Analog television is gradually becoming a thing of the past, which leads many to purchase a receiver for receiving digital TV. When choosing such a technique, there are 3 main points to consider:
- A TV tuner can receive a signal in T / DVB-T2, DVB-C and DVB-S standards (digital terrestrial, cable and satellite television, respectively);
- the quality of reception depends on the receiving equipment, while the models are more expensive often have built-in signal amplifiers;
- additional functionality of set-top boxes for digital TV most often boils down to Internet access, support for IPTV and online video services.
To buy a high-quality set-top box and not overpay, you need to determine what functions you need and get acquainted with the TOP-10 rating of the best set-top boxes for digital TV year, which I made on the basis of the demand for models in the market and reviews of the owners.
STARWIND CT-100
A budget tuner of domestic production that supports DVB-T / DVB-T2, DVB-C standards. Receives a signal of terrestrial, digital and cable television in the maximum resolution Full HD. It has connectors: antenna input - 2 USB (1 - front and 1 - rear), HDMI, composite input power supply at 5v. Management - remote control and buttons on the case. Additional options: radio, teletext, program guide, recording to a USB flash drive, including time shift or timer, parental control. Price - .
Pros:
- price;
- compactness (115 × 23 × 65 mm);
- easy setup;
- recording and playback of video from a flash drive;
- RCA or HDMI connection.
Minuses:
- sometimes freezes (solved by disconnecting from the network);
- no HDMI cable included;
- no display;
- does not support AC3;
- short power supply cable;
- small remote control.
The most budget device with the necessary functionality, showing surprisingly stable signal reception. Yandex users. According to this criterion, the market rated it at 4.9 points out of 5. But rural residents need to test the tuner before buying or immediately take a more expensive model, for example, D-COLOR DC1301HD or Selenga HD950D: they are more confident in receiving a signal at a great distance from the repeater .
Cadena CDT-1753SB
Tuner of a Chinese manufacturer, popular in the market. It differs from STARWIND CT-100 by the presence of a display on which the serial number of the channel on the air or the clock in standby mode is displayed. The receiver copes better with playing photos and videos from a flash drive, supports a large number of modern formats and codecs. Does not accept DVB-C signal, has 1 USB connector, although it is more expensive ... Is it worth paying more? Let's consider its advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- price;
- compactness;
- easy setup;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- connection via RCA or HDMI;
- LED display
Minuses:
- there are no cables for connecting to a TV;
- sometimes it gets very hot, reboots;
- switches channels for a long time, periodically giving an error "No signal";
- short power supply cable;
- no HDMI cable included;
- does not support AC-3;
- small remote.
It is difficult to definitely recommend this model. Yandex users. Market cases of manufacturing defects, and the signal quality is estimated at 4.6 out of 5 points. To justify the model, I can say that the signal stability depends on the receiving antenna. As with the STARWIND CT-100, you should test the device with its antenna and TV before buying.
TELEFUNKEN TF-DVBT224
The choice of buyers Yandex. Market. It fundamentally differs from the two previous participants in the rating by its support for progressive scanning - it reproduces 50 frames per second, so the output image is more detailed. Supports AC-3 codec - no problems with Dolby Digital sound. Price - .
Pros:
- price;
- compactness;
- simple setup;
- recording and playback of video from a flash drive;
- RCA or HDMI connection
- LED display;
- progressive scan;
- support for AC3.
Minuses:
- sometimes freezes (the problem is solved by disconnecting from the network);
- remote control quality;
- short power cable;
- no HDMI cable included;
- 1 USB port.
88% of Yandex. Marketa recommend this model, noting that the quality of signal reception is highly dependent on the receiving antenna. The price in this case is justified by the "omnivorous" media player. There will be no problems with playing video, music, viewing photos from a flash drive.
HARPER HDT2-5010
It has larger dimensions in comparison with competitors (168 × 37 × 95 mm.) Accepts only terrestrial digital TV. Equipped with standard connectors - antenna input, USB, HDMI, composite output. Price - . It is justified by the stability of signal reception.
Pros:
- price;
- easy setup;
- built-in power supply;
- stable signal reception compared to budget competitors;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- RCA or HDMI connection
- LED display.
Minuses:
- bright red display backlight;
- small remote control;
- does not accept DVB-C;
- no support for MKV and AC-3;
- no HDMI cable included;
- short power cord;
- 1 USB port.
Popular TV set-top box brand from Taiwan. Confidently receives a signal, does not experience problems with overheating and freezing. Since it does not accept cable TV, the AC-3 codec does not support, I recommend TELEFUNKEN TF-DVBT224. The main thing is to install and configure a high-quality antenna before use.
Selenga HD950D
Works with broadcasting standards DVB-T / T2 and DVB-C - digital terrestrial and cable television. Has 2 USB ports. Supports Dolby Digital, external hard drives. The functions of viewing IPTV, YouTube and MEGOGO, via a Wi-Fi adapter (not supplied) are declared. In practice, difficulties arise with this: the console does not accept all adapter models, it heats up, it freezes. Price - .
Pros:
- simple setup;
- stable signal reception;
- built-in power supply;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- connection via RCA or HDMI;
- LED display
- progressive scan;
- Dolby Digital support;
- additional functionality related to access to online video services.
Minuses:
- short power cord;
- no HDMI cable included;
- heats up a lot in the "Internet" mode;
- freezes when running IPTV, YouTube, and other online services;
- The warranty seal is glued to the shipping film of the case.
A good set-top box for receiving digital terrestrial and cable television. There are problems with additional functionality: to use IPTV, you need to look for compatible equipment, but even if successful, the set-top box heats up and freezes. Pay for it it is advisable if cheaper models could not cope with the reception of a television signal.
