Bush: DFTA1000

Karen, Bristol, on January 26th, 2008
I bought this product on the 1st Oct 2007 from Argos, it was fine for the first couple of weeks and then the remote control started to freeze/not work so I returned to Argos and they replaced it with another. Again this was ok for a couple of weeks then the problems returned. My husband was at home for the day and popped upstairs briefly heard a loud buzzing, ran downstairs and the unit was onfire. Our TV and Wall has been damaged. I conacted Bush 2 Weeks ago and they assured me someone would get back to me in 48 hours i'm still waiting !!!! I will not buy Bush ever again !!!

Terry, Manchester, on July 31st, 2007
I've had many of the problems mentioned here in these reviews. But has anyone noticed how hot this adapter gets? Just wondered whether this could be the root problem here, overheating.

John, Newcastle, on May 10th, 2007
I also have just purchased a Bush DFTA 1001 also 1 week old. Whole thing has frozen, I have been onto bush technical services, and I am not racist but I could not understand a word the lady or the gentleman were saying. Eventually got instructions to reset remote by pushing up, down, left, and right, and no1 keys simultaneously for 10 seconds to no avail!!! all they would say was take it back to the shop that you purchased it from I AM NOT A HAPPY BUNNY after reading all these reports knowing now that the likely hood the unit itself been faulty ,but customer services where certain it was the remote. think I will just send whole thing back ps thank you for no help customer services I WILL NEVER BUY BUSH AGAIN

Chris, Scotland, on April 25th, 2007
This device looks good and the menus etc.. looked quite well thought out. It appeared to work fine for the short time I had it but I had a compatibility issue between it and a Logik 19 widescreen LCD (Don't have the number to hand but it was from Dixons).When I used this bush freeview adapter which the logik TV, I got a flashing white band at the top and bottom of the screen. The TV worked fine with other freeview adapters and the bush adapter worked fine with other TVs but put the two together and they freaked out. I tested a number of different bush adapters and a number of logik TVs but they all had the same compatibility problem. Currys were really helpful sorting this out but there is definitely a compatibility issue between the two devices that needs to be addressed. It’s unfair to give this box a poor rating because I couldn't figure out which device has made a boo boo in its design.

Susan, London, on April 23rd, 2007
I bought this as it seemed very compact. I find it does not work with an indoor ariel unless I stand on tip toes with it about a foot from the window, I have another old set top box at home and this works perfectly well with the indoor ariel. I will be taking this product back.

Robert, Stonehaven, on February 14th, 2007
The problem with my DFTA1000 is that I cannot record a Freeview channel while watching another channel. The instructions don't say if I should be able to do it. Does anybody know if it is possible?

Ruth, Coventry, on January 25th, 2007
I thought I was going insane thinking I was the only one having problems! Currently we're on our 3rd one in our bedroom! First one purchased in August 06 (1000 version), was fab for 6months, froze but we put this down to the DC adaptor getting too hot, so as everyone else has commented we simply turned on/off again and it was fine. Then in January this year it wouldn't work at all! Tried everything but nada! Returned to Argos, got a replacement the weekend (version 1001) just gone, plugged in, set it up and the 'pod' wouldn't come off standby! Thinking it was the battery in the remote we brought a new one!....still nothing!! It was if the remote just wasn't connecting with the pod. So I exchanged last night, got yet another one and lo-and-behold! the same problem has occurred again! This time the set up screen has appeared but the remote still won't work so we can't start going thru the first time installation!. I could have thrown it out the window I was that frustrated. Not sure what to do now, emailed Customer Services but think we should give up and return it and maybe looked into a Sony one as everyone on here seems to believe is a better option???!?

Hector, Glasgow, on January 5th, 2007
I got a DFTA1000 in March 2006 and use it in bedroom. Is usually switched off when not in use and has been great, though I find the navigation of the EPG very awkward and the remote too small and fiddly. A little later I got a second one, to use with my S-VHS video as it has S-Video output option, but the second one was very poor with a weak tuner and prone to freezing up - returned to Makro. Like all mass-produced electronics you can be lucky or unlucky with your individual specimen. Ian of Stockport asks re DFTA 1001: I got one from Makro 4 weeks ago. Works fine, but tuner a little weaker than my DFTA 1000. Does NOT output S-Video. NOTE THAT NONE OF THE BITS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE WITH THE DFTA 1000. Mains adapter socket, IR receiver socket and remote are all different. Neither remote will control any functions of the other - an advantage, I suppose, if you have 2 in same room. Remote layout a bit improved though navigation still awkward to my mind. Box has black underside and black centre strip on top, which together with possibly better ventillation grills may help keep it cooler than the DFTA 1000 but seems to still get quite hot. No bugs so far, but it is switched off when not in use. I'd rate them both as good, provided that you get a 'good' one.

arthur , luton, on January 1st, 2007
looking to connect a Bush DFTA1000 unit to my tv, But have no remote or manual. is it possible to work it off my original dvd player remote? & do I need a code etc. Any help appreciated thanks

Ian, Stockport, on December 26th, 2006
The comments here seem to be mixed. I wonder if anyone has got the Bush DFTA1001 that is now available? Does it fix any of the problems mentioned in this review? Currys and Dixons are doing them for around 50 quid.

jo, on November 19th, 2006
This is awful my sound does not work why please help me or i will need to buy another one

Paul, nr Bath, on September 24th, 2006
Great idea, very compact and therefore easily hidden away; used in the kitchen for 6 months before it died. Picture fine on a small screen but very sluggish, needed frequent power reset to get it to co-operate and unlimately disappointing. Took it back when it started squealing and now searching for a compact and reliable replacement.

