Thetownend.com

We are presently signed up with BT for their TV package, we have to connect via Powerline Adapters as the router is in another room and the adapters packed up once and BT replaced, they have now packed up again and BT want £50 to replace.

On thinking about this I am not sure we really need the BT system as we have a Fire Stick which the missus uses all the time for Netflix, Amazon etc, plus the TV has Freeview already installed, we would lose BT Sport but I don't use it that much and if necessary In laws round the corner have it.

What we could do with is a box that will a) allow recording and b) if possible pausing of TV. Do such things exist that do not require internet connection if possible?

Speaking to BT and trying to negotiate a new deal is like speaking to a brick wall!

You can get poweradapters for 20 quid a pair

Currys have them for £24.99
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/powerline/tp-link-tl-pa4010-powerline-adapter-kit-av600-twin-pack-10143560-pdt.html

Apologies should have said we need the ones with a combined socket in them as our 1970's house only has about 5 sockets in the entire house (until its rewired next year!). Found refurb ones on Amazon of £22 but now thinking whether just to buy a hard drive recorder and sack BT off entirely!

I also found the BT adaptors very unreliable, which I had to scrap, and I bought ADDON adapters which are working extremely well.

Serious suggestion but you can do away with the need for power adapters if you ask the sparky to run some cat5 cable?

We have already been through this with the sparky and he is lined up as part of the rewire to run a cat 5 under the floor while it is up, I am hoping he will also rationalise the location of the phone socket as its in the entrance hall which has no plus sockets meaning we already have a ball ache with an extension lead to run the router.

The issue is more do I bite the bullet with BT spend 20 odd quid on new powerlines for now or just sack it off entirely, not helped by the fact that I will also need an entirely new line into the house shortly for the office in the garden we are finishing. I fucking hate technology!

If you're getting a re-wire, then Cat5 to every room is a must.

We cope fine with freeview and then Netflix/Amazon.

For sport, I just find a stream somewhere.

So back to the original question, any suggestions of a cheap and reliable Freeview Box with which we can pause TV and includes a hard drive recorder?

No suggestions, Humax was on the list when I last looked but a) that was for freesat b) the model range has changed.

May be looking again next month if Sky fail to deliver the discount (heard its getting harder).

All these suggestions for cat5, if you're rewiring, use cat6 ffs.

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs-entertainment/1405950/best-freeview-box-2017-the-best-set-top-boxes-for-viewing-and-recording

Might help

It’s exactly what I’ve done. Although part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that cat5 or cat5e would’ve been sufficient and cost a shit load less. (We used nearly 200m some how...)

We had a Humax on Freesat for a couple of years, brilliant boxes if thats what you are after, we had a Bush for 6 months and it kept locking up and was slow to respond but only cost £120 and the Humax was £250 but well worth double the price.

No idea if Humax make Freeview though.

I rewired our house with Cat6 (albeit only about 35m of cabling) but the cost over the price of Cat5 was only about £15 difference in total.

Helpdesk has numbed my ability to think IT. Go Cat6, obviously

The price is pretty much the same these days.

EDIT: Just checked, a box of 305m cat5e from a Swindon local supplier is £65, same box in cat6 is £95. Goes without saying you aren't going to need 305m of cable for an ordinary house.

Do you live in a fucking mansion????  :D

Similar price difference I guess. Got this, so £58 per 100m for cat6 and £38 for cat5e. Saving a fortune might be a touch of an exaggeration. :toocool:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GK898I0


Haha, it’s just the width of a single room and all in a line. Plus the sparky has left about 5m of slack per cable - currently curled up in my kitchen.

I have the latest humax freesat box and apart from taking a while to turn on it does everything I need it to..

 Records, rewinds,TV planner etc, has Netflix built in pp lus other apps. The freeview one does the same thing via an aerial I assume. Well worth the money over the cheaper brands available imo. I compliment it with now TV and buy the passes from eBay for very good value

External cable?! Good price though.

Yeah, felt I would take the cautious approach as it’s an old as fuck house and in some rooms there’s damp, most have  no cavities and we were planning on running some of it outside. Just seemed I best cover my arse as it’s not something I plan on redoing!

Edit: and there’s a history of rodents and that’s pretty tough shit.

He had to run it out to the Coach House and the Folly in the garden next to the lake!