think about is what kind of satellite receiver (plus dish, naturally) that you're going to choose to get your TV programmes on.Which is why we've lined up our favourites below - from affordable receiver-only boxes to Sky+-style PVRs.Arm yourself with a motorised dish, a couple of LNBs, and and some of the more exotic offerings here and you could well find yourself straying well beyond your regular Freesat/Sky comfort zone. Austrian Eurotic TV anyone? Manhattan Plaza XT-CMThe Manhattan Plaza offers excellent blind search functionalityIt's a budget option, but the single-tuner XT-CM's blind search functionality puts that of some more expensive receivers to shame.You get a single common interface, two card readers, DiSEqC 1.0/1.2/USALS and SCR support, TV/VCR Scarts, and a DVB-compliant, seven-day ready EPG (but no ability to schedule the timer) and teletext. Audio and video quality are both great.Read: full Manhattan Plaza XT-CM reviewPrice check: get cheapest Manhattan Plaza XT-CM priceSagem DSI86 HDSagem finally produces its first Freesat zapperSagem was originally tipped to be one of the first manufacturers of Freesat receivers, but we've had to wait more than a year for its first effort - the DSI86 HD.Although we suspect that anyone buying an HD box will probably be relying exclusively on the HDMI output, standard-definition Freesat pictures are rather soft looking viewed via TV Scart, even with RGB enabled.The HDMI output gives better results with standard definition sources and effective upscaling to 720p and 1080i makes good-quality SD broadcasts look appreciably sharper as a result.True high-definition broadcasts from BBC HD are also crisply presented. Audio performance is decent and on a par with Sagem's Freeview boxes.Read: full Sagem DSI86 HD reviewPrice check: get cheapest Sagem DSI86 HD priceHumax Foxsat HDThe first hi-def Freesat receiver is still a must-haveThe £125 Humax was the first HD receiver available and it's wonderfully specified. Its back panel crams in two Scarts, one HDMI, an Ethernet port, USB, component video, AV phonos, an optical audio output and a standard F-connector.Pretty much everything you need for either a simple box and TV combination, or high-end home theatre hook-up. Image quality is channel-dependant.At launch, the only HD service came from the BBC, although ITV has since launched its own HD offerings.Thankfully, images from the Beeb are simply gorgeous, with ravishing levels of detail. Overall, this little Humax is impressive. It's well-built, looks smart and is generously specified.Read: full Humax Foxsat HD reviewPrice check: get cheapest Humax Foxsat HD price Metronic Freesat KitMetronic bundles its Freesat HD receiver with a dish kit for DIY Freesat installationThe receiver is well-made, roughly the same size as a box of Black Magic, and is powered by an external 12V DC power supply.Yet it has all - or most - of the features of other Freesat HD units.The front panel lacks a display - all you get is a red LED to indicate standby - but there are tiny buttons for standby plus channel and volume up/down.Picture and sound quality are excellent, the HD 100 proving more than a match for more expensive Freesat hardware. Detail levels are impressive, and the upscaling of standard-def to hi-def is handled well.Read: full Metronic Freesat Kit reviewPrice check: get the cheapest Metronic Freesat Kit priceHumax HDCI-5000Humax's affordable FTA HD receiver is a great performerIn 2006, before Humax's HDCI-5000 was born, the HDCI-2000 was one of an elite breed.It wasn't the first FTA HD satellite receiver, but the 2000 could accommodate the cutting-edge H.264 and DVB-S2 standards.You could use it to watch the BBC HD channel and also tune into the emerging European HD channels. The HDCI-5000 sells for about £100 less than its predecessor and is, alas, nowhere near as svelte in appearance.However, both picture and sound quality are first-rate, hi-def channels standing out with a rich visual texture and vivid, natural colour. If you're after a reasonably priced HD receiver and aren't bothered about the bells or whistles, the HDCI- 5000 is worth considering.Read: full Humax