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Fellow OB's - looking to buy a Dick Smith HD Set Top Box.
Been to a few stores around Sydney but cannot see any.
Has anyone come across one? Which shop please and when?
Thanks for your help
Dick Smith HD set top box
Islund on 23/04/2016 - 21:20
Last edited 23/04/2016 - 21:20
Last edited 23/04/2016 - 21:20
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Might be cheaper just to get a whole new TV rn!
How did you know this is for a TV?
Set top boxes aren't really the thing to buy these days. With the prices of new digital-ready televisions at new lows, you're bound to find something that fits within your budget.
Besides, if you are seriously only looking for a set top box and cannot consider a new television at all, I'd strongly recommend that you keep well aware from Dick Smith. These folk will be out of business in less than a month's time, and should anything go wrong with your set top box then you'll be out of pocket and back to square one.
The best thing to do would be to future-proof yourself, plan ahead and perhaps look for a TV instead of a set top box. All televisions on the market these days are digital-ready, so all you have to do is plug it in and it'll work straight away.
If a new television can't be considered at all, then you'll obviously have to get a hold of a set top box.
But whichever path you wish to follow, don't follow any path leading to Dick Smith. You won't be doing yourself or your hard earned any justice.
What makes you think the OP is using a TV? I have a projector and projectors don't have TV tuners so I use a set top box.
Have a read of the comment directly below this.
Your comment was made before the OP's. It's best not to assume before you go and write a 4 paragraph rant.
I have an old Phillips CRT TV.Has sensational picture and immense sentimental value.
Was just goingbto set it up in a spare bedroom and leave it at that.
Cannot bring myself to throw it out.
Yep, Strong set-top boxes are great, we have had two different ones, one for in the house reception and another in for when travelling and hooking up to satellite TV, both have worked well.
How do you mean hooking up to satellite TV? I ask because my mum has satellite TV and the box (a dodgy box labelled Sony Sky) has a broken remote and if all I had to do was replace it with a regular set top box that sounds easy
@Jackson: The Strong set top box that we used for satellite TV worked on the old analogue satellite system, which unfortunately was shut down a while ago.
Unfortunately to watch TV (free to air) via satellite, the set top box must be one that can lock onto the satellite, a Vast system (Viewer Access Satellite Television). There are a few brands out there now, the one we have in the caravan is a Altec UEC 4121RV costing around $270.00. Another one out is a Satking, have not used it, so don't know much about it.
Maybe your mum might be able to just replace the broken remote, which would be the easiest and possibly cheapest solution for her.
There are plenty of discarded STBs at the moment. Just need to be aware that a couple of the TV channels are converting some of their programmes to MPEG4 and some STBs are not compatible with that coding method.
Check out your local Freecycle and save one going to landfill.
All Dick Smith stores close in a fortnight. Its likely they cleared stock of all their Set Top Box stock during the receivership's initial 20% off sale as they had heaps of foot traffic and Dick Smith STB's are very popular.
I suggest dropping into Good Guys or JB HiFi. Their generic brand set top boxes (Kogan, Altech, Highlander, …) are usually riskier and crappier value than Dick Smith set top boxes but you'll get warranty and it will be easier to return if the device is unsuitable.
If you still have your heart set on a new Dick Smith set top box then drop into a store and ask them if they could check other stores for availability on their computer system. Though it's most likely they are sold out everywhere.
I'm still using my 12 year old Kmart 68cm CRT TV as my main TV. Works great and won't die! The TV outlives EVERY set top box. The TV has outlived: Kaon SD PVR (8 years), CatchOfTheDay HD STB (1 year), Kogan HD PVR (1 month), Akai HD PVR (6 months).
My STB just died last month and I'm using a work around by watching SBS, ABC and YouTube on the CRT TV using my home ADSL internet and Sony PlayStation3 as a TV box/dongle.
Why?