BBK SMP240HDT2
The model, time-tested, appeared in 2015. It differs from all competitors in dimensions and weight (132 × 32 × 117 mm, 400 g). This benefited from performance: reliable DVB-T / T2 signal reception, less heating compared to budget competitors. Supports AC3. In terms of functions, everything is standard: video recording, incl.with a shift in time, TV guide, teletext, parental control, video playback from a flash drive. Price -.
Pros:
- simple setup;
- stable signal reception;
- built-in power supply;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- connection via RCA or HDMI;
- LED display
- AC3 support.
Minuses:
- small remote control;
- short power cord;
- no HDMI cable included.
Good model in terms of price-quality ratio. Most users note a stable signal reception without freezes and overheating.
D-COLOR DC1301HD
Another reliable sample with reliable DVB-T / T2 signal reception. Has USB, HDMI, antenna and composite outputs. When used as a media player, there is a problem - there is no support for many codecs, including AC3. Price - .
Pros:
- simple setup;
- stable signal reception;
- built-in power supply;
- heats up noticeably less in comparison with cheaper models;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- connection via RCA or HDMI;
- LED display
- rubberized feet.
Minuses:
- sometimes resets all settings;
- when disconnected from the network, time sometimes gets lost;
- no support for AC3 and a number of other relevant codecs;
- short power cord;
- no HDMI cable included;
- small remote control;
- demanding on the receiving equipment - you need a good antenna, ideally - with an amplifier of the "T2 barrel" type.
Not a bad model, but a good antenna with an amplifier is needed for stable reception. For almost identical price, I recommend BBK SMP240HDT2 due to AC3 support.
World Vision Foros Combo
The appearance of this receiver immediately reveals its belonging to the premium segment. Slightly rounded corners, a large display, beautiful buttons, the shape of the ventilation holes on the case - it looks solid, unlike the competitors presented in the rating above. The functionality has been expanded by installing the GX660 processor and the presence of 8 MB Flash and 64 MB RAM memory. Internet access is supported via a Wi-Fi adapter (not supplied). The manufacturer recommends using Ralink RT5370 or Mediatek MT7601, promising stable access to Youtube, Weather, IPTV player, Megogo, DVBFinder. There are 2 USB connectors: you can connect an adapter to one, and a USB flash drive to the other. The receiver has 2 built-in tuners: one for receiving satellite TV, the second for terrestrial digital and cable. In both cases, signal reception is stable. There is no composite output, instead it offers 3.5 mm (mini-jack) and an RCA adapter. Price - .
Pros:
- appearance;
- functionality (access to online video services);
- progressive scan;
- confident signal reception in all digital TV standards;
- LED display
- built-in power supply;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- support for AC3.
Minuses:
- small remote control;
- short power cord;
- no HDMI cable included;
- sometimes heats up a lot, freezes;
- not enough memory;
- able to understand a limited number of USB Wi-Fi adapters.
Multifunctional device of a well-known brand in the field of telecommunications at a reasonable price. It clearly wins against the background of the consoles presented earlier in the rating, both in design and in multimedia capabilities. If possible, definitely choose this model. If you want to save money, consider the Selenga HD950D - the most affordable set-top box with network access. Models are cheaper to work on receiving a digital TV signal, but the reception stability sometimes leaves much to be desired.
Oriel 421D
It offers the user reliable signal reception DVB-T / DVB-T2, DVB-C, a built-in browser to access the network and use IPTV (Wi-Fi adapter for these purposes is purchased separately). In addition to standard connectors, it is equipped with a coaxial (SPDIF) output for connecting external speakers. The weak point of the model is the media player: it does not reproduce all formats. Price -
Pros:
- appearance;
- functionality (access to online video services);
- confident signal reception;
- LED display
- built-in power supply;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- support for AC3;
- coaxial digital audio output.
Minuses:
- remote control;
- the built-in media player does not support many formats;
- short power cord;
- no HDMI cable included;
- in the "Internet" mode does not reproduce all content, freezes.
Nice set-top box for watching digital TV. With access to the Internet, everything is not so transparent: the built-in browser is not very functional; when working with online video services, it can freeze and refuse to play individual content. Therefore, I recommend World Vision Foros Combo T2 / S2. The difference in price is minimal, he also has problems with access to the network, but there is the opportunity to watch satellite TV.
LUMAX DV-4205HD
The most "advanced" receiver in the rating. Receives DVB-T2 and DVD-C signal. Has a built-in Wi-Fi adapter: access to content on the network - out of the box without the need to purchase additional equipment (cinema LUMAX, YouTube, Megogo), an almost "omnivorous" media player, supports DLNA - transferring images from a smartphone, tablet to a TV screen via a wireless protocol . Standard functions Time shift, TV guide, teletext, etc. have been implemented. e. There is a digital audio output for connecting speakers. Price - .
Pros:
- convenient universal remote control;
- built-in Wi-Fi adapter;
- functionality (access to online video services, powerful media player);
- confident signal reception;
- LED display
- built-in power supply;
- record and play video from a flash drive;
- support for AC3;
- coaxial digital audio output;
- DLNA support.
Minuses:
- short cord;
- no HDMI cable included;
- the "Internet" mode is incomplete - access to the network is limited, some content is not played.
Do you need built-in Wi-Fi on your digital TV set-top box? The expediency of acquiring a model depends on the answer. If so, then the LUMAX DV-4205HD is what you need. If you don't plan on using the Internet, you can get a cheaper model, for example, the BBK SMP240HDT2 or D-COLOR DC1301HD. Savings - order .