HDCI-5000 reviewPrice check: get cheapest Humax HDCI-5000 priceGolden Interstar GI-S900CIYet another affordable PVR-upgradable HD receiver catches our eyeGerman brand Golden Interstar is new to us. Here, we look at its GI-S900CI - a single-tuner receiver with support for DVB-S2 and hi-def, in addition to regular standard-def DVB-S.Features include HDMI and component hi-def outputs (with upscaling of standard-def), CAM emulation and a pair of CIs.Picture and sound quality from HD channels like Arte and BBC HD produce intricate detail and vibrancy. A noticeable drop in quality can be seen after changing to SD channels. Changing channels and menu access are both fast, but the scanning speeds beat those of many more expensive units we've tested.Read: full Golden Interstar GI-S900CI reviewPrice check: get cheapest Golden Interstar GI-S900CI priceEcholink EL-7020 HD IR 2CIHi-def, PVR upgradability, multimedia playback and blind search for £200We've seen a fair few hi-def/DVB-S2 receivers with PVR support recently.Thing is, they tend to be rather expensive. The midi-sized Echolink EL-7020 HD IR 2CI bucks the trend by providing this functionality for a mere £179.Sure, it doesn't include the USB hard drive you'll need for PVR operation, but these are cheap enough nowadays. Bonuses include HDMI and component hi-def outputs, blind search, 2-slot CAM emulation and a pair of CIs.BBC HD demonstrates the extent of the picture quality that the 7020 can muster. A direct comparison between the 7020 and a Sky+ HD box reveals little discernible difference, displaying radiantly pure colour, stupendous depth and crisp detail.Read: full Echolink EL-7020 HD IR 2CI reviewPrice check: get cheapest Echolink EL-7020 HD IR 2CI priceTechnisat HDFSTechnisat launches its first Freesat HD receiver with multimedia and streaming thrown inThe HDFS is its first Freesat receiver offering standard and hi-def reception. It has two operating modes - Freesat and Technisat mode. In Freesat mode the receiver scans for Freesat channels only, prompting you to enter your postcode beforehand to set regional channels.You can only access the Freesat EPG while in this mode. The Technisat mode is for multi-satellite users and has many features offered by a conventional satellite receiver. Genre searches can be slow but the software is pretty slick on the whole.Standard-def pictures can look a tad soft, but are still acceptable. HD looks sharp all round, whether you're watching BBC HD or FTA HD channel Luxe HD.Read: full Technisat HDFS reviewPrice check: get cheapest Technisat HDFS priceGoodmans GFSAT200HDTrue colours shining throughDon't let the brightly-coloured flashing lights around its edges distract you from some eye-catching tech inside this LED backlit telly.As is often the case with Philips 2009 sets, there's some disadvantages; you have to be careful with the 42PFL9903H's bountiful Perfect Pixel HD settings to achieve picture greatness, but it's worth the commitment.And unlike most flat tellies, the 42PFL9903H's sound quality is excellent. Two subwoofers tucked away on the TV's rear give a reasonably dynamic, wide-ranging and clear soundstage that goes well beyond the flat TV norm.Read: full Goodmans GFSAT200HD reviewPrice check: get cheapest Goodmans GFSAT200HD priceHumax Foxsat HDRThe first Freesat+ HD PVR, and the only serious satellite rival to Sky+With the arrival of the Humax Foxsat-HDR there is finally a subscription-free rival to Sky+, the de facto satellite TV PVR in the UK.Previously, recording a Freesat broadcast meant resorting to antediluvian methods such as using a separate DVD recorder or VCR in conjunction with a Freesat receiver.The system works almost flawlessly and can deliver top-quality broadcast images and sound. Directly comparing simultaneous broadcasts on Freesat, Freeview and Sky (using my third LNB) show that this system is on a par or sometimes better than its rivals.Standard definition BBC broadcasts and most other channels look as good on the Humax as they do on Freeview and Sky.Read: full Humax Foxsat HDRPrice check: get cheapest Humax Foxsat HDR price
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