Will a UK Freeview / Digital Set Top Box Work?

[Ginabridget]

I've done a few searches and can't find an answer to this one. Will my UK digi-box work in NZ? I'm looking at buying a new one that has a hard disk in it, I've checked out the prices in NZ and can only find standard freeview boxes which are really really expensive, over here the box I'm looking at will only cost £80, but I have no idea about the broadcasting hertz in NZ and UK or even if that's the right terminology. So don't know whether or not it's worth the effort of bringing it over, and as I plan on being in NZ soon it may not be worth me buying it if I can't take it with me.

Has anyone tried this or does anyone have the knowledge?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can shed light on this for me.

Oh by the way, I'm still waiting to exchange contracts on my house, my buyers mortgage offer has finally been issued and apparently the searches are taking place right this very minute, so fingers, arms and legs crossed hopefully in a week or so we might have them tied into buying this house and I can finally book some tickets to get the heck out of here.

Ta
Gina

[Taffy]

I'm not 100% certain but would be pretty confident in saying that it wont be compatible with the digital network in NZ. The digital system here is basic, to say the least, but still relys on the software in the box (and for any one whos interested - Sky also needs a subscriber card which wouldnt be compatible!) to decode the signal, and the UK will have a different decoder for sure.

Good luck with the house, nail biting times!!

[zummerzet_lou]

Hey - congrats on the impending house sale ... keeping everything crossed that it goes through for you this time.

As for the digibox ... we have a hard disk recording one, and ours has been packed as Jon tells me it'll work in NZ!

I know he said something about having to have a satellite or something, but as with most things he tells me it went in one ear and out t'other
Also have some vague recollection of NZ TV going digital in the next year or so??

ps. Jon should be about tomorrow, so hopefully he can answer this

Lou

[Ginabridget]

Thanks for your replies Taffy and Lou, I'll await some info from Jon.

My reason for wanting a new digi box is because if we do exchange contracts in the next week or so I'm going to sell our big tele and we'll be stuck with our one from the spare room, which isn't digital, and our old freeview box is knackered. The thought of spending every evening until we fly out watching the standard channels (yes I admit it I have no life well no baby sitters anyway) fills me with dread.

The stress is starting to get to me, it seems that every night there's another property programme on the tele designed to terrify first time buyers, which convinces me that ours are going to do a runner. The sooner we exchange the better. If we lose this buyer we're going to have to consider coming to NZ without selling the house, which is do-able but not ideal.

The sun is still shining here so I'm going to go and play outside with the kids, that will definitely take my mind of everything.

[Banjo.Jon]

as Lu said "it goes in one ear and out the other"!! I am not sure if the box will work or not, I simply read somewhere that freeview was becoming available in NZ and as our freeview recorder was a few years old I could see no real loss is taking it out and seeing if it works. Besides, it has about 40 hours of kids programs that could be handy when they miss cbeebies!!

[Ginabridget]

I've gotta say that Cbeebies is my main driver for getting a new one here when we get rid of our main tele. I never thought about saving Cbeebies on it and taking it to NZ, what a fantastic idea. I can't imagine my life without Cbeebies it's such a saviour when I need to keep the kids occupied so I can make dinner.

get a new digi-box so I can enjoy tele while we're still here and then load it up with Cbeebies and take it to NZ, fantastic idea!! And if it happens to work as a freeview box in NZ then that would just be the icing on the cake.

[ebianca]

Freeveiw is available in NZ- we have got a High Definition Freeview box free with our TV (not got it yet have to send off) this works via the ariel though. Don't know if the UK boxes will work though.

[kokopeli]

call it a coincidence, but I spent ten minutes wiring our UK digibox into our telly the other night. I spent another hour trying to unravel the mess of wires and cables behind the telly, followed by another hour or so going mental as I tried to find the remote control.


I'm afraid I can't answer your question Gina, but I swear to God that remote has been on my bookshelf for the past umpteen weeks......

[Ginabridget]

good luck with finding your remote! I've gone ahead and bought the digi-box and spent an hour yesterday getting it all hooked up, then spent 10 minutes chasing my 2 year old around the house because he decided that the remote was his and his alone.

I'll be most interested to hear (when you find the remote, it probably is still on the bookshelf, but you'll only find it when you stop looking for it) whether it works or not.

On a positive note my solicitor rang on Friday and told me that we could be exchanging contracts next week

I'm really trying very hard not to get excited about this.....but....oh the thought that it might actually be happening soon is almost too much.

[ebianca]

Great news about the house Gina- got my fingers crossed for you!!