Timely market survey of 17 digital TV set-top boxes to help baffledconsumers in their choice - CHOICE # 376

Shopping for a TV decoder to ring in digital terrestrial TV broadcast for the Year of the Rat?

But with more and more brands and models coming onto the market, unfamiliar to most of us, the choice can be extremely baffling.

The Consumer Council has undertaken a timely market survey of a total of 17 different samples, comparing them for their features and functions, and offering much-needed consumer advice.

These digital TV set-top boxes offer probably the easiest way to watch digital TV broadcast with your existing set.

First and foremost, consumers are advised to buy products with the OFTA (Office of the Telecommunications Authority) label to ensure capability to receive the local digital terrestrial TV broadcast.

Products with the "Higher-tier Receiver" label that are capable of receiving all the 13 digital broadcast channels including the 2 high definition channels, are the obvious recommended choice.

Consumers looking for cheaper-priced set-top boxes by buying from outside of Hong Kong, should be wary - as the broadcast system adopted in Hong Kong is different from foreign countries.

Though it is the same as that in mainland China, it is still unique due to differences in parameter settings and video decoding method.

Therefore, set-top boxes purchased in the mainland may not receive all the digital channels in Hong Kong; and since one cannot test the reception there, there is no guarantee that it will work in Hong Kong.

When choosing a set-top box, consumers are advised to pay careful attention to the demonstration in the shop or showroom.

Apart from comparing the picture quality, they should also try to compare the display and layout of the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) and operation response such as switching channels. Some models may be slow in switching channels with a few seconds lag.

Some models offer also video recording function though most do not provide built-in storage media and require connection to an external USB (Universal Serial Bus) hard disk in order to produce immediate recording, timer recording, EPG recording, simultaneous recording and playback, editing functions, etc.

Further, choose set-top boxes which are easy to upgrade as most products today are still very new in the market and may be subject to improvement.

Consumers are advised to consider carefully in placing a pre-order of models that may be out of stock or not immediately available in the market without a confirmed delivery date.

They may have to wait for a long time before they can get the product. So do not pay too much deposit to minimize any loss in case you change your mind later.

Most higher-tier receivers are designed with HDMI (High Definition Multi-Media Interface) and component output, both of which support the transmission of high definition signal from the set-top box to the TV set.

This is because HDMI connection will keep the whole process digital from broadcast reception, video decoding and transmission to the TV set, thus ensuring highest picture quality.

Traditional S-Video or AV connection are generally not up to the requirement of conveying good high definition video.

In most cases, there is little variation in the picture quality obtained using different set-top boxes - the main difference is in how it implements its upscaling (i.e. raising the picture resolution).

The existing TV set can be used to receive digital broadcast by connecting to an appropriate set-top box. But if you want to get high-quality picture from high-definition programmes, you should have at least a TV set with reasonably good display resolution (at least 1280x720 or even 1920x1080).