sky digibox

[mindbullets]

im trying to get a sky digibox from ebay as a xmas present for me dad who already has a minidish on his new house ,what i need to know is:whats the best value brand ?amstrad ,grundig ,pace ?. also if i get one without any card will i still be able to get the terrastrial(sp) channels ie 1-5.and if i need a card how much are they and where do i get one ?any help much appreciated.

[kernowman]

Can�t comment on the differences between brands � I�ve only had a Pace digibox and it has been 100% reliable over about three years.

Without a card you can still get all the free to air (FTA) channels but you do need a card (20 quid from Sky, lasts 3 years, or try to get one off ebay) to get the free to view (FTV) channels as these are encrypted. They are ITV, Channel 4 and Five. But you can just as easily switch back to terrestrial to view these.

If you�re buying from ebay, check whether they are supplying a remote and a mains lead. Not all do.

I have a friend in the same position as your Dad (dish and connections already installed but no digibox) and I�m trying to persuade him to go down this route rather than buy a freeview box.

[romko]

amstrad is probably at the cheap end of the market, i'd stick with grundig or pace (which are likely to have better after sales service, tech support and parts availability)

[mac309]

Would recommend that you should check out www.thedigiboxshop.com. fantastic service, without the dodgy dealers on E-bay

[rudydsa]

Hi, else you can even check the site http://www.skydigitalbox.org.uk/ to get the genuine deals from Sky directly instead of going to other dealers.