T3's review of the Hauppauge DEC 1000-t (transcript)
Alec Spence
would-be digital TV viewers to dive in with the DEC 1000-t, playing up
the unit's diminutive size (it's like a tubby CD player) and general
ease of use.
It's certainly smaller than most - apart from the Pace DTVA - and can
be connected in moments via the SCART or RF sockets. But, despite
Hauppauge's claim that it's easy to use compared with the competition,
the DEC 1000-t's set-up sheet contains TV mumbo-jumbo and suffers from
schoolboy errors. The light on the front is red, not green, as
stated, and the standby button on the remote isn't labelled -
elsewhere, it's referred to as the Power On/Off Switch, and it's
black, not red, for the record.
Once these unnecessary problems are negotiated, the automatic tuning
swings into action, sorting through the available channels and winding
up with a simple on-screen list. Along the way, the unit tests the
strength and quality of the signal. The number of channels you can
receive depends on where you live (go to www.freetoview.co.uk to
check), but most people can get up to 30 free channels.
To record a TV programme, you'll have to by an RF-splitter, and then,
depending on how you connect this, you'll be able to watch analogue TV
while recording a digital channel, or the other way round.
Unfortunately, you can't wire it up in a way that enables you to do
both.
The on-screen programme guide is OK, and shows standard now and next
info - it's a shame, then, that the design is primitive-looking.
Using the remote, you can set up a list of favourite channels (so at
least you can skip those that are currently empty) and activate the
parental controls to keep junior away from late-night soft porn.
There's also a Size button on the remote that enables you to change
the aspect ratio of the picture without delving into a next of menus.
In use, the remote is small and comfy, although some buttons aren't
that clearly labelled (Guide instead of EPG, for example).
Performance-wise, interactive services load on a par with Pace's DTVA
- reasonable but not exciting.
We love free digital TV but, as a delivery mechanism, the DEC 1000-t
is utterly average - the only really exciting thing is its size, which
means you can position it almost anywhere.
Verdict: 3/5 stars
Like all Freeview receivers, this is top value for money, but it's not
very original.
Terry Eden
> Well established in the PC market, Hauppauge is trying to persuade
> would-be digital TV viewers to dive in with the DEC 1000-t, playing up
> the unit's diminutive size (it's like a tubby CD player) and general
> ease of use.
I'd add another few points to this...
It uses a D-Sub9 to Scart socket rather than a standard scart.
You can't flick to radio channels without pushing the "radio" button first.
You then have to press TV to get back to TV.
It doesn't come with an RF splitter or remodulator - which means you'll lose
all your analoug channels.
It is nice and small!
Terry