Royce, Buckinghamshire, on June 3rd, 2006
Same bugs as everyone else. Using a cheap socket timer, so it switches off for 15 minutes at 4am every morning. Now works fine.

Mark, Sheffield, on May 15th, 2006
Thanks for all your comments about the BUSH DFTA1000, think I'll get another Ferguson FD1 PRISM for my mums birthday. Very reliable, small an novel shape.

Christopher, Newbury, on May 10th, 2006
Great for a week or two, but afterwards it could not recive any good signal, until eventually it stopped responding and applied a lock that I cannot get into, therefore I cannot view any of the channles.

Edward, Ayrshire, on April 21st, 2006
We bought an Idaptor as soon as they became available and it has worked since day one. We have suffered some of the problems with text and freezing up now and then, but overall the Idaptor has functioned well. This was not our first Freeview box. Both Goodmans and Sagem gave up the ghost after about a week or two, both freezing and losing all signals etc even after a £100 aerial upgrade. This little box of tricks has kept on giving us a perfect picture even during football matches and shows no sign as yet of dying. It may not be ideal for those who live in perfect reception areas but I think it is a great piece of kit for not a lot of money. If I can access 30 plus channels by switching the thing off two or three times a week I can live with that. My only other alternative is sticking a bloody great sky dish onto the side of my house. I think turning off a socket is a much better idea.

Enrico, Renfrewshire, on April 19th, 2006
I have the Technosonic SA201 branded version of this unit. As far as I can tell it is identical to the BUSH, except that this newest version I have is contained in a slimmer 'curvier' case and now sports an antenna pass-through connection. The OSD, specs and facilities are identical, as are the remote control and IR eye. First impressions are pretty much the same as everyone else - this is an item you buy specifically for its convenient size - it hides perfectly behind the 26" LCD I bought it for. The 'glitches' are identical too ie. slowing down over time. I suspect, however, that this is related to the unit's 'auto updating' function whereby daily it attempts to search for OTA firmware upgrades. While watching late at night I got an on-screen message informing me that it was time for the box to do its daily update search, after which the channel change time instantly slowed right down. It seems that a process kicks in which, if no software is found, never times out. This would explain the box response time getting slower day by day that some others have reported, as multiple 'update' processes kick in and never terminate. Power down/up cures the problem, so a nightly shut down seems to be the obvious workaround until this software glitch is ironed out.

Marc, Aberdeen, on April 5th, 2006
Have to balance some of these negative comments. I bought one of these 4 weeks ago, with great trepidation after reading all the problems. However, I have had very few problems at all with it. The DFTA1000 was ideal as I wanted something I could use with my TV in the kitchen which is raised in the air on a TV support. So the fact everything would be hidden behind the telly was the major benefit for me (and no little boxes my inquisitive 2 year old could knock off). Installation went perfectly - picked up all the channels I was expecting. Picture and sound quality is very good - no problems receiving any channels at all (although I do have a good aeriel complete with booster in my loft). The text seems to be a bit buggy - but I have found that on my father-in-laws more expensive Freeview box too, so not sure it may be entirely down to the Idaptor. The text hangs occasionally, but simply switching off and on cures the problem. Also had the box hang when accessing the options menu once, but a reset cured that too. Moving between channels doesn't seem to be a problem to me - 2 minutes to change a channel? Haven't had more than a few seconds for me. The thoughts about leaving the unit switched on may be correct though - we have always switched off our TV's at the power socket every night, and do the same with the Idaptor. Perhaps the unit is prone to overheating if left switched on constantly? Who knows, but I can only state I haven't had the same sort of problems. Would have been useful to have a quick way to scroll through the 7 day EPG (as I have seen on some boxes), but I am very happy so far. My recommendation would be try it and see - it may be just what you are looking for. My only gripe is now that little Alasdair has discovered the delights of CBeebies, we are now subjected to a constant 12 hours a day of infuriating children's programmes! (Thankfully he also likes the cars on Men and Motors!).

Alan, Southampton, on March 28th, 2006
Had one for a week and while working it was good but, channel changing gets slower and slower the longer it is left on. After a week, it was taking up to 2 mins to change channel and would often not change channel at all, or would jump several channels. Also, there is no RF loopthrough (or modulator). There are no controls on the unit, it really is designed to hide behind the TV, and so everything has to be done via the remote. Don't lose it!! Power is via an external power adaptor (not via the scart as some websites claim). A nice idea but software a bit too buggy for serious use.