what more do u want? (Panasonic TU CT20)

Member Name: iv3_b33n_r0bb3d

Product:	Panasonic TU CT20
Date:	06/03/05 (154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: digital quality, lots of channels, no monthly fee

Disadvantages: needs aerial to be in correct position

For being one of Sky digitals first customers when you had to pay for the dish and receiver, and cancel the subscription, they repay you with cutting off the main channels like five, itv2, itv. So it was like oh poof ya. So I went out and bought a freeview receiver, I’ve had this for a while now, I got my mother to buy it only because I wanted to watch Newcastle United’s UEFA cup campaign in the 2003/2004 season.

The set top box isn’t mind banging difficult, you get the basic channels plus some additional ones, no monthly fee, no nothing after the shop price, no need to fly through the channels for what you want to watch.

Not only does it have all the main channels but the image is dramatically improved, no more odd fuzzes there and here (or is it here and there?). It changes the pants aerial signal into quality crisp sharp clear (you get the point) digital signal which we all know is better than analogue (I think that’s what it is, digital opposite to analogue). It offers the same good picture as Sky does but amazingly this is through an aerial not a satellite dish ooooooooo.

You are probably wondering what channels you can watch on it. Well, you get the basic channels, additional terrestrial channels such as itv2 and bb3 oh and of course cbeebies for the young’uns, radio channels that no1 listens to, music channels like TMF and The hits, some shopping channels, and news channels. I’m not going to go into depth on what channels you get, but if you want to know more just go to the official freeview site (I think I am allowed to say that, it’s not a link).

The packaging isn’t colourful a nice brown cardboard box with some blue ,then again like everyone says, it’s the inside that counts and not its shell (outside even but I like to say shell better). The contents are simple, a remote control, the set box itself and some batteries (how nice of them to include them), an instruction book, a scart cable and an adapter.

The instructions are simple to follow, but if you have many wires hanging around it gets a bit difficult especially when you run out of scart sockets to plug it into. Just plug it into any other type of receiver you have or dvd/vcr player as long as the device goes straight into the television, and pull the aerial lead out of whatever its pugged into and shove it into the back of the receiver.

Once it is all plugged in, it’s ready to go. The instructions tell you how to automatically set the channels which should take about a minute. Sit back with your mug of banana milkshake and enjoy.

A benefit this carries over sky is that you can view the information of a programme on a different channels whereas in Sky you need to stop watching the channel or change the channel over to see the information, very handy indeed. However, on freeview you can only see the programme on next and not programmes on in 3 hours time.

Another potential problem with this is that you need a good aerial in a good position otherwise you will get the on and off signal thing. My aerial is in the loft and it’s like rusty and has been up there for 10 years and still gives good signals (when it is facing the right direction)

When I first got the product many channels were not available so I had to change the aerial position. I went up the loft and suspended the aerial on strings hanging from each the beams, not a good idea when it is windy, but worked nicely until an electrician went up and moved it and haven’t been bothered to go up and change so I am restricted to watch channels I can watch.

Oh and you also get a 1 years manufacturers warranty on this product too.

That’s bout it.

Summary: